EFFINGHAM — Below is the 2024 Effingham Daily News All-Area Softball First and Second Team.
Each team has two catchers, one-to-two first basemen, two second basemen, two third basemen, one-to-two shortstops, two left fielders, two center fielders, two right fielders, two designated players who are utility players, one-to-two designated players who pitch and one-to-two pitchers. To qualify for all-area, players must have at least 70 at-bats or plate appearances and 100 innings pitched.
FIRST TEAM
CATCHER – Maddie Kibler, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
United States Coast Guard Academy signee led all qualified catchers in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.277), slugging percentage (.800) and RBI (42), was second in batting average (.411) and was third in on-base percentage (.477) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. Maddie Kibler earned a spot on the National Trail Conference (NTC) All-Conference First Team and the Illinois Coaches Association (ICA) Class 2A All-State Third Team.
CATCHER – Libby McGinnis, sr., Toledo (Cumberland)
McGinnis led all qualified catchers in batting average (.452) and on-base percentage (.519) and was second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.186), slugging percentage (.667) and RBI (34).
FIRST BASE – Sidney Donaldson, jr., Effingham (H.S.)
Donaldson led all qualified first basemen in batting average (.452) and RBI (48) and was second in on-base percentage (.465), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.239) and slugging percentage (.774) for a regional champion. She earned a spot on the Apollo Conference All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 3A All-State Third Team.
FIRST BASE – Sydney Kibler, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
University of South Carolina-Beaufort signee led all qualified first basemen in on-base percentage (.496), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.294) and slugging percentage (.798) and was second in batting average (.424) and RBI (36) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. Sydney Kibler earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 2A All-State Second Team.
SECOND BASE – Raegan Boone, sr., Effingham (H.S.)
Western Illinois University signee led all qualified second basemen in batting average (.480), on-base percentage (.529) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.105), was second in slugging percentage (.576) and was third in RBI (20) for a regional champion. Boone earned a spot on the Apollo Conference All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 3A All-State First Team.
SECOND BASE – Addie Wernsing, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
Southwestern Illinois College softball and volleyball signee led all qualified second basemen in slugging percentage (.620) and RBI (26), was second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.079), was third in on-base percentage (.459) and was fourth in batting average (.370) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. Wernsing earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team.
THIRD BASE – Lexie Grove, sr., Newton
Olney Central College signee led all qualified third basemen in batting average (.415), on-base percentage (.508) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.065), was second in slugging percentage (.557) and was third in RBI (26) for a regional and sectional champion. Grove earned a spot on the Little Illini Conference (LIC) All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 2A All-State Second Team.
THIRD BASE – Malea Helmink, soph., Teutopolis
Helmink led all qualified third basemen in slugging percentage (.613) and RBI (36), was second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.037) and was third in batting average (.351) and on-base percentage (.424). She earned a spot on the ICA Class 2A All-State Third Team.
SHORTSTOP – Jerzi Bierman, jr., Effingham (H.S.)
Bierman led all qualified shortstops in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.087), slugging percentage (.625) and RBI (33) and was second in batting average (.425) and on-base percentage (.462) for a regional champion. She earned a spot on the Apollo Conference All-Conference Second Team.
SHORTSTOP – Adysen Rios, jr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
Eastern Illinois University recruit led all qualified shortstops in batting average (.438) and on-base percentage (.490), was second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.063) and slugging percentage (.573) and was third in RBI (24) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. Rios earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference Second Team and the ICA Class 2A All-State Second Team.
LEFT FIELD – Jade Carr, soph., Toledo (Cumberland)
Carr led all qualified left fielders in batting average (.448), was second in on-base percentage (.473), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.939) and slugging percentage (.467) and was fifth in RBI (14).
LEFT FIELD – Bailee Frichtl, jr., Newton
Frichtl led all qualified left fielders in on-base percentage (.522), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.062), slugging percentage (.540) and RBI (22) and was second in batting average (.425) for a regional and sectional champion. She was an all-conference honorable mention and earned a spot on the ICA Class 2A All-State First Team.
