09-06-2025
Western junior Brynley Erb named Gatorade Indiana Softball Player of the Year
Brynley Erb has been named 2025 Gatorade Indiana Softball Player of the Year.
The Western junior led the Panthers (28-4) to a semistate runner-up finish, batting .659 with 56 hits, 53 RBIs and 59 runs scored. Her collection of hits included 21 homers, eight triples and 15 doubles, and she also stole 18 bases and posted a .937 fielding percentage on 79 chances with two double plays.
A Kentucky commit, Erb, who led Western to the 3A state championship in 2024, is a career .652 hitter with 57 home runs and 193 RBIs.
More: Meet the five finalists for 2025 Indiana Miss Softball
Gatorade Player of the Year honors the nation's best high school athletes for their success on the court, in the classroom and in the community, and distinguishes Erb as the state's best high school softball player.
'Brynley is an absolute stud,' West Lafayette coach Chauncey Fry said. 'She's as good as I've seen in my 13-year coaching career at the plate, in the field and on the bases. She has the speed, bat and defense to compete with anyone in the country.'
Erb has maintained a 3.31 GPA in the classroom, and volunteers locally for the Western concession stand during sporting events, and as a youth softball and volleyball coach.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Recent Indiana recipients include Tri-West's Audrey Lowry (2024), Roncalli's Keagan Rothrock (2021, 22, 23) and Bremens's Erin Coffel.
As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
