Video: Highlights of Mia Faieta First-team Junior All-American pitcher from New Jersey struck out 21 in a game.
MaxPreps presents its next installment in the All-Americans package,
with the Underclass All-American honorees. See some of the best players in the
country who will be coming back for more prep glory.
Mitchell, who is a Missouri commit, put up monster numbers in leading Rose Bud to a 31-2 season: 71 RBI, 24 homers, 82 runs and a .659 batting average. She walked 36 times and had a .766 on base percentage to go with a 1.658 slugging mark and an on base plus slugging percentage of 2.425. More than half of Mitchel's base hits went for extra bases. She also stole 33 bases and committed just two errors. Mitchel scored or drove in a run in each of her team's games and in 19 games had two or more base hits. Rose Bud finished runner-up in the state 3A tournament.
Previous National Junior Players of the Year:2017 — Kat Sandercock, Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.)
2016 — Camryn Ybarra, Mission Viejo (Calif.)
2015 — Bradie Fillmore, Eagle (Idaho)
2014 — Taylor McQuillin, Mission Viejo (Calif.)
2013 — Savannah Horvath, Centennial (Las Vegas)
2012 — Kasey Cooper, Dothan (Ala.)
2011 — Paige McDuffie, The Woodlands (Texas)
Junior All-American Team
P — Sydney Supple, Oshkosh North (Wis.)The state's returning Gatorade Player of the Year, Supple was 25-2 with a 0.97 ERA in leading the Spartans (25-2) to the D1 sectional quarterfinals. Supple struck out 238 batters in 166 innings. The Northwestern commit also batted .460 with six home runs, 32 runs scored, 39 runs batted in and a .828 slugging percentage.
P — Olivia Grey, Woodland (Wash.)Grey, a California transfer, made an immediate impact leading Woodland to the state 2A title. She struck out 380 in 175 inning and 69 over four games at the Class 2A state tournament in May. In the Beavers' 5-1 title-game win, she fanned out 19.
P — Aspen Wesley, Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.)Wesley led the Rockets to a 34-0 record and a third straight Class 5A state championship. The Mississippi State commit posted a 23-0 mark with a 0.24 ERA and 316 strikeouts in 143 innings. At the plate, she batted .421 with 10 doubles, 32 RBIs and a .610 slugging percentage. A five-time first team All-State selection, Wesley has a 109-4 record and 1,331 strikeouts in her high school career.
P — Sarah Ladd, Los Alamitos (Calif.)Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, the left-handed Ladd went 18-2 with a 1.20 ERA to help the Griffins earn a share of the Sunset League title. She has committed to Michigan State.
Sarah Ladd, Los Alamitos
Photo by Heston Quann
P — Tessa Magnanimo, Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.)Magnanimo posted a 0.75 ERA and walked eight in 150 innings as Charminade won the California Southern Section D5 title. He went 21-3 with 239 strikeouts and was named the Southern Sections D5 player of the year.
P — Mia Faieta, Cedar Grove (N.J.)Faieta tossed seven no-hitters, including three during the postseason. She allowed 35 hits and 11 earned runs in 142 innings while striking out 298 batters. She has committed to St. John's.
P — Kasey Widmyer, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)The Upstate Softball Player of the Year did everything for the Rebels, hitting .543 with 50 hits, 45 RBIS and a .590 on-base percentage and slugging percentage of .837. In the circle, she finished 22-0 and gave up just 47 hits with an ERA of 0.49. She has committed to South Carolina Upstate.
P — Sydney Campbell, Keystone (La Grange, Ohio)Campbell went 29-0 with a 0.20 ERA, 215 strikeouts and only nine walks in 171 innings as Keystone won the state 3A title and finished 34-0. She pitched 25 complete games, allowed only six extra base hits (no homers) and recorded 19 shutouts. She pitched three perfect games this season and has committed to Oakland University.
