2018 MaxPreps Small Schools Softball All-American Teams

By tom mauldin Jun 29, 2018, 1:30pm

Champion leader Cheryl Weaver named Coach of the Year; Neshoba Central named Team of the Year; and Brantley pitcher Leanna Johnson named Player of the Year.

Video: Find the fence, found the fence
She didn't make the catch, but you have to love the all-out effort.

One word describes the recently-completed seasons produced by Champion (Warren, Ohio) and Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.) and Brantley (Ala.) senior pitcher Leanna Johnson — dominating.
 
Champion went 31-0, averaged 10 runs per game, won the Ohio state 3A title and is riding a 39-game win streak.

Neshoba Central went 34-0, won its fifth-straight state 5A title and ninth in 12 years. The Rockets have won 55 of their last 56 and also have a 39-game winning streak.

Johnson led the nation with 48 wins and 536 strikeouts in leading Brantley to the state 1A title.



For their efforts, Champion coach Cheryl Weaver was honored as National Small Schools Coach of the Year; Neshoba Central was named National Small Schools Team of the Year and Johnson was selected as the National Small Schools Player of the Year.

Johnson, who has signed with Troy State, pitched Brantley to the Class 1A state championship with a 48-4 record, posting 31 shutouts with an 0.45 ERA. She pitched 15 no-hitters and also batted .374 with seven home runs and 43 RBI. She was named Alabama's 2018 Miss Softball and the state Gatorade winner and helped the Bulldogs to state titles in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Johnson's 15 no-hitters this season tops the Alabama High School Athletic Association list and her 31 shutouts is second all-time. Johnson is tied for second all-time with six career perfect games (five this season), she's third all-time with 29 career no-hitters, fourth all-time with 162 wins and 10th in career strikeouts with 1,714.

The Bulldogs, who were 53-4 on the season, were dominant this season behind Johnson. Brantley was 44-0 against Class 1A-4A teams and 9-4 versus Class 7A, Class 6A and Class 5A teams. Three of Johnson's losses were by one run; the other was a 2-0 defeat — all against schools in larger enrollment classifications.

Weaver is in her 19th year as a head softball coach at Warren. She has had state championship teams, even unbeaten teams. But her 2018 Champion team was special.

Champion finished 31-0 and with another state D3 championship trophy. The Golden Flashes averaged more than 10 runs per game, while allowing just 24. They batted .400 as a team and had more than 100 base hits.



Perhaps, most impressively, they committed 14 errors and fielded .980. They kept 19 opponents from scoring.

"I just enjoy coaching," said Weaver, a former first baseman and catcher. "I love the game. So many things can happen and no two games are the same."

One of those rare things, however, is not losing.

"We had some close moments," said Weaver, who has coached five state title winners since going 27-0 in 2011. "We were trailing in one game, down to our last out and got a walk-off homer to win. I knew then we had a shot of going unbeaten."

Weaver said her 2017 squad, which featured nearly all of her 2018 team, lost to Perry (Massillon, Ohio) 2-0, but noted it was a "growth moment."

"We came out and beat them this year," she said. "We were intimidated last year, maybe a little scared.



"We lose only two players, so on paper should be competitive next year. But this game is so unpredictable. I love this game."

Neshoba Central, USA Today's national champion, finished No. 2 in MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National High School Softball Rankings and was narrowly edged by Madison (Vienna, Va.) for MaxPreps' top national honor.

The Rockets were led by MaxPreps All-American pick Aspen Wesley, as well as All-State selections Rivers Gray, Tori Henderson and eighth-grader Tenly Grisham.

All four will return next year as Wesley, Henderson and Gray are all juniors.

Past MaxPreps National Small Schools Player of the Year winners
2018 — Leanna Johnson, Brantley, Ala
2017 — Kayla Schwebke, Laconia (Rosendale, Wis.)
2016 — Nicky Dawson, Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge, La.)
2015 — Samantha Show, East Bernard (Texas)
2014 — Katie Brignac, John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)
2013 — Ashley Thompson, Connell (Wash.)
2012 — Taylor Fuller, Chiefland (Fla.)
2011 — Shelby Holley, Pisgah (Ala.)

