Denton Record-Chronicle
5B
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Denton Record-Chronicle
2018 All-Area Softball Most Valuable Player
First team Brianna Leeds Ryan, P, Sr.
Leeds capped a stellar career at Ryan by leading the Lady Raiders to the third round of the playoffs. Leeds, a Henderson State signee, was the District 5-5A Pitcher of the Year with a 30-4 record, 162 Ks and a 2.33 ERA. Leeds also hit .336 with 51 RBIs and three HRs.
Sarah Oellerman Argyle, IF, Jr.
Oellerman was a key bat in the Lady Eagles’ lineup. She helped the team reach the playoffs once again and did it with her power at the plate. The junior recorded a team-high .474 batting average, 10 doubles, four triples, 32 RBIs and only struck out four times.
Autumn Cooper Denton, OF, Sr.
Cooper was an effective defensive center fielder but also got things done at the plate for the Lady Broncos. She hit .433 with a .509 OBP racked up 33 RBIs and 21 extra-base hits from the leadoff spot. Cooper was the Offensive Player of the Year in District 5-5A.
Jaden Hoelker Ryan, UTIL, Sr.
Hoelker was late to the recruitment party when she signed with Texas, but it was easy to see why she picked up a Division I offer. The senior earned District 5-5A Utility Player of the Year honors, hitting .312 with five home runs, 10 doubles and 30 RBIs.
Abby Buettner Ryan, IF, So. To say Abby Buettner burst onto the scene last year as a freshman would be a gross understatement. And her follow-up sophomore season was nothing short of spectacular. Buettner, who is committed to Maryland, led the DFW area with 17 home runs while leading the Lady Raiders to the third round of the Class 5A playoffs. Even when she wasn’t hitting the ball out of the park, she was nearly impossible to pitch to. Buettner had a .615 batting average that included 78 RBIs, 14 doubles, and 57 runs She also stole 45 bases and had a 2.037 OPS. The good news for Ryan is that she has two years left.
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Morgan Medford
Kelby Anderson Ponder, P, Sr.
After finishing fourth in District 9-3A, Ponder made a surprise run in the playoffs – thanks, in large part, to Kelby Anderson. She was a first team All-District selection and hit .430 with 26 RBIs while also winning 13 games with 96 strikeouts in 152 innings pitched.
Kenedee Gist Pilot Point, C, Jr.
Gist was again a key part of Pilot Point’s success as a junior. She was a first team All-District selection as a catcher, helping pitcher Christine Billmeier keep opponents off balance. Gist hit .462 and scored 53 runs with 18 RBIs as the Lady Bearcats’ leadoff hitter.
Guyer, IF, Jr.
When Medford got on base, good things happened for Guyer. The Lady Wildcats’ leadoff hitter put together an impressive stat line that included a .510 batting average and 44 runs as Guyer returned to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. The lefty consistently put pressure on opponents and kickstarted the offense.
Laney Roos Aubrey, P, So.
Roos continued to show why she nabbed a college offer from LSU so early into her high school career. Aubrey’s ace went 12-8 in the circle with a 2.57 ERA. She was a force at the plate with a .566 batting average to go with 23 extra-base hits.
Lexi Hazlewood Lake Dallas, OF, Sr.
Cecily Rodriguez Ryan, IF, Sr. There are few things in softball more valuable than an infielder who rarely makes a defensive mistake and Rodriguez played that role to a T during her four years with the Lady Raiders. The Henderson State signee had a gold-glove performance at second base and hit .364 with 21 RBIs and 53 runs scored as Ryan knocked off Aledo and Birdville before falling in the third round.
Pitcher of the Year
Utility player of the Year
Hazlewood was a highlight in an otherwise underwhelming 2018 campaign. She pressed on through an injury early in the season, posting a .488 average, .523 OBP, .707 slugging percentage and 18 RBIs. After returning, she earned first-team all district honors.
Lynzie Rollins Sanger, OF, So.
Rollins was Ms. Clutch for Sanger as she turned in a .500 batting average with runners in scoring position. She finished the year with a .486 batting average, two home runs, 42 runs scored and an OPS of 1.208 while leading Sanger to another playoff appearance.
Morgan Sebastian Krum, IF, Sr.
The Tarleton State signee had her struggles with a lingering knee issue, but her bat was key for Krum. Sebastian recorded a team-high .488 batting average, 24 RBI, 22 runs, 10 doubles and five home runs. She was the Defensive Player of the Year in District 9-4A.
