Purdue's Moriah Polar Among Finalists for Most Prestigious Award in College Softball
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Moriah Polar is getting recognition for her performance on the softball diamond this season. The Purdue outfielder is one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year award.
Polar is currently the nation's leader with 92 hits and leads the Big Ten in hits, batting average (.554) and stolen bases (28). She has hit four home runs and has 17 extra-base hits. The junior outfielder has also accounted for 47 RBI.
In the outfield, Polar has been nearly flawless. She has been responsible for just one error through 50 games, owning a .987 fielding percentage.
Polar is the only player in the history of Purdue softball to be named a USA Softball Player of the Year finalist.
Purdue has just one more three-game series remaining in the regular season, traveling for a showdown against Iowa. The Boilermakers will take a 32-18 overall record into the season. They also sit 9-12 in Big Ten play.
Right now, Purdue is sitting at No. 10 in the Big Ten standings. The top 12 teams in the league earn a spot in the Big Ten Softball Tournament.
Polar also named Purdue Female Athlete of the Year
Polar's recognition as one of the top college softball players in the country came shortly after she was named the top female athlete at Purdue for the 2025-26 athletic calendar.
Purdue men's basketball point guard Braden Smith was named the Men's Athlete of the Year and Polar received recognition as the Female Athlete of the Year. She became just the second softball player at Purdue to receive the honor from the school.
⭐️ Purdue Single Season Hits Record Holder
— Purdue Sports (@PurdueSports) April 28, 2026
⭐️ Ranked 1st nationally in hits
⭐️ Ranked 2nd nationally in batting average
⭐️ Tied for Purdu e’s all-time triple record
⭐️ Leads B1G in batting avg. and hits
and still more to come from the 2026 Female Ricks Family Athlete of the… pic.twitter.com/ksXjVHOq2j
Polar's outstanding 2026 campaign comes just one season after suffering a serious injury. In the final series of the 2025 season against Indiana, the outfielder dove for a fly ball but collided with teammate Jordyn Ramos.
The outfielder fractured her C2 vertabrae, suffered a broken jaw and fractured her thumb. The injury cut her 2025 season short and resulted in Polar having her jaw wired shut for more than a month.
One year later, Polar has ascended as one of the best hitters in college softball and has helped Purdue earn a spot in the Big Ten Softball Tournament at the end of the season. With her back on the field this year, can the Boilers make another memorable run in the tournament like they did last season?
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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