July 19, 2007
StudentSportsSoftball.com Staff
As announced yesterday, National
Player of the Year KELSI DUNNE of Florida and Coach of the Year DIANE LAFFEY of
Michigan headline the 30-player EA SPORTS High School Softball All-American 1st
team. Thirty players have also been named to to the second team as well.
This is the second year that the EA SPORTS All-American program has been
extended to softball. Teams are currently selected for football, boys
basketball, girls basketball, baseball, softball, boys soccer, girls soccer,
boys golf and girls golf. All teams can be found by searching the EA.com
website.
The 30-player first team softball honor roll includes nine players from
California and five from Texas.
The annual EA SPORTS All-American Team is selected by the editors of Student
Sports, which have compiled national rankings and All-American teams in numerous
sports for more than 20 years.
Here are the bios for all 30 players selected to the...
2007 EA SPORTS HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL ALL-AMERICAN 1st
team:
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C - Amanda Chidester (Cabrini,
Allen Park, Mich.) Jr. |
|
| The
slugging University of Michigan recruit batted .730 with 16 home runs and 90 RBI
as Cabrini went 35-0, extended its win streak to 74 games, outscored foes by
366-1, and won its second straight state Division 4 championship. With an
underclass-led lineup, the Monarchs will be favored to three-peat as champs next
season while eyeing the national record 112-game win streak
record. |
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| C - Bree Ensminger (Red
Mountain, Mesa, Ariz.) Sr. |
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| A
member of the USA Softball Jr. National Women's team, Ensminger went 4-for-12
against world competition this summer after finishing as an All-State pick at
the utility spot in high school. The North Carolina signee hit .435 as a senior
with 28 RBI, four home runs and 10 steals. |
 |
| C -
Perelini Koria (San Pedro, Calif.) Jr. |
|
|
California's 2007 Junior Player of
the Year was virtually unstoppable at the plate as she hit .549 with 65 RBI.
Thanks to a late season surge, she ended her season with 17 home runs which tied
the state record for most homers in a season. Koria looks to break the record
next season before heading to go join the current National Champion Wildcats of
Arizona. |
 |
| P - Brittany Barnhill
(Northwest, Justin, Texas) Sr. |
|
| Headed
to the Univ. of Texas, Barnhill was the Texas State Player of the Year after
allowing only two earned runs all season while striking out 487 in 228 innings.
In one game she struck out all 21 batters. She finished with 1,715 Ks to rank
her top 10 all-time nationally and also showed she was dangerous at the plate
and on the basepaths, hitting .488 with 34 RBI while stealing 23
bases. |
 |
|
P - Ashley Brignac (John Curtis,
River Ridge, La.) Sr. |
|
|
The repeat state Miss Softball
honoree helped the Patriots win a fifth straight state title, and second in
Class 2A. The three-year starter, Jr. National Team member and Univ. of
Louisiana-Lafayette recruit, was 25-0 on the mound this season while striking
out 421 of the 528 batters she faced and allowed only 14 hits and no earned
runs. She hurled 21 shutouts, 21 no-hitters and seven perfect games. At the
plate, she batted .500 with six home runs. |
 |
| P - Lindsey Dean
(Camarillo, Calif.) Sr. |
|
|
Combined hitting and pitching prowess
helped Dean become a finalist for California's Ms. Softball in her final season
at Camarillo before heading to DePaul. In the circle she won 20 games while only
losing two putting up a miniscule 0.34 ERA while striking out 254 batters on the
year. Showing she could do more than just pitch, she was able to hit .395 with
23 RBI in 2007. |
 |
| P - Kelsi Dunne (Spruce
Creek, Port Orange, Fla.) Sr. |
|
|
The EA SPORTS National Player of the
Year had a season-ending knee injury as a freshman but came back to be the first
player ever in state history to twice be named Florida Miss Softball. Going
26-1 on the mound with 20 shutouts, 11 no-hitters and five perfect games this
season, her only loss was a no-hitter in the semi's against eventual 6A state
champion Everglades. Still, she struck out more than 17 batters per game and
hit .505 with 11 game-winning hits. |
 |
| P - Dallas Escobedo (St. Mary's, Phoenix, Ariz.)
