The MaxPreps 2014 Small Schools All-American Softball Team.
MP photogs/Graphic by Social Recluse Graphix
Katie Brignac can add another listing to her resume, as she has been named MaxPreps Small Schools Softball Player of the Year.
Brignac had a 23-2 record with 294 strikeouts (148 innings) and a 0.18 ERA as
Curtis (River Ridge, La.) won the 3A state title. She allowed just 38 base hits, pitched five no-hitters and limited opposing batters to an .080 batting average.
She also batted .544 with six home runs, 41 RBIs and an .823 slugging percentage.
Brignac was the winner of the Farm Bureau-Louisiana Sports Writers Association Miss Softball award (given to the state's top player) and Gatorade's Louisiana State Player of the Year. She has led Curtis to three-straight state titles.
Injured for part of her junior season, Brignac was 20-0 with 225 strikeouts, a 0.75 ERA and a team-best .444 batting average. She was named the Times-Picayune Small Schools Pitcher of the Year as Curtis won another 2A title. Brignac also went 24-0 during Curtis' perfect 32-0 season in 2012.
Her career numbers at Curtis are even more eye-popping. The Memphis signee finished with a 93-9 record, 1,032 strikeouts and a 0.20 ERA.
Coach of the YearIn his four seasons as head coach, Brian Potter of
Chase County (Cottonwood Falls, Kan.) has won three 2-1A state titles and his overall record is 93-4.
Brian Potter, Chase County
Courtesy photo
Chase County completed the 2013 and 2014 seasons 25-0 and went 24-1 in 2012 – all state title-winning seasons. The team last lost on April 3, 2012 in a 2-1 setback. It responded with 19 straight wins and its first of three straight titles.
In his four seasons as head coach, Potter's teams have scored 1,091 runs, while giving up 140.
Chase County finished the season as the No. 2 team in all of Kansas in the
MaxPreps Computer Rankings.
Team of the YearChase County won its third-straight 2A state title and ran its win streak to 72.
The Bulldogs are tied with Sacred Heart, which won 72 straight games from 2005-08, for the longest softball winning streak in state history.
Chase allowed more than one run just once during the 2014 season and outscored its opponents 309-14. It shut out 15 opponents and reached double figures in runs scored on 19 occasions.
Led by junior pitchers
Tori Burkhart and
Brianna Potter, Chase County limited opposing teams to 70 base hits all season. They combined for a 0.40 ERA and struck out 166 in 121 innings.
Meanwhile, the team batted .478 and had six starters with batting averages higher than .500.
Cassidy Kelsheimer led the team with a .618 mark.
MaxPreps 2014 Small Schools All-American Softball Team
First Team
P - Taran Alvelo, Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio), JuniorAlvelo, 27-3 on the season, limited opponents to 45 base hits in 182 innings and posted a 0.46 ERA. In seven postseason games, she threw five shutouts (including 91 strikeouts in the final five games). She finished the season with 378 and has a career mark of 1,111. She finished the year with 10 no-hitters and 16 shutouts. She also batted .455 with 32 RBIs and seven home runs. Alvelo has committed to Washington.
P - Cheyenne Eggens, Mathews (Vienna, Ohio), JuniorRaeanne Geffert, Seymour
Photo by Matt Dewkett
Eggens had 419 strikeouts in 218 innings to go along with a 0.38 ERA and a 28-4 record. In a 1-0, 13-inning victory over Bristol, Eggens struck out 28. She has committed to the University of South Florida.
P - Raeanne Geffert, Seymour (Conn.), SophomoreGeffert put up big numbers as she led Seymour to a 26-1 season and state Class M title. She had 312 strikeouts in 188 innings and pitched 15 shutouts. Geffert, who had an 0.71 ERA, also batted .434 with 29 RBIs.
P - Mikeila Boroff, Lakewood Park Christian (Auburn, Ind.), SeniorBoroff didn't lose in winning 25 games and compiled a 0.49 ERA with 285 strikeouts in 158 innings. She pitched 16 shutouts and six no-hitters. She will play at Butler.
P - Jordan Anderson, Hawley (Texas), SeniorAnderson won her first 32 games before losing in the state semifinals. She finished 32-1 with 340 strikeouts in 205 innings and batted .429.
