Samantha Show of East Bernard is Player of the Year; Don Silva of Mt. Hope is Coach of the Year; Richmond High of Maine is Team of the Year.
Video: Longest pickle ever
See a softball pickle that seems to go for eternity.Player of the Year: Samantha Show, East Bernard (Texas), Sr.Show,
who as a sophomore was named MaxPreps Sophomore of the Year during a
standout season at Pearland (Texas), stood tall in the circle and in the
batter's box as she led her team to the Texas 3A state title and a 38-2
season.
Despite being walked 43 times, Show batted .688 and
drove in 65 runs (with at least one in 26 different games). She had a
1.666 slugging percentage and a 2.448 OPS to go along with her .781
on-base percentage. She hit 22 home runs and scored 59 times.
But
it wasn't her huge offensive numbers that grabbed the headlines. It was
her 33 wins (against two losses) and her better than two
strikeout-per-inning average (437 in 215 innings). She had 21 shutouts
and allowed just 18 earned runs in posting a 0.59 ERA.
Opponents
batted just .084 against Show and collected only 61 hits – three fewer
than Show collected during the season. She was named the Texas Gatorade
Softball Player of the Year in
2015 and 2013, and struck out 1,056 in 541 innings in four high school
seasons. Her record was 86-7 and she drove in 185 runs and hit 41
round-trippers.
For her sterling senior season, the future Texas A&M Aggie is the MaxPreps 2015 Small Schools Softball Player of the Year.
Coach of the Year: Don Silva, Mt. Hope (Bristol, R.I.)Silva,
who served in the Navy for 28 years (including in Vietnam), guided the
Huskies to a state D-III title and an unbeaten season at 16-0.
The
Huskies won just three games in the previous five years and from
2009-14, the softball team's combined record was 27-79. Because
of the Huskies' lack of success, realignment dropped the team down to
Division III from Division II. There was concern that Mount Hope
wouldn't
be able to field a team for the 2015 season.
The Huskies responded under Silva's leadership and outscored their opponents by an average of 13.4 to 1.6 runs per game.
"I
like challenges," Silva told ESPNBoston.com. "I've never shied away
from challenges my entire life. The Navy taught me that. I knew some of
the kids going into the season were great kids. I thought they should
play in an environment that should be free from yelling.
"It should be an enjoyable situation. Games should be fun."
Junior
Maddie Reis finished the regular season with a 13-0 record, a 0.79 ERA,
12 walks, 108 strikeouts and 34 hits allowed in 72 innings.
They
also had hitting: Five players hit over .500:
Carissa Rego (.605);
Samantha Eddy (.588); Reis (.525),
Jessica Cerce (.510) and
Brianna Gendreau
(.510). And Cerce stole 26 bases.
Team of the Year: Richmond (Maine)
Richmond,
coached by Rock Coughlin, captured its third-consecutive Class D
softball state championship and finished the season without a blemish,
18-0.
In the state title game, the Bobcats pounded out 10 hits on the way to their 52nd-straight win.
Richmond became just the second Class D team to win three titles in a row, joining Jonesport-Beals (1992-94).
Richmond
has won six straight Western Maine titles and went 7-0 in winning the
Class D West Softball Conference, outscoring its opponents 94-20.
Kelsie
Obi was named to the State Senior All-Star West Team and Miranda Martin
and Sydney Tilton were named to the West Underclass All-Star team.
MaxPreps 2015 Small Schools All-American Softball Team
First Team

Cielo Meza, St. Bonaventure
Photo by Seth Sanchez
P - Cielo Meza, St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.), Sr.Meza went 21-5 with a 0.57 ERA and struck out 348 batters in 158 innings. She
allowed just 52 base hits and walked just 17 in being named the
CIF-SS D-5 POY. She has signed with Long Beach State.
P - Taran Alvelo, Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio), Sr.The
Washington-bound Alvelo holds Ohio's career records for home runs,
strikeouts and pitching victories, and she led BCHS to four state title
games. As a senior, she fanned 404 batters in 186 innings and won 26 of
28 games. Opponents collected just 58 base hits off her. At bat, she hit
.526 with 11 home runs and drove in 39.
