Introducing the 2023 Softball All-Area Dream Team
HILLSDALE COUNTY The 2023 spring sports season concluded with the Reading Ranger softball team winning another district championship. The county was well represented in the softball postseason at the end of the school year. Several student softball athletes earned all-conference honors for their efforts this season. To add to the accolades, this year's list of All-Area Dream Team honorees includes star players from every team.
More: Reading softball earns second-straight district championship.
Each year, coaches from around Hillsdale County submit names for the All-Area Dream Team list. Two seniors each season will be honored as a co-captain of the Dream Team. This year, there are five dream team honorees listed as starting pitchers. To also reflect their efforts in batting and fielding, they are also named as fielders.
These honorees are separate from the fielder's category, which includes nine additional honorees. Each team had at least one honoree this season and has at least two honorable mention selections. In addition to the All-Area Dream Team, we name one Coach of the Year honoree and an honorable mention Coach of the Year. This year, there are two honorable mention coaches for 2023. The Dream Team list also identifies athletes who are seniors and were members of the Class of 2023.
2023 All-Area Dream Team Pitchers
Alisyn Friskney – Camden-Frontier – Pitcher/Fielder – Senior
Lyra Nichols – Jonesville – Pitcher/Fielder
Elizabeth Gerig – Pittsford – Pitcher/Fielder – Senior
Ariana McDowell – Reading – Pitcher/Fielder
Jena Fellabaum – Waldron – Pitcher/Fielder – Senior
2023 All-Area Dream Team Fielders
Jaden Clark – Camden-Frontier – Fielder – Senior and Dream Team Co-Captain
June Best - Camden-Frontier - Fielder - Senior
Brynn Bigelow – Hillsdale – Fielder – Senior
Abby Gutowski – Jonesville – Catcher – Senior and Dream Team Co-Captain
Eliza Alvarez – Litchfield – Fielder - Senior
Hailey Carpenter – North Adams-Jerome – Fielder – Senior
Blakeleigh Cornstubble – Reading – Fielder
Emma Wines – Waldron – Fielder - Senior
Coach of the Year - Melissa Warfield - Reading
The Reading Ranger softball team, under head coach Melissa Warfield and coach Morgan Warfield, were able to repeat as District Champions in the spring of 2023. After losing the District Title game in 2021 to Morenci, the Rangers have been one of the top softball programs in the area in the postseason. Coach Warfield took the 2022 team all the way to a regional title shot. Coach Warfield and the Rangers were able to head back to postseason success in 2023.
Despite navigating a difficult Big 8 schedule this season, the Rangers entered the postseason poised to add another district trophy to their collection. Behind pitcher Ariana McDowell, the team navigated their way swiftly through the district semifinals against North Adams-Jerome and then through Camden-Frontier in the championship to claim the District 119 championship.
They defeated North Adams-Jerome 14-0 in the semifinals and then beat Camden-Frontier 12-0 in the finals. After the games, coach Warfield credited their six returning starters for helping gel together the team with the returning players and the newcomers.
The regional semifinals saw the Rangers fall to the Sand Creek Aggies, ending their postseason run. Despite the loss, the regional qualification would be the second appearance for the Rangers in a row. The team ended their season with an 11-13 overall record. The 2023 Rangers, under coach Warfield, had four honorable mention All-Conference athletes: Ariana McDowell, senior Ellie VanDyke, Aubree Ervans and Maggie Santure.
The team had a first team All-Conference honoree: Blakeleigh Cornstubble. Cornstubble and McDowell both received spots on this year's first team All-Area Dream Team. Ervans, Santure and Cadence Flynn all received honorable mention honors.
Coach Warfield has been named the 2023 All-Area Dream Team Coach of the Year. Melissa Warfield also won last season's Coach of the Year honors, alongside 2022 honorable mention Coach of the Year Marlena Nichols of Jonesville.
Honorable Mention Coaches of the Year: Connie Varney of Pittsford and Marlena Nichols of Jonesville
Coach Warfield is joined by Pittsford head coach Connie Varney and Jonesville head coach Marlena Nichols as our three coaching honors for 2023. Coach Varney earned honorable mention coach of the year honors after leading the Pittsford varsity softball team out of a first-half slump to start the season and taking the team to a SCAA East Division Title.
The Pittsford softball team wrapped up the SCAA East title with doubleheader sweeps against Waldron and Tekonsha. The Wildcats started their season off with a 3-11 overall record, but was 2-0 in league division play. They would split a doubleheader against eventual district finalist and rival Camden-Frontier. They would not lose another game during the regular season. Coach Varney and the Wildcats claimed the division title with a 9-1 in-league division record. They finished the regular season with a 10-12 overall record.
Coach Marlena Nichols led a 2023 Comet softball squad that repeated their winning success from 2022. The 2023 Comets followed up their 2022 district championship season with a 20-13 overall record. The Comets were led by three seniors: Brooke Owen, Kierstyn Keller and Abby Gutowski.
More: Three seniors lead 2023 Jonesville softball to winning record
In her second year as Comet head coach, coach Nichols has earned two honorable mention Coach of the Year honors. She earned 2022 coaching honors after leading the team to a district championship, a second-place finish in the Big 8 and a 22-10 overall record. This year, the team came close to making an appearance in the district finals but fell short to Hanover-Horton in a 5-3 final. The Comets had sweeps of Union City, district title winner Reading, Homer and Concord in 2023.
All-Area Dream Team Honorable Mentions
Tydann Cooney – Camden-Frontier
Rylee Mckitterick – Camden-Frontier – Senior
Lexus Sigler – Camden-Frontier
Kalee Aube – Hillsdale - Senior
Shyanne Ellsworth – Hillsdale
Kristyn Mapes – Hillsdale
Kierstyn Keller – Jonesville – Senior
Brooke Owen – Jonesville – Senior
Alexis Trine – Jonesville
Becky McCafferty – Litchfield – Senior
Avery Wolfinger – Litchfield
Wynter Nelson – North Adams-Jerome – Senior
Hailie Rice – North Adams-Jerome
Aryana Smock – North Adams-Jerome
Shelby Bryner – Pittsford
Laura LeMar – Pittsford
Maddie Way - Pittsford
Aubree Ervans – Reading
Cadence Flynn – Reading
Maggie Santure – Reading
Morgan Burk - Waldron
Dezirae Gomez - Waldron - Senior
Kaylie Kurtz - Waldron
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Introducing the 2023 Softball All-Area Dream Team
