Father-daughter combo headline MaxPreps Softball All-American Team

Winning championships is nothing new for the Fagan family, it's what they do.

For the past two seasons, Dunnellon (Dunnellon, Fla.) softball coach Kevin Fagan and his daughter Kasey have ruled Florida 4A softball. Kasey is a two-time 4A state player of the year by the Dairy Farmers Association, winning the overall state award this season after leading Dunnellon to the Florida 4A state championship for the second straight season and a No. 1 national ranking.

Kevin Fagan, meanwhile, earned his second straight 4A and overall state coaching award from the Dairy Farmers Association. The Tigers were 31-1 this season and have gone 64-2 the past two years with a pair of state titles. In his five-year coaching career at Dunnellon, Fagan has a record of 120-23.

A seven-year NFL veteran, Fagan was also a member of the Miami Hurricanes national championship team in 1983 and a pair of Super Bowl champion teams with the San Francisco 49ers during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.

The Fagans have also been selected to headline the inaugural MaxPreps All-American Softball Team, presented by Gatorade. Kevin Fagan is the National Coach of the Year while Kasey Fagan is the National Player of the Year and headlines a group of 30 on the All-American Team.

MaxPreps Softball All-Americans presented by Gatorade

Kayla Cox, East Bay (Gibsonton, Fla.), Pitcher, Sr. - Named the Florida 5A Player of the Year, Cox was 18-1 with a 0.19 ERA. She pitched 148 innings and struck out 242 batters while leading East Bay to the state title. She will play at North Carolina State next year.

Ellen Renfroe, Trinity Christian Academy (Jackson, Tenn.), Pitcher, Sr. - Participated on four Class A state championship teams at Trinity Christian and will play at the University of Tennessee next year. She posted a 40-2 record this year with 545 strikeouts and a 0.15 ERA. Named the state player of the year by Gatorade.

Leigh Streetman, Hueytown (Hueytown, Ala.), Pitcher, Sr. - Selected as Miss Softball in Alabama by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, Streetman struck out a whopping 568 batters in 304 innings and posted a 0.35 ERA while going 46-8 for the 6A state champions.

Kermitria Ward, Midway (Waco, Texas), Pitcher, Sr. - Ward capped her career with a no-hitter in the Texas 4A state championship game, earning tournament MVP honors. Ward had 11 no-hitters on the season and struck out 401 batters. She posted a 29-1 record with a 0.30 ERA and was named the Super CenTex Player of the Year by the Waco Tribune.

Dallas Escobedo, St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.), Pitcher, Sr. - The player of the year in Arizona by several publications, Escobedo reportedly finishes her career with a national record 1,882 strikeouts, including 500 this year. She was 33-3 for St. Mary's with a 0.58 ERA, nine no-hitters and two perfect games. No slouch at the plate, Escobedo batted .412 with nine home runs and 29 RBI.

Rachel Fox, Fort Bend Baptist (Sugar Land, Texas), Pitcher, Sr. - The two-time state MVP, as selected by Gatorade, is headed to Texas next year after a fabulous career that saw her strike out 1,585 batters and lead Fort Bend Baptist to three straight TAPPS state championships. During her senior season, Fox had a 0.07 ERA and struck out 438 batters in 211 innings pitched.

Jaclyn Traina, Naples (Naples, Fla.), Pitcher, Sr. - The 4A Pitcher of the Year in Florida, Traina led Naples to the state finals and went 30-2 on the season with 358 strikeouts. She was the Naples Area Pitcher of the Year and also batted .432 with 34 RBI and five home runs. Traina will play at Alabama next season.

Alexis Cantu, Wakeland (Frisco, Texas), Pitcher, Sr. - The Player of the Year by the Dallas Morning News, Cantu went 32-3 with a 0.46 ERA and struck out 346 batters in 215.1 innings. She won her first 31 games of the season and pitched 58 consecutive scoreless innings while racking up 22 shutouts. She also had three perfect games on the season. At the plate, Cantu led the Dallas area with 12 home runs and also batted .479 with 48 RBI. She will play at Texas-Arlington next year.

