GACA All-State Softball Teams
Area selections listed by schoolClass AAAAA First TeamDalton: P Alli Swinford, OF Gabby Wright.Class AAAA First TeamHeritage: IF Ali Roberts, OF Sydney Smith, OF Shayla Ludy, OF Olivia Tamewitz.Second TeamHeritage: IF Brooklynn Frazier, C Shelby Hammontree, P Taelyn Bates.NW Whitfield: OF Alyssa Ward.Class AAA First TeamCalhoun: Coach of the year Diane Smith, pitcher of the year Kinsey Liscio, IF Ashlynn Barnes, P Emily Mitchell, OF Ryan Brzozoski, IF Jana Johns.Ringgold: P Abby McKinney, OF Karoline Sholl, C Dare Schley, IF Kaylee Womack.Second TeamCalhoun: C Chloe Rice, IF Emily Weatherman.Sonoraville: IF Abby Connally.Class AA First TeamGordon Lee: Coach of the year Dana Mull, pitcher of the year Emily Armour, IF Faith Alexander, OF Gracey Kruse, IF Paxton Grimes.Second TeamGordon Lee: C Katherine Grace McElhaney, UTIL Canaan Burnett.Class A First TeamTrion: IF Jaden Morrison, OF Kerrigan Ramsey, UTIL Lindsey Shepherd.Second TeamTrion: P Peyton Henderson, C Rayven Lawrence.
With winning comes attention, and with attention comes opportunities.
After winning back-to-back GHSA softball state championships, Calhoun has gotten its due share.
The Lady Yellow Jackets, fresh off their 35-4 season, will send at least eight members of this past season's team to the college ranks, including two players who have committed to Southeastern Conference programs.
Class AAA player of the year Jana Johns will be heading to South Carolina after the junior third baseman batted .529 with a team-best 64 RBIs to go with 53 runs scored, 28 doubles, seven home runs and 10 stolen bases in 2015.
Senior pitcher Emily Mitchell will attend Mississippi State University after going 17-2 with a 0.90 ERA and allowing only 56 hits in 93 innings pitched. She also batted .385 with 41 RBIs and seven homers.
A pair of speedy juniors, Ashlyn Barnes and Ryan Brzozoski, have committed to Samford University. Barnes, an infielder, batted .547 with 48 runs scored, 32 RBIs, nine doubles and 15 stolen bases, while outfielder Brzozoski led Calhoun with a .555 average and scored 52 runs, drove in 42 and had 18 doubles and four homers while also stealing 15 bases.
Senior pitcher Kinsey Liscio will attend Western Carolina after going 18-2 with a 1.51 ERA, striking out 121 and allowing just 64 hits in 106 innings. Senior second baseman Emily Weatherman is headed to Harding University after batting .523 with 36 runs scored, 44 RBIs, 16 doubles and seven homers.
In addition, freshman outfielder Maddie Clay has committed to Georgia State after hitting .448 with 29 runs scored, 18 RBIs and six doubles in 87 at-bats, and junior outfielder Allie Jones has committed to Mercer after hitting .403 with 20 runs scored and 15 RBIs in 70 at-bats.
"These kids have come here and worked their tails off, and it's paying off for them," said Smith, who noted that catcher Chloe Rice is also expected to play in college but is still undecided as to where.
"It says a lot when these kids start getting college scholarship offers. To just have one or two is great, but to have practically the entire team going somewhere is awesome and it says so much about the girls."
Calhoun, Ringgold pack all-state list
On the heels of another dominant showing from northwest Georgia prep softball teams, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association recently sent a slew of honors their way.
Class AAA champion Calhoun garnered the most awards, including coach of the year honors for Smith and pitcher of the year for Liscio. Smith was also honored at the Georgia Dugout Club's banquet for earning her 600th career win this past season, and Johns was named the Class AAA player of the year.
Region 6-AAA rival Ringgold, which finished third in the state, had first-team members Abby McKinney, Karoline Sholl, Dare Schley and Kaylee Womack.
"It is nice. The Calhoun girls and the Ringgold girls just swept up the awards," said Smith, who also had first-team members Barnes, Brzozoski, Johns and Mitchell. "I'm so proud of them. They definitely deserve all the glory and honor they get, and it's nice to see Ringgold and Gordon Lee with so many girls, because those are two great programs."
State champion Gordon Lee also earned major honors in Class AA, where Dana Mull was coach of the year and senior Emily Armour earned her third consecutive pitcher of the year award. Other first-team Lady Trojans were Faith Alexander, Paxton Grimes and Gracey Kruse.
Mull was also chosen the classification's coach of the year by the Georgia Dugout Club, which named Armour the Class AA player of the year.
In Class AAAA, Heritage's first-team honorees were Shayla Ludy, Ali Roberts, Sydney Smith and Olivia Tamewitz. In Class AAAAA, Dalton's first-teamers were Alli Swinford and Gabby Wright. In Class A, Trion's Jaden Morrison, Kerrigan Ramsey and Lindsey Shepherd were first-team members.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.