P - Taylor Haines, Arcadia (Wis.), SeniorHaines had a 0.44 ERA, 359 strikeouts, 29 walks and 77 hits allowed during a 30-0 season for the D-3 state champs. InsidePreps.com named Haines its Player of the Year. She also batted .451 with five home runs, 28 RBIs, 20 doubles and 15 stolen bases.
P - Natalie Calderas, Jurupa Hills (Fontana, Calif.), SeniorIn leading the Spartans to the CIF-SS D5 title, the Cal State Fullerton-bound Calderas was 26-2 with a 0.44 ERA and 334 strikeouts while walking only 22 in 174 innings. As a hitter, she batted .567 with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, 35 runs scored and 18 walks. She was named the San Bernardino Sun's Player of the Year.
P - Cori Jennings, Gordonsville (Tenn.), SeniorJennings led the Tigers to a 32-10 record and the Class A state championship when she compiled a 32-3 record with a 0.62 ERA and 245 strikeouts, issuing just 14 walks in 190 innings. Jennings batted .486 with 31 extra-base hits, 39 runs scored and 51 RBIs. In the state tournament, she threw four consecutive shutouts. The state's Gatorade Softball Player of the Year, Jennings will attend Chattanooga.
P - Lyana Waddell, San Manuel (Ariz.), SophomoreWaddell led San Manuel to the state D-4 title with a 27-2 record and a 1.15 ERA. She fanned 190 in 167 innings and pitched 13 shutouts. She also drove in 21 runs and batted .317.
P - Arizona Pilgrim, Taft (Calif.), JuniorPilgrim went 30-2 with 243 strikeouts in 165 innings. She posted a 0.76 ERA and 13 shutouts. She also batted .319 with 22 RBIs as the Wildcats won the CIF Central Section D-4 title.
P - Morgan Ray, Frenchtown (Mont.), JuniorA two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, Ray posted a 23-1 record along with a 0.72 ERA leading the Broncs (28-1) to a second-straight Class A state title. Ray struck out 280 batters and walked just 28 in 145 innings pitched. She fired 10 no-hitters, including one perfect game, and held opponents to a .114 batting average. She also batted .598 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs and a 1.253 slugging percentage. She has committed to Ohio State.
C - Sydney Christensen, Crawford (Texas), SeniorChristensen hit 16 home runs, drove in 51 and batted .547 as Crawford won the 2A state title. She was named State 2A Player of the Year. She is headed to Baylor.
C - Janell Wheaton, San Dimas (Calif.), SeniorWheaton batted .617 with 58 hits (30 games) and 44 RBIs. She was named the San Gabriel Valley Tribune's Player of the Year. She has signed with Florida.
C - Taylor Johnson, Beecher (Ill.), FreshmanGrayce Majam, Mountain Empire
Photo by Michael Cazares
Johnson opened her high school career with an assault on the IHSA record book with 18 homers (sixth-most in a single season). She also drove in 68 runs and batted .598 with 11 doubles and five triples.
IF - Grayce Majam, Mountain Empire (Pine Valley, Calif.), SeniorMajam batted .725 (37-for-51), scored 45 times, had 37 RBIs, 25 extra-base hits (11 homers), .816 on-base percentage, 1.784 slugging percentage and 2.60 OPS. In the circle, she was 13-1 with a 1.38 ERA, and struck out 150 in 76 innings. She has signed with Southern Mississippi.
IF - Lauren Evans, Academy at the Lakes (Land O'Lakes, Fla.), SeniorEvans, named the Florida 2A Player of the Year, was walked 22 times in 19 games, but managed to bat .708 with 20 extra-base hits (10 triples), score 32 runs and drive in 29 (one quarter of the Wildcats' runs). She also stole 11 bases, did not strike out and her on-base percentage was .806. She has signed with the University of Southern Florida.
IF - Alicia Hansen, Bishop Fenwick (Franklin, Ohio), SeniorHansen's 2014 statistics speak for themselves: A .699 batting average, 51 hits, 49 runs, 51 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 34 extra-base hits (16 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs).