Chelsey Dunham, South County (Lorton, Va.), Pitcher, Sr. - The Player of the Year by the Washington Post, Dunham had over 1,000 strikeouts in her career. Dunham, who is headed to Yale, struck out 314 batters and walked just 21 in 184 innings this year and posted a 0.19 ERA. She led South County to a 25-1 record on the season.

Tori Almond, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), Pitcher, Sr. - Almond is a two-time Miss Softball in Utah after leading Bingham to three 5A state championships. Headed to BYU, Almond was 21-5 on the season with a 0.30 ERA and 334 strikeouts, against just 28 walks. She threw four no-hitters on the season and had two perfect games while earning 5A tournament MVP honors for the third time.

Taylor Edwards, Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.), Catcher, Sr. - Named the Southern Section Division 2 Player of the Year, Edwards batted .452 with 28 RBI and nine home runs. She tied an Inland Empire record for career home runs with 38, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise, and she will play next year for Nebraska.

Amber Freeman, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Catcher, Jr. - An All-Orange County selection by the Orange County Register and an All-Southern Section Division I pick, Freeman batted .425 with eight home runs, six doubles and 30 RBI. Already committed to Arizona State, Freeman will play on the US Junior National Team this summer.

Lexi Bryant, Sandburg (Orland Park, Ill.), Catcher, Jr. - Committed to play for Kansas following her senior year, Bryant was one of the top power hitters in Illinois. Besides averaging .504 at the plate, she also had 15 home runs and 18 doubles to post a 1.035 slugging percentage. She also had 46 RBI and helped Sandburg win the 4A state title in Illinois with a 38-2 record. An all-state pick by the Chicago Tribune.

Sara Driesenga, Hudsonville (Hudsonville, Mich.), First Base, Jr. - Primarily a pitcher for Hudsonville, Driesenga also played some first base and she was easily one of the top hitters in the state of Michigan. She was the Detroit News All-State Player of the Year after hitting .540 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI. She also posted a 29-1 mound record with a 0.18 ERA and 281 strikeouts, with eight walks, in 183 innings pitched. She also led Hudsonville to its second straight Division I championship.

Jessica Hall, Ayala (Chino Hills, Calif.), First Base, Sr. - The Gatorade California State Player of the Year, the Inland Daily Bulletin Player of the Year and the Southern Section Division III Player of the Year, Hall was a standout in the circle and also played first base while leading Ayala to its first ever CIF Southern Section softball championship. She had a 28-3 record with 0.68 ERA and 336 strikeouts. She also had four no-hitters and two perfect games. At the plate, the UCLA-bound senior batted .340 with five home runs and 32 RBI.

Jaclyn Bechtle, Pearland (Pearland, Texas), Infield, Sr. - Named the MVP of the Texas 5A tournament, Bechtle led Pearland to the state championship with a 4-0 win over Austin Bowie. Bechtle was also named to the coaches all-state team and was the District 22-5A Player of the Year. She batted .437 on the season and had 11 home runs.

Taylor Thom, Vista Ridge (Cedar Park, Texas), Infield, Sr. - The 4A-5A Player of the Year by the Texas Girls Coaches Association and the All-Central Texas Player of the Year by the Austin Statesman, Thom led Vista Ridge with a .528 batting average that included seven home runs. She also stole 34 bases and scored 50 runs. She has signed to play at Texas next year.

Emily Gaines, South Laurel (London, Ky.), Infield, Sr. - The all-time state leader in hits and doubles and the single season record holder in both of those categories, Gaines was named the Kentucky State Player of the Year by Gatorade. She batted .634 (83-131) and belted 17 home runs, 27 doubles and had 63 RBI. She will play for the University of Kentucky next season. She had 345 career hits and 104 doubles and had a 52-game hit streak this season.

Leah Jones, Cape Fear (Fayetteville, N.C.), Infield, Sr. - Set a North Carolina state record with 18 home runs. She was named the 4A state player of the year and batted .550 with 44 runs scored, 52 RBI and 16 doubles.

