Meet the 2023 Battle Creek Enquirer All-Area Softball Team
They represent the best softball players in the area.
The annual All-Area team is made up of players from the non-city schools in the 23-district coverage area of the Enquirer.
Meet the 2023 Battle Creek Enquirer All-Area Softball Team, as nominated by area coaches and selected by the Battle Creek Enquirer:
Alexis Bills
Coldwater
A returning member of the Enquirer All-Area team and three-year all-league selection, Alexis Bills had a big senior season as the go-to pitcher for a Coldwater team that won 30 games. Bills was 14-4 as a starter and added two saves with 113 strikeouts and a 2.36 ERA. At the plate, she hit .356 with 44 RBIs and six home runs.
Hannah Burdette
Marshall
The cornerstone of the infield at catcher, Hannah Burdette earned her second all-league selection and is a returning member of the Enquirer All-Area squad. Burdette showed standout defensive skills with 14 runners caught stealing. At the plate, Burdette hit .432 with 50 RBIs for a Marshall team that went 26-12 and contended for the league title much of the year in the Interstate 8 Conference.
Cora Churchill
Marshall
A two-time all-league selection in the Interstate 8, Cora Churchill had a fine final season for Marshall as she helped the Redhawks go 26-12 and stay in contention for the league title much of the year. A three-year starter, Churchill hit .392 with 37 RBIs and 42 runs scored and is a returning member of the Enquirer All-Area team.
Ava Coffinger
Gull Lake
A returning member of the Enquirer All-Area squad, Ava Coffinger continued to impress from the plate as she hit .608 as a junior with 76 hits in 38 games with 80 runs scored, 20 RBIs and a remarkable 69 stolen bases. The all-conference outfielder has great speed on the bases and on defens, helping the Blue Devils to a 24-14 record.
Alivia Endsley
Bellevue
A six-sport athlete at Bellevue, Alivia Endsley was the top player for a Bronco team that is young and rebuilding. Endsley hit .439 as the No. 4 hitter in the lineup and was a leader on the infield at third base, with a .877 fielding percentage as she earned all-league consideration.
Lexi Fleming
Homer
A returning member of the Enquirer All-Area squad, Lexi Fleming was a senior standout for a Homer team as an infielder, earning all-league honors in the Big Eight. Fleming hit .434 with a .681 slugging percentage with 45 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .504.
Elizabeth Flores
Gull Lake
A leader on defense and in the lineup, Elizabeth Flores had a breakout sophomore season at catcher for a Gull Lake team that went 24-14 overall and finished second in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference. Flores had only three passed balls on the season, leading the Blue Devil pitching staff. At the plate, she hit .385, only striking out four times, with 37 RBIs and 30 runs scored with 11 sacrifices, earning all-league honors.
Jocelyn Hall
Athens
A multiple-sport star, Jocelyn Hall has decided to take her softball talents to Lawrence Tech next year. Hall finished a standout career at Athens by leading the Indians to a 27-6 record overall and a league title. Hall was the go-to pitcher for Athens with 195 strikeouts in 132 innings. At the plate, she hit .469 with 19 extra-base hits and is a returning member of the Enquirer All-Area team as well as an all-league selection.
Addison Harris
Bronson
Addison Harris was a senior pitcher for a Bronson team that went 25-13 overall and won a district title. Voted MVP of the Big Eight, Harris was 12-9 as a pitcher with a 2.01 ERA and three shutouts, striking out 71. She also hit .388 with 23 RBIs and is a returning member of the Enquirer All-Area squad.
Jaicey Harty
Gull Lake
Jaicey Harty made an immediate impact as a freshman as she took over the pitching duties for a Gull Lake team that went 24-14 overall. Harty was 10-4 from the circle with a 1.72 ERA and 71 strikeouts. Also contributing from the plate, she batted .410 with 33 runs scored, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, earning all-league honors.
Reagan Henry
Tekonsha
A sophomore utility player that spent time at catcher, shortstop, first base as well as pitcher, Reagan Henry was a leader for a young Tekonsha team on and off the diamond. Henry had a breakout sophomore season, leading Tekonsha in runs scored, RBIs and stolen bases, while hitting .428 and earning all-league honors.
