Second Team
Zoe Conley, Salesian
File photo by Ernie Abrea
P - Sarah Crews, Beecher (Ill.), SeniorCrews, 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), FreshmanCertainly 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.), SeniorDraper 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.), SophomoreMcMillian, 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.), SeniorCarlton 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.), SeniorHendrickson 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), SeniorMarek 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), JuniorThe 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.), JuniorMoore 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.), JuniorGriffin 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), SeniorThomson 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
Caitlyn Emberson, Taft
File photo by Craig Morley
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.), JuniorEmberson 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.), JuniorStephano 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.), JuniorIn 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.), SeniorThe 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), SeniorNamed 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.), SeniorLee batted .527 and hit seven home runs for the state 3A title winner. She will attend Memphis.
IF - Sara Hahn, Valley Union (Elfrida, Ariz.), JuniorIn 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.), SophomoreSmith, 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.), JuniorLalisan 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, SeniorFossett 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.), SeniorThe 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.), JuniorThe 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.), SeniorThe 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.), JuniorTheriot batted .604. The District 9-3A Most Valuable Player has committed to Louisiana-Lafayette.
OF - Jessica Tomchesson, Crawford (Texas), SeniorThe 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.), SeniorMeyers 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.), SophomoreThe 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.), SophomoreMiner 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.