MaxPreps 2016 Medium Schools Softball All-American Team

Video: Greatest HR-robbing catch of all time
See a play from Utah that will make your jaw drop.

MaxPreps Medium Schools Player of the Year: Ashlee Swindle, Curry (Jasper, Ala.)

Swindle led the Yellowjackets (47-2) to the Class 4A state championship and compiled a 45-2 pitching record and 0.59 ERA along with a .557 batting average, 13 home runs and 86 RBIs.

The Auburn signee recorded 385 strikeouts in 262 innings and held opponents to a .132 batting average. She pitched all but 22 innings in Curry's 49 games. She also totaled more than 1,000 strikeouts in her career.

She pitched 39 complete games and 23 shutouts; only three times did a team have six hits against Swindle in a single game.

She drove in at least one run in 33 games and had a base hit in 20 of her final 21 games.

In winning the prestigious Gulf Shores II Classic in late March, Swindle earned all nine wins during the three-day tournament, including five wins on the final day. She allowed 19 hits and three earned runs with 58 strikeouts while throwing three shutouts in the tournament.

Swindle, who was named Alabama's Gatorade POY and USA Today's POY, was named Alabama's Miss Softball.

Medium Schools Team of the Year: Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio)

Lakewood won Ohio's D2 State title, defeating Keystone 7-4 in the championship.

In finishing the season 29-0, Lakewood capped the season with a No. 3 national ranking in MaxPreps' final Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

The Lancers, coached by Criss Nadolson, outscored their opponents 295-30. They scored more than 10 runs in a game 16 times.

Leading the unbeaten season were junior pitcher and Miami of Ohio commit Courtney Vierstra (2-0, 0.69 ERA, 205 strikeouts), first baseman (Kent State commit) Brenna Brownfield (.569 batting average, 56 RBIs) and senior twins Kate and Kristen Peacock, a pair of .500 hitters who signed with Lake Erie College.

Vierstra and Brownfield were named MaxPreps All-Americans.

Medium Schools Coach of the Year: Arthur Behrend, La Grange (Texas)

In five years, Behrend has led the Leopards to 170 wins and 17 losses and the last three are 115-6, with only two losses coming each year. And in each of those seasons, La Grange has reached the final four in the Texas State Softball Championships with titles in 2014 and 2016.

In winning the title in 2016, La Grange lost its first game of the season on Feb. 18, 4-3 (in eight innings), then won its next 34 before losing 3-1 (in eight innings) on May 13. After that, it was seven straight victories and its second state title in three seasons.

Leading the Leopards this past season were four all-state players – Missy Zoch (who has signed with DePaul), Blake-Anne Fritsch (Texas A&M signee), Briana Angel (Texas signee) and Riley Fisbeck. Zoch and Fritsch were MaxPreps all-Americans and Fisbeck was a MaxPreps volleyball all-American who has signed with Texas to play volleyball.

La Grange had it all in 2016: hitting .377 as a team and outscoring its opponents by almost 300 runs; pitching with Zoch doing most of the work and opponents batting just .212, and fielding with a .977 fielding percentage (only 28 errors in 43 games).


P - Meghan Beaubien, St. Mary Catholic Central (Monroe, Mich.), Junior
Beaubien led the Kestrels to their second-straight state 3A title, pitching perfect games in the state semifinal and championship games. She was 25-1 on the season with 12 shutouts and 394 strikeouts in 187 innings. She allowed just 10 earned runs, 55 base hits and 16 walks. The Michigan commit also batted .485 with 50 base hits.

P - Allison Muraskin, Coral Springs Charter (Fla.), Junior
Muraskin was 23-3 with a 0.55 ERA and 256 strikeouts in 140 innings. The Central Florida commit tossed 11 shutouts, three no-hitters and a perfect game. Muraskin hit .392 with three home runs and 32 RBIs as Coral Springs Charter won the 4A state title.

P - Kayla Drotar, Hartsville (S.C.), Senior
Drotar led the Red Foxes (32-3) to the Class 3A state championship this past season and is a six-time all-state selection. She compiled a 20-2 record and a 0.42 ERA to go with a .500 batting average, 10 home runs and 49 RBIs. The South Carolina signee struck out 204 batters in 130 innings.

P - Montana Fouts, East Carter (Grayson, Ky.), Sophomore
The Alabama commit led the Raiders to a 37-2 record as she recorded a 33-2 mark with 479 strikeouts in 221 innings. She had a 0.48 ERA, allowed just 42 hits and pitched 24 shutouts with 14 no-hitters (nine perfect games). Fouts also batted .446 with six homers and 50 RBIs. She was the lone underclassman who was a finalist for National Player of the Year.

