Shelby Holley is not only the new softball home run queen. She's also the MaxPreps 2011 Small Schools Softball Player of the Year.
Photo courtesy of Amy Holley
Shelby Holley didn't just break the national records for home runs in a career and season. She obliterated them.
The Pisgah (Ala.) standout cranked 35 home runs during her team's state championship season, breaking the previous national mark by 11. To put that in perspective, Barry Bonds would have needed to hit 102 home runs when he topped Mark McGwire's Major League Baseball record of 70 home runs in a season to equal the percentage increase Holley produced in breaking the softball record.
Likewise, her career total of 72 home runs is 11 more than the previous record holder. That's not counting the six she hit as an eighth grader on the varsity team, giving her an Alabama state record of 78. The National Federation of High Schools Record Book does not recognize statistics achieved prior to ninth grade.
As a result, Holley, who was the Alabama State Player of the Year, is the easy choice as the MaxPreps National Small Schools Player of the Year.
See the
MaxPreps All-American teams and the
Medium Schools All-American teams.
Danbury coach Melissa Hansen joins Holley among the award winners as the National Small Schools Coach of the Year. Hansen guided her team to a 39-3 record and the Texas 2A state championship. She was named the Texas 2A State Coach of the Year and her players occupied seven spots on the 2A all-state team.
Danbury played higher-enrollment schools throughout the preseason yet only dropped three contests, one of which was to eventual 4A state champion Santa Fe. The Panthers also posted 23 shutouts and outscored opponents 345 to 32.
Holley and Danbury head a collection of 60 small school athletes, split into a first and second team, on the MaxPreps Small Schools All-American Team. MaxPreps defines small schools as state enrollment divisions with less than 1,000 students.
MAXPREPS SMALL SCHOOLS ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
First Team
Pitcher - Emily Bausher, New Egypt (New Egypt, N.J.), Senior
New Jersey State Player of the Year... Gatorade State Player of the Year... Led New Egypt to New Jersey Group I championship... Committed to Lehigh.
Stats - Record of 24-3 with 19 shutouts, three perfect games and four no-hitters. Struck out 353 batters in 182 innings pitched. Also batted .545 with 44 runs and 26 RBIs.
Pitcher - Kayla Haro, Benson (Ariz.), Senior
Arizona Republic Small Schools Player of the Year.
Stats - Record of 26-4 with 1.22 ERA and 238 strikeouts. Batted .510 with 57 RBIs and 13 home runs.
Pitcher - Kimmy Beasley, Foreman (Ark.), Senior
Gatorade State Player of the Year... Led Foreman to 2A state championship... Committed to Arkansas.
Stats - Record of 32-2 with 0.15 ERA and 393 strikeouts in 236 innings pitched. Had 22 shutouts, seven no-hitters and four perfect games. Batted .467 with nine doubles, 43 runs and 30 RBIs.
Pitcher - Cheridan Hawkins, Anderson (Calif.), Junior
Northern Section Player of the Year... Led team to Northern Section Division IV championship.
Stats - Record of 31-4 with 510 strikeouts and a 0.79 ERA in 221 innings pitched. Had 19 shutouts and six no-hitters. Batted .471 with 38 runs, 21 RBIs, 10 doubles, six triples and one home run.
Pitcher - Grace Moll, Shelbyville (Ill.), Sophomore
Illinois Coaches Association 2A All-State Team... Daily Union Spring Female Athlete of the Year.
Stats - Record of 24-4 with 327 strikeouts and 0.80 ERA in 183 innings pitched. Also batted .433 with 42 RBIs, 40 runs, eight doubles, five triples and three home runs.
Pitcher - Marissa Diescher, Livingston Manor Central (N.Y.), Senior
Gatorade State Player of the Year... New York Sports Writers Association Class D Player of the Year.
Stats - Record of 14-1 with 0.14 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched.
Pitcher - Katie Bertelsen, United (Alexis, Ill.), Senior
Illinois Coaches Association 1A All-State Team... All-time state leader in career strikeouts and wins... Committed to Southern Illinois.
Stats - Record of 23-1 with 0.39 ERA and 324 strikeouts in 163 innings pitched. Batted .407 with 33 RBIs.
Pitcher - Kaylee Garner, Danbury (Texas), Sophomore
Texas Girls Coaches Association Small Schools Player of the Year... Texas Sports Writers 2A All-State Team... Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston Team... Led Danbury to Texas 2A state championship.
Stats - Record of 26-3 with 272 strikeouts and 0.37 ERA in 171 innings pitched. Also batted .495 with 26 RBIs, nine doubles, three triples and three home runs.
Pitcher - Kelsie Pardue, Allen County (Scottsville, Ky.), Junior
Kentucky Coaches Association 2A State Player of the Year... Led team to Kentucky state championship.
Stats - Record of 34-3 with 0.43 ERA and 389 strikeouts in 242 innings pitched.
Pitcher - Cassie Daniels, Dallas County (Plantersville, Ala.), Senior
Alabama 4A State Player of the Year... Alabama Sports Writers Association All-Super State.
Stats - Record of 34-5 with 426 strikeouts in 223 innings pitched. Had 20 shutouts and six no-hitters.
Catcher - Shelby Holley, Pisgah (Ala.), Senior
Led Pisgah to Alabama Class 3A state championship... Named MVP of 3A state tournament... Named Ms. Alabama Softball by Alabama Sportswriters Association... Set national records for home runs in a season, 35, and career, 78.
