PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kaila Jenkins
Severna Park
A freshman surprise last spring as she pitched the Falcons to their second state crown, Jenkins was an inning away from matching the feat this season. Fallston came away with a 3-1 state final win over the Falcons in eight innings, but the loss doesn't tarnish Jenkins' outstanding season.
With a variety of pitches and three different speeds, Jenkins overwhelmed batters all season. She went 19-4 with an 0.47 ERA and had 301 strikeouts in 162 innings for an average of 13 per game.
Jenkins also was a force at the plate, hitting .493 with 21 RBIs and 16 runs.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Don Ellenberger
Chesapeake
Chesapeake might have fallen a couple of runs short of its ultimate goal of winning the program's sixth state title, but plenty was accomplished along the way in its 21-5 season.
The fourth-ranked Cougars were coming off a crushing loss to eventual state champ North County in last year's Class 4A East region final, but Ellenberger was able to get his talented team refocused for another state championship run this spring. With first-year starting pitcher Kristie Hurman proving she was up to the task and a talented group around her, the Cougars got over the region hump and rolled through the state semifinal before falling, 4-2, to undefeated Westminster in the title game.
FIRST TEAM
Emily Bolling
Chesapeake
The junior made a smooth transition from left to center field this season to anchor a young Cougars' outfield, not committing an error on 18 chances. The repeat first-team selection also produced whatever was needed at the plate. Bolling, used both near the top of the lineup and at the bottom, hit .318, walking 15 times with four sacrifice bunts. She also stole six bases, scored 24 runs and drove in 10 more.
Tracey Dahlen
Chesapeake
The senior shortstop closed out a stellar four-year career with more fine work at the plate, on the bases and in the field. Combining speed and power, Dahlen hit .361 with 20 RBIs, 24 runs and a team-high 19 stolen bases. Defensively, she got to a lot of balls at shortstop, making good on 71 of 77 chances.
Michelle Davis
Glen Burnie
Speed is the junior outfielder's biggest asset and she used it everywhere: getting hits, stealing bases and covering plenty of ground in center. Batting leadoff for the Gophers, Davis hit .370, stole 19 bases in 20 attempts and scored 20 runs. She also made the most of her chances with runners in scoring position with 11 RBIs.
Heather Enders
Old Mill
The junior first baseman/pitcher broke into the Patriots' lineup in a big way, saving her best work at the plate for the top teams. Enders finished the season hitting .492 with 22 RBIs and 15 runs, collecting seven extra-base hits and stealing seven bases. Season highlights included a homer against Northeast and a two-run triple vs. Severna Park. She also went 5-3 on the mound.
Ashley Gray
Northeast
The Eagles' senior pitcher closed out a four-year varsity career (her sophomore year was at Institute of Notre Dame) with her usual stellar work on the mound and at the plate. Gray went 11-3 with a 0.34 ERA, striking out 132 in 100 innings. She also was the catalyst of the lineup, hitting .491 with 16 RBIs and 13 runs.
Kristie Hurman
Chesapeake
The Cougars' big question going into the season was how Hurman would respond as the team's top pitcher. The senior answered it with one strong outing after the next, getting the Cougars to the Class 4A state title game. She went 18-5, including a no-hitter in the Cougars' 8-0 state semifinal win over Eleanor Roosevelt, with a 1.14 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 153-plus innings.
Danielle Martinez
North County
The Knights' returning first-team All-Metro catcher found an even higher level to close out a fine three-year varsity career. Batting cleanup all season, Martinez hit .522 with 20 RBIs and 20 runs, also pounding out five doubles, five triples and a homer for a .791 slugging percentage. Equally impressive defensively, she threw out 17 of 19 runners who tried stealing.
Beth Mullins
North County
Mullins and the Knights were unable to win a third consecutive Class 4A state title, but the junior pitcher still enjoyed another fine season. She went 13-4 with a 0.84 ERA, striking out 110 in 108 innings while walking just 24. Mostly hitting third in the Knights' order, Mullins hit .316 with 14 RBIs and 13 runs.
Erin O'Keefe
Severna Park
The senior catcher and cleanup batter hit .380 with nine doubles, driving in a team-high 25 runs and also scoring 12 times. The hitting hero in the Falcons' Class 3A state title run last season, O'Keefe was again clutch with a two-run double in a 2-0 state semifinal win over La Plata.
Brittany Owen
Chesapeake
The Cougars' third baseman and cleanup hitter was the team's top run producer and also enjoyed another near-flawless season with the glove. The senior finished with a .386 batting average, drove in a team-high 28 runs and scored a team-high 26 runs with two doubles, four triples and two homers. For the second straight season, she only made one error, handling 71 chances at third this year.
LeeAnn Raber
Northeast
Resourceful at the plate and reliable in the field, the Eagles couldn't ask for much more from their senior center fielder. Raber, a four-year starter, hit .396 with 14 runs and five steals. The leader of the Eagles' outfield, she was flawless on her 12 chances, with 10 putouts and two assists.
Sara Schmidt
Glen Burnie
Equally effective with her bat and glove, the Gophers' second baseman put together a fine senior season. The team captain batted .424 with 25 hits and 17 walks, scoring 27 runs and driving in nine. Combining with shortstop Amber Stapler, Schmidt was part of the county's top defensive middle infield, committing just two errors in 72 chances.
Sloane Van Meter
Archbishop Spalding
With bat speed and good power, the freshman center fielder posted numbers at the leadoff spot that would have made any cleanup hitter proud. Van Meter finished with a .506 batting average that included six doubles, seven triples and six home runs, and she drove in 23 runs and scored 35 times. She committed only one error to finish with a .967 fielding percentage.
THE SOFTBALL TEAMS
Player of the Year: Kaila Jenkins, Severna Park Coach of the Year: Don Ellenberger, Chesapeake First team
Name School Class Position
Ashley Gray Northeast Senior Pitcher
Kristie Hurman Chesapeake Senior Pitcher
Kaila Jenkins Severna Park Sophomore Pitcher
Beth Mullins North County Junior Pitcher
Danielle Martinez North County Senior Catcher
Heather Enders Old Mill Junior First base
Sara Schmidt Glen Burnie Senior Second base
Brittany Owen Chesapeake Senior Third base
Tracey Dahlen Chesapeake Senior Shortstop
Emily Bolling Chesapeake Junior Outfield
Michelle Davis Glen Burnie Junior Outfield
LeeAnn Raber Northeast Senior Outfield
Sloane Van Meter Arch. Spalding Freshman Outfield
Erin O'Keefe Severna Park Senior DH
Second team
Name School Class Position
Jess Battista Broadneck Junior Pitcher
Beth Slater Glen Burnie Senior Pitcher
Stephanie Weigman Arch. Spalding Freshman Pitcher
Rachelle Wedell Northeast Junior Catcher
Jamie Buccheit North County Freshman First base
Kelly Leary Glen Burnie Freshman First base
Meghan Hickman Chesapeake Junior Second base
Kristin Wojtowycz Severna Park Junior Third base
Amber Stapler Glen Burnie Senior Shortstop
Danielle Ziegler Old Mill Senior Shortstop
Brittany Lounge Arch. Spalding Sophomore Outfield
Brooke Owen Chesapeake Freshman Outfield
Shannon Warco Severna Park Senior Outfield
Ali Montgomery Old Mill Senior DH
Note: Teams selected by Glenn P. Graham after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.