Rutgers star Morgan Smith named top two-way player in college softball
With the college softball season in the books, Morgan Smith has continued to add to her trophy case. On Monday, the Rutgers star was named the No. 1 two-way player and No. 23 player overall in Softball America’s Top 100 Players List. It is Smith’s latest achievement following a historic season.
In 169 at-bats during the 2024 campaign, Smith posted a .408 batting average while driving in 66 runs. She also made an impact with her power as 39 of her 69 hits went for extra-bases. The Pinnacle High School product set career highs in home runs with 19, triples with four, and runs with 50.
When Smith wasn’t making headlines at the plate, she was frustrating hitters on the mound. In her second season at Rutgers, Smith posted a 3.54 ERA in 130.2 innings of work. She also set career highs in strikeouts with 93 and wins with 11.
Not surprisingly, she was an All-Big Ten selection.
While Smith was a human highlight reel, she also etched her name into the record books. She set the new program RBI record, and her .408 batting average was the seventh-best in program history. However, her impact went beyond the box score.
𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 👑
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Morgan Smith has been crowned the top two-way player in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ by @SoftbalAmerica ‼️
.#GoRU #RUSB #Team50 pic.twitter.com/ZG2oEVevdf
— Rutgers Softball (@RUSoftball) June 10, 2024
As Smith took her game to another level, Rutgers won 30 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. The Scarlet Knights also earned their highest Big Ten Tournament seed since joining the conference in 2015. It was a season that many in Piscataway will never forget.
Although Smith’s time at Rutgers has come to an end, Monday provided a reminder of her impact. Regardless of the position, she was one of the best players in the nation during the 2024 campaign.
Her focus will now shift to building on her success at the pro level with the Chattanooga Steam.