Fr. |
|
|
Escobedo
exploded onto the high school scene in a dramatic way, leading St. Mary's to the
5A-I state championship, pitching 17 strikeouts despite being hit on her
pitching hand early in the game. For the season, the 6-foot hurler had 16
shutouts and five no-hitters while striking out 501 batters and recording a 0.76
ERA. |
 |
| P - Tomi Garrison (Garland, Texas)
Jr. |
|
| A returning EA SPORTS All-American, Garrison struggled early in the
season with injuries but caught fire when it counted, pitching a shutout in each
of her last four games including a one-hitter against Austin Bowie in the state
semi-finals. She was the main cog in helping the Owls become the first team in
5A history to win back-to-back titles. This spring, she went 26-6 with a 0.53
ERA and 305 Ks. Garrison also was a threat at bat, hitting .323 with 33
RBI.
|
 |
| P - Cat Hosfield
(Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Jr. |
|
|
The righthanded fireballer set a
national single season record with 659 strikeouts while posting a 44-5 record
and 0.31 ERA while hurling 17 one-hitters, seven no-hitters and three perfect
games. At one stretch, she hurled 16 straight shutouts and three consecutive
no-hitters. The Univ. of Tennessee recruit also batted .321 with 30 RBI and 51
hits. After averaging 14.74 strikeouts per seven inning game as a junior, she
will enter her senior season with 1,279 career strikeouts.
|
 |
| P - Donna Kerr (Patrick Henry, San Diego, Calif.)
Sr. |
|
|
The UCLA-bound senior was another EA
SPORTS All-American who represented the U.S. in the Netherlands this summer as
part of the Jr. National team. Last summer, she was the winning pitcher for her
club team, the OC Batbusters, at Gold Nationals and continued her success in her
senior season of high school, throwing several no-hitters and one-hitters with a
season high 17 Ks against Madison. She ended her career with 914
strikeouts. |
 |
| P - Jordan Taylor
(Valencia, Calif.) Sr. |
|
|
Wrapping up a trifecta of sorts after
being named California's Sophomore of the Year in 2005 and Junior of the Year in
2006 she was named California's 2007 Ms. Softball after leading the top ranked
softball team in the nation to a CIF Southern Section Division I championship.
In the circle, she was unbeaten going 32-0 with a 0.14 ERA and 406 strikeouts as
she finished her high school career 78-6 with a 0.27 ERA and 1,055
strikeouts. |
 |
| P - Brooke Turner (Kennedy,
La Palma, Calif.) Sr. |
|
|
The Long Beach St. bound hurler was
an impressive 27-2 on the year with an ERA of just 0.21 and a total of 326
strikeouts. Leading her team to its fourth Empire League title in as many years,
she leaves the prep scene with a career record of 84-18 and a total of 1,069
strikeouts. |
 |
| P - Ashton Ward (Butler,
Charlotte, N.C.) Sr. |
|
|
The Univ. of Tennessee recruit led
the Bulldogs to two straight state Class 4A titles and a 29-0 record this
season. She was unbeaten on the mound the last three seasons, including a record
of 26-0 this year. Ward had 20 shutouts and 360 strikeouts in 170 innings as a
senior and helped the Bulldogs finish No. 6 in the Student Sports FAB 50 final
rankings. |
 |
| INF - Brittany Arredondo (Smithson Valley, Spring Branch,
Texas) Jr. |
|
| The
prototypical middle infielder with great speed, athleticism and defensive
skills, Arredondo also had pop in her bat as shown by her hitting .465 with 48
runs scored this season as a junior. The All-State selection has committed to
the Univ. of Tennessee with her senior season yet to come.
|
 |
| INF - Sam Camuso (Foothill,
Palo Cedro, Calif.) Sr. |
|
| One of
the top hitters in California, the UCLA signee led the way on offense as
Foothill won its section championship. Camuso hit a jaw dropping .711 average
with 33 RBI, 10 homers, and crossed home plate 57 times, helped by her great
speed on the basepaths demonstrated by her 18 stolen bases.