P - Missy Zoch, La Grange (Texas), Senior
Signed by DePaul, Zoch led La Grange to the 4A state title when she won 32 of 34 decisions and struck out 325 batters in 212 innings. She pitched 31 complete games and posted a 0.53 ERA. Among the wins were 15 shutouts and four no-hitters. She also batted .310 with 28 RBIs.

P - Melanie Olmos, Grand Terrace (Calif.) Senior
Olmos, who has signed with 2016 Women's College World Series champ Oklahoma, capped her prep career by posting a 17-1 record and 0.22 ERA and helped Grand Terrace win the CIF-Southern Section D-3 title. In 95 innings, Olmos allowed only 27 hits and three earned runs. Olmos also carried a big stick – hitting .380 with 21 RBIs.

P - Raeanne Geffert, Seymour (Conn.), Senior
Geffert went out with a bang – 380 strikeouts in 172 innings and with a 25-1 record and 0.25 ERA as the Wildcats won the state Class M title. The Bucknell signee struck out 10 or more in all but one game and in that game, she fanned all nine batters she faced. She had a season high of 20 in a one-hitter against Sacred Heart. She also batted .372 with 30 RBIs.

P - Courtney Vierstra, Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), Junior
A Miami University commit, Vierstra went 21-0 with a 0.69 ERA, leading Lakewood to its fourth state championship. She was voted Licking County League-Buckeye Division Player of the Year.

P - Annie Willis, Westminster Christian (Huntsville, Ala.), Junior
Simply put, Willis does it all. She pitched 349 innings and was 44-16 for the 45-16 Wildcats. And in those 349 innings, she struck out 583 (second nationally) and walked just 52. In nine of her losses, the Wildcats failed to score. The Troy commit also homered 11 times, drove in 64 runs and batted .415.

P - Alyssa Loza, North (Torrance, Calif.), Senior
Arizona State-bound Loza won her second-consecutive CIF-SS D4 title. This time she defeated Torrance — the team she won a CIF title with last year before transferring to North Torrance. She finished with a 20-2-1 record, a 1.06 ERA and 209 strikeouts.

C - Bailey Hemphill, St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.), Senior
Hemphill, who has signed with Alabama, had almost as many walks (nearly all intentional) as she did official at bats with 50. Yet, she managed to hit 12 home runs, almost a home run in every four at-bats. Hemphill, who batted .560, was named Louisiana Miss Softball. For her career, Hemphill finished second nationally with 145 walks in a career. She also had 54 homers and batted .568 with only eight strikeouts in 245 at bats.

C - Mia Davidson, Orange (Hillsborough, N.C.), Junior
The Mississippi State commit led the Panthers (23-4) to the third round of the Class 3A state playoffs when she compiled a .740 batting average with 18 home runs, 49 RBIs and 57 runs. A three-time all-state honoree, Davidson posted an on-base percentage of .851 and a slugging percentage of 2.060. She walked (most were intentional) 44 times this season.

C - Amanda Elert, Carmel (Mundelein, Ill.), Senior
Elert, who hit a state-record four home runs in one game, had an impressive senior season: 16 homers, 72 RBIs, 14 doubles, 51 runs and a .504 batting average.

IF - Blake-Ann Fritsch, La Grange (Texas), Senior
Signed by Texas A&M, Fritsch was part of a senior class that went 149-10 in four seasons, including 41-2 as seniors with a 2016 state 4A title and Top 10 national ranking. Fritsch, who played shortstop and outfield, batted .532, scored 58 times and drove in 32 runs. She also stole 38 bases and committed just two errors in 95 chances.

IF - Elissa Brown, Elmore County (Eclectic, Ala.), Senior
Brown is heading to Alabama to play after hitting .640, scoring 60 times and stealing 53 bases. She's a three-time all-state player and was named the Montgomery Advertiser All-Metro 1A-4A Player of the Year.

IF - LaShara James, Bayshore (Bradenton, Fla.), Senior
James, who also catches, slugged an area-best 10 homers while hitting for a .642 batting average with 40 runs scored, 16 RBIs, a .736 on-base percentage and an astonishing 1.509 slugging percentage. The South Florida signee also stole 33 bases.