P — Iyanla (Ice) Pennington, Jackson (Mill Creek, Wash.)Pennington allowed four earned runs over the entire regular season, including 69 consecutive innings without an earned run to start the season. As a result, Jackson won the state 4A title. The Coastal Carolina commit was equally dominant in the postseason, yielding three runs in six postseason games. She didn't allow a run in 39 of 40 playoff innings. She finished with a 0.35 ERA in 139 innings and struck out 282. She also batted .507 with eight home runs, 10 doubles and a .972 slugging percentage.
P — Alexis Kilfoyl, Academy at the Lakes (Land O' Lakes, Fla.)Kilfoyl led the Wildcats to a 26-4 record and the Class 2A state championship. She posted a 23-1 mark with a 0.32 ERA and 249 strikeouts in 154 innings. Kilfoyl batted .482 with five home runs, 35 RBIs, a .585 on-base percentage and .788 slugging percentage. A member of the 2017 USA Softball Junior National Team, she pitched an 11-inning shutout and stroked the game-winning double in the Wildcats' 1-0 win over Aucilla Christian in the state title game.
P — Jenny Griggers, Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.)Griggers led Sam Houston to a 35-7-1 season as she went 30-4 with a 1.68 ERA, and a .321 batting average. She has committed to Delta State.
C — Kinzie Hansen, Norco (Calif.)Hansen, an Oklahoma commit, led the California Southern Section DI champion Cougars with a .571 batting average and 35 RBIs. She had 44 hits and hit safely in 23-of-25 games. Hansen was named California Southern Section D1 Player of the Year as Norco finished No. 4 nationally and won 28-of-31 games.
Kinzie Hansen, Norco
Photo by Steven Doi
C — Macy Simmons, Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)Simmons was a major reason Hamilton was ranked No. 1 most of the season and finished as runner-up in Arizona's large school division. Committed to Auburn, Simmons had 16 homers, 58 hits, 59 RBIs and had a .547 batting average. She had no fielding errors in 256 chances.
C — Caiti Mathes, Hurricane (W. Va.)Mathes was named the captain of the 3A All-State fist team after hitting .492 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs to lead the Redskins to the state 3A title. She has committed to Marshall.
IF — Emma Latham, Hatton (Town Creek, Ala.)Latham was walked a national leading 55 times in 60 games, but still managed to hit .600 with 73 base hits, including 25 home runs. She drove in 57 and scored 86.
IF — Hailey Tanori, Sahuarita (Ariz.)Tanori was among the nation's leaders in runs scored (82) and hits (81) as the Mustangs won the state 3A title and 30 games. She had a base hit in 38 of the 39 games she played. She stole 25 bases and struck out once in 141 plate appearances.
IF — Lindsey Garcia, Coral Springs Charter (Coral Springs, Fla.)Committed to Auburn, Garcia hit .544, with 10 home runs, 48 RBI, scored 42 and stole 14 bases as the Panthers went 30-2 and won the Class 5A crown for the fourth year in a row.
IF — Lauren Haskins, Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)She finished her junior season with a .582 batting average and a nation-high 70 RBIs. She totaled 22 doubles, a 98 hits, as well as 21 home runs, 87 runs and 45 steals.
IF — Maya Brady, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)Brady batted .519, scored 52 and drove in 31 runs for 28-4 Oaks Christian. She homered and doubled 10 times each, stole 28 bases and fielding .971. She has committed to UCLA.
IF — Fiona Girardot, Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, Ill.)Girardot batted .639 with 19 doubles and 14 homers. She drove in 57 runs and scored 57. She has pledged to Wisconsin.
IF — Bailey Betenbaugh, Union County (Union, S.C.)Betenbaugh hit .439 with 16 home runs, 51 RBIs and a slugging percentage of 1.01 for the 4A state champions. She was 23-5 in the circle for Union County, with an ERA of 0.79.
IF — Vivian Ponn, Fort Myers (Fla.)Ponn hit .538 and slugged 1.200 with 15 home runs, 46 RBIs and scored 31 runs for the 28-3 Green Wave. She also was 6-1 pitching with a 1.70 ERA and 44 strikeouts. She has committed to Southern Florida.