Past MaxPreps National Small Schools Coach of the Year winners
2018 — Cheryl Weaver, Champion (Ohio)
2017 — Andrea Ward, North Caroline (Ridgely, Md.)
2016— Rick Magruder, Wheeling Central Catholic (W. Va.).
2015— Don Silva, Mount Hope (Bristol, R.I.)
2014 — Brian Potter, Chase County (Cottonwood Falls, Kan.)
2013— Mark Workman, Silver Lake (Kan.)
2012 — Jerry Godfrey, John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.)
2011 — Melissa Hansen, Danbury (Texas)



2018 MaxPreps Small Schools All-American Teams
Yannira Acuna, Salpointe Catholic
Yannira Acuna, Salpointe Catholic
Photo by Mark Jones
P — Cailey Joyce, East Pennsboro (Enola, Pa.), Sr.
Signed with LaSalle, she averaged 2.4 strikeouts per inning and won 17 times while compiling a 0.15 ERA. She allowed five runs, only two earned. Of the 375 batters she faced, she struck out 240 in 105 innings. She also batted .516 with 28 RBIs as the Panthers went 19-1. Joyce's only loss was a 14-inning, 3-2, postseason affair.

P — Hannah James, East Jessamine (Nicholasville, Ky.), Sr.
James had another stellar season in the circle (23-1, 0.97 ERA, 324 strikeouts in 159 innings) and at the plate (batting .517, driving in 44 runs and hitting 25 extra base hits) as the Jaguars went 2803. James has signed with Murray State.

P — Brooke Nelson, Bonney Lake (Wash.), Jr.
Nelson led the Panthers to a 26-2 record and the Class 3A state championship when she put together a 21-2 with a 0.51 ERA and 289 strikeouts in 138 innings. She fired five no-hitters, including two perfect games, and recorded 30 strikeouts in a row over two games. Nelson batted .654 with 17 home runs, 46 runs scored, 51 RBIs and a 1.457 slugging percentage. She has committed to Washington.

P — Mailee Newman, West (Torrance, Calif.), Sr.
Selected as the South Bay Daily Breeze Player of the Year, Newman proved that not everyone has to be a power pitcher when she lead West to the California Southern Section D3 title averaging less than a strikeout per inning. She had a 26-3 record with a 1.44 ERA in 160 innings (140 strikeouts). She also led West in hitting (.457) and had 34 RBIs. The Warriors ended 30-3 after winning their title

P — Delani Buckner, Hoover (Clendenin, W. Va.), So.
Buckner led the Huskies to a 33-0 record and the Class AA state championship when she compiled a 21-0 mark with a 0.39 ERA. She struck out 239 batters and issued 28 walks in 125 innings. Add to that, she had a .351 batting average and 19 RBIs.

P — Ashley Rogers, Meigs County (Decatur, Tenn.), Sr.
Rogers, who has signed with Tennessee, led the Tigers (34-4) to the Class AA state championship when she compiled a 29-2 record with a 0.20 ERA. She struck out 398 batters and issued six walks in 174 innings. She also had a .463 average with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. A two-time Tennessee Miss Softball winner.



P — Emily Estroff, Coral Springs Charter (Coral Springs, Fla.), Sr.
Florida's 5A Player of the Year, the Villanova University signee led her squad to its fourth straight state title by compiling a 28-2 record with a 1.32 ERA and had 201 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched. She also batted .432.

P — Karly Heath, North Augusta (S.C.), Sr.
The versatile Heath led the Yellow Jackets (29-4) to the Class 4A semifinals when she compiled a 21-2 record with a 0.16 ERA, along with a .541 batting average, 12 home runs, 30 RBIs and 56 runs scored. She struck out 278 batters and issued 17 walks with 37 hits allowed in 133 innings. She has signed with South Carolina.
Brooke Nelson, Bonny Lake
Brooke Nelson, Bonny Lake
File photo by Vince Miller
P — Meghan Schorman, Marquette Catholic (Alton, Ill.), Sr.
Schorman, who has signed with Pittsburgh, compiled a 26-2 record with an 0.57 ERA for the Explorers, who won 36-of-38 games. She struck out 346 batters in 183 innings.

P — Calista Phippen, Ichabod Crane (Valatie, N.Y.), Sr.
The Marist-bound Phippen went 22-1 with a 0.09 ERA (just two earned runs in 148 innings), 357 strikeouts, two perfect games and seven no-hitters. Phippen no-hit Olean in the semifinals and then one-hit top-ranked Susquehanna Valley in the title clash. Against the Huskies, she fanned 20 batters. Phippen followed that by striking out 13 and surrendering just one hit versus the Sabers. Phippen is a four-time first team All-State honoree.

