Norco (Calif.) senior pitcher Taylor Dockins has been named the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year.
The manner in which she received the award was a pleasant surprise.
Wednesday morning, Dockins went into the Xpresso Urban Cafe in Corona, The Press-Enterprise reported.
Softball legend Jennie Finch was posing as a barista before announcing the great news to Dockins. You can see the cool moment below.
While the award’s presentation may have been a shock to Dockins, her achievements make her far from a surprise winner as she set the CIF-Southern Section’s record with 108 career wins.
As The Press-Enterprise reports, though, Dockins’ senior season was in doubt after she was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer last summer. Dockins had surgery in July, and returned to deliver a season for the ages.
While starting every game in the circle, Dockins went 33-1 with a 1.00 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 203 innings. The Cal State Fullerton commit helped Norco win the Tournament of Champions and Michelle Carew Classic titles not only as a pitcher, but as a batter, hitting .454 on the season with two home runs and 27 RBIs.
With a season like that, it is no wonder that Jennie Finch showed up at Dockins’ favorite coffee shop.