IF — Campbell Kline, Severna Park (Severna Park, Md.)Kline led the Falcons to a 25-2 record and the Class 4A state championship when batted .750 with 12 doubles, six triples, eight home runs, 53 runs scored, 39 RBIs and a 1.272 slugging percentage. She compiled a state-record 69 hits with 24 multi-hit games. Over two seasons, the Maryland commit has a 32-game-hit streak.
OF — Alexis Voss, Marist (Chicago)Voss had monster season: 70 RBIs, 76 hits, 19 homers, 16 doubles and a .644 batting average. She failed to get a base hit in one game and she finished the season with a 30-game hit streak. She either scored or drove in a run in all but one game. Voss has committed to Michigan.
OF — Autumn Acord, Keystone (La Grange, Ohio)Accord tore it up for unbeaten Keystone, hitting .649 with 28 extra base hits (20 doubles) and 51 RBIs for the 34-0 state champion Wildcats. She had 22 games with two or more base hits.
OF — Jenna Wildeman, Bentonville (Ark.)Wildeman, who played errorless ball, batted .582, scored 52 runs, drove in 31 and stole 45 bases for the state large school champions (31-3). She has committed to Central Arkansas.
OF — Ciara Briggs, Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)Briggs, who has pledged to LSU, hit .490 with 12 doubles, four triples and eight home runs. She had 30 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. She was the prestigious Michelle Carew Classic MVP.
OF — Kiki Milloy, Redmond (Wash.)Committed to Tennessee, Milloy batted .692 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs to lead the Mustangs to a 27-3 season. She 45 hits and scored 48 runs. She also averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning.
OF — Kylie Winton, Hartselle (Ala.)The Class 6A Player of the Year hit .448 with 35 extra base hits, including 16 home runs,18 doubles and 48 RBIs. Her biggest hit of the season was her last one, which gave Hartselle a state championship trophy with a 6-5 win over Saraland.
UTIL — Aliyah Pritchett, Canyon (New Braunfels, Texas)A Baylor pledge, Pritchett was selected as All-District 27-6A co-MVP along with teammate and fellow all-American Brooke Vestal. She batted .494 with nine doubles, eight home runs and 46 RBIs. Pritchett was 9-0 pitching with a 0.56 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 75 innings. Canyon lost just twice and finished as state 6A runner-up.
UTIL — Angela Zedak, Marist (Chicago)Recovering from an injury, the Northwestern pledge did it at the plate and in the circle when she hit .505, with 18 homers, drove in 47 while slugging .957. Zedak had 14 two-out, run-scoring doubles. She was also 15-1 with a 1.59 ERA as Marist went 32-4 on the season.
UTIL — Abby Herbst, Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)Herbst led the Trojans in hitting (.585), RBIs (48), walks (18), on-base percentage (.653) and went 21-1 with a 0.56 ERA. Center Grove reached the state semifinals and finished 30-2. She has committed to Wisconsin.
UTIL— Lainey Lyle, Middleton (Idaho)Lyle, who has committed to North Dakota State, finished the season with a 16-2 record, a 0.53 ERA and struck out 177 batters in 119 innings. She hit five home runs with 36 RBIs, hit .463 and was named the 4A SIC conference Pitcher of the Year for the third straight year. Lyle dominated the state tournament, allowing no earned runs and eight hits in 24 innings while striking out 28 as Middleton (30-3) won the 4A title.
Sophomore All-American Team2018 MaxPreps National Sophomore Player of the Year — Bailey Dowling, St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.)Dowling, a shortstop, hit .657 with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs to lead the Spartans (32-4) to the Class 2A state quarterfinals. Dowling ripped 20 doubles, scored 67 runs, compiled a .728 on-base percentage and a 1.529 slugging percentage. A first team All-State selection as a freshman, the Alabama commit has 42 home runs in two varsity seasons.
P — Delani Buckner, Hoover (Clendenin, W. Va.)Buckner led the Huskies to a 33-0 record and the Class AA state championship when she compiled a 21-0 record with a 0.39 ERA. She struck out 239 batters and issued 28 walks in 125 innings. Add to that, she had a .351 batting average and 19 RBIs.
