Jaguars place six softball players on all-conference team

By Murray Gleffe

Correspondent

ASHWAUBENON-The Jaguars girls softball team had another very successful season under Head Coach Shannon VanLaanen.

The team went 23-6 overall and 14-4 in FRCC action.

The Jaguars rattled off six in a row to start the season, had a few tough losses in the middle part of the year, and then closed by winning 10 of their last 11 games heading into Regionals.

As a team, the Jaguars belted out 308 hits, scored 229 runs, had 12 shutouts, and even had three home runs (Katelynn Cleveland, Anna Wendorf, and Peyton Wright).

Despite falling in the Sectional Semis, the Jaguars had the Co-Player of the Year in Alexa Blasczyk.

Her batting percentage was .472 for the season. Additionally, she had 42 hits and 25 RBI’s, and played defense exceptionally well out in left-field.

Chloe Brabant was the player in between the batter and the umpire.

She did all of the hard work for the Jaguars this season.

For her efforts, she was recognized as one of the top two catchers in the conference.

Brabant didn’t stop there.

Her batting produced 25 singles, and 6 doubles on the year.

Kally VanLaanen has been around the game of softball for a while since her dad is the head coach.

VanLaanen played short stop where a majority of the balls are hit in the infield and threw out the hitters almost exclusively.

In addition, she batted .381 on the season and scored 25 runs for the team.

On the mound, the Jaguars had a real workhouse in Katelynn Cleveland.

She pitched in 27 of the 29 games and worked 128 of the 170 innings contested.

She had a remarkable 1.8 ERA (38 runs) and threw 1292 strikes.

Not to be outdone were the contributions that Josie Hilbert and Zion Estano brought to the Jaguars in 2018.

Hilbert and Estano had close to a perfect 100 percent rating for their outfield performance in catching countless balls during the course of 29 games.

Estano was dangerous as a base runner in leading the team with 25 stolen bases.

Hilbert was the surgical force behind many key bunts in close games.

In all, it contributed to them being recognized as honorable mention members.

FRCC 2018 All-Conference Softball Honors

First Team

Blasczyk, Ashwaubenon, Outfield

Katelyn Simoens, De Pere, Outfield

Lauren Spaulding, Sheboygan North, Outfield

Maddy Ehlke, Bay Port, Infield

Katie Kugel, Green Bay Preble, Infield

Rachel Kerkhoff, De Pere, Infield

Keegan Piton, Green Bay Preble, Infield

Emily Higgins, Pulaski, Infield

Emma Hock, Bay Port, Catcher

Brabant, Ashwaubenon, Catcher

Brittany Baneck, Green Bay Preble, Pitcher

Lauren Dixon, Pulaski, Pitcher

Players of the Year

Baneck, Green Bay Preble, Blasczyk, Ashwaubenon

Coach of the Year:

Billi Vertz, Pulaski

Second Team

Kennedy Kingston, Green Bay Preble, Outfield

Cameron Koch, Green Bay Preble, Outfield

Hannah Kreuser, Pulaski, Outfield

VanLaanen, Ashwaubenon, Infield

McKayleigh Piper, De Pere, Infield

Evelyn Hoge, Green Bay Preble, Infield

Erin Flynn, Green Bay Southwest, Infield

Gabby Greetan, Manitowoc Lincoln, Infield

Lauren Hamann, Sheboygan North, Infield

Makayla Alexander, De Pere, Catcher

Mallory Ruechel, Pulaski, Catcher

Sydney LaPoint, Bay Port, Pitcher

Cleveland, Ashwaubenon, Pitcher

Honorable Mention

Estano, Ashwaubenon, Outfield

Hilbert, Ashwaubenon, Outfield

Jourdan Lee, Bay Port, Outfield

McKenzie Niespodzany, Pulaski, Outfield

Natalie Cerrato, De Pere, Infield

Katie Peters, Notre Dame, Infield

Camryn Baenen, Green Bay Preble, Infield

Julia Bolssen, Green Bay Southwest, Infield

Madi Winter, Pulaski, Infield

Kristin Burdeau, Pulaski, Infield

Cassie Foytik Green Bay Preble, Catcher

Emma Wiese, Pulaski, Pitcher

Talia Lackershire, Sheboygan North, Pitcher