|
 |
| INF - Gionna DiSalvatore
(Countryside, Clearwater, Fla.) Sr. |
|
|
The UCLA recruit helped Countryside
advance to the state Class 6A semifinals while batting .506 with 34 RBI and
being credited as one of the top defensive shortstops in the Sunshine State. The
repeat first team EA SPORTS All-American honoree batted over .500 twice and .400
once during her career. |
 |
| INF - Jessica Spigner
(Valencia, Calif.) Jr. |
|
| A
Tennessee commit, Spigner led the offensive onslaught for the No. 1 team in the
nation as she hit .418 with 26 RBI and led the Vikings in every offensive
category except runs. Known for her clutch hitting, she had a game winning
walk-off homer off of fellow All American Kenzie Fowler to clinch the Arizona
Tournament of Champions.
|
 |
| INF - Whitney Wilson (Garland, Texas)
Sr. |
|
| An offensive star for the 5A champion Garland Owls, Wilson hit .456 with
13 doubles, six triples, five home runs, 45 RBI and 50 runs scored. She
primarily played second, but did pitch in relief of fellow All-American Tomi
Garrison and went 12-3 with a 1.15 ERA on the mound. She has signed with Sam
Houston State.
|
 |
| OF - Beth Cinadr (Hudson,
Ohio) Sr. |
|
|
A three-time first team Division 1
all-stater, the Purdue recruit helped the Explorers win their first-ever state
crown. A lefthanded leadoff hitter, she hit over .400 three straight years
including .515 as a sophomore. This season, she had several key hits in Hudson's
post-season title run. |
 |
| OF - Tawney Horton (Highland, Gilbert, Ariz.)
Sr. |
|
|
Headed the
NCAA Div. I champion Arizona Wildcats, Horton is a speedy left-handed hitter who
can slap and use her speed to get on base or hit with power. The All-State pick
hit .528 on the year with five home runs and 23 RBI. She's also known for her
great defensive skills in the outfield including a cannon for an arm that
baserunners rarely challenge. |
 |
| OF - Baillie Lott
(Brentwood, Tenn.) Sr. |
|
| The
University of Houston recruit was a standout as a hitter-pitcher for the Bruins
in the 2007 season. She batted .528 with 14 home runs and 81 RBI and also had a
.567 on-base percentage and 1.024 slugging mark. On the mound, she was 24-1 with
an 0.38 ERA. She recorded 17 shutouts in 25 starts and struck out 201 batters in
147 innings.
|
 |
| UTL - Val Arioto (Foothill,
Pleasanton, Calif.) Sr. |
|
|
The San Francisco Chronicle Player of
the Year did it all for Foothill and did it in dominating fashion. At the plate,
she had 12 homers and 47 RBI while being walked intentionally 14 times and in
the circle was just short of perfect going 23-1 with an ERA of just 0.85.
Striking out 303 batters on the season, the Cal-Berkeley signee ended her high
school career with a one-hit, 15-strikeout performance to win the North Coast
Section 3A East Bay title. |
 |
| UTL - Sam Beasley (Steele
Canyon, Spring Valley, Calif.) Sr. |
|
|
Beasley was named San Diego Player of
the Year and California's Medium School Player of the Year by CalHiSports.com,
but the most interesting honor may be Steele Canyon's retiring Beasley's #7
after a fantastic high school career which ended with a her hitting .521 in her
final season with a total of 61 hits, seven homers, 24 RBI, and an ERA of 1.11
with 148 strikeouts. |
 |
| UTL - Kenzie Fowler (Canyon del Oro, Tucson, Ariz.)
Soph. |
|
|
Fowler,
who committed to the hometown Arizona Wildcats as a freshman, was an EA SPORTS
All-American last year and had a similarly strong sophomore campaign, helping
the Doradoes win the 4A Div. I title with a 32-3 record and No. 2 national
finish. Fowler went 28-1 on the year (only loss was to No. 1 Valencia, Calif.)
and had a 0.16 ERA. She was on the Jr. National team until she needed emergency
surgery to remove blood clots, but point to a full
recovery. |
 |
| INF - Kerry Hickey
(Huntingtown, Md.) Sr. |
|
| The
District of Columbia Metro Player of the Year, and three-time All-Met selection,
led the Hurricanes to three straight state Class 3A titles. This season, the
Univ. of Maryland recruit batted .488 with five home runs and 31 RBI. On the
mound, she hasn't allowed an earned run since 2005 and has struck out 645
batters in 295 innings the last two years.