P — Maddie Gardner, Sun Prairie (Wis.)Gardner set numerous program records and finished with a 27-0 record, 12 shutouts, two no-hitters and 0.76 ERA for the 29-0 champion Cardinals. Gardner struck out 269 and walked 46 in 156 innings and gave up 17 earned runs.
P — Raegan Breedlove, Central Valley (Shasta Lake, Calif.)Breedlove allowed just six earned runs in 144 innings for a 0.29 ERA and won 21-of-22 decisions. She struck out 311 with her only loss being a one-run affair. She also hit 11 homers, drove in 41 and batted .451 as the Falcons went 33-6-1 and lost in the semifinals of California's North Section D4 tournament.
P — Sarah Willis, Norco (Calif.)Willis was 25-3 with a 1.26 ERA and 188 strikeouts pitching against an arsenal of Orange County sluggers. She also batted .436 with 21 RBIs. She is a Washington commit.
P — Nicole May, Foothill (Pleasanton, Calif.)The Oklahoma pledge was 21-2 with a 0.68 ERA and struck out 209 in 128 innings and walked just 24. She also batted .404.
Nicole May, Foothill
File phto by Angel Garcia Jr.
P — Meagan Allen, East Poinsett County (Lepanto, Ark.)Allen recorded 24 wins, recorded 354 strikeouts and posted a 1.54 ERA. She also batted .454 with 37 RBIs as the Warriors had a long postseason run.
P — Alicia Estrada, Rio Mesa (Oxnard, Calif.)Estrada finished with 18 wins, 25 strikeouts in 142 innings and a stellar 0.64 ERA. She allowed just 43 base hits as the Spartans went deep in the playoffs.
P — Harlie Vannatter, Hurricane (W. Va.)In leading the Redskins to the state 3A title (their fourth in five seasons), Vannater went 21-3 with a 1.19 ERA, 200 strikeouts and four no-hitters.
P — Savanna Desrochers, Forney (Texas)Desrochers led Forney to a 33-6 season and the state 5A title when she won 28-of-32 games. Desrochers, a Kansas pledge, was 28-4 with a 1.02 ERA. She hit .584 with 56 RBIs and tied for second in the Dallas area with 12 homers. She was named SportsDay's All-Area Player of the Year.
Phelan struck out better than two batters per inning (310 in 151 innings), posted a 0.70 ERA and 21-2 record. She struck out 15 or more batters in a game on 10 occasions. She also batted .414 and led the team with 24 RBIs as Bishop Kearney finished 21-2 and reached the state semifinals.
P — Bailey Doherty, Atascadero (Calif.)The Greyhounds went deep in the playoffs behind Doherty, who had 282 strikeouts in 148 innings, a 0.75 ERA and 20-2 won-loss record. She also batted .394 with a team high 27 RBIs. She has committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
P — Madison Penta, Bohemia Manor (Chesapeake City, Md.)Committed to Auburn, Penta led the Eagles to a 23-0 season and state 1A title. In 119 innings, she struck out 243 batters and did not lose a game. She allowed five runs for the season.
P — Sophie Golliver, Siegel (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)Golliver was 31-3 with 314 strikeouts and a 1.06 ERA. She also drove in 41 runs and batted .407 as Siegel went 32-3 on the season.
P — Alissa Humphrey, Gainesville (Fla.)The state 7A Player of the Year recorded a state-leading 343 strikeouts (in 173 innings) while posting a 20-6 record and a 1.01 ERA. She had five no-hitters and 11 shutouts and produced at the plate, leading the team with hits (39), average (.429), on base percentage (.505) and doubles (7). She is a Jacksonville commit.
C — Abby Allen, Ouachita Parish (Monroe, La.)Allen was named the Most Valuable Player by the state sportswriter's association. Allen hit .505 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs for the Lions, who won the state 5A title.
C — Jennifer Cummings, Redmond (Wash.)Committed to Washington, Cummings batted .653 with a .754 on-base percentage. She had 21 extra base hits, drove in 48 runs and did not commit an error in 155 chances.