Stats - Batted .617 with 98 RBIs in 149 at-bats, 35 home runs, 16 doubles, 54 runs.
Catcher - Taylore Fuller, Chiefland (Fla.), Junior
Gainesville Sun Small Schools Player of the Year.
Stats - Batted .673 with 15 home runs and 29 RBIs.
Catcher - Courtney Ivey, Oak Hill (Hineston, La.), Sophomore
Louisiana Coaches Association Class B State Player of the Year... Louisiana Miss Softball... Led Oak Hill to Louisiana Class B state championship.
Stats - Batted .531 with 34 RBIs and 10 home runs.
First Base - Christie Wiersema, Morrison (Ill.), Senior
Chicago Tribune All-State Team... Sauk Valley Newspapers Player of the Year.
Stats - Batted .446 with 42 runs, 31 RBIs, 10 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. Also pitched with a record of 16-2 with 0.81 ERA in 121 innings pitched.
Infield - Whitney Arion, Delphi (Ind.), Sophomore
Indiana Girls Coaches Association All-State Team... Journal and Courier Player of the Year.
Stats - Batted .596 with 40 RBIs, 61 runs, 16 doubles, 12 triples and nine home runs.
Infield - Elizabeth Caporuscio, Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead, Calif.), Senior
California Southern Section All-Division VI Team.
Stats - Batted .625 with 40 runs, 56 RBIs, 16 doubles, seven triples and 10 home runs. As a pitcher went 15-5 with 109 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched.
Infield - Jordan Wheeler, Blue Ridge (Farmer City, Ill.), Junior
Chicago Tribune All-State Team.
Stats - Batted .452 with 14 doubles, 43 RBIs and 13 home runs. Also pitched with a record of 22-5 with 234 strikeouts and 1.24 ERA.
Infield - Kaitlyn Griffith, Cherokee County (Centre, Ala.), Senior
Alabama Sports Writers Association All-Super State Team... Alabama 4A Hitter of the Year... Gadsden Times Player of the Year.
Stats - Batted .565 with 96 RBIs, 80 runs, 11 triples, 26 doubles and 27 home runs.
Infield - Erica Musgrave, Elliot Christian (Lodi, Calif.), Junior
Stockton Record Defensive Player of the Year... Led team to Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship.
Stats - Batted .651 with 50 runs, 37 RBIs, 10 doubles, three triples and seven home runs.
Infield - Bridget Castro, Calvary Chapel (Downey, Calif.), Sophomore
California Southern Section Division VI Player of the Year.
Stats - Batted .519 with 50 runs, 54 hits, 49 RBIs, seven doubles, two triples and 12 home runs.
Infield - Emily Carosone, Pine Castle Christian Academy (Orlando, Fla.), Junior
Orlando Sentinel All-Central Florida Team... 2010 Florida 2A State Player of the Year.
Stats - Batted .649 with 20 RBIs, 12 doubles and six triples.
Infield - Nikki Dunlap, Willcox (Ariz.), Junior
Arizona Republic Small Schools All-State Team.
Stats - Batted .604 with 57 runs, 35 RBIs, 11 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs.
Outfield - Stephanie Ramirez, Benson (Ariz.), Junior
Arizona Republic Small Schools All-State Team.
Stats - Batted .566 with 53 runs, 58 RBIs, six doubles, six triples and 13 home runs.
Outfield - Caitlin Conrad, North Union (Richwood, Ohio), Senior
Ohio Coaches Association Division III All-State Team.
Stats - Batted .527 with 18 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
Outfield - Chelsea Brandt, American Heritage (Delray Beach, Fla.), Senior
Palm Beach Post Small Schools Player of the Year... Sun Sentinel All-Area Small Schools Team... Florida Dairy Farmers 2A Player of the Year.
Stats - 14-4 on the mound, batted .408 with 13 stolen bases.
Outfield - Britiany Bailey, Danbury (Texas), Senior
Texas Sports Writers Association 2A All-State Team.
Stats - Batted .553 with 28 RBIs, 40 runs, 17 doubles, 10 triples and one home run.
All-Purpose - Taylor Thomas, Clear Fork (Bellville, Ohio), Senior
Ohio Coaches Association All-Division III Team... Mansfield News Journal Player of the Year.
Stats - Record of 22-0 with 176 strikeouts and a 1.30 ERA. Batted .552 with 58 hits, 62 RBIs, 12 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs.
All-Purpose - Elizabeth Everingham, St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.), Junior
Chicago Tribune All-State Team... News Gazette Player of the Year.
Stats - Record of 22-1 with 247 strikeouts. Batted .598 with 77 RBIs, 25 doubles and 19 home runs.
All-Purpose - Layce Walker, Grace Baptist Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Senior
Gatorade State Player of the Year... Chattanooga Free Press All-City Player of the Year... Led Grace Academy to Tennessee Class A state championship game.
Stats - Record of 31-5 with 0.66 ERA and 326 strikeouts in 203 innings. Had 15 shutouts and two no-hitters. Also batted .486 with 67 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 19 home runs, 13 doubles and eight triples.
All-Purpose - Lindsey Fadnek, Coalfield (Tenn.), Junior
Knoxville News Sentinel All-Area Team.
Stats - Record of 26-6 with 408 strikeouts and 0.73 ERA in 201 innings pitched. Also batted .413 with 29 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples and six home runs.
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