Holland Sentinel All-Area Softball Team
Alexa Brott
SCHOOL: Zeeland West
GRADE: Junior
POSITION: Pitcher and infield
DIAMOND GEMS: As a pitcher went 9-7 with a 2.48 ERA. She struck out 123 in 101.1 innings and only walked 16. ALso hit .315 with 23 RBIs and 28 runs scored. All-conference in OK Green.
COACH'S VIEW: “Alexa is a true work horse and self-less teammate. She showed up every game and practice ready to give more for her team. She played all 35 games this year, pitching the majority of innings for our team this year and would play OF and 2B when not on the mound. Alexa is the type of player to lead by example and has true passion for the game, her team, and wanting to improve all of her skills. We can’t wait to see what she does her senior year." - Kayla Smart
Katie Carlson
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Senior
POSITION: Shortstop/pitcher
DIAMOND GEMS: All-conference in OK Green. Led Chix in most offensive categories.
COACH'S VIEW: "Katie is a tremendous athlete. We depended on Katie a lot this year in all areas of the game including pitching, hitting and defense. She has done an outstanding job as a leader on this team. We are so grateful for her time and commitment to Zeeland East. She will be missed as she is going to continue her softball and academic career at Aquinas College." - Miranda Robbins
Ella Davison
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Freshman
POSITION: Catcher/first base
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .643 to lead the area and had on-base percentage of .676. She had 51 RBIs and 48 runs scored to go along with 18 doubles. All-conference in OK Blue.
COACH'S VIEW: “Ella burst quietly onto the high school softball scene. She is one of the best freshmen players not only in West Michigan but also the state. In a very demanding OK-Blue Conference, her offensive numbers speak for themselves. She has 17 extra base hits and has played catcher, first base and occasionally DP. She is a rare talent." - Mark Behnke
Shyla Dozeman
SCHOOL: West Ottawa
GRADE: Senior
POSITION: Pitcher
DIAMOND GEMS: Had a 2.35 ERA with 203 strikeouts in 164.2 innings. All-conference in OK Red. Also batted .414.
COACH'S VIEW: "Shylah lead by example and encouraged our team not to give up in the toughest of situations. Pitching wise, she hit her spots and produced outs for us. She also led our team at the plate and had timely hits when people were on base, but also sparked a rally when we were struggling." - Kaylie McConnell
Ella Hathaway
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Senior
POSITION: Catcher
DIAMOND GEMS: All-conference in the OK Green.
COACH'S VIEW: " Ella is one of the hardest workers on the team, she is always leading by example. She has been a wall behind the plate for us this year. She caught nearly every inning of every game this year. We appreciate everything she has done for our program and all the effort she has put in. We will miss Ella as she will continue her softball and academic career at Cornerstone University." - Miranda Robbins
Kyra Kleinheksel
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Senior
POSITION: Outfield
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .485 with 43 RBIs and 32 runs scored. All-conference in OK Blue.
COACH'S VIEW: “Kyra is a two-time MHSSCA All-Region player and has recorded her finest season in her senior year. She hit .506 this year and did it hitting in the fifth spot in our lineup. She hits the ball with power to all fields and can also move runners with her grade hand-eye coordination. She is irreplaceable to our lineup and a key reason that we put up the state record numbers we did." - Mark Behnke
Emily Kragt
SCHOOL: Zeeland West
GRADE: Sophomore
POSITION: Third base/pitcher
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .407 with 24 RBIs, 33 runs scored. All-conference in OK Green.
COACH'S VIEW: “Emily came into her sophomore season just as hard as last year. She improved so much over the off months and even more during season. Primarily playing the hot corner for us, Emily was a key to our success. She also saw time on the mound pitching 54 innings on the season with some time at 1B, SS, and 2B. Emily had the whatever the team needs attitude and did a great job hitting in the second spot. She has a bright future and can’t wait to watch her continued growth over the next few years.” - Kayla Smart
Jaiden Lee
SCHOOL: Zeeland East
GRADE: Junior
POSITION: Outfield
DIAMOND GEMS: All-conference in OK Green.
