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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

A historic softball season ended with the county’s first state champion since 2016, while two teams played for a state championship, four made the state tournament, three made the final four and many made regionals.

It was a special year that featured one of the best collective groups of players the county has seen with some of the state’s best players posting jaw-dropping numbers.

The best have now earned a spot on this year’s All-County Softball Team, which honors the best players from the county on a first and second team as well as a group of honorable mention players.

First Team

Pitcher: Cam Bailey, senior, Helena. This year’s Pitcher of the Year in the county, Bailey led the county with 257 strikeouts and went 22-5 in the circle with a 1.01 ERA in 152 2/3 innings pitched. In addition to that, she had a .346 batting average at the plate with six home runs, 12 doubles and 39 RBIs. She totaled 46 hits at the plate.

Pitcher: Eleanor DeBlock, senior, Thompson. DeBlock was one of two dominant pitchers for the Thompson Warriors this year. She went 20-4 on the season with a 1.56 ERA. She struck out 125 batters, allowed 84 hits and posted nine shutouts with two no-hitters.

Catcher: Kensley Wesley, senior, Shelby County. With the third best batting average this season in the county at .570, Wesley totaled 55 RBIs to tie for the county lead and had 49 hits. She finished the year with 10 doubles and 10 home runs, which were among the best in the county as well.

First base: Ann Marie Stanbridge, senior, Helena. Stanbridge missed a portion of the season but came back quickly as a leader for the Huskies and finished with a .425 batting average. In 29 games, she totaled 26 RBIs, six home runs, two doubles and a total of 37 hits as a key piece to Helena’s run to the state championship series. 

Second base: Ella Pate, senior, Thompson. Perhaps the most clutch hitter in the county, Pate tied for the county lead with 55 RBIs this season and combined that with power. She totaled 58 hits with 10 doubles, nine home runs and three triples en route to a .453 batting average as a huge part of the state championship team. 

Shortstop: Dailynn Motes, sophomore, Thompson. This year’s Hitter of the Year, Motes did exactly what you want a hitter to do—get on base. She led the county with 72 hits in the leadoff spot most of the season, while holding the sixth-best batting average in the county at .503. Not only did she get on base, she was one of the best baserunners in the state. She led the county in runs scored at 55 and also stolen bases with 35. Motes finished the season with 28 RBIs, 12 doubles, five triples and two home runs.   

Third base: Sara Ezekiel, senior, Helena. The county’s best third baseman, Ezekiel had 50 hits this season, which included 11 doubles, two triples and two home runs. She held a batting average of .362 and drove home 28 runs while scoring 34.

Outfield: Olivia Tindell, freshman, Thompson. Tindell may have been the best freshman in the state this season after finishing fourth in the county with a batting average of .512 this season. She totaled a remarkable 63 hits, which included 10 doubles, three home runs and one triple. She drove home 35 runs, scored 42 runs and stole 28 bases. 

Outfield: Presley Lively, sophomore, Helena. With a .469 batting average, Lively was the most consistent hitter for the Huskies this season. She finished with a jaw-dropping 68 hits, which tied for second in the county, while she scored 52 runs, which was third in the county. She also finished second in the county in steals with 30, while she totaled seven triples, five doubles and one home run with 17 RBIs as the leadoff hitter for Helena.

Outfield: Jordan Douglas, junior, Calera. One of the biggest power hitters this season, Douglas came close to finishing in double figures in each hitting category. She totaled 13 doubles, 10 home runs and eight triples as part of 58 hits. She finished the season with a .487 batting average, had 39 RBIs, scored 55 runs, led the county with 33 walks and stole 16 bases.

Designated Hitter: Keara Hall, sophomore, Calera. Hall sat right behind Douglas in the order for Calera and led the team with a .496 batting average. She totaled 68 hits, which tied for second in the county, while totaling 15 triples, 10 doubles and six home runs. Hall also added 48 RBIs, scored 36 runs and stole 21 bases.

Designated Hitter: Maggie Daniel, sophomore, Spain Park. Daniel was a clutch hitter for Spain Park this season thanks to 53 RBIs, which finished in a tie for third in the county. She also totaled 50 hits, including a county-high 14 home runs. She also finished second in the county with 16 doubles, while she scored 32 runs and held a batting average of .373.

Utility: Katie Flannery, junior, Spain Park. Flannery led Spain Park with a batting average of .451 this season and had 65 hits, which was fourth in the county this season. She finished with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and three triples, while she drove home 50 runs, which was fifth in the county this season. She also scored 49 runs and drew 27 walks.