|
 |
| UTL - Rhiannon Kleising (Pearland, Texas)
Sr. |
|
| Another
returning EA SPORTS All-American, the Texas A&M signee had another stellar
year in the circle and at the plate. Kleising went 24-4 with a 0.53 and
recorded 318 strikeouts in 182 innings. She had 14 shutouts, 13 on-hitters and
a pair of no-hitters. Offensively, she had a .439 batting average with 36 RBI
and is also an outstanding student, finishing with a 4.11 GPA on a 4.0 weighted
scale.
|
 |
| UTL - Morgan Melloh
(Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, Ind.) Sr. |
|
| She was
the anchor of a 31-0 record team that won the Royals' first state Class 4A
crown. The perfect-record season is only the second in state history. In a 2-1,
10-inning finals' win over Castle, she had the game-winning double. She also
struck out an all-class title game record 26 batters, including the first 15 she
faced, while allowing three hits. She won all seven post-season playoff games
with striking out 115 batters and was 9-for-25 at the plate.
|
 |
| UTL - Sara Olson (Sandburg,
Orland Park, Ill.) Sr. |
|
|
The Chicago Metro Player of the Year
selection, and Indiana Univ. recruit, batted .425 this season while belting 14
home runs with a slugging percentage of .876. On the mound, she was 24-3 with
270 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings and had an 0.24 ERA. |
 |
| UTL - Sam Skillingstad (Shadle Park, Spokane, Wash.)
Jr. |
|
|
Already
committed to the Univ. of Oregon, Skillingstad pitched seven shutouts in the
postseason for the Washington 4A champs, which finished No. 11 in the FAB 50
national rankings. The state MVP compiled a 28-1 pitching record with a 0.24
ERA and also hit .433 with 33 RBI. |
 |
| SECOND TEAM
Catchers
Starla
Guffey (St. Amant, La.) Sr.
Ashley Hansen (Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz.)
Jr.
Pitchers
Kristin Adkins (North, McKinney, Texas)
Sr.
Victoria Beltran (Boerne, Texas) Sr.
Ashley Chinn (Carlmont, Belmont,
Calif.) Sr.
Mallory Darby (Spanish Springs, Sparks, Nev.) Jr.
Danielle
Glosson (North Davidson, Lexington, N.C.) Sr.
Meghan Harbuck (Baker, Mobile,
Ala.) Sr.
Sarah McCloud (Celina, Texas) Sr.
Lauren Memmer (Lakeland, White
Lake, Mich.) Sr.
Katie Osburn (Cabrini, Allen Park, Mich.) Jr.
Suzie
Rzegocki (Lemont, Ill.) Sr.
Lauren Schmalz (Everglades, Miramar, Fla.)
Sr.
Jessica Shields (South Florence, Florence, S.C.) Jr.
Lindsey Sisk
(Murrieta Valley, Murrieta, Calif.) Sr.
Infielders
Meagan Aull (Owensboro Catholic, Owensboro, Ky.)
Sr.
Megan Bush (Canyon, Anaheim, Calif.) Sr.
Amanda Collier (Spanish
Springs, Sparks. Nev.) Jr.
Monica Harrison (Pacifica, Garden Grove, Calif.)
Sr.
Outfielders
Victoria
Feather (Arlington Heights, Fort Worth, Texas) Sr.
Chandra Mogan (Fontana,
Calif.) Sr.
Jamia Reid (Kennedy, La Palma, Calif.) Jr.
Utility
Kelly Chapman (Rowlett, Texas) Sr.
Felecia Harris
(Kentlake, Kent, Wash.) Jr.
Jolene Henderson (Sheldon, Sacramento, Calif.)
Soph.
Stormy Keeler (Marshall, Texas) Sr.
Amanda Locke (North Mesquite,
Mesquite, Texas) Sr.
Brittany Mack (Westwood, Round Rock, Texas)
Jr.
Andrea Ortega (Coronado, Scottsdale, Ariz.) Sr.
Megan Walsh (Central
Catholic, Portland, Ore.) Sr.
Photo credits: Sam Beasley (East County Sports); Amanda Chidester (Detroit
Free Press);
Morgan Melloh (Hoosier Authority); and Sarah Olson (Daily
Camera).
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