MaxPreps 2014 Small Schools All-American Softball Team

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 Year

In 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.

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 Year

Chase 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.


First Team

P - Taran Alvelo, Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio), Junior
Alvelo, 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), Junior
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.), Sophomore
Geffert 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.), Senior
Boroff 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), Senior
Anderson 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.), Senior
Haines 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.), Senior
In 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.), Senior
Jennings 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.), Sophomore
Waddell 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.), Junior
Pilgrim 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.), Junior
A 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), Senior
Christensen 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.), Senior
Wheaton 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.), Freshman
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.), Senior
Majam 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.), Senior
Evans, 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), Senior
Hansen'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.), Senior
Hansen 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.), Junior
Jackson 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), Senior
A 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), Sophomore
Fortenberry 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.), Junior
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.), Junior
Pack 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), Senior
Bassett 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.), Sophomore
Arizona'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.), Junior
It'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.), Senior
Harris 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.), Senior
Ing 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.
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Second Team

P - Sarah Crews, Beecher (Ill.), Senior
Crews, who was named the NWI Times Player of the Year, was a dominant pitcher, going 23-5 with a 2.47 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 159 innings for the Ladycats, who finished fourth in Class 2A. She also hit .567, with 10 home runs, a team-high 14 doubles and 64 RBIs.

P - Lainey Stephenson, Veritas Prep (Phoenix), Freshman
Certainly don't call her a first-year player, not after Stephenson won 27 games with a 0.23 ERA and struck out 381 in 154 innings. She allowed just 39 hits. Her lone loss was to eventual state champion San Manuel (in the state semifinals). She also batted .622 with 61 base hits and drove in 42 runs. She had a base hit in all but one game.

P - Hannah Draper, West Morgan (Trinity, Ala.), Senior
Draper finished with a .443 average with 11 homers and 63 RBIs. Those numbers were among West Morgan's leaders, but pitching is where she built her reputation, posting a 43-14 record with a 2.55 ERA. Draper finished with 296 strikeouts.



P - Abby McMillian, Florien (La.), Sophomore
McMillian, who was named the state's Outstanding Class B Player for the second time, was 23-1 with a 0.69 ERA and led Florien to the state title.

P - Karissa Carlton, North Smithfield (R.I.), Senior
Carlton posted a 16-1 record along with a 0.72 ERA in the circle this past season, leading the Lady Northmen (16-1) to the D-2 state tournament. Carlton struck out 170 batters and walked just 17 in 97 innings pitched. She allowed just 46 hits, firing two no-hitters, including a perfect game.

P - Katie Hendrickson, North Muskegon (Mich.), Senior
Hendrickson won 21 games (21-7), struck out 290 batters and finished with a 0.92 ERA. She had a .594 batting average with 14 home runs and 13 doubles out of her 38 hits for a 1.453 slugging percentage. She drew 51 walks to push her on-base percentage up to .774.

P - Kendall Marek, Weimar (Texas), Senior
Marek led Weimar to the 1A title and was the 1A State Player of Year after going 23-5 with 11 shutouts and batting .386.

P - Samantha Show, East Bernard (Texas), Junior
The 5A transfer led East Bernard to the state semifinals. She batted .732 with 22 RBIs and 18 extra base hits. She also was 14-1 pitching with 173 strikeouts in 83 innings. She allowed 17 hits and four earned runs. She has committed to Texas A&M.

P - Madi Moore, Winfield (Ala.), Junior
Moore won 25 games and helped Winfield win its first 3A state championship. The lefthander struck out 296 in 194 innings, allowing 23 earned runs for an 0.83 ERA. Moore threw 10 shutouts and two no-hitters. She's the ASWA Class 3A Pitcher and Player of the Year and has committed to Alabama.



P - Sydney Griffin, Cambridge City Lincoln (Ind.), Junior
Griffin went 20-4 and struck out 329 in 162 innings. Her ERA was 0.60 and she batted .418 and drove in 39 runs in 26 games. The state's top strikeout pitcher is also the Palladium-Item Softball Player of the Year.

P - Kali Thomson, Manti (Utah), Senior
Thomson had a 1.64 ERA and a 25-1 record in leading the Templars to the 2A state title. She also batted .477 and had a .761 slugging percentage. She was named Utah's 2A Player of the Year. She has signed with Snow College.

P - Zoe Conley, Salesian (Richmond, Calif.), Senior
A four-year starter headed to Cal State Northridge, Conley led the Pride to a second-consecutive CIF North Coast Section D-4 title. She pitched 11 shutouts during an 18-1 season.

C - Caitlyn Emberson, Taft (Calif.), Junior
Emberson batted .587 and drove in 66 runs to go along with 20 doubles and 11 homers. Her OPS was 1.716. She committed only one error as the Wildcats won the CIFCS D-4 title.