P — Alyssa Arden, White House-Heritage (White House, Tenn.), Sr.
Arden did it all this season — 30-3, 0.59 ERA, 359 strikeouts in 203 innings. She batted .570 with 15 homers, 17 doubles and 64 RBIs as Heritage was state D1, Class AA runner up. She has signed with Tennessee Tech.

C — Josey White, Lake Mead Academy (Henderson, Nev.), Sr.
White's team was 13-9, but her stats were huge: .833 batting average (second in the nation), 50 hits, 53 RBIs, 53 runs, .873 on-base percentage, 1.666 slugging percentage and 27 extra base hits. She will attend Stanford.

C — Kaylee Lopez, North Vermilion (Maurice, La.), Sr.
Lopez, a McNeese State signee, hit .645 with a 1.514 slugging percentage, 18 doubles, three triples, 23 homers and 74 RBIs and helped North Vermilion to the second round of the playoffs. She was the state 3A MVP.



C — Tylar Vernon, Pangburn (Ark.), Sr.
In leading Pangburn to 22 wins, Vernon batted .714, had an on-base percentage of .774, slugged 1,785 and had an OPS of 2.506. In 30 games, Vernon had 60 hits, drove in 69, homered 19 times (42 total extra base hits), walked 20 times and did not strikeout. She has signed with Central Arkansas.

IF — Lauren Mills, Seaman (Topeka, Kan.), Sr.
Despite being walked 36 times, Mills hit .771 with 16 home runs and 39 RBIs. She had an on-base percentage of .860 and a 2.041 slugging percentage. Despite the walks, she had 16 multi-hit games. Mills was 8-2 as a pitcher with a 3.88 ERA and signed with Wichita State.

IF — Megan Turner, Champion (Warren, Ohio), Sr.
Turner led the Golden Flashes (29-0) to the D3 state championship and batted .618 with 12 home runs, 54 RBIs, 52 runs scored and three triples. A two-time All-Northeast Ohio selection, she has been a four-year varsity starter and a member of two state championship teams. She signed with Kent State.

IF — Lexi Harris, Normangee (Texas), Sr.
Harris, a Blinn College commit and repeat All-Bravos Valley player, finished with a .722 batting average, 46 RBIs and 67 runs scored along with a .955 fielding percentage as the Panthers made a deep playoff run. She was named the 26-2A offensive Player of the Year and her 78 stolen bases led the nation.

IF — Dream Weaver, Cedar City (Utah), Sr.

Weaver finished her senior season with a .559 batting average, driving in 32 runs and scoring 43 times. She hit 12 home runs and 14 doubles during the season and only struck out once. Defensively, she made two errors in 101 opportunities at shortstop. She has signed with Southern Utah.

IF — Victoria Perez, Westminster Christian (Miami), Sr.
Perez, who repeated as the Class 4A Player of the Year, hit .512 with 12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 35 runs scored and 33 RBIs. On the mound, she was 11-0 with a 2.38 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 61 innings.

IF — Nikki Cuchran, Montini Catholic (Lombard, Ill.), Sr.
The lefty slugger, the Suburban Life Player of the Year, hit .702 with 19 doubles, 16 homers, 57 runs scored and 79 RBIs to lead Montini to the state 3A title.. She also drew 42 walks and has signed with DePaul.



IF — Anna Kate Segars, East Lawrence (Trinity, Ala.), Sr.
The Mississippi State signee closed out her high school career with a .622 average on 56 hits, including 12 home runs, in 90 at-bats. She walked 53 times and scored 55 runs. Segars had 60 steals and wasn't caught once.

IF — Lacey Fincher, Faith Academy (Mobile, Ala.), Sr.
A Georgia signee, Fincher powered the Rams to the Class 5A state tournament when she hit .514 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs. She struck out four times and walked 36 times in 138 at-bats.

IF — Silent Rain Espinoza, Christian (El Cajon, Calif.), Sr.
Rain had another big year with 62 hits, 64 runs, 34 RBIs, 19 doubles and nine homers. She batted .569, had an on-base percentage of .647 and slugged 1.045. She also stole 15 bases as the Patriots went 26-9-1 and won the CIF San Diego Section D3 title. She has signed with Washington.
Silent Rain Espinoza, Christian
Silent Rain Espinoza, Christian
File photo by Steven Silva
IF — Maddie Webber, King's Academy (Seymour, Tenn.), Jr.
Webber, who committed to Tennessee as an eighth-grader, was named All-American by MaxPreps and FloSoftball. She hit .589 with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs. She took it up a notch, hitting .655 with runners in scoring position.

