Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City high school softball first team

Here's a look at The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City high school softball first team:

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Player of the Year finalist: Aubree Ferguson, Newcastle

Position: Pitcher | Class: Senior

The story: Ferguson was one of the best pitchers in the state in 2023 in her final high school fastpitch season. She led the charge for the Racers while pitching 201 innings, striking 245 batters, and finishing with a 1.21 ERA while clearing the 700 career strikeouts threshold before the season's end. Ferguson also showed off her prowess as a hitter for the Racers — batting .427 with four home runs, 40 RBIs, and 18 runs scored en route to Newcastle's third state title in the past decade.

Player of the Year finalist: Kinsley Hill, Dale

Position: Pitcher | Class: Junior

The story: Hill had a dominant season in the circle for the Pirates, helping lead Dale to its fifth Class 2A title in the last decade. The junior pitched a 0.447 ERA while striking out 212 batters and not giving up a single earned run during the Pirates' state title run in October. Hill's dominance on the mound resulted in a 26-2 record as she struck out 24 batters during Dale's three games in the state tournament, allowing just seven hits in total.

Player of the Year finalist: Kynlee Swain, Tuttle

Position: Infielder | Class: Sophomore

The story: Swain was named Class 4A-2 district player of the year following her breakout campaign in 2023. As Tuttle's lead-off hitter, she batted .568 with a .612 on-base percentage, hitting four home runs, 32 RBIs, and scoring 56 runs. She proved to be one of the best players in the state as a sophomore, as she also stole 27 bases while the Tigers finished as the Class 4A state runner-ups.

Serenity Jacoway, Tecumseh

Position: Utility | Class: Senior

The story: Jacoway had a tremendous season for the Savages as a pitcher in the circle and a shortstop in the infield. The UTEP commit pitched 136 innings for Tecumseh as she struck out 158 batters and pitched a 1.59 ERA to lead the Savages to finish second in the district with a 32-6 record. Jacoway also asserted dominance as a hitter in 2023, batting .490 while hitting three home runs and 19 RBIs.

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Jessi Hull, Tecumseh

Position: Catcher | Class: Junior

The story: Hull was an offensive force this season to help lead the Savages to a 32-6 record and regional postseason appearance. She batted .414 with eight doubles and 26 RBIs a year after being named to The Oklahoman's Little All-City second-team.

Morgan Campbell, North Rock Creek

Position: Infielder | Class: Junior

The story: Campbell was one of the best infielders in the state in her third year following the Cougars' 38-6 finish in 2023. The Grand Canyon commit batted .479 with five home runs, 42 RBIs and 47 runs scored to spearhead North Rock Creek's state runner-up finish in October.

Brooklyn Lyles, Newcastle

Position: Infielder | Class: Senior

The story: Lyles was one of the best players in the state this season despite playing with a torn hip labrum for much of her high school career. The UCO commit batted .387 as a senior without striking out a single time in 138 at-bats. Lyles played a key role throughout Newcastle's Class 4A state title run in early October, batting .667 with three RBIs.

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Sabre Henderson, Minco

Position: First Baseman | Class: Senior

The story: Henderson was a dominant force for the Bulldogs as she split duties in both the infield and as a pitcher. The senior was one of the best hitters in Class 2A this season, batting .511 with four home runs, 34 RBIs, and 25 runs. Henderson pitched 88 innings in the circle and struck out 73 batters to help Minco finish 21-11 en route to a super-regional finish in the postseason.

Karsen Griggs, Dale

Position: Infielder | Class: Senior

The story: The Kansas commit had a stellar final season at Dale as the Pirates won their first fastpitch title in five years. Griggs was the top player for a Dale team which finished 41-3 as she batted .396 with three home runs, 29 RBIs and 42 runs.

Reagan Creamer, Heritage Hall

Position: Centerfield | Class: Senior

The story: Creamer had a remarkable senior campaign as the speedster batted .575 with 14 RBIs, 38 runs and 23 stolen bases. She statistically was Heritage Hall's best hitter in school history in a season which the Chargers finished with a postseason appearance in regionals.

Madelyn Torrenueva, Newcastle

Position: | Class: Senior

The story: Torrenueva has been electric for the Racers since moving from California, where she won a state title as a freshman. The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma commit finished her final season at Newcastle with a .386 batting average, hitting two home runs and 26 RBIs and scoring 46 runs to help the Racers win their first state title since 2019.

Quinlyn Johnson, Blanchard

Position: Utility | Class: Junior

The story: Johnson proved to be one of the fastest players in the state and she put pressure on opposing teams all season. She stole 63 bases while batting lead off at a .496 average with two home runs, 18 RBIs and 61 runs to help lead the Lions to the state semifinals.

Coach of the Year: Mike Crossley, Newcastle

The story: Crossley led the Racers to a 34-4 record and a Class 4A state title after missing the postseason for four consecutive seasons. Crossley is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in Oklahoma high school softball history, as he's taken Newcastle to state 29 times in his first 33 years with the program.

—Jordan Davis, Staff writer

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Meet The Oklahoman's 2023 Little All-City HS softball first team