P - Maci Ingram, Nashville (Ill.), Sr.This
season, she accumulated a record of 33-2 with a 0.56 ERA and led her
team to a Class 2A state championship. She had 430 strikeouts and for
her efforts, Ingram was the Southern Illinoisan's Softball Player of the
Year. Ingram finished her prep career with a record of 108-11 and
1,422 strikeouts. She is second in Illinois High School Association
history in wins and fifth in strikeouts. She has signed with McKendree
University.
P - Autumn Humes, Bald Knob (Ark.), Jr.Humes
posted a 26-1 record in the circle along with a 0.41 ERA this past
season, leading the Bulldogs (30-2) to the Class 3A state championship.
Humes struck out 246 batters in 155 innings pitched, allowing 55 hits
and 23 walks en route to 11 shutouts and three perfect games. At the
plate, she batted .543 with 11 home runs, 67 RBIs and a 1.117 slugging
percentage.
P - Ashley Guillette, Oxford (Conn.), Sr.Guillette led the Wolverines to Class M state title. She had a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts in the state semifinals, then a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the state final. Guilllette allowed only five runs all season with a 25-1 record, 407 strikeouts and just 10 bases on balls. She pitched 10 no-hitters (five perfect games) and with 20 shutouts, had a 0.15 ERA. For her career, she was 92-10 with 1,503 strikeouts, 22 no-hitters, 63 shutouts and a 0.25 ERA. She is headed to Coastal Carolina.
P - Ali Burdette, Buffalo (W. Va.), Sr.Burdette
led the Bison (32-6) to the Class A state championship this past
season. She posted a 25-1 record and a 0.34 ERA in the circle,
along with a .674 batting average, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs at the plate.
The Kanawha Valley Player of the Year, she struck out 253 batters in
161 innings against just 15 walks. Burdette is a four-time member of the
Class A All-State Tournament Team and was co-captain of the Class A
All-State Team as a junior. She will attend Marshall University.
P - Meghan Beaubien, St. Mary Catholic Central (Monroe, Mich.), So.Beaubien led the Kestrels (36-5) to the D-3 state title and threw a no-hitter
in the title game. In compiling a 28-3 record, Beaubien threw 10
no-hitters and struck out more than 400 batters on the season. Named
Michigan's Gatorade Softball POY, she has committed to Michigan.
P - Megan Deiter, Silver Lake (Kan.), Sr.Deiter
pitched every inning in the state tournament and allowed just one hit, which came
against Riverton. She struck out a total of 48 hitters in three games as
Silver Lake won its third-straight title with her in the circle. In
the final, all but two Hillsboro outs were via strikeout as Deiter
finished with 19. She will attend Mid American Nazarene University.
P - Josie Wood, North Miami (Denver, Ind.), Sr.Wood
compiled a 21-3 record with 318 strikeouts in 151 innings and a 0.14
ERA. She had 18 shutouts. Wood also stole 26 bases and batted .485 with
43 RBIs in 30 games. Wood, who lost 1-0 in the state 2A semifinals, has
signed with Indiana.
P - Marina Vitalich, Mary Star of the Sea (San Pedro, Calif.), Sr.The
George Mason-bound Vitalich was nearly unhittable this season,
finishing 22-4 with a minuscule 0.54 ERA and 367 strikeouts. She had 18
shutouts and 24 complete games and etched her name permanently in the
record books, as her 1,154 career strikeouts placed her eighth all time
in the CIF Southern Section.
P - Lainey Stephenson, Veritas Prep (Phoenix), So.Stephenson
struck out 468 batters in 186 innings to go with a 0.45 ERA and 26-4
record. She walked just 15 batters and limited opponents to a .076
batting average. She also batted a team-high .478 with 31 RBIs. Veritas
lost 1-0 in the state semifinals to eventual champion Superior.
