Let this be a lesson to all young softball players out there — if you hit a lot of home runs you may just be nominated as Sportswoman of the Year and get to walk the red carpet at the ESPYS.

At least that’s what worked for Lauren Chamberlain.

2015 has been a kind year to Chamberlain. Her collegiate career at Oklahoma culminated with her claiming an unprecedented four consecutive Big 12 Championships, four consecutive All-American honors- three of which were 1st team All-American, eight Big 12 Player of the week awards, and the NCAA career home run record with 95.

As a result of the righty’s power at the plate, she was named Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year, drafted No. 1 overall in NPF draft to the USSSA Pride, was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for softball, and was nominated for an ESPY for “Best Record Breaking Performance.”

Wow. Let’s all start swing for the fences.

Now Chamberlain can add another distinction to her already long list — Sportswoman of the Year Nomination by The Women’s Sports Foundation.

Founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King — perhaps one of the greatest sportswomen ever to grace this earth — The Women’s Sports Foundation exists “to advance the lives of women and girls through sports.”

The foundation educates, supports, and advocates women and girls in sports by offering scholarships and grants to aspiring athletes, funding research and public awareness campaigns, promoting healthy young girls through its GoGirlGo! program, and lobbying for equal rights and pay for women in sports.

Its most prestigious award, the annual Sportswoman of the Year award, is granted to two athletes, one individual sport and one team sport athlete. Voting is a combination of public vote (50 percent) and and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Awards Committee’s vote (50 percent), and achievements between August 1, 2014 and July 31, 2015 are considered in the voting process.

Winner’s will be announced and celebrated at the foundation’s 36th Annual Salute to Women in Sports event on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Given her laundry list of achievements in 2015, Chamberlain will make for some tough competition in the team sport category. If she is to win, Chamberlain must go head-to-head against likes of World Cup heroine Carli Lloyd and basketball phenom Maya Moore.

If Chamberlain can edge out Lloyd, Moore, and company, she will join the ranks of softball royalty, becoming the fourth softball player to ever win the award. Previous fastpitch victors include Jessica Mendoza (2008), Monica Abbott (2007) and Cat Osterman (2005).

Public voting closes August 31, 2015, so softball fans you have a little over a week to go to the website and vote for leading slugger in NCAA history.

UPDATED***

Lauren Chamberlain attended the The Women’s Sports Foundation Annual Salute to Women in Sports October 20, 2015 for her nomination for Team Sportswoman of the Year award. The event celebrated its 36th year last night with founder Billie Jean King in attendance. Chamberlain had the honor and privilege of meeting the tennis icon and women's advocate at the event.



Lauren Chamberlain meeting the legendary tennis player and women's advocate Billie Jean King.

Chamberlain was up against some tough competition in the Team Sportswoman category with basketball star Maya Moore and Team USA soccer and World Cup MVP Carli Lloyd in the same category. Lloyd ended up taking away the hardware from the night, but no doubt Chamberlain has — and will continue to — represent softball, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the USSSA Pride well.

Congratulations, Lauren on your nomination!