C — Gabby Munguia, Sherman Oaks CES (Reseda, Calif.)In leading the Knights to an 18-5 season and the Lost Angeles Section D2 semifinals, Munguia batted .750 with 59 RBIs, 42 runs, 51 hits, 12 homers and 35 extra-base hits in 20 games. Her on-base percentage was .776, slugging was 1.772 and her OPS (combined slugging and on-base) was among the nation's best at 2.497. She did not strikeout in 76 at bats.
IF — Abby Buettner, Ryan (Denton, Texas)The Maryland pledge led the Dallas area with 17 home runs and 78 RBIs, while hitting .615. In two varsity seasons, Buettner has 157 RBIs. Buettner scored 57 runs, had 45 stolen bases and had a 1.333 slugging percentage.
Abby Buettner, Rayn
Photo by Gregory LaGrange
IF — Jayda Coleman, The Colony (Texas)The 2017 MaxPreps Freshman of the Year, Coleman had another sensational year at the plate batting .687 with 32 extra base hits, 46 stolen bases and 62 runs as Colony won 25 times. An Oklahoma commit, Coleman did not strikeout in 118 at bats.
IF — Savannah Bejarano, Coronado (El Paso, Texas)Bejarano stole 50 bases, batted .518, scored 50 runs and did not commit an error as the Thunderbirds went 31-6.
IF — Dashani Purcell, Bountiful (Utah)Purcell batted .505 with a .609 on-base percentage, a team-high 56 RBIs and 17 home runs as Bountiful finished as state runner-up.
IF — Kristiana Watson, Amphitheater (Tucson, Ariz.)Watson batted .716 and, despite 43 walks (38 intentional), hit 14 home runs and drove in 51. Her batting average led the 4A and her slugging percentage of 1.641 was the second highest in the state.
IF — Bobbiann Pratt, Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.)Pratt finished fourth in RBI in California with 60 and batted .625 with 54 runs scored, a 1.150 slugging percentage, 11 home runs and 23 total extra-base hits. Aquinas won 22 times in 27 outings.
IF — Karina Gaskins, Donovan Catholic (Toms River, N.J.)The NJ.com Player of the Year made big impact after missing much of her freshman season with injury. She hit .602 with 50 hits, 10 doubles, a state-high 18 home runs, 45 runs scored and 67 RBIs in leading Donovan Catholic to a 30-1 record and Shore Conference Tournament title. She has committed to Notre Dame.
IF — Riley Grigsby, East Nicolaus (Nicolaus, Calif.)In leading the Spartans to the California North Coast Section D5 title and a 32-2 record, Grigsby scored a state leading 68 times, batted .612 and was a perfect 31-of-31 in steals. She has committed to Seattle.
IF — Allie Skaggs, Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)Ballard's Allie Skaggs won the Softball Player of the Year Award at Thursday night's Courier Journal Sports Awards presented by Kroger at the Louisville Palace.The sophomore, who has committed to Arizona, was batted .500 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI.
IF — Peri Clark, Shelby County (Columbiana, Ala.)Clark hit a region-best 26 home runs and team-best .519 average, 60 runs, 56 RBIs, 25 walks and eight doubles.
IF — Hallie Wacaser, Bentonville West (Centerton, Ark.)Wacaser batted .485 with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs, leading the Wolverines (25-7) to the Class 7A state championship game. Wacaser added 13 doubles, 14 steals and scored 46 runs while compiling a .548 on-base percentage and a .970 slugging percentage. In the circle, she posted a 3-0 record with a 3.36 ERA. She has committed to Florida State.
IF — Meagan Ricks, Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.)Ricks had the get-up-and-go for the Blue Devils, stealing 44 bases and scoring 42 times. She also batted .575 and scored in all but one game as Winter Haven went 20-9 on the season.
IF — Aliya Belarde, Los Alamitos (Calif.)Playing against one of the toughest schedules in the nation, Belarde batted a team-high .500 and also led in runs scored, stolen bases and extra base hits.
OF — Madisen DuRyanryea, Bradshaw Mountain (Prescott Valley, Ariz.)In 28 games, Duryea homered 20 times and drove in 63 runs. She had three homers in a game three times and six multi-homer games. She also scored 53 times and had a 1.337 slugging percentage. She has committed to Dixie State.
