photo by: Nick Krug

The 2016 All-Area Softball team from top row center, Hannah Pemberton, Wellsville, pitcher; Dacia Starr, Lawrence Free State, left field. Second row left, Jordan Flakus, Eudora, first base; Kate Stanwix, Lawrence Free State, first base; Sophie Taylor, Lawrence High, shortstop. Third row left, Shannon Greene, McLouth, pitcher; Rienna Schriner, Mill Valley, pitcher; Haidyn Bassett, Oskaloosa, pitcher and first base. Bottom row left, Kylee Bremer, Baldwin, catcher and utility player; Audrey Miller, Tonganoxie, catcher, and Bill Finucane, Eudora, coach.

Player of the Year

Haidyn Bassett, Oskaloosa

Bassett led the Bears to second place in the Class 3A state tournament, their best finish in history. Headed to South Dakota State as the school’s first female Div. I athlete, Bassett tossed 10 shutouts and five no-hitters, striking out 149 batters in 79 innings with a 0.44 ERA. The All-NEK League selection hit .613 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs.

Coach of the Year

Bill Finucane, Eudora

The Cardinals earned their first trip to the Class 4A-I state tournament since 2007. Finishing the season with a 16-7 record, the Cardinals lost, 1-0, in the state quarterfinals to Augusta.

photo by: Nick Krug

The 2016 All-Area Softball team from top row center, Hannah Pemberton, Wellsville, pitcher; Dacia Starr, Lawrence Free State, left field. Second row left, Jordan Flakus, Eudora, first base; Kate Stanwix, Lawrence Free State, first base; Sophie Taylor, Lawrence High, shortstop. Third row left, Shannon Greene, McLouth, pitcher; Rienna Schriner, Mill Valley, pitcher; Haidyn Bassett, Oskaloosa, pitcher and first base. Bottom row left, Kylee Bremer, Baldwin, catcher and utility player; Audrey Miller, Tonganoxie, catcher, and Bill Finucane, Eudora, coach.

First team

Kylee Bremer, Baldwin — Leading the Bulldogs to the Class 4A-I state tournament, Bremer led her team in almost all offensive categories with a .518 batting average, 43 hits, 10 triples and 25 RBIs. Bremer, who has signed with Baker University, set single-season school records with 41 runs and 30 stolen bases.

Jordan Flakus, Eudora — Flakus rewrote the school’s record books with a .468 batting average, 37 hits, 17 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs and a .797 slugging percentage. Helping her school to its second state tournament appearance in school history, the junior first baseman hit 11 doubles and three home runs.

Shannon Greene, McLouth — A big reason the Bulldogs posted a 16-5 record, Greene was dominant in the pitcher’s circle and had a big impact at the plate. The St. Mary’s signee had a 1.85 ERA, striking out 77 batters in 602?3 innings. Greene hit .508 with six doubles and 18 RBIs.

Audrey Miller, Tonganoxie — Not many base-runners tried to steal on Miller, a sophomore catcher. Helping her team to a 9-10 record, Miller had a .517 batting average with seven home runs, 25 runs scored and 23 RBIs.

Hannah Pemberton, Wellsville — Pemberton led the Eagles to their fifth straight Pioneer League championship with strong pitching and solid hitting. The sophomore all-league pick had a 14-2 record in the circle with a 3.32 ERA and three shutouts. Pemberton hit .373 with 28 runs, 24 RBIs and five homers.

Rienna Schriner, Mill Valley — Schriner led the Jaguars to a 16-6 record. Signed to play at the University of Charleston, Schriner struck out 100 batters in 76 innings with a 2.86 ERA. She had a .622 batting average with 42 RBIs, 32 runs and 10 doubles.

Dacia Starr, Free State — One of the top power hitters in the Sunflower League, Starr set a single-season school record with seven home runs, helping the Firebirds to a 12-10 record. The junior left fielder earned all-league honors with a team-best .551 batting average, 40 hits, 30 RBIs and six doubles.

Kate Stanwix, Free State — Headed to Fort Scott CC, Stanwix was a dangerous hitter in the middle of the Firebirds’ lineup. Stanwix, a second-team All-Sunflower League selection and picked for the Mo/Kan All-Star game, hit .426 with four home runs and 16 RBIs.

Sophie Taylor, Lawrence — Earning first-team All-Sunflower League honors, Taylor was a powerful hitter at the top of the LHS lineup. The Northern Colorado signee had a .493 batting average, which ranked among the league leaders. The shortstop added 12 extra-base hits, 21 runs, 15 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

Honorable mention

Emily Byers, Free State; Jaden Courter, Oskaloosa; Kyla Etter, Eudora; Megan Fast, Perry-Lecompton; Sieana Hall, Baldwin; Kristen Kelly, Mill Valley; Kampbell Kilburn, Lawrence; Kayla Kurtz, Baldwin; Lauren McDaniel, Wellsville; Shea Mesik, Ottawa; Madison Miller, Oskaloosa; Peyton Moeder, Mill Valley; Bayleigh Nelson, Ottawa; Kimi Patterson, McLouth; Kelsey Simmons, Santa Fe Trail; Dominique Tullis, McLouth; Peyton Workman, Santa Fe Trail.