IF - Kaylee Horton, Curry (Jasper, Ala.), Senior
Signed with Ole Miss, Horton batted a team-high .622, scored 73 times and had 92 hits. She also stole 45 bases and had on base percentage of .665 as Curry went 47-2 and won the state 4A title.

IF - Lauren Burke, Marist (Eugene, Ore.), Junior
Burke batted .712 with 21 home runs and 58 RBIs. The Oregon commit recorded two three-homer games and hit a state single-game record four home runs in another. A three-time Class 5A first team all-state honoree, she also hit 18 doubles, scored 66 runs, stole 23 bases and posted a .737 on-base percentage along with a 1.510 slugging percentage.

IF - Nicole Bates, Ceres (Calif.), Senior
Bates batted .571 with five homers, four triples, nine doubles, 33 RBIs, 45 runs and 14 stolen bases. She collected 60 hits and committed just one error at shortstop. The Washington signee was named the Modesto Bee Player of the Year. IF - Justus Perry, Curry (Jasper, Ala.), Senior
Signed with Auburn, Perry batted .560 and combined to score or drive in 124 runs for her state title-winning team. She had 22 doubles and 14 home runs to go along with a 1.052 slugging percentage. She did not commit an error in 49 games.

IF - Brenna Brownfield, Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), Junior
After hitting over .500 with eight home runs and 57 RBIs and leading Lakewood to a 29-0 season, Brownfield was named first team 3A all-state. She has committed to Kent State.

IF - Maggie Gallagher, Kennedy Catholic (Burien, Wash.) Senior
Gallagher batted .714 with 17 home runs, leading the Lancers (16-6) to the Class 3A West Central District semifinals. Gallagher also walked 27 times, scored 54 runs and tallied 53 RBIs. The Washington signee finished the season with a .798 on-base percentage and a 1.839 slugging percentage.

IF - Haley Hoogenraad, Zeeland West (Mich.), Senior
Named the MHSAA D2 Player of the Year, Hoogenraad finished her senior campaign with a .559 batting average, .619 on base percentage, 1.018 slugging percentage, 19 doubles, eight home runs and 49 runs scored. She did this all while also competing for the track and field team. She has signed with Michigan.

OF - Alexis Morrison, Pendleton (Ore.), Senior
A finalist for the State Softball Player of the Year, Morrison batted .512, scoring 50 runs and hitting 12 doubles and 10 home runs. She drove in 33 runs, had an on base percentage of .618 and slugged 1.069. The Portland State signee stole 23 bases.

OF - Hailey Reed, Seaman (Topeka, Kan.), Senior
When not patrolling the outfield, Reed was in the circle and finished 11-1 with a 1.44 ERA. She had a base hit in all but one game this season when she stole 14 bases, batted .635, drove in 24 and scored 39 runs. The Pacific signee had 19 multi-hit games.

OF - Alyssa Barrera, Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.), Senior
The University of Utah signee was the Del Rey League MVP when she batted .474 with 12 stolen bases and 28 runs scored. She also had 15 doubles, five triples and three home runs.

OF - Livy Schiele, Bishop's (La Jolla, Calif.), Junior
Committed to Auburn, Schiele batted .611 and scored 59 times in 29 games. She drove in 21 runs and had a base hit in each game. She also had 27 extra base hits and stole 35 bases. She will enter 2017 with a 36-game hitting streak.

UTIL - Jessica Weaver, Lebanon (Ind.), Senior
The Dayton signee finished the season 24-0 with 226 strikeouts and 17 walks in 153 innings. She pitched Lebanon (27-1) to the school's first state championship in 98 years.

UTIL - Morgan Olson, Zumbrota-Mazeppa (Zumbrota, Minn.), Senior
Olson went 21-0 with a 0.89 ERA, 204 strikeouts in 134 innings and batted .526 with 12 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 44 runs, 26 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. She was a finalist for Minnesota's Miss Softball honor. She has signed with North Dakota State.

UTIL - Madi McCoy, Washington (Ill.), Senior
McCoy, who finished 30-2 with 256 strikeouts and a 1.26 ERA, was the 2016 Journal Star Softball Player of the Year. Her 18 home runs, 65 RBIs and .525 batting average paced the Washington offense. She is an Illinois Central signee.

UTIL - Stephanie Rundlett, York (Maine), Senior
Rundlett, who averaged 2.55 strikeouts per inning, was named the Maine Sunday Telegram Player of the Year after helping her team reach the Class B state championship game for the first time in 25 years. Rundlett struck out 303 batters in just 119 innings, including 64 over 29 postseason frames, while compiling an 18-2 overall record. She also led the Wildcats with a .632 batting average, hitting four home runs and driving in 24. She has signed with Fordham.

