State softball tournament preview: Four Central Kentucky teams among hopefuls

Some of the best players and teams in Kentucky high school softball will take the field at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium beginning Thursday in their quest for a state championship.

Among them are four seniors who are committed to continue their athletic careers at the Cropp for Kentucky — Great Crossing’s Camryn Lookado and Delani Sullivan, Ballard’s Emory Donaldson and McCracken County’s Ally Hutchins.

Lookado scored the go-ahead run for the Warhawks in the 11th Region title game and it was Sullivan’s throw from center field that cut down their opponent’s potential tying run and sealed the school’s first region crown.

Lookado and Sullivan have carried the privilege and the burden of being high-profile Kentucky commits since their announcements in the fall of 2021. Stumbles against top competition last year helped pave the way for this season’s success, which included a No. 6 ranking in the final Kentucky Prep Softball Coaches Poll.

“It’s definitely been, like, we have targets on our backs. Just because everybody knows, like, they want to beat the big commits or whatever,” Sullivan said after the region championship. “But we definitely just take it one game at a time. I mean, now that we know we’re going to the field that we’re going to be playing at soon, it’s just so exciting.”

Great Crossing has the distinction of being the only team in the state to have beaten No. 1 Ballard in the last two seasons having taken down the defending champs 6-4 on May 4 at the Birds Nest. The Warhawks did not face Bruins’ ace Brooke Gray, however.

More future college players

Ballard’s Gray and teammate Mikayla Milby, both Louisville commits, also rank among the top college recruits in the field as compiled by the Kentucky Prep Softball Facebook page.

Henderson County has a pair of Murray State recruits in Kendal Hargrove and Anna Willett along with Liberty commit Jamaya Byrum and standout junior Taylor Troutman, who is aimed at SEC softball for Mississippi State.

East Jessamine’s Kayleigh White also plans to go to Murray State, while teammate Maddie Horn is set for Pikeville. And McCracken County’s Annie White is committed to Western Kentucky.

Central Kentucky representation

While there are no Lexington teams at state for the first time in three years, the Central Kentucky area is well represented by East Jessamine (Nicholasville), Great Crossing (Georgetown), Harrison County (Cynthiana) and Woodford County (Versailles).

East Jessamine is making its first state appearance since 2016. Harrison County reached the state quarterfinals last year. Woodford was last here as the 11th Region representative in 2019. It’s now in the 8th Region.

Miss Basketball in the house

Rowan County’s Haven Ford could be the first multi-sport athlete to take home top individual honors in both basketball and softball.

Ford, the 2023 Miss Basketball and Murray State basketball signee, leads the state with 81 RBI and is among the leaders in hitting with a .620 average, home runs (18), runs (70), and stolen bases (43).

Those numbers helped Rowan to its third-ever state softball tournament and first since 2008. The Vikings take on McCracken County at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The ranked teams

Eleven of the 16 teams in the field were ranked in the final coaches poll of the regular season, led by the defending champions, No. 1 Ballard, which is making its third straight state tournament appearance.

No. 2 McCracken County and No. 5 Henderson County also have a streak of three region titles while No. 4 Daviess County has four straight appearances.

While No. 6 Great Crossing doesn’t officially carry the legacy of sister school and three-time state champion Scott County, the last state champion hailing from somewhere other than Louisville called Georgetown home (2018).

Rounding out the ranked teams are No. 11 Mercy, No. 13 Greenwood, No. 17 Harrison County, No. 19 Woodford County, No. 21 Rowan County and No. 22 Central Hardin.

Hitters

Johnson Central’s Mayson Delong ranks as the tourney’s best hitter with a .667 average. Rowan County’s Ford and Daviess County’s Jessie Daniels top the home run hitters with 18.

And, as mentioned above, Ford leads the entire state with 81 RBI and her 70 runs scored is tops among tourney players.

As a team, Rowan County has the best batting average, .445, and most runs scored, 386, but Henderson County has the most pop with 66 home runs. McCracken County tops the RBI list with 329.

Swipers

Rowan County’s Diamond Wills has stolen 54 bases, the most among tourney players. Her team’s 170 stolen bases outdo everyone else, as well.

Aces

Ballard’s Gray, who has a 25-0 record for the Bruins this season, has a tourney-best earned-run average of 0.71. Gray also has the most strikeouts among tourney players with 264.

East Jessamine’s Kayleigh White has befuddled her share of batters, too with an ERA of 0.94.

State tournament

At UK’s John Cropp Stadium in Lexington

Tickets: gofan.co/app/school/KHSAA

Streaming video: KHSAA.tv (via subscription); Go.PrepSpin.com (pay per view)

Streaming audio: KHSAA.net

Schedule listed in bracketed order

Thursday, June 1

6 p.m.: Mercy (27-6) vs. Greenwood (19-13)

9 p.m.: Ballard (32-1) vs. Woodford County (26-9)

2 p.m.: Rowan County (33-4) vs. McCracken County (31-5)

11 a.m.: Johnson Central (27-9) vs. Highlands (27-8-1)

Friday, June 2

2 p.m.: Daviess County (30-4) vs. South Laurel (21-12)

11 a.m.: Perry County Central (30-5) vs. East Jessamine (27-5)

9 p.m.: Henderson County (30-5) vs. Great Crossing (30-4)

6 p.m.: Central Hardin (32-8-1) vs. Harrison County (31-7)

Saturday, June 3

Quarterfinal games at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Friday, June 9

Semifinal games at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturday, June 10

3 p.m.: Championship game

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