Depth of top-tier softball talent showcased with All-Johnson County superlatives

Jun. 24—While the Grandview Lady Zebras lead the Pinnacle Bank 2023 All-Johnson County softball superlative awards with five selections, eight of the county's 10 teams are represented, an indication of the overall talent across the board as well as the collective successes within Johnson County softball.

Eight teams from Johnson County qualified for the playoffs and four teams not only won district titles but captured undefeated district championships. Six teams also won at least one playoff round with three of those advancing to at least the regional quarterfinals.

Grandview leads the way on the 2023 All-Johnson County team after a dominant 2023 campaign that resulted in a trip to the UIL state tournament and a No. 1 state ranking the majority of the season.

The overall successful seasons throughout Johnson County are represented not only in deep first and second teams but in the superlative awards, which featured deep pools to choose from and all but one superlative award ending in a shared honor, including a three-way tie for All-Johnson County MVP.

MVP

The 2023 All-Johnson County MVP honor is shared among three players who dominated offensively and in the pitcher's circle; players that were instrumental in their teams' elite success in 2023.

Those players are: Burleson Centennial junior Bailey Lindemuth, Godley junior Cadence Chambliess and Grandview freshman Madi Doty.

Lindemuth put up incredible all-around numbers for the undefeated District 8-5A champion Lady Spartans, who won a bi-district title before a disappointing area-round exit. In the batter's box, Lindemuth hit .567 with a .623 on-base percentage and a 1.122 slugging percentage with 38 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 27 extra-base hits, eight home runs and 12 stolen bases. In the pitcher's circle, Lindemuth recorded 156 strikeouts against 67 hits, 22 earned runs and 27 walks allowed in 96 1/3 innings for a 1.54 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP ratio.

Chambliess was equally dominant for the undefeated District 10-4A champion Lady Cats, who reached the regional quarterfinals. Offensively, Chambliess slashed .557/.631/.814 with 46 RBIs, 40 runs and 17 extra-base hits. In the pitcher's circle, Chambliess went 12-3 with 88 strikeouts against 14 walks in 96 1/3 innings pitched for a 4.28 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.

And Doty move than lived up to the hype for her high school debut. After helping Team USA win gold at the U-15 Pan American Championships in April, Doty's play helped the Lady Zebras advance to the UIL state tournament for the second time in school history. Doty posted a 19-3 pitching record and was 4-for-4 in save opportunities. In 132 innings pitched, Doty recorded 231 strikeouts against 32 walks and 26 earned runs allowed for a 1.37 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP. Offensively, Doty slashed .427/.490/.718 with 35 RBIs, 41 runs, 22 extra-base hits and seven homers.

Offensive Player of the Year

More than a few players put up gaudy enough numbers at the plate to be considered for All-Johnson County offensive player of the year. and in most years, the majority of those worthy players would've been easy decisions. But the 2023 season wasn't a normal year as a number of standouts across the county hit the ball all over the place.

In the end, Burleson senior Emily Jacobs and Rio Vista freshman Ayden Greenslade are the 2023 All-Johnson County co-offensive players of the year.

Jacobs hit .516 with a .579 on-base percentage and a blistering 1.204 slugging percentage for a Lady Elks team that finished runner-up to Burleson Centennial in District 8-5A. Jacobs recorded 38 RBIs with 54 runs, 32 extra-base hits and 15 home runs.

Greenslade proved to be nearly an impossible out for opposing pitching as she boasted a county-leading .680 batting average to go along with a county-best .718 on-base percentage. Her big bat was a key factor in the Lady Eagles capturing the District 12-2A title. She also recorded a 1.184 slugging percentage with an unbelievable 79 RBIs and 50 runs with 33 extra-base hits and seven home runs. Perhaps even more impressive than all of that? She only struck out three times all season — in her freshman year!

Defensive Player of the Year

One of only two superlative awards that aren't shared, the All-Johnson County defensive player of the year honor goes to Grandview sophomore Jaley James

When James, a catcher, moved to Grandview in 2022, Grandview Coach Leigh Ebner told her they had a big hole to fill at shortstop. James went right to work learning how to play shortstop and not only did she manage to play the position well, but she was highly efficient at it.

James posted a .944 fielding percentage with 42 assists, 43 putouts and four double plays. As good as she was defensively, James also was dominant offensively for the Lady Zebras with a .515 batting average, .596 on-base percentage and .938 slugging percentage with 64 RBIs, 72 runs, 30 extra-base hits and 12 homers.