C - Taylor Johnson, Beecher (Ill.), So.Johnson
batted .624 with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs and 58 runs scored this past
season, leading the Bobcats (24-7) to the Class 2A sectional semifinals.
A returning first-team All-Area selection as named by the Chicago
Sun-Times, Johnson worked 24 walks and collected 31 extra-base hits,
recording a .706 on-base percentage and a 1.312 slugging percentage.
Johnson, who has committed to Wisconsin, was the state's Gatorade POY for
softball.
C - Averi Munro, Morrice (Mich.), Jr.Munro
led Morrice into the postseason as she batted .717, hit five home runs
and drove in 69 runs. She also had 43 stolen bases.
C - Taylor Pack, Sutter (Calif.), Sr.The
UCLA-bound Pack closed out a sterling four-year career with .a 551
batting average, 57 runs, 70 hits, 45 RBIs, 21 doubles and 16 stolen
bases, as the Huskies won the CIF Northern Section D-4 title.
C - Cassidy Kelsheimer, Chase County (Cottonwood Falls, Kan.), Sr.Kelsheimer,
who will play at Wichita State next year, batted .540 with 35 RBIs and
31 runs scored in leading Chase County to its fourth-straight Class 2-1A title.
In her four seasons, Chase County won 97 of 98 games.
IF - Sydney Townes, Cabrillo (Lompoc, Calif.), Sr.Named
the Lompoc-area Player of the Year, Townes batted .574 with 31 stolen
bases and 32 runs in 19 games. She will attend Santa Barbara City College.
IF - Kaila Searcy, Paraclete (Lancaster, Calif.), Jr.Searcy
hit 22 homers, drove in 74 runs and batted .668 to lead Paraclete to
the CIF-SS D-6 title. Searcy, who has committed to Central Arkansas, was
16-1 in the circle with a 0.65 ERA and struck out 1.5 batters per
inning.
IF - Rachel McCollum, Spring Creek (N.C.), Sr.McCollum
finished her senior season with a batting average of .805,
the best documented single-season batting average in the North Carolina record books. The previous high was .779, set by Sarah Mooney of North
Mecklenburg in 2011. McCollum had 33 hits in 41 official at-bats. She
walked 20 times and homered 12 times as her team got to the second round
of the NCHSAA state 1-A playoffs.
IF - Maggie Gallagher, Kennedy Catholic (Burien, Wash.), Jr.The
Seamount League MVP had a .719 batting average along with 42 runs
scored and 34 RBIs. A Washington-bound shortstop, Gallagher helped the
Lancers to a league title.
IF - Erika Underwood, Addison (Mich.), Sr.Named
the Citizen-Patriot POY, Underwood batted a county-best .647 with 18
doubles, nine triples, 11 home runs, 37 RBIs and 56 runs scored. She
finished her career with 49 home runs, tying the state record. A
four-time all-state selection, she will play at Central Michigan.
IF - Jenna Ergle, Sumiton Christian (Ala.), So.MaxPreps'
2014 Freshman of the Year, Ergle led Sumiton Christian to the state 2A title and
was named to the Super State All-State team after driving in 103 runs
(she has 230 in two seasons). She batted .519 with 80 base hits,
including 25 doubles and 14 home runs. In the circle, she was 25-5 with a
2.66 ERA. She has committed to Boston College.
IF - Kailey Harvey, Calvary Christian Academy (Chula Vista, Calif.), Sr.Harvey
batted .690, drove in 80 runs, collected 28 doubles and had 42 extra-base hits as the Royal Knights went deep into the playoffs. She also
stole 27 bases and struck out 67 batters in 27 innings pitched.
IF - Alyssa Cuellar, San Manuel (Ariz.), Sr.
Alyssa Cuellar, San Manuel
Photo by Mark Jones
Cuellar
batted .650, scored 58 times and drove in 60 runs. She had a base hit
in all 30 games as the Miners reached the state final game. She has
signed with Pima Community College.