Madisen DuRyanryea, Bradshaw Mountain
Phto by Jim Willittes
OF — Gabbi Scott, Gravette (Ark.)Scott led the Lions to the Class 4A state semifinals with big numbers. including a .598 average, 56 hits, 59 runs scored and 26 RBIs. She had 50 stolen bases, including five bases in a state quarterfinals win.
OF — Jordyn Hutchins, Woodland Christian (Woodland, Calif.)Hutchins has had two sensational seasons for the Cardinals, who went 25-2 and won the California Sac Joaquin D6 title. This season, she homered 18 times, batted .771, scored 64 times and drove in 52. All total, she had 39 extra base hits. She also was 9-2 as a pitcher with a 1.01 ERA. Hutchins also walked 26 times, slugged a national leading 1.885 with an on-base percentage of .825. Her combined OPS was 2.711.
UTIL — Jalee McDonald, Arlington Heights (Fort Worth, Texas)A national Sophomore Player of the Year finalist, McDonald had the best individual season of any player in Texas with a 33-4 record (1.00 ERA, and 200 strikeouts) and a .625 batting average to go with nine homers and 80 RBIs.
UTIL — Madison Papenhausen, San Marin (Novato, Calif.)Papenhausen repeated as the North Bay Regional Player of the Year after leading the Mustangs to a 23-1 record — including a 16-0 mark in the Marin County Athletic League when she posted a 0.51 ERA, 11 shutouts and 179 strikeouts in 110 innings. At the plate, Papenhausen hit .565 with nine doubles, four homers, 27 RBIs and 35 hits.
UTIL — Johnna Skaggs, Wilson (Florence, Ala.)Big number for Skaggs, hitting and pitching – a .526 batting, a .646 on-base, 23 homers, 66 RBIs and a 21-2 pitching record. She was walked 45 times, many of them intentional.
UTIL — Madison Eberle, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (Gibson City, Ill.)An impressive dual-threat, Eberle recorded an area-best 302 strikeouts and compiled a 1.62 ERA in nearly 160 innings to go with 16 pitching victories, while also hitting .462 with five home runs.
UTIL — McKenna Braegelmann, Stadium (Tacoma, Wash.)A two-time 3A Pitcher of the Year, Braegelmann struck out 226 batters and compiled a 0.50 ERA, leading the Tigers back to the 3A state playoffs. She had a season-high 19 strikeouts against 3A state champion Bonney Lake. She also batted .551 with six homers and 33 RBIs.
UTIL — Tyra Clary, Spanish Springs (Sparks, Nev.)Clary went 27-1 with a 1.27 ERA and won three games at the state tournament pitching with a broken hand. She batted .414 with 18 RBIs. The Cougars went 33-3 and won the state large school title.
Freshman All-American Team
2018 MaxPreps National Freshman Player of the Year — Kendall Mangel, Chino Hills (Calif.)Mangel finished the year 27-3 with a 1.25 ERA and 10 shutouts. She struck out 113 batters and walked 31 in 195.2 innings. She made the all-tournament team at all three of Chino Hills' tournaments, which included the MVP honor at the Redlands Tournaments. After leading the Huskies to undefeated campaign in the Baseline League, she also received the co-league MVP with Brooke Johnson. Verbally committed to Maryland, Mangel gave up five earned runs in her last 14 games. Eight of her 10 shutouts came during this stretch.
P — Annabelle Widra, Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.)The area Pitcher of the Year and co-Player of the Year followed up a stellar eighth-grade year with an impressive freshman campaign. She led the county with 264 strikeouts, which was close to double the next closest pitcher. She went 23-8. At the plate, she batted .453 with 62 hits and 27 RBIs. The three-year varsity starter has 71 career wins.
P — Brooke Bowling, South Granville (Creedmoor, N.C.)In winning another state title, the Vikings didn't lose (27-0) and neither did Bowling, who went 24-0 with a 1.78 ERA and fanned 165 in 141 innings. She also batted .471.
