2008 All Wise County Softball Team: Player of the Year
By Robert Morgan | Published Sunday, June 22, 2008
Jimmie Joe Addington Decatur High School, Senior, Catcher
"J.J. was our leader both offensively and defensively. She called all the pitches and really worked magic with a young pitcher. She controlled the game defensively and did whatever we needed whenever we needed it. She is an outstanding player and is worthy of MVP honors." Scott McTee Decaur softball coach
Stats: Kinsey, who was the Player of the Year last season, was named to the all-district team all four years of high school. She is the county's most feared and her stats don't lie. She hit .596 for the year and had team-highs in doubles (12), triples (4), home runs (4) and RBI (52). She also scored 35 runs.
Defensive Player of the Year
Casey Fletcher, Paradise Sophomore, first base
Stats: The Lady Panthers were a team to be reckoned with every game night and Fletcher is a key reason. The 10th grader had a fielding percentage of .925 at a high-profile position and played like a veteran. She was just as consistent at the plate where she hit at a clip of .467 for Paradise.
Pitcher of the Year
Erinn Jayjohn, Northwest Junior, pitcher
Stats: Jayjohn had the tough task of replacing Gatorade Player of the Year Brittany Barnhill who is now at Texas. She did not disappoint as she went 19-5 for the season with an ERA of 2.14 to go along with her 136 strikeouts. Jayjohn also led her team offensively as she batted .430 with 11 doubles and 31 RBI.
Newcomer of the Year
Lauren Bixler, Northwest Freshman, second base
Stats: Bixler proved that age is just a number as she played like a seasoned veteran this year. The ninth grader hit at a .415 clip, the third highest for the Lady Texans. She also tied for the most runs scored with 27 and finished with 15 stolen bases.
Christin Robertson, Northwest Senior, centerfield
Stats: Christin led the Lady Texans to the state playoffs all four years of high school. The four-year letterman moved to centerfield this season for the first time and did not have an error in 31 games. She batted .386 as a senior and had 22 RBI, nine doubles and a home run.
Taylor Namey, Northwest Senior, first base
Stats: Namey made her claim as one of the best first basemen ever to play in Wise County. She was perfect this year in one of the toughest positions to play as she finished with a 1.000 fielding percentage. She was impressive at the plate as well where she was second in hitting for Northwest with a .429 average and a team-high 16 stolen bases.
April Mandel, Boyd Senior, shortstop
Stats: The talented Lady Yellowjacket started all four years of high school and will play for Texas Woman's University next fall. Mandel went out with a bang this season as she posted nine doubles, three home runs, 29 RBI, scored 28 runs and had 22 steals to go along with her .435 batting average.
Coach's comments: April was the Wise County MVP last year. She can play any position on the field and make it look like her natural position.
Baylie Moran, Boyd Senior, catcher
Stats: Moran had the biggest stick on the team as she hit .444 for the year. She also racked up 26 runs scored, 18 steals, 20 RBI and four doubles. She will play for Texas Wesleyan this fall.
Coach's comments: Baylie is a very natural hitter with a very good understanding of the game.
Amanda Williams, Boyd Senior, second base
Stats: The multi-sport standout is a three-year starter at second base. She hit .303 this season with five doubles, one home run, 18 RBI, scored 14 runs and had eight stolen bases.
Coach's comments: Amanda is very athletic, can cover a lot of ground and has a great arm from second. She can lay down a bunt and beat out the throw or can hit for power when needed.
Lisa Parker, Boyd Senior, centerfield
Stats: The two-time all-district Parker has the best range on her team from the outfield. She hit .263 this season with 12 steals and 10 RBI.
Coach's comments: Lisa puts a lot of pressure on defense with her ability to bunt and hit.
Chelsea Jolly, Bridgeport Senior, centerfield
Stats: Jolly gave the Sissies a boost both offensively and defensively as she was the team leader in many categories. She was the team's biggest offensive threat as she had a team-high .417 batting average to go along with her nine stolen bases.
