2024 spring softball welcomes back these four impact players for the upcoming season

joseph flaherty, hillsdale daily news

Sat, Mar 30, 2024, 3:59 AM·4 min read

HILLSDALE COUNTY — Softball season is kicking off for the MHSAA and Hillsdale County athletic programs. Along with baseball, several players will return to the field in the spring hoping to continue their success from last season.

Take a look back: The 2023 Softball All-Area Dream Team

Last season, Reading softball was the only team to win a district championship, under our 2023 Dream Team Coach of the Year Melissa Warfield (a two-time honoree). The Rangers look to earn a three-peat district title this season. The team returns many of its top athletes from last year, including an all-area dream team fielder and pitcher.

Looking ahead: These four county baseball fielders will be key playmakers this spring

In addition to the Ranger returning athletes, several fielders will make their return to the softball fields this season with hopes of repeating their success from last spring. These are four of those returning playmakers we believe will have an impact for their programs. This list is part one of our softball preview stories covering returning athletes. This list covers returning fielders, and features athletes that could also appear on our pitcher's list.

Lexus Sigler - Camden-Frontier - Senior

Senior Lexus Sigler helped led the Camden-Frontier softball team to a district title game appearance last spring. Amongst an impressive class of senior athletes, Sigler stood out as one of the top power hitters in Hillsdale County. With a batting average of .470 and an on-base percentage of .639, Sigler regularly drove in runs for Camden-Frontier, tallying 32 RBIs.

Sigler led the team with an .848 slugging percentage, netting 17 extra-base hits, including three homers. Sigler scored 32 runs and also added 29 stolen bases. Sigler was also a strong fielder with a .786 percentage, playing primarily in left field. The senior was a dream team honorable mention last season and should be in consideration for first team honors this season.

Camden-Frontier senior Lexus Sigler looks to be one of the best batters in Hillsdale County prep softball this season, a candidate for dream team honors and much more.

Lyra Nichols - Jonesville - Senior

Senior Lyra Nichols followed up her 2022 dream team honor with another season worthy of dream team consideration in 2023. After helping lead the Comets to a 2022 district title, Nichols returned in 2023 to be one of the team's leading batters on a squad that finished 20-13.

Nichols led the team in RBIs, batting .421 on the season. When not in the circle, Nichols had a fielding percentage of .882. Nichols was another talented batter who had a total of six home runs, including a grand slam. Nichols earned dream team honors for her efforts and first-team conference honors last spring. The senior may be the top returning ace pitcher in the entire county, something that will be covered in our pitchers' preview.

Jonesville junior Lyra Nichols is one of the top returning softball stars that will make an impact this spring and should be on the radar for player of the year honors.

Alexis Trine - Jonesville - Junior

2023 was a stacked season for dream team softball honors. A total of 10 senior athletes made last year's list. With the amount of talent in the county, it was obvious that several up-and-coming athletes were just on the cusp of making first team honors last year.

Leading the way for the underclassmen was then-sophomore Alexis Trine.

Flashback: Three seniors lead 2023 Jonesville softball to winning record

Now a junior, the returning Comet athlete will look to improve upon her impressive season from last spring, where she led the Comets with a .424 batting average. Trine had 30 RBIs in 42 hits, adding three home runs, as well. Primarily playing first and third base, Trine had a fielding percentage of .877. Trine will also take turns at catcher for the Comets. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the junior Comet have a breakout campaign in the team's first year of Cascades softball.

Jonesville junior Alexis Trine will be one of the top impact players in Hillsdale County prep softball, looking to help lead the Comets to an impressive debut season in the Cascades conference.

Blakeleigh Cornstubble - Reading - Senior

As far as consistently achieving for the team in the biggest moments is concerned, returning senior Blakeleigh Cornstubble may have been one of the best in Hillsdale County last season. Cornstubble helped lead the team to a district title in 2022 (earning honorable mention dream team honors), and she followed up that season with an impressive junior year, helping lead the team to another district title and earning first team dream team honors.

Cornstubble led the hitting effort for the Rangers in their district title game against Camden-Frontier. She had two double-base hits, five RBIs and three runs.

Overall, Cornstubble led the Rangers in slugging percentage with .847, and an on-base percentage of .608. Cornstubble was one of, if not the top, leaders in batting average in Hillsdale County at a staggering .552. Cornstubble had 58 hits, 38 RBIs and 49 runs. She was perfect in her stolen base attempts.

As a power hitter, the senior Ranger had 21 extra-base hits, including four homers. Cornstubble finished the season with a .856 fielding percentage. She will be in consideration for an all-state type of a season for the Rangers this year.