KEYSER, W.Va. — Sometimes, a great hitter is best defined by the pitches they don’t get.
Bibs Felton was so feared by opponents at the state tournament, the junior shortstop walked six times and still managed eight base hits when teams were forced to pitch to her.
It’s not hard to see why. Felton finished as the area’s batting champion with a .626 average, tied for the area lead with 12 home runs and racked up more extra-base-hits than singles (30-27).
Felton was rewarded for her efforts with the Area Player of the Year honor, selected by the area’s head coaches.
“I’m very appreciative of this award and for all the love and support I’ve received from the community all season long, but its truly God’s glory not mine,” Felton said. “I take no credit for the talent I’ve been given, I’m just thankful to have the ability to play this sport let alone have success in it.
“I thank God everyday for the plan he has for my life, all i can do is work hard for his glory and no one else. The rest is in his hands, and I’m thankful for every success and every failure.
“I’ve been blessed with awesome teammates, coaches, family and community. This game has been very good to me, and I’m just soaking up every moment of it that I have left.”
Felton is the first non-pitcher to win the honor since Mountain Ridge outfielder Kayla Stickley did so in 2016 and the third all-time. Allegany outfielder Beth Szymanski was Player of the Year in 2010.
Felton is also the first Keyser softball player to capture the award and the fourth from a West Virginia school, joining Frankfort’s Avery Noel (2025) and Amy Twigg (2006) and Petersburg’s Carly Cooper (2019).
Petersburg’s Miley Tingler was second to Felton in the voting, and Allegany’s Jordyn Sneathen, Northern’s Rain Ritchey and Southern’s Adeline Wilson were finalists.
“She’s certainly earned it,” Keyser head coach Cody Spotts said. “Bibs is a great building block for any team. She’s quiet, she leads by example. She shows it with the numbers and also with all the intentional walks she got this year, especially down the state tournament. She was absolutely feared.
“She’s gotten better every single year, and I look forward to her getting even better next year as we make that next run.”
The Golden Tornado junior started relatively slow by her standards with just three home runs over the first 14 games. Felton struck fire in April, belting nine big flies over the next 16 to propel Keyser (25-8) back to the Class AAA state tournament after a year absence.
The slugger hit safely in 57 of 91 at-bats, adding six triples and 12 doubles to her home run total and driving in 38 runs and scoring 44 times.
Felton — who was selected Class AAA All-State first team and made the All-Area first team for a third straight year — got on base more than 70% of the time and drew 26 walks, striking out just twice all year.
Remarkably, softball isn’t the sport Felton is best known for.
The soon-to-be senior is Keyser’s leading scorer in basketball after just three years with 1,211 career points, earning three All-Area first-team honors in the process.
“She is a tremendous worker,” Spotts said. “She does anything I ask at any time, whether it’s even moving her to third. … Softball is her getaway, almost. She plays relaxed. She doesn’t feel as much pressure on herself and even really by the local area.”
History is on Felton’s side whichever sport she decides to play at the next level. The last eight softball Players of the Year have went on to play Division 1 softball.