Nia Bengtzen
Christine Billmeier
Aubrey, IF, Fr.
Pilot Point, P, So.
Bengtzen is a rising star in the Denton area. She earned newcomer of the year honors as a freshman while posting a .516 batting average with the Lady Chaparrals. Bengtzen added a .630 OBP to go with seven doubles, two triples, one home run and 18 RBIs.
After earning the DRC All-Area Pitcher of the Year designation as a freshman last year, Billmeier again stood out as one of the top pitchers both in the area and in the state this season. The District 9-3A MVP went 27-5 with a 1.84 ERA and 322 strikeouts in 198 innings while also hitting .505 with 57 RBIs, 43 runs and 12 home runs. She was a star in the postseason, leading Pilot Point to the regional semifinals before the team fell to Hughes Springs.
COMEBACK PLAYER of the Year Sylvia Murillo Guyer, P, Sr. Murillo battled through injuries during her first three seasons at Guyer but was finally healthy for the duration of her senior year. After securing a spot as the team’s ace, Murillo established herself as a force both in the circle and at the plate. She went 19-4 with a 2.75 ERA while hitting .512 with 5 HRs and 42 RBIs to lead the way for Guyer.
Coach of the Year Maggie Stephenson Denton
In just her second season as Denton’s head coach, Stephenson brought the Lady Broncos back to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. The team broke 19 team records and had four first team All-District selections. With several key pieces back and a lot of talent coming up through the ranks, Stephenson has the Lady Broncos in prime position to make some noise over the next few years.
Kara DeBruin Guyer, OF, Jr.
Maddie Goin Krum, UTIL, Sr. Few players filled as many roles throughout the season as Goin did for the Lady Bobcats. Goin started the year at shortstop before moving to catcher and pitcher when injuries forced several changes to the lineup. Goin, a Tarleton State signee, took the moves in stride, hitting .468 with 13 RBIs and 34 runs. Her play helped lead Krum to a first-round win over Carrollton Ranchview before the team fell to Bonham.
Newcomer of the Year
DeBruin was a vacuum in center field and made a number of catches that took away potential hits from opponents. The junior posted a perfect fielding percentage for the Lady Wildcats while also hitting .360 with 27 RBIs, 21 runs and six home runs.
Maddy Holder Guyer, OF, Sr.
Holder was a second team All-Area selection last year but took things to another level as a senior. She hit .405 with 34 RBIs and six HRs while also having one of the best playoff performances of the year by hitting for the cycle in a win over No. 7 Duncanville.
Kaylin Jackson
Second team
Denton, P, Fr. Jackson will be one of the top shortstop prospects in the state when all is said and done but she moved to pitcher as a freshman to help lead the Lady Broncos to the playoffs. After adjusting to the full-time position move, Jackson tallied 13 wins and also hit .398 with 37 RBIs. The future is bright for Denton’s rising star, who earned District 5-5A Newcomer of the Year honors for her performance this year.
Name, school Kat Wells, Sanger Lindsay Beutnagel, Krum Kimbo Hopson, Sanger AJ Frausto, Braswell Abby Williams, Argyle Ryan Gallegos, Guyer Brooke Lane, Pilot Point Bailey Stewart, Pilot Point Taylor Skaggs, Liberty Christian Marley Straubmueller, Argyle Katie Munoz, Ryan Dany Kesselus, Ponder Harper Hughes, Ryan
Feature photo of Abby Buettner by Jeff Woo/DRC; action photos from DRC files
Pos. P P/IF C IF IF IF IF IF IF OF OF OF OF
Yr. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. So. So. So. Fr. So. Sr. So. Sr. So.
Notable 12 wins, 198 Ks; .427 BA .455 BA, 43 RBIs, 8 HRs .431 BA, 37 RBIs, 36 runs .400 BA, 1.101 OPS .453 BA, 18 RBIs, 32 runs .373 BA, 30 RBIs, 31 runs .354 BA, 38 RBIs, 46 runs .345 BA, 32 RBIs, 20 runs .525 BA, 40 RBIs, 7 HRs .410 BA, 21 RBIs, 25 runs .403 BA, 14 RBIs, 23 runs .488 BA, 16 RBIs, 44 runs .371 BA, 63 runs, 49 SB