OF — Yannira Acuna, Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.), Sr.
Signed with Arizona State, Acuna was named state 4A Player of the Year after leading Salpointe to a 32-4 season and the state 4A title. She batted .603, scored 57 times, had 73 hits and 30 extra base hits in 35 games.

OF — Lexi Wagner, Seton LaSalle (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Sr.
Wagner led the Rebels (15-3) to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League quarterfinals. She hit .680 with 14 home runs, 39 RBIs and a 1.800 slugging percentage. The WPIAL Class 2A Player of the Year was also a first team All-State selection. She has signed with Oregon.

OF — India Kelly, Jurupa Hills (Fontana, Calif.), Sr.
The future Boise St. Bronco collected a hit in every game, except the Spartans' season opener, and she proceeded to hit .598 with 34 RBIs, 46 runs scored, six doubles, five triples, five home runs and a slugging percentage of .954.



OF — Rachel Hammons, Bourgade Catholic (Phoenix), Sr.
Hammons' senior year was outstanding (68 hits, .716 batting average, 63 runs, 41 RBIs, 30 extra base hits, 45 stolen bases) and the Golden Eagles won 20 games. But her career stats are off the charts: .715 batting average, 273 runs, 298 hits, 136 RBIs, and 231 stolen bases. She has signed with Grand Canyon.

UTIL — Katie Turner, McNairy Central (Selmer, Tenn.), Sr.

Turner was named West Tennessee Miss Softball in Class AA after leading the Lady Bobcats to the Class AA state tournament. In the circle, she went 29-8 with a 0.77 ERA and had 424 strikeouts. She also batted .400 and drove in 41 runs.

UTIL — Lindsey Walljasper, Sierra (Manteca, Calif.), Sr.
Walljasper led Sierra to a section title and its third section crown in her four years at the school. She went 17-2 with 100 strikeouts and a 0.19 ERA. At the plate, Walljasper produced a .456 batting average, seven homers and 23 RBIs.

Second Team
Alynah Torres, Cactus
Alynah Torres, Cactus
Photo by Mark Jones
P — Lauren Richards, Pendleton (Ore.), Sr.
The Oregon 5A Player of the Year, Richards led the Buckaroos to the state 5A title. She was 26-2 with a 1.35 ERA and 229 strikeouts in 170 innings. Offensively, she drove in 37 and batted .461. She will play collegiately at Claremont McKenna.

P — Saidi Castillo, Santa Gertrudis Academy (Kingsville, Texas), Sr.
Despite a late start due to knee surgery, Castillo was tough to hit. Castillo finished the season with a 20-0 record, 232 strikeouts and a minuscule 0.24 ERA. She also hit .480. Castillo, who threw a perfect game in a Class 3A state semifinal against Brock, has signed with Texas A&M-Kingsville.

P — Brianna Bailey, Wewahitchka (Fla.), Sr.
The Class 1A Player of the Year, Bailey led her team to the state title with a 25-1 record, holding opposing hitters to an 0.31 ERA while striking out 282 batters in 157 innings pitched. She also had 29 RBIs and has signed with Florida Gulf Coast.

P — Janessa Jasso, Dos Palos (Calif.), Jr.
Jasso won 25-of-28 decisions with 299 strikeouts and posted a 0.70 ERA. Opponents batted .112 against her. Meanwhile, she batted .422 with 26 RBIs. She has committed to Iowa State.

P — Saleen Flores, Jones (Beeville, Texas), Sr.
Flores, a McNeese signee, finished the season with a 19-1 record and a 0.24 ERA. She had 218 strikeouts in 115 innings and gave up 24 hits and six runs.



P — Kennedy Hebert, Morgan City (La.), Sr.
Hebert finished her senior season with a 25-5 record and in 184 innings, recorded 268 strikeouts with a 1.37 ERA. She batted .591 with 16 doubles, seven triples and six home runs with 58 RBIs and scored 37 runs. She had a .646 on-base percentage and a 1.108 slugging percentage. She will attend Nichols State.
Kennedy Hebert, Morgan City
Kennedy Hebert, Morgan City
File photo by Kenneth P. Steib
P — Bailey Buffington, Bauxite (Ark.), Sr.
Buffington pitched Bauxite to the state 4A title when she went 29-0 with a 0.95 ERA. She had 211 strikeouts in 169 innings and batted over .400. She has signed with Crowder.