Lauren Chamberlain, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.), Infield, Jr. - The Player of the Year by the Orange County Register, Chamberlain set a county record with 17 home runs while batting .512 with five doubles and three triples. The team's leadoff batter, Chamberlain scored 35 runs and had 39 RBI. She has committed to Oklahoma and will play on the US Junior National Team this summer.

Madison Shipman, Valencia (Valencia, Calif.), Infield, Sr. - The Southern Section Division I Player of the Year, Shipman earned a spot on the US Junior National Team and will play at the University of Tennessee next season. She batted .444 with nine home runs, 36 runs, 36 RBI and 32 stolen bases for the Southern Section Division I semifinalists.

Madison O'Brien, Palm Harbor University (Palm Harbor, Fla.), Infield, Sr. - The Florida 6A Player of the Year, O'Brien batted .658 on the season with 12 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. She also had 53 RBI. She came up big in the playoffs, hitting a home run and an RBI single in a 4-1 win over Countryside in the district semifinal and a grand slam in the region quarterfinals. She will play at Florida State.

Erika Arcuri, Plant (Tampa, Fla.), Outfield, Sr. - Headed to Florida International, Acuri was named the Florida 6A Defensive Player of the Year. She batted .500 with 41 hits and also scored 30 runs. She also had six doubles and three triples.

Ashli Goff, Sickles (Tampa, Fla.), Outfield, Sr. - Goff bashed 61 hits on the season and batted an eye-popping .642 for Sickles. She scored 54 runs, drove in 23 and had three home runs and five doubles. She was the Florida 5A Offensive Player of the Year.

Nicole Sappingfield, Norco (Norco, Calif.), Outfield, Sr. - Named the Riverside Press-Enterprise Player of the Year, Sappingfield set an area record with 192 career hits, including 58 during a senior year when she batted .523. Headed to Michigan, Sappingfield also found a spot on the All-Southern Section Division I team.

Alix Johnson, Mt. Carmel (San Diego, Calif.), Outfield, Sr. - The San Diego Section Player of the Year, Johnson led Mt. Carmel to four straight San Diego Section Division II championships. She batted .488 as a senior with 19 doubles, 29 RBI and 46 runs scored. She will play at Arizona State next season.

Kasey Fagan, Dunnellon (Dunnellon, Fla.), Utility, Sr. - In leading Dunnellon to the 4A state championship in Florida, Fagan earned state and national player of the year honors from Gatorade. She was 26-1 in the circle and boasted a 0.57 ERA and 239 strikeouts. She also had three no-hitters during the season. At the plate, Fagan batted .574 with eight home runs, 61 RBI, 53 runs scored and 13 doubles. She will play at Florida next year.

Mel Willadsen, Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.), Utility, Sr. - Outdueled St. Mary's Dallas Escobedo for the 5A Division I title in Arizona. A standout in the circle and at the plate, Willadsen batted .433 with 10 home runs and 52 RBI. She also posted a 23-3 record with a 1.20 ERA and 173 strikeouts.

Kat Banks, Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.), Utility, Sr. - The All-Midstate Player of the Year by the Nashville Tennessean, Banks had a 27-4 record with 137 strikeouts and a 1.12 ERA in the circle. She was particularly deadly at the plate, however, batting .515 with 14 home runs, 26 doubles, 71 runs scored and 81 RBI. She has signed to play at Virginia Tech.

Kirsten Verdun, Coal City (Coal City, Ill.), Utility, Sr. - In leading Coal City to the 2A state title in Illinois, Verdun set a state record for wins in a season while posting a 40-0 record. She had 480 strikeouts and a 0.30 ERA. She finished the season with 11 no-hitters and four perfect games. In her career, the Illinois state player of the year by the Chicago Tribune won 83 games and had 1,036 strikeouts. At the plate, Verdun batted .565 with 12 home runs and 70 RBI.

Note: Players were chosen by the MaxPreps writing staff and do not include players from teams that play softball during the fall sports season.