OF - Zoe Casas, Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.), Sr.The
Florida State-committed senior is no stranger to accolades from
MaxPreps. She was an Underclass All-American Team selection as a freshman, underclass
and small schools all-American as a sophomore, and a small schools
all-American as a junior. This makes her 4-for-4. As a senior, she
batted .736 with 64 hits, giving her a state-record 248 base hits. In
105 games, she scored 193 runs and struck out just three times in her career. For her
four seasons at Aquinas, she batted .681.
OF - Kendall Beth Sides, Sumiton Christian (Ala.), So.Sides
led the nation in hits (115), runs scored (95) and stolen bases (107)
when she batted .612 and drove in 48 runs. She also pitched 114 innings
and posted a 20-5 record as Sumiton Christian captured the state 2A title and won
its final 17 games en route to 47 wins. Sides has committed to Alabama.
OF - Hannah Edwards, Catasauqua (Pa.), Jr.Edwards
set a state record for stolen bases with 57 (twice she stole six in
a game) and also had 57 base hits in batting .687 and scoring 40 times.
She was a first team all-state pick.
OF - Megan Hensley, Ashland Blazer (Ashland, Ky.), Sr.A
two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, Hensley posted a 25-8
record in the circle along with a 0.75 ERA this season, leading the
Kittens (32-9) to the first round of the KHSAA State Tournament. Hensley struck out 371 batters and walked 66 in 233 innings. At the plate,
the 2014 MaxPreps All-American batted .429 with 18 home runs, 48 RBIs and
a 1.025 slugging percentage. She will play at Louisville.
UTIL/P - Morgan Florey, Brimfield (Ill.), Sr.Florey
was 22-3 with 435 strikeouts and a 0.32 ERA, She also batted .480, hit
17 homers and had 46 RBIs despite being walked 38 times. She will play at
Evansville.
UTIL - Grace Baalman, Calhoun (Hardin, Ill.), So.Baalman
supplied the power in the circle (34 wins, 428 strikeouts) and at the
plate (19 homers, 17 doubles and 69 RBIs) en route to a state D-1
championship. The Calhoun sophomore pitched 48 innings in postseason
games and allowed only seven hits, seven walks and struck
out 106 batters. She had an amazing 0.16 ERA.
UTIL - Morgan Ray, Frenchtown (Mont.), Sr.The
two-time returning Gatorade State Player of the Year, Ray posted a 19-2
record along with a 0.32 ERA in leading the Broncs (24-2) to a
third-straight Class A state title. Ray struck out 248 batters in 130
innings. At the plate, the three-time Class A first team all-state
selection batted .553 with seven home runs, 33 RBIs and a .953 slugging
percentage. She has signed with Ohio State.
{PAGEBREAK}
Second Team
Hailey Dolcini, Fortuna
Photo by Greg Jungferman
P - Hailey Dolcini, Fortuna (Calif.), So.Big
numbers ... 23-5, 356 strikeouts and 0.43 ERA in 178 innings. She also
batted .430 for the CIF North Coast Section D-5 runner-up.
P - Abby Marsden, Weedsport (N.Y.), Sr.According to Jeremy Houghtaling of the
Auburn Citizen, Marsden
struck out 276 batters and had a 0.70 ERA in 115 innings, leading the
Warriors to a 16-1 season. A three-sport athlete, Marsden's senior
season was one for the record books. She recorded 13 shutouts and
backstopped the field hockey team to a section title, reached the 1,000-point mark and took the Warriors to the section basketball
championship game, and the field hockey, basketball and softball teams
each won their county titles and finished with a combined 47-1-1 regular
season record. A perennial all-stater, she was named the Auburn
Citizen's POY.
P - Sara Stephenson, Sutter (Calif.), Sr.Stephenson, who will attend Montana, had 29 wins, 339 strikeouts and led Sutter to the NSCIF D-4 title.
P - Anna Grace Owens, Colbert Heights (Tuscumbia, Ala.), Sr.Owens led Colbert Heights to a 42-8 record with a .450 batting average and was 31-6 with a 0.69 ERA.