Pitcher of the Year

For a second straight season, Grandview's Caydin Blackmon and Joshua's Catie Amador are the All-Johnson County co-pitchers of the year.

It is Blackmon's third straight all-county pitcher of the year honor after also winning as a sophomore and junior the prior two seasons. For her senior campaign, Blackmon went 18-1 with 126 strikeouts against 21 walks and 18 earned runs allowed in 91 innings pitched for a 1.38 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. She was also key offensively with a .295 batting average with 18 RBIs and 22 runs.

Amador was dominant for Joshua for her third straight season since bursting onto the season as a talented freshman two years ago. In addition to winning all-county pitcher of the year in back-to-back seasons, she was also the All-Johnson County newcomer of the year as a freshman in 2021. This season, Amador notched 188 strikeouts against 41 earned runs and 42 walks allowed in 125 2/3 innings pitched for a 2.28 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 13-9 record against a tough Class 5A schedule.

Catcher of the Year

Arguably one of the deeper positions in the county, the All-Johnson County catcher of the year honor is shared between a pair of sophomores in Grandview's Kylie Grafa and Alvarado's Tenzly Martin. While both catchers were rock solid defensively, they were also key cogs in their respective lineups.

Grafa followed up her stellar freshman season with an even better sophomore year with a .435 batting average, .497 on-base percentage and .855 slugging percentage with 56 RBIs, 18 runs, 28 extra-base hits and 13 home runs. She allowed only 10 passed balls in 226 innings caught.

Martin was a key cog for an Alvarado team that managed to qualify for the playoffs after a slow start to the season. Martin was steady all season with a .523/.551/.935 line that included 30 RBIs, 42 runs, 28 extra-base hits, three homers and 13 stolen bases. In nearly 160 innings caught, Martin had only 11 passed balls get by her.

Newcomer of the Year

When looking at a list of 'newcomer of the year' candidates this season, one thing is clear: the future of Johnson County softball is bright.

Despite a long list of newcomers to pick from, Alvarado freshman Aubree Nalley and Venus freshman Kylee Spray are the All-Johnson County co-newcomers of the year for their key contributions as a pitcher and batter for their respective teams.

With the graduation of 2022 all-county co-MVP Jacey Power, Alvarado had two big holes to fill: in the pitcher's circle and in the heart of the lineup. and Nalley did an admirable job filling those shoes. Nalley slashed .435/.518/.717 with 33 RBIs, 16 runs and 19 extra-base hits. In 152 innings pitched, she struck out 147 batters against 88 earned runs and 96 walks allowed for a 4.05 ERA and 1.81 WHIP.

Likewise, Spray was one of the big reasons Venus not only qualified for the playoffs but made a surprising run to the regional quarterfinals. Spray hit .440 with a .528 on-base percentage and a .660 slugging percentage with 36 RBIs, 32 runs, 21 walks and 16 extra-base hits. She struck out 151 batters against 81 runs and 85 walks allowed in 111 2/3 innings pitched for a 5.07 ERA and 1.82 WHIP.

Utility Player of the Year

Versatility in high school softball is a coveted asset for most coaches, and Burleson Centennial senior Bailey Ford and Godley sophomore Samantha Andersen filled multiple roles and excelled in all of them for their respective district champion squads.

Ford swung a huge bat for the Lady Spartans as she slashed .512/.534/1.037 with 40 RBIs, 32 runs, 10 homers and 20 extra-base hits as she played third base, shortstop and designated player.

In Godley, Andersen was almost interchangeable with Chambliess. When Chambliess, the co-MVP, wasn't pitching, Andersen was. and when Chambliess was pitching, Andersen was at shortstop as the two players exchanged roles. And, like Chambliess, Andersen was dominant offensively with a .429 average, .513 on-base percentage, 44 RBIs and 29 runs scored. In the pitcher's circle, Andersen struck out 88 batters against 44 earned runs and 34 walks allowed in 58 1/3 innings pitched for a 5.28 ERA and 1.83 WHIP with a 5-3 record.

Coach of the Year

A 39-4 record, undefeated district championship and trip to the UIL state tournament is certainly a strong enough résumé for Grandview's Leigh Ebner to garner 2023 All-Johnson County coach of the year honors.

It is Ebner's second straight all-county coach of the year award in her second season at the helm in Grandview.

In her two seasons guiding the Lady Zebras, Ebner has led Grandview to a 72-9 record with two district championships and eight playoff series wins with one regional semifinal appearance and a state semifinal appearance.

The All-Johnson County superlative awards are selected by the Times-Review based on all-district results, player statistics, team success and coach's nominations.