The accolades keep rolling in for Indiana Softball’s Senior Pitcher Bri Copeland as she was recently announced as a member of the USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year Top 53 Watchlist. The list comprises 53 players nationally and she is only one of nine players in the Big Ten to be selected for the preseason honor.
Throughout the season, USA Softball will narrow it to a list of Top 25, Top 10, and Top 3 until the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year is awarded. This is a great honor for anyone to be named to such a list of players including many great legends from years past.
Copeland is an outstanding player on the field being named NFCA All-Region second team and Big Ten All-tournament team in 2024 but also great off the field as she was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2024. She had a 2.88 Earned Run Average (ERA) and had 20 wins and 174 strikeouts last season. At the plate, she usually bats lead off and last season she hit for a .325 average with eight home runs, 10 doubles, and 36 RBI while also stealing 18 bases.
“I’m not really one to love attention or be the center of attention”, Copeland humbly stated on receiving such high accolades. “It does feel great and it is nice to be seen.”
Copeland was not heavily recruited coming out of Alabama, but Hoosier Head Coach Shonda Stanton knows talent when she sees it and gave her an offer. Copeland really liked Indiana because the coaches were very personable and made her feel like they really cared and were interested in her. And her joining the team has been great for her and the team.
Copeland has been playing softball since she was 8 years old and the reason she really liked playing it was because her mom told her she played it and it was her favorite sport. Her mom is her biggest supporter and best friend and you can see her at all her daughter’s games cheering for her and the team and getting everyone else excited and motivated to cheer and support their Hoosiers also.
Copeland loves pitching and it shows as she really loves striking people out and she does an outstanding job at it. She loves being a Hoosier and attending Indiana because there are Hoosier alumni coast to coast and she’s met several of them and in spite of coming from Alabama to the Midwest she’s had no problems adjusting to the climate difference and it shows when she’s on the mound throwing smoke!
Copeland and her teammates have big aspirations for the team this year as always. They are looking to make Super Regionals and with the amount of talent, coaching, and support for the team those are achievable expectations.
Copeland is studying Sports Marketing and Management and is unsure of her plans after she graduates but with her talent, she will be excelling with whatever she does.
Copeland is the daughter of Carol & Terry Copeland.
