Area softball players recognized

 

First Team

Taysha Sternhagen

Albert Lea, senior, infield

Sternhagen was a bright spot in the lineup for a rebuilding Tigers team. She ended her senior season with a batting average of .270, hitting in seven runs and tying for the area lead in stolen bases with 14. Sternhagen was also a sure bet in the field, recording only three errors on the year and a fielding percentage of .958.

The Tigers went 2-19 on the season with wins over Rochester Century and Triton. Sternhagen will surely be a missed presence as the Tigers continue to try and improve in 2020.

Laura Hopperstad

Northwood-Kensett, senior, infield

Hopperstad led the Vikings in nearly all major statistical categories during her senior year. Not only did she lead her team in those categories, but she also finished near the top of the lists in the area. She came in second in batting average, hitting .460 on the season. Hopperstad finished with 26 RBIs and scored 28 runs herself.

Hopperstad was a key part of the lineup that led the Vikings to a 13-13 record this season, their best finish in over 10 years.

Kayla Senne

Northwood-Kensett, sophomore, pitcher

Like her teammate Hopperstad, Senne was also a big part of the Vikings lineup at the plate, but also added value inside the pitching circle. Senne led the area in strikeouts with 183, while also letting up only 59 runs in 124 innings of work. At the plate, Senne had an average of .315, hit in 15 runs, scored 26 runs herself and tied at the top of the stolen bases category with 14.

As only a sophomore, Senne makes her second appearance on the all-area first team. She will be a big piece for the Vikings over the next two years.

Megan Linn

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, senior, catcher

Making her second consecutive all-area team, Linn is the only catcher on the first team. Over her senior season, she compiled a batting average of .345, recorded 10 RBIs, stole 11 bases and scored 15 runs. She also had one of the top fielding percentages with .933.

The Knights went 8-11 this season with Linn behind the plate for each game.

Erika Bute

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, senior, pitcher/utility

A mainstay on the Tribune’s all-area teams, Bute ends her high school sports career with yet another nod. Bute broke into the .400s with a season average of .404. She crossed the plate 13 times herself, while also hitting in six RBIs. Bute also pitched in 15 of the Knight’s 19 games. She totaled 19 walks and 26 walks with an ERA of 5.11 over her senior year.

The Knights ended their season with a loss at the hands of Lyle-Pacelli in the first round of the Section 1A playoffs. As a leader both on and off the diamond, Bute will be a tough piece to replace in the Knight’s lineup.

Kylie Korman

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, sophomore, infield

Korman finished the season with a batting average of .397, accounting for 23 total runs, 15 of which she scored herself, eight were RBIs. Perhaps her most impressive stat of the season is her 63 plate apperances, Korman only struck out three times.

As the second sophomore to make the all-area team, Korman will be heavily relied upon as the Knights move forward without many key pieces from their lineup.

Sophie Stork

NRHEG, freshman, pitcher

Again the youngest player to make the all-area first team, Stork makes back-to-back appearances on the team. Stork finished with an area-low ERA of 1.8, while also recording 162 strikeouts and only 90 hits in 162 innings of work. She also had a batting average of .370. 

The Panthers finished 19-6 on the season and were one win away from the state playoffs before falling to St. Peter in the section playoffs 4-0. The Panthers look to be in good hands for the next several years with Stork in the circle. 

Lizzy Baird

United South Central, senior, pitcher

Baird is the sixth player to make the all-area team in both 2018 and 2019. She was a force at the plate as well as in the pitching circle. Baird finished with a .400 batting average and led the area with 30 RBIs and seven home runs on the year. She also pitched 80 innings for the Rebels.

Baird will be moving on to play softball for the St. Mary’s University in the fall. Head coach Brandon Neseth described her as “one of the best girls to ever play softball at USC.”

Faith Cox

Lake Mills, senior, infield

Cox finished with a batting average of .263 and was responsible for 15 of the Bulldogs runs this season.

The Bulldogs finished their rebuilding season with a record of 2-25 and a first round loss in the postseason.

 

 

Second Team

Madison Fleek

Albert Lea, junior, infield

Madison Loegering

United South Central, senior, infield

Josie Schuman

United South Central, sophomore, infield

Molly Hunchis

Northwood-Kensett, senior, outfield

Allie Carmen

Northwood-Kensett, senior, infield

Sidney Schultz

NRHEG, eighth-grader, infield

Cloie Arndt

NRHEG, sophomore, infield

Mallory Ignazsewski

Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, freshman, utility

Ava Kyllo

NRHEG, freshman, infield