P - Selice Daley, Thomas Heyward Academy (Ridgeland, S.C.), Jr.Daley
had 27 wins, 0.75 ERA and 339 strikeouts in 177 innings for the state
runner-up team. She allowed only 52 hits – the same amount she totaled
in batting .500 with 36 RBIs. She has committed to South Carolina
Upstate.
P - Bailey Singleton, Macon-East Montgomery Academy (Cecil, Ala.), Sr.Singleton
was 31-1 with a 0.54 ERA with 14 walks and 201 strikeouts in 209
innings. She threw 18 shutouts and had a .303 batting average with 40
RBIs. She has signed with Montevallo.
P - Abbey McMillian, Florien (La.), Jr.McMillian
won her third-straight Class B Outstanding State Player honor after
going 22-3 and batting .474 with five homers and 33 RBIs.
P - Carly Kingery, Carroll (Flora, Ind.), Sr.In
leading Carroll to the state title, Kingery was 18-3 with a 1.10 ERA
and 284 strikeouts in 146 innings. She also batted .496 with a team-high
42 RBIs and 28 extra-base hits. She has signed with University of
Missouri-St. Louis.
P - Rachel Younts, Holton (Mich.), Sr.Younts
keyed Holton's 37-1 season with a 26-0 record, 0.75 ERA and 203
strikeouts. She also batted .320 with 13 doubles. Cornerstone University
is next.
P - Nicole Bauer, Unionville-Sebewaing (Sebewaing, Mich.), Jr.Bauer
was 26-0 with a 0.38 ERA and 191 strikeouts in leading her team to the
state title. A first baseman when not pitching, Bauer batted .463 with
17 doubles and 46 RBIs.
P - Tristin Achenbach, Conrad (Mont.), So.Conrad
pitched Conrad to its first state title, and she did it in
dominant fashion, finishing the season with a 22-1 record. Her ERA was a
minuscule 0.42 and she struck out 328 in 148 innings. She led the Cowgirl bats
as well, collecting a .465 batting average and driving in 32 runs.
P - Maddy Barone, Silver Lake Regional (Kingston, Mass.), Jr.The
junior pitcher led the Lakers to a 24-2 record and a spot in the
Division 1 state championship. She compiled 234 strikeouts and a 0.38
ERA. She also batted .407. She has committed to Southern New Hampshire.
P - Kayla Schwebke, Laconia (Rosendale, Wis.), So.Compiling
a 29-2 record with a 0.45 ERA and 388 strikeouts, Schwebke was a
machine in the circle in leading Laconia to the state D-3 title.
C - Hannah Seaver, Aynor (S.C.), Sr.Seaver
batted .558 with 14 home runs, six doubles, 45 RBIs and 40 runs. She had
a slugging percentage of 1.140. She also threw out 12 runners
attempting to steal, including two in the second game of the
championship series against Andrew Jackson as Aynor captured the state
D-2 title. She has signed with Furman.
C - Ashley Friend, Holton (Mich.), Sr.Friend
batted .633 with 19 doubles and had 65 RBIs in Holton's state runner-up season. She will enlist in the Marine Corps this fall.
C - Lillie McCray, Pisgah (Ala.), Sr.McCray
excelled in her senior season for the Class 3A state runner-up, hitting
.563 with a .625 on-base percentage, 15 homers, 64 RBIs and 20 doubles
in 50 games. Next she'll play at Chattanooga State.
C - Courtney Hankins, Pennsville Memorial (N.J.), Sr.The
senior hit .656 in her final season as an Eagle, but that was just the
start of her phenomenal numbers. Of her 59 hits, 27 went for extra bases
- including 10 home runs. She also contributed 45 runs and 53 RBIs. She
signed with Fairfield.
IF - Mady Poulter, St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.), Sr.Poulter,
who was named the state Player of the Year, batted .532, scored 59 runs
and drove in 48 teammates to lead St. Joe to a 32-4 record. She has
signed with Eastern Illinois.
IF - Erin Boone, South Granville (Creedmoor, N.C.), Sr.Boone led the Vikings to a 24-2 season and state 2A title with a .598 batting
average, 49 runs and 28 RBIs. Boone, who has signed with Lenoir-Rhyne
University, was named the State 2A West Player of the Year.