P — Ashley Hitchcock, Eastwood (Pemberville, Ohio), Jr.
Hitchcock took the Eagles deep into the postseason. In the circle, Hitchcock went 28-1 with a 0.90 ERA. In 171 innings, she struck out 368, allowed 67 hits and 26 runs, 22 earned. She has 75 wins over the last three years. She batted .564 (53-for-94) with 14 doubles, seven home runs and 49 RBIs. She has committed to Toledo.

P — Kenley Hawk, Palestine-Wheatley (Palestine, Ark.), Jr.
Another strikeout artist (341 in 129 innings), Hawk went 19-5 on the season and batted .543 with 25 extra base hits (10 homers) and 43 RBIs. Her ERA was 0.38 and she pitched eight no-hitters. She has committed to Mississippi State.

P — Raegan Breedlove, Central Valley (Shasta Lake, Calif.), So.
Breedlove allowed six earned runs in 144 innings for a 0.29 ERA and won 21-of-22 decisions. She struck out 311 with her only loss being a one-run affair. She also hit 11 homers, drove in 41 and batted .451 as the Falcons went 33-6-1 and lost in the semifinals of California's North Section D4 tournament.

C — Danielle Pasquariello, Pacific Grove (Calif.), Sr.
Named the Monterey Herald's Softball Most Valuable Player, Pasquarillo was intentionally walked 14 times, twice with the bases loaded. Pasquariello managed to hit .610, driving in 55 in under 80 official at-bats. She has signed with Florida Atlantic.

C — Emma Curry, Henry Hudson (Highlands, N.J.), Sr.
Curry totaled 50 hits and a .641 average with 51 runs scored, 51 RBIs and 26 extra-base hits, including 14 home runs.



C — Jada Santiago, North Johnston (Kenly, N.C.), Sr.
Santiago hit 14 homers, drove in 62 runs, scored 49 and had a .713 on-base percentage to go with a 1.312 slugging percentage. She has signed with North Carolina-Wilmington.

C — Charisma Romero, Academy of Careers & Exploration (Helendale, Calif.), Sr.
Romero may have played 12 games, but she had 47 hits, 49 RBIs and scored 41 times. In all but one game, she had three or more hits. In nine games, she had four or more hits. Romero had an extra base hit in every game.

IF — Kylie Baumert, Twin Falls (Idaho), Sr.
Headed to play for her dad, Nick, at the College of Southern Idaho, Baumert bounced back impressively from a serious hand injury by hitting .604, scoring 54 runs and driving in 35 to lead the Bruins to the postseason and a 24-6 record. She did not strike out in 112 at-bats, doubled 16 times and hit 10 homers. She also stole 24 bases, was 5-1 pitching with a 1.62 ERA and struck out 48 in 47 innings.

IF — Carly Wagers, Williamsburg (Ohio), Sr.
Wagers hit and pitched the Wildcats to the state D4 title game as a junior. As a senior, she became the state's all-time home run leader and RBI producer.

IF — Danielle Lee, Arnold (Panama City Beach, Fla.), Sr.
Lee, who will play at Valdosta State, hit.612 with 49 hits, 41 RBIs, 25 runs and 11 stolen bases. She had an .887 slugging percentage and was named Miracle Sports 6A Offensive Player of the Year.

IF — Ashley Troutman, Arnold (Panama City Beach, Fla.), Jr.
Troutman was named the state 6A Player of the Year after she put together a .678 batting average with nine doubles, six triples and four home runs. The Rollins College commit scored 59 runs and had 34 RBIs.



IF — Alynah Torres, Cactus (Glendale, Ariz.), Jr.
Torres, who was the MaxPreps 2016 National Freshman of the Year, has committed to Arizona State. Though her batting average was down 77 points, she had career highs in homes (15) and runs scored (58. And she still hit .540 as Cactus won 30 times.

IF — Bea Lara, Orange Grove (Texas), Sr.
Lara had a 31-game hitting streak and ended the season batting .622 with 56 hits, 48 RBIs and 28 extra base hits. She also won 14 games, posted a 0.75 ERA and struck out 255 in 121 innings. She struck out 30 in a 12-inning game and signed with East Texas Baptist.