IF - Sara Hansen, Sacred Heart Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.), SeniorHansen capped her prep career this spring by batting .547 while driving in 14 runs on 75 hits and scoring 57 runs. She was also 50-for-50 in stolen bases. Hansen established a state career record with 305 hits, while also tallying 91 RBIs, 252 runs scored, a .567 batting average and a .592 on-base percentage. She has signed with Eastern Michigan.
IF - Sydney Townes, Cabrillo (Lompoc, Calif.), Junior The junior hit .618 over 86 plate appearances this season with an on-base percentage of .698. She also had 33 stolen bases.
IF - Essence Jackson, King William (Va.), JuniorJackson was the Group 2A Player of the Year after batting .632 with nine homers, 41 RBIs, 45 runs and stole 29 bases out of 30 attempts.
IF - Caitlin Carlton, Westminster Christian (Miami), SeniorA seven-year varsity starter for state champion Westminster Christian, Carlton batted .540, slugged 1.135 with a dozen homers, 13 doubles and 51 RBIs. She is headed to Baylor.
IF - Alexis Paulo-Meyers, Nanakuli (Waianae, Hawaii), Senior Paulo-Meyers batted .741 to lead the Golden Hawks to their second state title in as many years. She also drove in 49 runs, scored 37 times and hit 11 home runs.
IF - Kelbi Fortenberry, East Bernard (Texas), SophomoreFortenberry can play anywhere, but she is most impressive at the plate, where she had 69 hits, 48 RBIs, 62 runs and a .683 batting average to go along with 45 stolen bases. She has committed to Texas A&M.
OF - Zoe Casas, Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.), JuniorTaylor Pack, Sutter
File photo by David Steutel
Casas was the San Bernardino Sun's Player of the Year in 2013 and was no less impressive this year. She batted .644 with two home runs, 46 runs scored, 28 RBIs and 26 stolen bases. She also struck out only twice and failed to get a hit in only one game this season, a playoff loss to Citrus Valley. She has committed to Florida State.
OF - Taylor Pack, Sutter (Calif.), JuniorPack had a .564 batting average, scored 37 times and drove in 50. She had nine home runs, six triples and seven doubles. She struck out just twice in 110 plate appearances as Sutter won its second-straight CIF Northern Section title. She has committed to UCLA.
OF - Janessa Bassett, Stansbury (Tooele, Utah), SeniorBassett batted .505, scored 59 runs and had 50 hits, 23 RBIs and was succesful on 41 of 42 stolen base attempts. Stansbury won the state 3A title. She was named the Deseret News' Miss Softball Utah for 2014. She has signed with Dixie State.
OF - Katie Petroski, Seymour (Conn.), Senior In
helping Seymour win the state M title, Petroski batted .527, scored 50
runs and drove in 29. She also played errorless ball and was 47 of 47 on
stolen base attempts. She will play at Penn.
U - Mara Kemmer, Valley Christian (Chandler, Ariz.), SophomoreArizona's Small Schools Player of the Year was dominant at the plate – .646 average with 33 steals and 54 runs scored – and in the circle with a 0.90 ERA and 281 strikeouts in 125 innings.
U - Crystal Kegley, Foreman (Ark.), JuniorIt's easy to see how Foreman won the state title, as Kegley batted .589 with 68 RBIs and was 27-4 with a 1.45 ERA. Kegley had 32 extra base hits, including a dozen homers.
U - Kayla Harris, Greenbrier Christian Academy (Chesapeake, Va.), SeniorHarris closed out her career as a Gator with another state title and big numbers. In 24 games, she drove in 66 runs, batted .587 and hit a dozen homers. She also was 15-1 with a 0.42 ERA and struck out 152 in 83 innings. Harris, who played on four state title-winning teams, has signed with Pittsburgh.
U - Sarah Ing, National Cathedral (Washington, D.C.), SeniorIng led the Eagles to a 10-4 record and a second-consecutive District of Columbia State Athletic Association championship this past season. Ing posted a 2.28 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 89 innings. She is also a three-time All-Independent School League selection and batted .781 with 14 extra-base hits, 24 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Ing is a three-time D.C. Softball Gatorade honoree.