IF - Theresa Swertfager, John Jay (Cross River, N.Y.), Sr.Swertfager
led the Indians in hitting (.477), walks (17), on-base percentage
(.568), hits (31) and triples (five). She had a .753 slugging percentage
and struck out only twice in 88 plate appearances. She also made only
one error all season in the field. In the circle, she was 14-5, had a
2.05 earned run average and 108 strikeouts. She has signed with Florida.
IF - Kelbi Fortenberry, East Bernard (Texas), Jr.Fortenberry
missed a dozen games, but still managed 42 steals, a .552 batting
average, 48 runs and 30 RBIs for the state 3A champions. She has
committed to Texas A&M.
IF - Ashley Diaz, South El Monte (Calif.), Sr.Named
the Mission Valley League Most Valuable Player for the second-straight
season while also earning D-5 first-team honors, the University of
Arkansas commit was impressive again, batting .561 with 42 RBIs, 10 home
runs and nine doubles for the MVL champions.
IF - Kaylee Buhrkuhl, Santiam Christian (Corvallis, Ore.), Sr.Buhrkuhl was named the 3A Player of the Year, as she hit .662 with 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and 42 runs scored in 21 games.
IF - Bradi Kooyman, Elliot Christian (Lodi, Calif.), Jr.It was another
impressive season for Kooyman: a .747 batting average, 15 triples, 10
doubles, 65 RBIs and 63 runs scored as the Eagles went 20-9. She has committed to
Missouri.
IF - Maddie Dowdle, Pusch Ridge Christian Academy (Tucson, Ariz.), Sr.Dowdle
led the Lions in every offensive category: hitting (.726), runs (54),
hits (61), RBIs (64), doubles (18), triples (10), home runs (10) and
stolen bases (19). She has signed with Grand Canyon University.
OF - Kyla Walker, Franklin (Texas), Sr.Walker batted .662 with 49 hits, 34 runs and 29 stolen bases and did so in just 20 games. She has signed with Baylor.
OF - Deven Kennedy, Macon-East Montgomery Academy (Cecil, Ala.), Sr.A first-team
AISA all-state pick, Kennedy had a .508 batting average with 57 RBIs and 89
runs scored in 185 at-bats. She walked 22 times and stole 30 bases to go
along with 12 home runs and 27 doubles to compile an .881 slugging
percentage. She was a four-time all-state player.
OF - Jacki Stone, Holton (Mich.), Sr.The
Ferris State signee batted .617, scored 63 times and drove in 52 runs
as Holton won its first 37 games before losing in the state final.
UTIL - Mikayla Montes, Pershing County (Lovelock, Nev.), Sr.Montes
batted .664 with 81 hits, 70 runs, 45 RBIs, 31 extra-base hits and 57
stolen bases. She also was 15-3 with 74 strikeouts in 86 innings.
UTIL - Noemi Farfan, Calvary Christian Academy (Chula Vista, Calif.), Fr.Farfan
won 20 games and struck out 286 in 115 innings. She also batted .753
with 93 RBIs, 61 hits and 65 runs in 24 games. Farfan had 63 stolen bases in as
many attempts and had 39 extra-base hits, including 27 doubles as
Calvary reached the CIF San Diego Section finals.
UTIL - Becca Rogers, Hamilton (N.Y.), Sr.Hamilton
was named Class D Co-Player of the Year for the second-straight spring,
this time sharing the honor with Deposit eighth-grader MaKenzie Stiles.
The University of Rhode Island-bound pitcher finished the season with a
17-4 record, striking out 302 batters while also
batting .500 with 43 runs batted in, 13 doubles and four home runs.
UTIL - Katie Warrick, Forrest (Chapel Hill, Tenn.), Sr.The
Lady Rocket ace led her team to the Class A championship with a record
of 32-3 and a 1.81 ERA pitching, winning all four of her team's
tournament games and finishing the season batting .594 with 14 home
runs. She has signed with the University of Tennessee at Martin.