Utility: Laney Williams, sophomore, Thompson. Another Thompson player with a batting average greater than .450, Williams finished the season with a .476 average thanks to 60 hits, including nine doubles, four home runs and one triple. She scored 38 runs and drove home 35, while she stole 15 of 16 bases safely.

Second Team

Pitcher: Chalea Clemmons, junior, Thompson. Thompson doesn’t have as easy of a time winning a state championship without Clemmons. The junior finished with a 16-1 record this season and held a 1.33 ERA in 100 innings pitched. She struck out 142 batters, had 11 shutouts and posted two no hitters. Her strikeouts per seven innings stood at 9.9 at th end of the year, which trailed only Bailey. In addition to that, she bated .492 at the plate with 58 hits and 53 RBIs. Clemmons totaled 22 doubles, which led the county, and had four home runs and a triple with 25 runs scored.

Pitcher: Ella Reed, junior, Spain Park. Reed finished second in the county in strikeouts this season with 208 for the Jaguars. She posted a record of 20-11 and an ERA of 1.97. Only 48 of the 76 runs given up in her time in the circle were earned.

Catcher: Anna Dubose, freshman, Oak Mountain. A consistent hitter for the Eagles, Dubose finished her freshman season with a .402 batting average thanks to 33 hits, including three doubles and one home run, while she also totaled 15 RBIs.

First base: Abby Hibbs, junior, Chelsea. An impressive season for Hibbs ended with a .435 batting average thanks to 47 hits in 108 at bats. Of those hits, 11 were doubles and two were triples, while she drove home 27 runs and scored 17. 

Second base: Paci Clark, junior, Shelby County. Clark continued to be one of the county’s top power hitters this season, finishing with 11 home runs. That total was second in the county, while she also totaled 12 doubles and 44 total hits. She finished the season with 54 runs scored and 42 RBIs. 

Shortstop: Alana Scott, senior, Helena. Strong in the field and at the plate, Scott finished her senior season with a .365 average that featured 46 total hits, 10 doubles, three home runs and three triples. She led Helena with 45 RBIs and scored 36 runs as well. She also stole 17 bases safely. 

Third base: Julia Amacher, junior, Chelsea. Amacher was one of several consistent players for Chelsea this season and finished the year with a .378 batting average thanks to 34 hits. She totaled 23 RBIs and 22 runs scored and finished with two doubles and one home run.

Outfield: Emma Hawkins, sophomore, Spain Park. One of the best outfielders in the county this season, Hawkins finished her sophomore season with a .391 average. She totaled 52 hits and scored 45 runs, while she drove home 18 runs. She finished the season with 23 stolen bases and had three doubles, two home runs and one triple.

Outfield: Takyla Smoot, junior, Vincent. Smoot had the third best batting average in the county and second best on her team at .569 this season. She totaled 41 hits in 72 at bats, including eight doubles, three triples and two home runs. She also finished with 26 runs scored and 18 RBIs.

Outfield: Emma Jolley, senior, Spain Park. Jolley’s 58 hits were among the best in the county as she finished her final season with a .360 average at the plate. She scored 42 runs during the season and had 24 RBIs. Her 58 hits included eight doubles and one triple while she stole 15 bases.

Designated Hitter: Alli Tryon, senior, Montevallo. Tryon batted .478 at the plate this season thanks to 32 hits, while she drove home 31 and scored 24. She finished with eight doubles, five home runs and 20 walks for the Bulldogs.

Designated Hitter: Emma Harrison, junior, Calera. Another key in the magical postseason run for Calera, Harrison totaled 65 hits this season as one of the best in the county. That total included 16 doubles, which tied for second in the county, as well as five triples and five home runs. She scored 44 runs and drove home 21 runs.

Utility: Bella Holliday, senior, Helena. Holliday’s 46 hits were too much to ignore. She batted .371 at the plate and scored 35 runs while she drove home an additional 30. Her hits include 11 doubles, five home runs and four triples, while she stole 12 bases and had 18 walks.

Utility: Lela Beck, junior, Vincent. Beck finished the season with the highest batting average in the county thanks to a .583 effort at the plate. She totaled 35 hits in 50 at bats, had 28 RBIs and scored 27 runs. She finished with 12 doubles, seven home runs and three triples. 

Honorable Mention: Olivia Trout, Chelsea. Kathryn Bryars, Chelsea. Morgan Brewer, Chelsea. Alex Erwin, Helena. Anna Kate Jackson, Montevallo. Emily Hart, Oak Mountain. Alea Rye, Oak Mountain. Elizabeth Zaleski, Oak Mountain. Jordan Young, Pelham. Charlee Bennett, Spain Park. Lela Beck, Vincent.