Emmalie Hirst
Marshall
With a breakout sophomore season, Emmalie Hirst was the go-to pitcher for a Marshall team that went 26-12 and contended for the Interstate 8 title much of the year. Hirst was 16-4 as a starter with 144 strikeouts and a 2.79 ERA. At the plate, she hit .404 with 39 runs scored as she earned all-league honors.
Brealyn Lasky
Bronson
A junior infielder for a Bronson team that went 25-13 overall and won a district title, Brealyn Lasky earned all-league honors. An honorable mention selection last year on the Enquirer All-Area team, Lasky hit .382 with 28 RBIs and 30 runs scored with an on-base percentage of .470.
Maureen McBride
Galesburg-Augusta
A shining star on a young Galesburg-Augusta team that went 5-11, Maureen McBride hit .567 with 30 stolen bases and 17 RBIs. A utility player, used in the outfield mostly, McBride could also play catcher and in any spot on the infield and owned a fielding percentage of .886. The junior earned all-league honors in the SAC Central Division.
Kennedy Miller
Homer
One of the top sluggers in the area and a returning member of the Enquirer All-Area team, Kennedy Miller is a three-time all-league selection as an offensive-minded shortstop for the Trojans. Miller hit an impressive .585 with a 1.13 slugging percentage and .662 on-base percentage. She had a team-high 12 home runs with 54 RBIs and 14 doubles.
Kamryn Parlin
Athens
A returning all-league and All-Area pick as a junior, Kamryn Parlin continues to excel at her catcher position as a leader for an Athens team that went 27-6 overall and won a league title. Showing a high softball IQ, Parlin controls the infield defensively and has a .980 fielding percentage. At the plate, Parlin hit a team-high .598 with 25 doubles and four home runs.
Kara Priddy
Olivet
A returning member of the Enquirer All-Area team and two-time all-league selection, Kara Priddy has been a two-year starter at shortstop for Olivet. The junior hit .500 from her leadoff position with 53 hits and 56 runs scored with 31 RBIs. Priddy added 49 stolen bases and had a .900 fielding percentage for a Olivet squad that went 22-9-1.
Makenzie Scheid
Coldwater
A returning member of the Enquirer All-Area team and two-year all-league selection, Makenzie Scheid had a big junior season as the offensive leader for a Coldwater team that won 30 games. Scheid hit .413 from her first base spot and had seven home runs with 36 RBIs and a .487 on-base percentage for the Cardinals, who advanced to the district finals.
Brooklynne Schley
Union City
Brooklynne Schley took over pitching duties early in the year due to injuries and thrived, finishing with more than 100 strikeouts in her junior season. Schley also hit in the No. 2 spot in the order and batted .365 and had a fielding percentage of .911.
Isabella Strader
Olivet
Helping Olivet to a 22-9-1 record, Isabella Strader had a big junior season as a third-year starter. Strader led the team with a .573 batting average and batted No. 4 in the lineup with a slugging percentage of 1.02 with a team-high 55 hits and 22 extra base hits, including 10 home runs. The go-to pitcher for the Eagles, Strader had 220 strikeouts with a 3.41 ERA.
Rylie VanAken
Coldwater
A freshman sensation, Rylie VanAken had a breakout season with an impressive .462 batting average and .514 on-base percentage for a Coldwater team that won 30 games and advanced to the district finals. VanAken added 30 RBIs and seven home runs with 13 doubles and showed standout defensive skill at her shortstop position.
HONORABLE MENTION: Aislynn Phelps (Union City), Mara Bailey (Union City), Kylie Arnold (Gull Lake), Brooke Carden (Marshall), Ashlynn Harris (Bronson), Haylie Wilson (Bronson), Brooklyn Kerry (Coldwater), Payten Minix (Homer), Sierra Truax (Olivet), Makenna Kincaid (Athens)
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Meet the 2023 Battle Creek Enquirer All-Area Softball Team