CENTER FIELD – Kyra Swift, jr., Farina (South Central)
Kyra Swift led all qualified center fielders in on-base percentage (.496) and RBI (26), was second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.044), was tied for second in batting average (.375) and was third in slugging percentage (.548) for a regional champion. Swift earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference Second Team.
CENTER FIELD – Stacie Vonderheide, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
Parkland College basketball signee led all qualified center fielders in batting average (.398), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.096) and slugging percentage (.636), was second in RBI (24) and was third in on-base percentage (.460) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. She was an all-conference honorable mention.
RIGHT FIELD – Ryley Engel, soph., Effingham (H.S.)
Engel was second among all qualified right fielders in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.959), slugging percentage (.541) and RBI (27) and was fourth in batting average (.357) and on-base percentage (.418) for a regional champion.
RIGHT FIELD – Hailey Niebrugge, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
University of Illinois-Springfield signee led all qualified right fielders in batting average (.411), on-base percentage (.486), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.170), slugging percentage (.684) and RBI (33) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. She was an all-conference honorable mention.
DP/UT – Abbi Hatton, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
Eastern Illinois University signee played first base and center field and led all qualified designated utility players in batting average (.449), on-base percentage (.474), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.297), slugging percentage (.822) and RBI (42) for a conference regular r season and tournament, regional and sectional champion. Hatton earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 2A All-State First Team.
DP/UT – Kinli Michl, frosh., Dieterich
Michl played shortstop and catcher and was second among all qualified designated utility players in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.080) and slugging percentage (.624), was tied for second in on-base percentage (.456) and RBI ( 9) and was third in batting average (.376). She earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference Second Team.
DP/P – Samantha Hayes, jr., Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg
Samantha Hayes was second among all designated players who pitched in batting average (.452) and on-base percentage (.500) and was third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.143), slugging percentage (.643) and RBI (30) for a regional and sectional champion. Hayes was first in innings pitched (171), second in earned run average (2.12), third in earned runs (52), walks (38), strikeouts (178) and walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.17), was fourth in runs (81) and was sixth in hits (153). She earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 1A All-State Second Team.
DP/P – Taegan Webster, sr., Farina (South Central)
Olney Central College signee led all qualified designated players who pitched in batting average (.460), on-base percentage (.575), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.460), slugging percentage (.885) and RBI (45) for a regional champion. Webster was second in innings pitched (157 2/3), third in hits (112), sixth in runs (121) and earned runs (63), seventh in walks (86), second in strikeouts (250), and fourth in earned run average (2.79) and walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.25). She earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 1A All-State Third Team.
P – Saige Althoff, jr., Effingham (H.S.)
Althoff was second among all qualified pitchers in walks (36), was fourth in innings pitched (132 1/3) and earned runs (53) and fifth in hits (142), runs (83), earned runs average (2.80) and walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.34) for a regional champion. She earned a spot on the Apollo Conference All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 3A All-State Third Team.
P – Grace Lemke, jr., Altamont
Lemke led all qualified pitchers in hits (49), runs (52), earned runs (20), strikeouts (339), earned run average (0.99) and walks plus hits per inning pitched (0.80), was fourth in innings pitched (141 1/3) and was sixth in walks (65). She earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team — where she was voted the conference’s most valuable player — and the ICA Class 1A All-State Second Team.
SECOND TEAM
CATCHER – Erin Althoff, sr., Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg
Lake Land College signee was second among qualified catchers in on-base percentage (.500), was third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1. 16), was tied for third in RBI (25), was fourth in batting average (.376) and was fifth in slugging percentage (.516) for a regional and sectional champion. Althoff earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team and the ICA Class 1A All-State Third Team.
CATCHER – Chloe Hoene, frosh., Teutopolis
Hoene was third among qualified catchers in batting average (.379), was fourth in on-base percentage (.467), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.991) and slugging percentage (.524) and was fifth in RBI (22).
FIRST BASE – Lauren Johnson, soph., Farina (South Central)
Johnson was third among qualified first basemen in batting average (.384), on-base percentage (.452), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.932), slugging percentage (.479) and RBI (27) for a regional champion.