Second Team P - Jessica Seely, Foothill (Palo Cedro, Calif.), Junior
Seely was a pitching Triple Crown winner, leading the CIF Northern Section in wins (24), strikeouts (242) and earned run average (0.31). She only allowed seven earned runs in 157 innings. The Sacramento State commit also hit .510 (50 hits) with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 42 RBIs and 44 runs.

P - Cambrie Hazel, Spanish Fork (Utah), Junior
Hazel led Spanish Fork to the state 4A title with a 24-2 record, a 1.07 ERA in 156 innings of work and led the state in strikeouts with 225.

P - Nicole Williams, St. Joseph (Trumbull, Conn.), Senior
Williams, who struck out 21 batters in a seven-inning game, finished with 323 in 176 innings en route to a 24-2 record and a 0.60 ERA. The Manhattan signee also batted .392 with 19 RBIs.

P - Madison Canby, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), Senior
Canby led American Heritage to its third state title by going 19-1 with a 0.31 ERA and struck out 170 in 112 innings. She has signed with Columbia.

P - Hannah James, East Jessamine (Nicholasville, Ky.), Sophomore
James won 37 games, struck out 402 batters and batted .554 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs as East Jessamine won 38 times. She pitched six no-hitters.

P - Carlie Brandt, Le Sueur-Henderson (Le Sueur, Minn.), Senior
The Minnesota signee was 21-1 with a 0.35 ERA, 296 strikeouts and six no-hitters this season. She was honored as the Gatorade Player of the Year for Minnesota

P - Nerissa Eason, Bear River (Grass Valley, Calif.), Senior
Eason led the Bruins to a 29-4 record and a berth in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-4 championship game. She finished 22-1 with a 0.55 ERA and 256 strikeouts in 164 innings. The Oregon State signee also had 51 RBIs, 13 doubles and nine home runs.

P - Reagan Watkins, Loveless Academic Magnet Program (Montgomery, Ala.), Junior
Watkins repeated her 26-4 record of her sophomore season, but struck out 318 batters in 171 innings and posted a 0.74 ERA. The Southern Miss commit also batted .429 with 25 extra base hits as the Golden Tigers won 43 of 48 games.

P - Macy Mularski, Yough (Herminie, Pa.), Senior
Mularski helped guide Yough to the PIAA title, finishing her senior season with a 20-3 record, a 0.84 ERA, 208 strikeouts and just 26 walks. The state's 3A Player of the Year allowed just four runs in Yough's four playoff games, tossing back-to-back shutouts in the state semifinals and finals. She has signed with Seton Hall.

P - Karli Lynn Perque, Cabrini (New Orleans), Senior
Perque had a 26-7 record to go with 329 strikeouts and 44 walks in 187 innings as Cabrini reached the state 4A finals. She posted a 0.93 ERA and hurled five no-hitters. She had a .402 batting average and was The New Orleans Advocate's Outstanding Player for 2016.

C - Emma Helm, Meadowdale (Lynnwood, Wash.), Junior
Helm led Meadowdale to the state 3A title when she batted .605 with 14 home runs, 63 RBIs, 13 doubles, four triples and 49 runs scored. In Meadowdale's four games at the state tournament, she hit .750 (9-for-12) with four home runs and nine RBIs.

C - Jordan Roberts, Suwannee (Live Oak, Fla.), Senior
The Florida signee was walked more than once a game, but still managed to hit 14 homers and drive in 30 runs in 25 games. She batted .414 and scored 32 times.

C - Emily Allen, Centennial (Ellicott City, Md.), Senior
The Baltimore Sun's All-County POY, Allen batted .623 with a 1.264 slugging percentage for the Eagles. She averaged more than two hits per game and 21 went for extra bases. She finished with 13 doubles, three triples and five home runs, with 42 RBIs. The Salisbury State signee hit .742 with runners in scoring position.

IF - Lauren Addy, Swan Valley (Saginaw, Mich.), Junior
Addy set the table for the 40-3 Vikings. She stole a nation-leading 89 bases and scored 67 runs while hitting .583.

IF - Alexee Haynes, Sissonville (Charleston, W. Va.), Senior
Haynes led the Indians (26-9) to the regional final when she batted .612 with seven home runs, 55 RBIs and 60 runs scored. The Kanawha Valley Player of the Year, she also posted an 8-2 record in the circle with a 0.99 ERA. Haynes is a three-time all-state honoree.

