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What to know about Jackson area high school softball in 2024: Top players, storylines

austin chastain, jackson sun
·4 min read

Spring is here in the Jackson area, and the TSSAA softball season has begun.

The 2023 softball season was exciting for Jackson area teams with two programs coming away with state championships, another reaching the final and several advancing to the state tournament.

Here are the storylines and top players for during the 2024 season.

McNairy Central, Westview have opportunity for championship encore

McNairy Central beat Lexington, 5-3, in a dramatic final game of the season after the Tigers forced a winner-take-all showdown in Class 3A.

Bobcats sophomore Bailee Shelton excelled in the circle and at the plate. As a freshman, she finished with 102 strikeouts and hit .449.

Westview rolled to the Class 2A state title, going undefeated in the tournament and capping with a 13-5 win over Forrest in the title game.

Chargers junior McCall Sims, a Tennessee Lady Vols recruit, hit two grand slams in the Class 2A championship game – a TSSAA tournament record – and was an All-West Tennessee First-Teamer.

Lexington aims for another deep run

Lexington's Shay Hollingsworth (1) fields a ground ball during the Class 3A State Girls' Softball Champinship against McNairy Central at the Star Plex in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Friday, May 26, 2023.
Lexington's Shay Hollingsworth (1) fields a ground ball during the Class 3A State Girls' Softball Champinship against McNairy Central at the Star Plex in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Friday, May 26, 2023.

Although Lexington lost Mykenzi Duke, the All-West Tennessee Player of the Year, there is plenty of promise with the young squad after advancing to the championship series against McNairy Central.

Junior Holly Bartholomew, senior Kailyn Melton and junior Kinley Melton hope to fill the voids left by the players who graduated last year.

Bruceton, Jackson Christian, Riverside among contenders

Ten teams in the Jackson area qualified for the TSSAA state tournament in 2023.

Six of the teams reached the final four in their respective tournaments.

Jackson Christian lost a heartbreaker to Colombia Academy in the DII-A semifinals, while Bruceton and Riverside were both shut out in the elimination games of Class 1A and Class 2A, respectively.

Each of those teams return some of the firepower that got them to their deep run in the tournament and could fuel a return.

MORE: Meet the 2023 Jackson Sun's All-West Tennessee high school softball team

Top players to watch in Jackson area softball

Keely Williams, Bruceton, Jr.: Williams hit .468 in 30 games last season with 24 RBIs, 11 doubles and two triples.

Addie Jo Melton, Camden, So.: Melton hit .449 last season with 13 doubles, five home runs and 36 RBIs. She also racked up 94 strikeouts in 81 innings pitched.

Lynden Cole, Crockett County, Sr.: Cole hit six home runs last season while hitting for a .426 average with 12 doubles and 42 RBIs.

Eva Stafford, Dresden, Sr.: Stafford struck out 231 in leading the Lions to the Class 1A state tournament. She hit .517 with 25 RBIs.

Allie Spaulding, Dresden, Jr.: Spaulding hit .385 last season with 10 RBIs, five doubles and three triples.

Natalie Kreuziger, Huntingdon, Sr.: Kreuziger racked up 217 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched last season and finished with a 1.01 ERA.

Carley Holt, Jackson Christian, Jr.: Holt returns after her second ACL tear, causing her to miss last season. As a freshman, she hit .375.

Holly Bartholomew, Lexington, Jr.: Bartholomew hit .370 and stole 10 bases last season.

Shay Hollingsworth, Lexington, Sr.: Hollingsworth had six home runs and 10 doubles, drove in 31 runs and stole 14 bases in 2023.

Kinley Melton, Lexington, Jr: Melton hit .418 last season with 10 doubles, a home run and 41 RBIs.

Bailee Shelton, McNairy Central, So.: Shelton won 15 games and struck out 102 last season. She batted .449.

Greene-Leigh Crowder, Ripley, Sr.: Crowder hit for a .317 average with seven doubles, a home run and 21 RBIs in 2023.

Lauren Ruehl, Riverside, Sr.: Ruehl hit .378 last season with 21 RBIs. She also had a 1.80 ERA in 42 2/3 innings pitched.

Haylen Ayers, USJ, Fr.: Ayers scorched the ball as an eighth-grader and finished the season with a .677 batting average, nine home runs, 24 RBIs and five tripless.

Addie Roberts, Westview, Sr.: Roberts hit .316 last season, including six home runs and 26 RBIs.

Lakyn Rogers, Westview, Jr.: In helping the Chargers win the Class 2A state title, Rogers hit .400 with 34 runs scored and 30 RBIs.

McCall Sims, Westview, Jr.: Sims batted .478 and led the Chargers to the Class 2A state championship with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: TSSAA softball: Jackson area storylines, players to watch for 2024