Multiple All-State Players Highlight Postseason Softball Awards
It was a highly entertaining and successful season for Journal-covered softball teams with Caledonia and Houston making it all the way to the section finals, plus Chatfield making the 1AA Final Four. Five of eight “Journal” teams finished above five-hundred and they combine for seven All-State players.
Three Rivers Conference Softball Awards
La Crescent/Hokah (13-2, 17-7) won the TRC-East over Caledonia (12-3, 21-6), Winona-Cotter (9-6, 14-11), Lewiston-Altura (6-9, 10-12), Rushford-Peterson (2-13, 3-18), and Fillmore Central/Lanesboro (0-15, 1-20). Dover-Eyota (11-3, 15-6) took the TRC-West over Chatfield (10-4, 19-6), St. Charles (9-5, 14-9), Wabasha-Kellogg (6-8, 14-10), and PEM (2-12, 4-17). But second place teams Caledonia and Chatfield advanced the furthest in the postseason, making the 1AA final three. Five Gophers and four Warriors are All-TRC and none are seniors. Chatfield’s selections are Makenna Dornack (So. C/SS), Brynn Horsman (Jr. 3B), Rylee Urban (So. P), Kendyl Nolte (8th grader LF), and Grace Finley (Jr. 1B). Dornack and Urban repeat as All-TRC while Horsman and Finley move up from All-TRC HM. Dornack is also Class AA All-State 2nd team for a second straight year while Nolte is Class AA All-State Honorable Mention. Dornack had a team second-best .486 average while leading the team with 16 extra base hits including six triples and five home runs. She also led the team with 31 runs scored, 37 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .563 on-base-percentage, and .866 slugging percentage. Nolte led the team in hitting (.486 average) as just an 8th grader, notching six doubles, a team second-best 31 RBI and 17 runs scored. She struck out just three times in 70 at bats (team-best for full-time players). Urban went 8-2 on the mound with a 2.54 ERA and five strikeouts to every walk (63 1/3 IP, 66 H, 35 R, 23 ER, 16 BB, 82 K). She also hit .405 (two 2Bs, triple, HR, 8 RBI) playing just 15 games (due to injury). Horsman tied for a team second-best with 27 runs scored (.375 average, four 2Bs, HR, 13 RBI) while walking a team-best 17 times. Finley hit .352 with eight extra base hits (three 2Bs, two 3Bs, three HRs), 21 RBI, and 24 runs scored. Caledonia’s four selections are Avery Augedahl (So. P), Elsa Blum (So. 1B), Adrienne Lange (So. C), and Paizley Lange (So. 3B). Each repeat as All-TRC. Augedahl had a massive season both hitting and pitching. On the mound, she threw 162 innings (84 H, 39 R, 19 ER), striking out 262 while walking just 28, a nine-to-one strikeout to walk ratio. Her ERA was .821 and she finished with a 21-6 record. Offensively, she hit .419, leading the Warriors in extra base hits with 15 (six 2Bs, three 3Bs, six HRs), RBI with 37, runs scored with 31, and slugging percentage (.767). Augedahl was one of just 14 girls named Class AA 1st Team All-State, and joined Randolph’s Carter Raymond (Sr. P) as the only two to earn said honor from Section 1AA. Paizley Lange led the Warriors in hitting (.488 average) and on-base-percentage (.517), as she had eight extra base hits (four 2Bs, one 3B, three HRs), 20 RBI, and 26 runs scored. Blum was the team’s second leading hitter at .485. She had 14 extra base hits including a team-high nine doubles plus two triples and three home runs. Blum had a team second-best 25 RBI plus 23 runs scored. Adrienne Lange hit .472 with a team second-best 27 runs scored, 13 RBI, and a team-high 28 stolen bases (in just 16 games, as she missed part of the season to injury). Said girls helped the Warriors to another fantastic season. Fillmore Central/Lanesboro gets one All-TRC pick in Jensyn Storhoff (Jr. P/SS). She easily led her team with a .460 average (six 2Bs, HR), 11 stolen bases, and 21 runs scored while amassing a team second-best 10 RBI. She also pitched 76 of FC/L’s 121 2/3 innings. All-league picks from other TRC teams are as follows. St. Charles has five picks in Kaylee Butson (Sr. 2B), Lauren Waller (Sr. P/1B), Braelyn Gust (Jr. CF), Addison Overkamp (So. C), and Willow Lange (So. P/1B). Cotter has four picks in Briar Rouleau (Jr. CF), Camie Macal (Jr. C), Emilia Krage (Jr, 3B), and Ava Mask (8th SS/P). La Crescent/Hokah has four picks in Addie Murilla (Sr. P), Lexi Kiesau (Sr. LF), Allie Knutson (So. RF), and Ella Gates (Fr. 2B). W-K also has four picks in Brielle Adams (Sr. CF), Hayden Hawkins (Sr. SS), Lauren Stumpf (Sr. C), and Eve Pavelka (So. P). D-E has three picks in Miranda Palmby (Sr. C), Aubrey Foster (Jr. P), and Olivia Banitt (So. SS). L-A has two All-TRC picks in Lavin LeJeune (Jr. C) and Teegan Hartman (Fr. 3B). SC’s Gust was 2nd team All-State while D-E’s Palmby was All-State HM.