P — Loganne Stepp, Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)When not pitching, Steppe was in the Huskies every day lineup as she batted .367. She pitched in 19 games, 18 of which were victories. The one loss was when she relieved in the state 6A title game and hurled four scoreless innings and struck out seven. Steppe was 11-0 with a 0.52 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 67 innings. Hamilton, ranked No. 1 for much of the season, finished 33-2 and won silver at the state tournament.
Loganne Stepp, Hamilton
Photo by Darin Sicurello
P — Deedee Hernandez, Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, Calif.)The Pacific League Pitcher of the Year as a freshman, Hernandez helped Crescenta Valley win the league title with a 13-1 record and 25-3 overall mark. She pitched 131 innings, went 21-2 with 162 strikeouts and a 0.42 ERA. She walked four batters. She also hit .556, with 19 doubles, 45 RBIs and was second on the team with 50 base hits.
P — Lauren Derkowski, York (Elmhurst, Ill.)Committed to Michigan, Derkowski was outstanding in leading Dukes going 19-7 with a 1.72 ERA and 256 strikeouts in 159 innings. She retired all three batters in order 52 times this season.
P — McKenzie Newcomb, Hazel Green (Ala.)Newcomb went 31-9 with a 1.90 ERA, 255 strikeouts and eight shutouts to help the Trojans qualify for the Class 6A state tournament. She also hit .362 with six homers and 56 RBIs.
P — Isabelle Lopez, Three Rivers (Texas)Lopez had the top strikeout total for freshmen in 2018 with 351 (in 185 innings) and also won 27 games with a 1.70 ERA. Lopez, who batted .471 with 31 RBIs, also pitched five no-hitters.
P — Shannon Becker, Mahopac (N.Y.)Becker went 12-6 with a 0.54 ERA and 254 strikeouts in 128 innings. Her season included three no-hitters and one perfect game. In her six losses, Becker allowed seven earned runs, but the Indians scored just seven runs.
P — Paige Kilgore, Houston (Miss.)Kilgore led Houston to the state 3A title when she went 22-2 with a 1.21 ERA. She struck out 183 strikeouts in 168 innings. She also batted .344. She won 14 of her last 15 starts, including her last four when she allowed no runs (the final being the 2-0 state championship win over Raleigh).
P — Hailey Gotshall, Pioneer (Royal Center, Ind.)Gotschall, who collected 79 base hits, had a base hit in all but one game. She batted .617 and had 32 doubles and 51 RBIs. She went 30-2 with a 1.08 ERA and struck out 279 in 175 innings. She won her final 14 games (seven shutouts) as the Panthers won the state 1A title.
IF — Breezy Hayward, Cienega (Vail, Ariz.)Hayward led the Bobcats in hitting (.545), RBI (54), doubles (18) and extra base hits (27) as the Bobcats won the state state 5A championship.
IF — Emily Darwin, Benson (Ariz.)Darwin's 17 home runs were the third most in Arizona and her RBI total of 73 was first as Benson won its second consecutive title. Darwin, who was 8-0 as a pitcher, was a finalist (one of eight) for Arizona's 2018 player of the year.
IF — Lair Beautae, JW North (Riverside, Calif.)Beautae made a quick impact, batting .643 with 46 runs, 63 hits, 26 RBIs, 23 extra base hits and 33 steals as the Huskies won 22 times.
IF — Rylee Holtorf, O'Connor (Phoenix)Holtorf took a back seat only to all-American Grace Lyons in the Eagles lineup with .516 batting average, 45 runs, 48 hits, 42 RBIs and 24 extra base hits.
IF — Alexa Langeliers, Keller (Texas)Langeliers produced a .522 average, scored 34 runs, and had 37 RBIs for the Texas powerhouse, which finished 31-3. Her .522 average is third best in school history.
IF — Cydney Sanders, San Marcos (Calif.)Sanders batted .516, hit 14 homers and drove in 36 to lead San Marcos to the San Diego Section Open Division title and a Top 10 National ranking. She had a dozen doubles, and a 1.109 slugging percentage. She belted two homers in a game three times and clubbed four homer sin the section playoffs.