IF — Peyton Blythe, Hughes Springs (Texas), Sr.
Blythe was a key in Hughes Springs' second straight trip to the state tournament, hitting .538 with 11 home runs, 40 RBIs and 60 runs scored. The Texas Tech commit also stole 43 bases with a .656 on-base percentage and a 1.011 slugging percentage.

IF — Sydney Wellshear, Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh, Kan.), Jr.
Wellshear led the state- champion and unbeaten T-Birds in batting average (.712), doubles (15), home runs (13) and RBIs (41). Add to that an on-base percentage of .712 and a slugging percentage of 1.507.

IF — Chardae Hoskins, Escalon (Calif.), Sr.
Hoskins led Escalon to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D5 title when she batted .512 with 40 RBIs and won 12-of-13 pitching decisions. She recorded a 1.53 ERA and struck out 147 in 86 innings. She has committed to Simpson University.

IF — Ashton Phillips, Scio (Ore.), Sr.
Phillips, the Class 3A Player of the Year, hit .676 with seven homers and 56 RBIs. She led the Loggers to a 26-3 record that included the PacWest Conference championship and a spot in the Class 3A state semifinals..



IF — Hannah Thompson, Bartlett Yancey (Yanceyville, N.C.), Sr.
A three-sport standout had numbers that really stood out on the diamond: .636 batting average, 50 runs, 61 RBIs, 30 extra base hits (12 homers), .705 on-base percentage, 1.545 slugging percentage and 2.25 OPS. She also stole 20 bases, went 16-1 pitching (1.05 ERA) with 160 strikeouts in 93 innings. She pitched four no-hitters.

OF — Renee Abernathy, Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield, Ill.), Sr.
Abernathy drove in 73 runs, homered 11 times and stole 24 bases to lead Sacred Heart. She batted .569 and has signed with Kentucky.

OF — Taylor Bushman, Seneca (Ill.), Sr.
First-team All-State in Class 2A, Bushman batted .551 with 65 hits, 22 RBIs and 49 runs with a .600 on-base percentage and .644 slugging percentage. She has signed with Lindenwood.

OF — Becca Johnson, Seymour (Conn.), Sr.
Johnson led the Wildcats to a 24-2 record and a berth in the Class M state tournament. She hit .721 with 39 stolen bases, 54 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .780. Johnson, who has signed with Colgate, had 20 multi-hit games and was the state Gatorade softball Player of the Year.

OF — Brianne Coleman, South Granville (Creedmoor, N.C.), Sr.
Played major role in Vikings 28-0 season and state title effort. She batted .595 with 55 RBIs and 13 homers.

OF — Jordyn Bate, Spanish Fork (Utah), Sr.
Bate batted .566 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs, leading the Dons (27-3) to the Class 4A state championship game. Bate also hit 11 doubles, scored 55 runs and compiled a .636 on-base percentage and a 1.272 slugging percentage. In the circle, Bate was 14-2 with a 1.52 ERA and 151 strikeouts against nine walks in 97 innings. She won three state titles in four years and concluded her prep softball career with 32 home runs and 166 RBIs and three state titles.



UTIL — Zoey Mullings, Strafford (Mo.), Sr.
Mullings hit .600 with 12 home runs, 55 RBIs and 53 runs scored in 29 games. In the circle, she was 17-0 with a 0.54 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 103 innings as Strafford repeated as state champs. She will play basketball collegiately at Drury.

UTIL — Holly Brehm, Wyoming East (New Richmond, W. Va.), Jr.
Brehm was 19-4 with a 0.97 ERA and in 130 innings she struck out 291 batters (2.2 per inning) with 11 shutouts, seven no-hitters and a perfect game. She gave up 48 hits all season. Brehm also hit a team-best .568 with 42 hits. She drove in 24 runs and scored 29. She had an on-base percentage of .660. She has committed to Ohio.

UTIL — Ariel Carlson, Marist (Eugene, Ore.), Jr.
Carlson led the Spartans to a 26-4 record and into the state semifinals. Carlson hit .682 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs in 29 games. She also hit 17 doubles, scored 54 runs and produced a .737 on-base percentage along with a 1.614 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, she posted a 22-2 mark with a 1.09 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 134. She has committed to Oregon.
Becca Johnson, Seymour
Becca Johnson, Seymour
File photo by Paul Brandon