Southeast Conference Softball Awards
Houston (12-2, 21-5) and Southland (12-2, 19-7) shared the SEC regular season title with the Hurricanes going 3-0 versus the Rebels on the year. Mabel-Canton (10-4, 15-8), GMLOK (9-5, 11-9), Spring Grove (7-7, 8-11), Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons (4-10, 4-15), Lyle/Pacelli (2-12, 2-14), and Schaeffer Academy (0-14, 0-18) rounded out the league’s standings. The 1A runner-up Hurricanes shoveled in the post-season awards including getting a league-high six All-SEC selections in Emily Botcher (Sr. P), Julia Swenson (So. CF), Kylie Stinson (8th grader SS), Rylee Boldt (So. 2B), Claire Frauenkron (8th grader, LF/P), and Caidence Frauenkron (8th grader 1B). Botcher earned her third All-SEC nod. Swenson, Stinson, and Boldt each repeated as All-league. Swenson and Claire F. earned Class A All-State 2nd team while Boldt was All-State Honorable Mention. Botcher pitched 133 2/3 of 147 innings for the 21-5 ‘Canes. She posted a 20-5 record with a 3-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio and solid 2.51 E.R.A. (110 H, 79 R, 48 ER, 55 BB, 173 K). Included in her season was also amassing her 300th career strikeout and she hit .257 with 23 RBI and 18 runs scored. Botcher also earned the honor of playing in the Minnesota High School softball All-Star game, something her mom (Stacy Botcher) and aunt (Michelle Knutson) also did. Eighth grade twin sisters Caidence (.597 average) and Claire (.570 average) Frauenkron were the team’s leading hitters. Caidence drove in 37 runs with 22 extra base hits (15 2Bs, five 3Bs, two HR) while scoring 33 times. Claire drove in 36 runs with 21 extra base hits (16 2Bs, three 3Bs, two HRs) and 38 runs. Boldt hit a team third-best .565 including leading the team with 50 runs scored while also driving in 29 runs. She had 17 extra base hits (11 2Bs, four 3Bs, two HRs). Swenson hit .516 with a team second-best 39 RBI and 47 runs scored. She had 23 extra base hits (16 2Bs, five 3Bs, two HRs). Stinson hit .485 including leading the team in RBIs with 43 while scoring 39 times. She had 22 extra base hits (17 2Bs, three 3Bs, two HRs). Making All-SEC HM was Aspen Peterson (So. OF/DH > .407 average, 37 RBI, 27 runs, 11 2Bs, three 3Bs, HR). Botcher, Stinson, Caidence F., and Peterson were named to the All-Section team. Said girls helped Houston score a ridiculous 324 runs via 102 doubles, 28 triples, and 11 home runs. Mabel-Canton gets three All-SEC selections in Tylar Wenthold (Jr. P), Kira Snyder (Sr. C), and Hope Erickson (Sr. 3B). Wenthold earned her third All-SEC nod and she made Class A All-State 2nd team. A lot of the Cougars’ success this year could be put on the battery of Wenthold and Snyder. Wenthold pitched 140 innings, posting a 15-8 record, striking out 251 with a nearly a 6-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio (91 H, 74 R, 45 ER, 44 BBs, 2.25 ERA). She surpassed 500 career strikeouts and can possibly get to 800 as a senior. Wenthold was All-Section. Snyder was the team’s top hitter with a .404 average (seven 2Bs, 8 RBI, 14 runs). Erickson (.324 average, 18 RBI, 19 runs) led the team in RBI and runs scored. Kailey Ingvalson (Sr. SS > 12 runs, 13 RBI) made All-SEC honorable mention. Making All-SEC for GMLOK were Aspen Kolling (Sr. P) and Hailee Warren (Jr. OF). Kolling made all-league a third time. She pitched 118 innings, striking out 160 batters, posting a 11-9 overall record (9-5 in the SEC) with a 3.36 ERA. Kolling also hit .500 with four doubles and four triples. She amassed 388 career strikeouts in her three years of pitching varsity. Warren hit .433 with eight extra base hits (four 2Bs, three 3Bs, HR). Cheyenne Bakken (Jr. C > .255 average, threw out 12 runners trying to steal) made All-SEC HM for a third time. An All-SEC selection for a second straight season from Spring Grove was Jada Strinmoen (So. SS) who led her team with eight stolen bases and was the Lion least likely to strike out while batting .254 with a .357 on base percentage. Sydney Holland (Sr. OF > .377 OBP) received All-SEC HM for the Lions. All-SEC picks from other squads included Laney Weis (So. P), Clara Timm (So. C), Kiley Koenigs (So. SS/P), and Grace Krebsbach (So. OF) of Southland, Libby Bell (Sr. SS) of AC/G-E, McKenzie Schaefer (Jr. P/1B) of Lyle/Pacelli.
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