IF — Macy Krohman, Simon Kenton (Independence, Ky.)Krohman made a big impression as an eighth-grader, but that season was nothing compared to her freshman year when she batted .603, homered 16 times, drove in 37, scored 42 and was walked 29 times. Her on-base percentage was .712 and slugging was 1.438 with just one strikeout. She also went 13-6 with a 1.55 ERA in 131 innings.
IF — Crystal Maze, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)Maze had a region-best 28 doubles with team-best 73 hits along with 67 RBIs, 59 runs and 10 home runs as the Huskies went 46-10 in the state's largest classification. She also had 25 stolen bases.
IF — Katie Cimusz, Atascocita (Humble, Texas)Cimusz belted 11 homers, drove in 48 runs, 16 doubles as team went 35-7 and won the Texas large school title. Her homers and RBI totals were team highs.
C — Sarah Harvat, Bangor (Bangor, Pa.)In 22 games, Harvat drove in 46 and batted .588. Equally as important, she threw out nearly half the runners who attempted to steal as the Slaters went 17-6. She had 25 extra base hits and homered 13 times.
C — Sophia Nugent, Los Alamitos (Calif.)Few freshmen impact like Nugent did in California's Southern Section D1. She batted .412, drove in 31 runs and committed no errors as the Griffins went 24-3.
C — Angelica Navarro, Bernalillo (N.M.)Though the Spartans (25-6) lost to Silver in the state 4A tournament, Navarro led her team in nearly every offensive category — batting (.698), runs (56), hits (60), RBIs (54), doubles (22) and homers (11). She has a base hit in all but one game.
OF — Bella Wiggins, Fairhope (Fairhope, Ala.) Played major role in Fairhope winning state 7A title and going 45-7 as she batted .500, scored 74 runs, drove in 54 and stole 41 bases.
OF — Abbie Torris, Rio Hondo (Texas)Torris tore up 4A pitching for a .638 average, 25 doubles and 38 RBIs. She also scored 41 times as Rio Honda won 25 games.
OF — Spencer Prigge, Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.)The playoff season was short for Prigge, but she led Horizon in every offensive category – batting (.603), runs (37), hits (47), RBIs (31), doubles (8), triples (4) and homers (11).
OF — Addie Clark, Show Low (Show Low, Ariz.)Clark not only led all freshmen hitters nationally with 22 homers, but she doubled 24 times, batted .517 , scored 57 runs and drove in 71 in 34 games. The Cougars won 25 games and reached the state 3A quarterfinals. Clark also was 4-1 in the circle with a 2.33 ERA.
OF — Ajia Richard, Silver (Silver City, N.M.)Silver City won 26 games and won the state 4A title largely because of Richard's monster season: 610 batting average, 64 hits, 64 RBIs, 50 runs and 32 extra base hits.
OF — Sidney Argo, Fleming County (Flemingsburg, Ky.)The Panthers went 17-12 and had a one-game postseason, but Argo scored 60 times, stole 40 bases and batted .691.
OF — Kendra Falby, Sunlake (Land O' Lakes, Fla.)Falby proved transferring from a small school was no big deal as she led the Seahawks to a 23-3 season and the state 7A playoffs when she batted .644, scored 37, knocked in 31 and stole 35 bases. She had a base hit in all 25 games she played and did not commit an error.
OF — Baylea Brandon, Leander (Leander, Texas)District 25-6A's offensive MVP, Brandon hit .536 with six home runs and 27 RBIs in her varsity debut. She has committed to LSU.
UTIL — Caroline Evans, St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda, Calif.)Evans was 13-2 with a 1.09 ERA in 20 appearances for the 22-2 Pilots won their final 16 games and the California North Section D4 title. She had 132 strikeouts in 96 innings. Evans led the team in average (.569), home runs (eight), runs scored (40) and stolen bases with 22. She pitched a no-hitter and had three hits in the championship game.
UTIL — Jadyn Hart, Paris (Ark.)Hart batted .598 with 50 runs, 64 hits, 55 RBIs, 33 extra base hits (12 homers) and 26 steals as Paris played long into the postseason. She also struck out 232 in 102 innings and posted a 1.16 ERA.