Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

It was another impressive season for softball in the Your Prep Sports area.

The Your Prep Sports area featured some of the top individual talent in the state this summer, was home to three teams that reached regional title games and the Class 2A state champion Regina which won back-to-back state titles for the first time in program history.

The annual Your Prep Sports area softball team recognizes some of the top area players for their outstanding effort on the diamond.

The seventh edition of the Your Prep Sports area squad features all-state, all-district and all-conference performers, college recruits and state champions.

This year’s 20-member team has nine repeat selections from a year ago highlighted by Solon senior Hilary Wilson who is the first five-time member of the Your Prep Sports all-area team.

Regina seniors Ashley Webb, Courtney Kessler and Dani Laughlin, Liberty High’s Mischa Reiners and Haileigh Smith, City High’s Lianna Hull, West Branch’s Lanie Meyer and Clear Creek Amana’s Reese Stockman join Wilson as repeat picks.

Kessler and Webb are the 2023 team captains after leading Regina to a second consecutive 2A title.

Webb and Kessler each earned first-team all-state honors and were members of the 2A all-tournament team.

Kessler hit .551 and led Regina with 22 extra-base hits, 60 RBI and a .805 slugging percentage.

Webb went 19-6 with a 1.41 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while striking out 183 in 138 2/3 innings and allowed 10 runs in six postseason wins.

2023 Your Prep Sports Area Softball Team

*P – Ashley Webb, Sr., Regina: Among the top pitchers in the state the Ferris State recruit earned all-state honors for the third consecutive season and was named captain of the Class 2A all-tournament team after leading the Regals to a state championship while posting a 19-6 record, 1.41 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while striking out 183 in 138 2/3 innings pitched.

P – Elizabeth Timmerman, Fr., Clear Creek Amana: An impressive young player all over the field Timmerman did some of her best work in the circle where she went 8-4 with a 2.83 ERA while striking out 53 in 86 2/3 innings to go with a .395 batting average, 11 extra-base hits and 19 RBI.

*C – Courtney Kessler, Sr., Regina: The leader for Regina both behind the plate and in the batting order Kessler earned first-team all-state honors for the first time after ranking second in Class 2A in both hits and RBI while leading Regina to the first back-to-back state titles in program history. A Minnesota State recruit, Kessler hit .551 with 22 extra-base hits, three home runs, 60 RBI and 41 runs scored.

C – Mischa Reiners, Jr., Liberty High: Among the best catchers in the state Reiners continued her impressive career hitting .314 with nine doubles and 19 runs scored while leading the Lightning with 40 RBI.

C – Molly Carlson, Fr., City High: It was a breakthrough season for Carlson who batted .368 and led City High with eight doubles, 13 extra-base hits, 27 RBI and 15 walks and a .600 slugging percentage while ranking second on the team with a .478 on-base percentage.

INF – Hilary Wilson, Sr., Solon: One of the most productive players in the storied history of the Solon program Wilson earned all-state honors for the fourth consecutive season landing on the 3A first team for the second time after hitting .449 with 18 extra-base hits, 35 RBI and 31 runs scored and closes her career a .463 hitter with 24 home runs, 102 extra-base hits and 192 RBI.

INF – Gabby Sueppel, Jr., Regina: A stalwart in the Regina infield the past two seasons the slick-fielding Sueppel hit .319 with 23 runs scored and 21 RBI for the Regals and was a first-team all-River Valley Conference South Division pick and member of the 2A all-tournament team.

INF – Brynlee Slockett, Jr., Liberty High: The junior second baseman earned all-state honors for the first time as a second-team pick in Class 5A by the IGCA after batting .395 with four home runs, 31 RBI and 39 runs scored and 17 stolen bases.

INF – Lanie Meyer, Soph., West Branch: An honorable mention all-state pick last season Meyer earned third-team all-state honors in 2A this season after leading the Bears in batting average (.448), hits (43), doubles (15), home runs (6), RBI (36), on-base percentage (.505), slugging percentage (.812) and OPS (1.317).

INF – Lianna Hull, Soph., City High: Hull is quickly emerging as one of the most productive players in Class 5A backing up a breakthrough freshman season with a stellar sophomore campaign in which she earned second-team all-state honors for the second season in a row after leading City High in batting average (.452), runs (33), hits (47), stolen bases (17), triples (3) and on-base percentage (.517).

INF – Kendra Mescher, Jr., West High: A first-team all-Mississippi Valley Conference all-division pick the junior shortstop led West High in hits (28), runs (8), doubles (5) and batting average (.289).

INF – Haley Schroeder, Jr., Liberty High: It was a breakout season for Schroeder who was a second-team all-state pick in Class 5A after hitting .400 with 23 extra-base hits, six home runs, 26 stolen bases and 24 RBI while ranking fourth in 5A with 55 runs scored and 15 doubles.

INF – Reese Stockman, Jr., Clear Creek Amana: Stockman continued to produce in the middle of the Clipper lineup earning all-state honors for the second straight season after hitting .429 with 18 runs scored and 23 RBI while posting a .522 on-base and .571 slugging percentage.

OF – Dani Laughlin, Sr., Regina: A Texas State recruit, Laughlin led Class 2A and ranked fourth in the state with a .604 batting average while earning second-team all-state honors from the IGCA. Laughlin led 2A with a .658 on-base percentage, scored 49 runs and drove in 19 for 2A champion Regina.

OF – Avery Kies, Jr., Regina: The spark at the top of the Regina batting order Kies had the best season of her career batting .403 with 28 stolen bases and 13 RBI while leading Regina with 50 runs scored and 20 walks.

OF – Kelsey Kaut, Fr., Liberty High: Few players had a bigger breakthrough than Kaut who emerged as a major threat at the top of the Lightning batting order in her first season as a full-time starter batting a team-high .425 with 19 stolen bases, 37 runs scored and 25 RBI.

OF – Addie Miller, Soph., Solon: Miller earned all-state honors for the first time landing on the 3A second-team following a breakthrough season in which she hit .412 and led Solon with eight home runs and a .714 slugging percentage while driving in 33 runs and scoring 20 runs.

OF – Izzy Frees, Soph., Solon: Frees was solid in the circle going 7-3 with a 2.37 ERA and two saves in 47 1/3 innings pitched but was at her best in the batters box during a breakthrough season hitting .378 with four home runs and 26 RBI to go with 28 runs scored.

UTIL – Haileigh Smith, Sr., Liberty High: A key piece of the Liberty High lineup the past several seasons Smith did a little bit of everything while helping the Lightning reach the regional title game hitting .415 with 15 doubles, 37 RBI and 26 runs scored while also going 5-3 with a 4.28 ERA in 52 1/3 innings pitched.

UTIL – Kyla Schulte, Fr., Clear Creek Amana: Among the top young two-way players in the state Schulte earned third-team all-state honors after batting .373 with a team-high eight home runs while driving in 24 runs and scored 26 runs to go with a 9-8 record and 4.25 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 89 innings pitched.

*- Denotes team captains

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