C - Cassidy Kelsheimer, Chase County (Cottonwood Falls, Kan.), Junior
Kelsheimer batted .618 with 50 RBIs, 48 runs, 47 hits and 12 homers to lead her team to a 26-0 record and 72 straight wins. Kelsheimer has played on three-straight state title teams and has played in only one losing high school game.

C - Ange Stephano, Loudonville Christian (N.Y.), Junior
Stephano shattered her own school records for average (.732) and home runs (13) in leading the Eagles to the Section II Class D final. She has committed to Cedarville University.



IF - Savannah Egbert, Connell (Wash.), Junior
In 20 games, Egbert batted .672, scored 43 times and drove in 37. She had 25 extra-base hits and an OPS of 2.164.

IF - Marissa Gagliano, Wheaton Academy (West Chicago, Ill.), Senior
The slick-fielding Gagliano hit .614 with 10 doubles, 47 runs scored and 25 stolen bases as a senior. She committed three errors in 134 total chances. She has signed with Radford.

IF - Shyenne Hicks, Salado (Texas), Senior
Named the District 22-2A Defensive Player of the Year, Hicks was also a standout at the plate with a state 2A record 80 RBIs. She has signed with Texas A&M-Kingsville.

IF - Brooke Lee, Curtis (River Ridge, La.), Senior
Lee batted .527 and hit seven home runs for the state 3A title winner. She will attend Memphis.

IF - Sara Hahn, Valley Union (Elfrida, Ariz.), Junior
In 23 games, Hahn drove in 70 runs and batted .641 with 50 base hits. She also had 25 stolen bases and 21 doubles. Hahn had a base hit in all but one game and an RBI in all but one game.

IF - Kaila Smith, Millville (N.J.), Sophomore
Smith, chosen the Daily Journal's Softball Player of the Year, set single-season school records in hits (45), home runs (11) and slugging percentage (.966), finished with a .511 average, 36 RBIs and 31 runs scored and powered the Thunderbolts (25-4) to the winningest season in school history.

IF - Melissa Lalisan, Del Mar (San Jose, Calif.), Junior
Lalisan accounted for 113 runs (67 runs, 46 RBIs) as she hit .722 with 29 extra-base hits in 23 games. Her on-base percentage was .778 and she stole 47 bases as the Dons won 19 of 24 games.



IF - Marleah Fossett, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Senior
Fossett batted .667 (.735 OBP) with 47 RBIs, 50 hits, 42 runs and 15 homers. She has signed with Southern Indiana.

IF - Taylor Brintzenhoff, Brandywine Heights Area (Topton, Pa.), Senior
The state 2A Player of the Year, Brintzenhoff batted .465 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs and 29 runs scored. Brintzenhoff also drew 12 walks and finished the season with a .548 on-base percentage. She has signed with La. Tech.

OF - Emma Godin, Valley Academy (Granada Hills, Calif.), Junior
The nation's leading hitter (.805 on 70 hits in 87 at bats) led her team to a 20-3 record. She scored 50 runs, 51 RBIs, 19 doubles, eight triples, nine homers, 1.494 slugging percentage, 2.300 OPS and was perfect on 42 steal attempts. She also pitched – 10 wins, 0.95 ERA, 141 strikeouts in 73 innings.

OF - Gabby Still, Bisbee (Ariz.), Senior
The numbers say it all: .705 batting average, 36 runs, 40 RBIs, 28 extra-base hits, .753 on-base percentage, 1.573 slugging percentage and 2.327 OPS.

OF - Shannon Theriot, Berwick (La.), Junior
Theriot batted .604. The District 9-3A Most Valuable Player has committed to Louisiana-Lafayette.

OF - Jessica Tomchesson, Crawford (Texas), Senior
The tablesetter for Crawford's run-scoring machine, Tomchesson batted .667 and scored 67 times as Crawford won a state 2A title. She has signed with Baylor.

UT - Ashley Meyers, Posen (Mich.), Senior
Meyers batted .705 and hit nine homers, but also struck out 224 and posted a 0.90 ERA in being named an all-state pitcher.



UT - Stormee Galka, Ray (Kearny, Ariz.), Sophomore
The biggest number that sticks out is 76 steals, but she also was 18-7 with a 1.01 ERA and 190 strikeouts in 145 innings. She batted .538 with 51 runs, 50 hits and 35 RBIs. Galka had a base hit in all but one game and at least one steal in each game.

UT - Philny Llewellyn, Trinity Christian Academy (Lake Worth, Fla.), Senior
Llewellyn went 15-3 with 114 strikeouts and a 0.82 ERA to help lead the Warriors to a berth in the Class 3A regional championship game. At the plate she batted a team-leading .618 with 61 RBIs, seven triples and five home runs. She also had a slugging percentage of 1.176.

UT - Corynn Miner, Admiral Farragut (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Sophomore
Miner batted .692 with 36 hits in 19 games, 35 RBIs and a .746 on-base percentage. In the circle she was 15-4 with a 0.46 ERA. She struck out 209 in 106 innings. Her four losses were by a total of five runs.