SECOND BASE – Katie Kingery, sr., Toledo (Cumberland)
Kingery was third among qualified second basemen in batting average (.372), was fourth in on-base percentage (.412) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.835), was fifth in slugging percentage (.423) and was sixth in RBI (12).
SECOND BASE – Kaitlyn Swift, jr., Farina (South Central)
Kaitlyn Swift was second among qualified second baseman in batting average (.422), on-base percentage (.524) and RBI (25) and third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.005) and slugging percentage (.480) for a regional champion. She earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference First Team.
THIRD BASE – Mya Friese, soph., Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg
Friese was second among qualified third basemen in batting average (.364), on-base percentage (.435) and RBI (32), was third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.890) and was fifth in slugging percentage (.455) for a regional and sectional champion. She earned a spot on the NTC All-Conference Second Team.
THIRD BASE – Alyssa Martin, soph., Effingham (H.S.)
Martin was third among qualified third basemen in slugging percentage (.506), was fourth in RBI (16) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.861), was fifth in batting average (3.06) and was sixth in on-base percentage (.355) for a regional champion.
SHORTSTOP – Kendra Hayes, frosh., Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg
Kendra Hayes was second among qualified shortstops in RBI (27) and was third in batting average (.317), on-base percentage (.383), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.748) and slugging percentage (.365) for a regional and sectional champion. She was an all-conference honorable mention.
LEFT FIELD – Laney Coffin, sr., Effingham (St. Anthony)
Coffin was second among qualified left fielders in RBI (2), was fourth in batting average (.294), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.759) and slugging percentage (.451) and was fifth in on-base percentage (.308) for a conference regular season and tournament, regional and sectional champion.
LEFT FIELD – Zoey Feldhake, soph., Farina (South Central)
Feldhake was third among qualified left fielders in batting average (.333), on-base percentage (.353), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (811), slugging percentage (.458) and RBI (18) for a regional champion.
CENTER FIELD – Avery Donsbach, sr., Toledo (Cumberland)
Donsbach was tied for second among qualified center fielders in batting average (.375), was tied for third in RBI (23) and was fifth in on-base percentage (.412), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.881) and slugging percentage (.469).
CENTER FIELD – Sally Mahaffey, jr., Newton
Mahaffey was second among qualified center fielders in slugging percentage (.596), was third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.013), was tied for third in RBI (23), was fourth in on-base percentage (.417) and was fifth in batting average (.362) for a regional and sectional champion.
RIGHT FIELD – Lilly Kessler, sr., Newton
Kessler was second among qualified right fielders in batting average (.386) and on-base percentage (.471), was third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.914) and slugging percentage (.443) and was fourth in RBI (19) for a regional and sectional champion. She earned a spot on the LIC All-Conference Second Team.
RIGHT FIELD – Ashton Tolen, frosh., Toledo (Cumberland)
Tolen was third among qualified right fielders in batting average (.359), on-base percentage (.438) and RBI (21) and was fourth in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.873) and slugging percentage (.435).
DP/UT – Lucie Jansen, jr., Dieterich
Jansen played catcher and third base and was fourth among qualified designated utility players in batting average (.351), on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.953), slugging percentage (.515) and RBI (24) and was fifth in on-base percentage (.438).
DP/UT – Estella Meinhart, jr., Dieterich
Meinhart played third base and left field and was tied for second among qualified designated utility players in on-base percentage (.456) and RBI (29) was third in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.953) and slugging percentage (.526) and was fifth in batting average (.347). She was an all-conference honorable mention.
DP/P – Natalie Armstrong, soph., Effingham (H.S.)
Armstrong was second among all qualified designated players who pitched in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.168), slugging percentage (.755) and RBI (39) and was third in batting average (.364) and on-base percentage (.413) for a regional champion.
P – Amelia Collins, jr. Newton
Collins led all qualified pitchers in walks (28), was second in runs (58), earned runs (45), and walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.13), was third in innings pitched (145) and earned run average (2.17) and was fourth in hits (136) for a regional and sectional champion. She earned a spot on the LIC All-Conference First Team.