Coach's comment: Chelsea's speed helped her make a lot of plays for us this year.
Rachel Kresge, Bridgeport Junior, shortstop
Stats: This was another good year for the standout Sissie as she had five doubles, one triple, one home run and nine RBI to go along with her .368 batting average.
Coach's comments: Rachel has a fantastic "team-before-self attitude".
Lacey Oates, Decatur Senior, shortstop
Stats: Decatur softball will have a new look next year as Oates has been one of the stars for the Lady Eagles the last three years and this one was no different. She was second in hitting for DHS with a .460 batting average and a slugging clip of .746 to go along with her seven doubles, four triples, 17 stolen bases and 10 RBI.
Coach's comments: Lacey was our sparkplug offensively.
Megan Dittrich, Decatur Sophomore, pitcher
Stats: Dittrich improved every game this season and made sure the Lady Eagles were in the playoffs by the end of a brutal district race. The 10th grader finished with 11 strikeouts, three shutouts and a 17-9 record.
Coach's comments: Megan gave us a chance to win every night and that is a sign of a good pitcher.
Candice McDaniel, Paradise Sophomore, shortstop
Stats: McDaniel battled back from a knee injury to be one of her team's top hitters. The sophomore posted a .378 average for the season.
Coach's comments: Candice is one of the hardest working kids I've coached. She had knee surgery last spring.
Lyndsey Hicks, Decatur Senior, outfielder
Stats: Hicks had one of the most lethal bats in District 8-3A. She batted .459, scattered nine doubles and was successful on all 18 steals this year.
Coach's comments: She was our quiet leader who led by example.
Rachel McKinley, Chico Junior, second base
Stats: The Lady Dragons scored a lot of runs this year and one of the main reasons was the swing of McKinley's bat. She led Chico offensively in most categories including a .466 batting average.
Coach's comments: Rachel was our most consistent player this year both offensively and defensively. She loves the game and you can tell.
Kela Allen, Chico Senior, centerfield
Stats: Allen was just one of three seniors on a young team and played like the veteran coach Mike May needed. Not only was she one of the best defensive players for the Lady Dragons but she also hit well as she hit .377 for the season.
Coach's comments: Kela is a valuable player who can play multiple positions well but really excels in the outfield.
Meg Arthur, Paradise Sophomore, second base
Stats: Paradise benefited from Arthur both offensively and defensively. The 10th grader fielded .900 for the year and batted .260.
Coach's comments: Meg is a very sound defensive player.
Ainsley Shaffer, Alvord Freshman, pitcher
Stats: Shaffer was second in voting for Newcomer of the Year. The strong ninth grader pitched in 27 games this season and kept her team in the playoff hunt to the end. She was just as good with a bat as she hit .444.
Coach's comments: Ainsley really came a long ways this year and she put us in a position to be competitive.
Jessica Wood, Paradise Senior, catcher
Stats: Every team needs a player that can deliver under pressure and for Paradise that person was Wood. She led her team offensively with a .477 batting average and 27 RBI. She also crushed two out-of-the-park home runs against state-ranked and district champion Brock.
Coach's comments: Jessica was consistently a great hitter. He was named first-team all-district and for good reason.
Chelsi Redman, Alvord Senior, third base
Stats: Redman not only was a defensive gem for the Lady Bulldogs but was also a threat every time she took a swing with the bat. She batted .452 for the year and scored 23 runs.
Coach's comments: Chelsi committed only two errors all year and was consistent throughout the season.
Leslie Hampton, Alvord Senior, outfield
Stats: Hampton saved her best season for last and that's one reason why Alvord was a playoff contender. She ran down several tough catches this year to frustrate opposing hitters. She also hit .441 as a senior with 26 RBI and scored 19 runs.
Coach's comments: Leslie was our best outfielder this year and she played a big part in how we would pitch to other teams.