IF - Dexlie Inman, Union County (Union, S.C.), Senior
Inman, who has signed with College of Charleston, batted .423 with a .526 on-base percentage, four homers, a triple, 16 doubles, 30 RBIs and 53 runs scored in Union County's 3A state runner-up season.

IF - Mia Camuso, Shasta (Redding, Calif.), Senior
The future Oregon Duck drove in 50 teammates and homered 14 times to go along with her .574 batting average.

IF - Miranda Rohleder, Goddard (Kan.), Senior
A three-time all-Metro selection who has signed with Fresno State, Rohleder started at shortstop all four seasons. She helped lead Goddard to the Class 5A tournament and a 20-3 record in 2016. She set Lions season records with 66 RBIs and 10 home runs. She also had 46 hits, 41 runs, a .648 batting average and a .713 on-base percentage.

IF - Jennah Speth, Delavan-Darien (Delavan, Wis.), Senior
Offensively, she finished the regular season with 100 total bases, including 47 hits, 15 doubles, 12 home runs, and 47 RBIs. Other impressive numbers: average (.580), on-base percentage (.660), slugging percentage (1.235) and OPS (1.895). She went 15-7 with nine shutouts with an ERA under 1.60 and struck out 285 batters in 158 innings.

IF - Alyssa Diaz, South El Monte (Calif.), Senior
The University of California, Santa Barbara signee was the Mission Valley League MVP after hitting .643. She displayed power with six home runs, eight doubles, six triples, 32 runs scored and 32 RBIs.

IF - Averi Munro, Morrice (Mich.), Senior
Munro — who is headed to Alma College — won her second-straight area triple crown with 72 hits, 93 RBIs and a .649 batting average.

IF - Kenna DeLancey, Ritchie County (Ellenboro, W. Va.), Senior
The Rebel senior, who hit .596 with eight doubles, three triples, five homers and 20 RBIs to go along with 11 steals, finished 19-6 in the circle with a 1.19 ERA and 261 strikeouts across 149 innings.

IF - Jenna Patula, Turners Falls (Montague, Mass.), Senior
Patula hit .486 with a .973 slugging percentage, eight home runs and eight doubles as TFHS finished 24-1 and won its second-straight D3 state title.

OF - Brianna Hogan, Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), Senior
Bishop Carroll lost a game for the first time in five years, but Hogan put up huge numbers hitting .647 and combining for 89 runs scored or driven in. She homered 11 times and had a .701 on base percentage. She had a base hit in all 23 games and drove in a run in 20 of them.

OF - Kindra Hackbarth, Oakdale (Calif.), Senior
Among state's batting leaders with a .667 average (58-for-98), Hackbarth scored 40 times and had 25 extra base hits, one more than her all-state twin, Madi. She has signed with Fresno State.

OF - Celeste Loughman, Columbia (West Columbia, Texas), Senior
Loughman was the catalyst for Columbia's 29-4 team with 41 stolen bases, 53 runs, 30 RBIs, 58 hits and a .547 average. She has signed with UT-San Antonio.

OF - Kassidy Cross, Northern (Owings, Md.), Senior
Cross helped the Patriots win three state titles and hit .559 as a senior. She accounted for 60 runs in 20 games (32 runs, 28 RBIs). She will play at Maryland. UTIL - Brooke Vanderheide, Alta (Sandy, Utah), Senior
A do-it-all player for Alta, Vanderheide went 21-1 pitching with a 1.54 ERA, batted .712 with 57 base hits and 45 runs in 24 games. She also stole 33 bases.

UTIL - Brittany Pickett, Sun Valley (Monroe, N.C.), Senior
The North Carolina signee struck out 292 in 159 innings and posted a 1.06 ERA, but she might have been more impressive on offense with nine homers and a .554 batting average.

UTIL - Santana Parra, Centennial (Las Cruces, N.M.), Senior
Parra was 15-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 115 innings and at the plate hit .551 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs to lead Centennial to a 25-6 overall record and a state 5A title.

UTIL - Karli Theberge, Hermon (Maine), Senior
Theberge was 12-0 during the regular season with an 0.73 earned run average and struck out 113 in 77 innings. Named Maine Miss Softball, she also hit .623 with 17 extra-base hits. She drove in 33. Theberge will attend Castleton University-Vermont.