COACH'S VIEW: "Jaiden played centerfield for us this year. She was able to cover a lot of ground in the outfield. Some of the plays she made this year were high level and impressive. Any ball hit in her area, I was confident she was going to be able to track it down. Jaiden also made a big impact with her bat for us, too. She has also been a great leader for our team this year." - Miranda Robbins
Taylor Oosterink
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Sophomore
POSITION: Catcher
DIAMOND GEMS: All-conference in OK Blue. Batted .507 with 43 RBIs and 54 runss cored.
COACH'S VIEW: “Taylor had a phenomenal season as our leadoff hitter. She scored more runs (49) this season than some teams did in two weeks. She hit 24 extra base hits including seven triples. She did a wonderful job of setting the table for the top of our order to put up the numbers they did. She also was our primary catcher and handled catching our pitchers as only the rare ones could." - Mark Behnke
Ava Prielipp
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Senior
POSITION: Shortstop
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .398 with 27 RBIs and 36 runs scored while playing stellar at short. All-conference in OK Blue.
COACH'S VIEW: “Ava Prielipp has been an extremely important player in our lineup. She normally hits in the 7th spot but has served as a second leadoff hitter due to the hitters in front of her. She hit .413 this season but did it in a way that only enhanced her legacy in Hamilton. She has come up with many timely hits and has sneaky power. She runs the bases at an elite level and has been our shortstop for three seasons." - Mark Behnke
Kierea Smits
SCHOOL: Holland Christian
GRADE: Sophomore
POSITION: Pitcher/outfield
DIAMOND GEMS: Had 135 strikeouts as a pitcher. Batted .410 with an on-base percentage of .630 with 21 RBIs and 27 runs scored. All-conference in OK Blue.
COACH'S VIEW: "Kierea is a work horse. She comes ready to play and does everything she can to help the team. She is a great teammate and is always cheering and encouraging." - Laura Hunderman
Abby VandenBerg
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Junior
POSITION: Third base
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .379 with four home runs, 36 RBIs and 54 runs scored. All-conference in OK Blue.
COACH'S VIEW: “Abby is the best defensive third baseman in the greater Holland area. Many teams decide they want to bunt on us and they are bunting the ball to a college third baseman. Offensively, she was exactly what this team needed in the third spot because she can hit for power but also is very capable of moving runners and oftentimes doing that and still reaching base. She has shown up and played her best against the best teams on our schedule." - Mark Behnke
Alesha VandenBerge
SCHOOL: Holland
GRADE: Junior
POSITION: Pitcher
DIAMOND GEMS: All-Conference in OK Green. At the plate, batted .526 with a .597 on-base percentage.
COACH'S VIEW: "Alesha is the driving force of our team. She is a 5 tool player, can play every defensive position with great skill and leads the team by example and vocally. Alesha has a great softball future at the next level. I look forward to watching her complete her high school career next season." - Rick Harris
Kianna Vork
SCHOOL: Hamilton
GRADE: Sophomore
POSITION: Infield
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .366 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs. Scored 34 runs. All-conference in OK Blue.
COACH'S VIEW: “Kianna had an excellent season for our team. She is one of the best power hitters in West Michigan. Her extra base hits (20) played a big factor in the offensive production of our team over the season. She played multiple positions in the infield and also served as our #2 pitcher. A future college player, you don't have to see her hit…all you have to do is hear it. She is the strongest female athlete in our school's history and that work ethic is also something we see in her softball skills." - Mark Behnke
Hanna Walker
SCHOOL: Saugatuck
GRADE: Junior
POSITION: Third base
DIAMOND GEMS: Batted .533 with 49 runs scored and 45 RBIs. She had eight home runs to break the school record.
COACH'S VIEW: "Hanna was a Captain and a team leader, her third year playing Varsity. Broke Saugatuck's home run record." - Chad Burch
SECOND TEAM
Ashley Duff, HollandReese Gruppen, Zeeland EastGrace Hughes, West OttawaMikayla Jones, SaugatuckSophia Kloc, West OttawaHannah Knot, Holland ChristianMegan Kuzma, Zeeland EastMaleena Luckadoo, HamiltonKelsey Mersman, HamiltonEmma Meyering, Zeeland EastMariah Saldana, West OttawaIsa Valenzuela, Zeeland EastMadelyn Veersma, Zeeland WestMadison Wyckoff, Zeeland WestIzzy Zamoa, Zeeland West
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland Sentinel All-Area Softball Team
