High school baseball, softball coaches select Players of the Year on division all-star teams

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Two seniors who posted impressive statistics during their final high school baseball seasons were named Players of the Year by Northern Kentucky coaches.

Beechwood senior outfielder Logan Castleman was named Player of the Year in Division A and the 9th Region. The Wright State University recruit ranks among the state leaders in batting average (.652), runs batted in (55), runs scored (62), and stolen bases (31).

The Division AA Player of the Year award goes to Ryle senior outfielder Blaine Walters. The Northern Kentucky  University recruit allowed just two earned runs in 10 games for a 0.28 ERA that was best in the state.

Fast-pitch softball coaches selected a Player of the Year in three divisions. The award-winning seniors were Campbell County pitcher Jessica Walsh in Division I, Highlands infielder Rachel Gabbard in Division II and Dayton shortstop Grace Workman in Division III.

Walsh has a 21-3 pitching record with more than 230 strikeouts. Gabbard and Workman are the leading hitters on their respective teams that will meet in the 36th District title game on Thursday.

N.KY. BASEBALL COACHES ALL-STAR TEAMS

DIVISION A
Player of the Year — Logan Castleman (Beechwood).
Coach of the Year — Kevin Gray (Beechwood).
1B — Kameron Kraus (St. Henry). 2B — Gavin Hayes (Bellevue). 3B — Jake Brockman (St. Henry). SS — John Odom (Beechwood). C — Bryce Ziegler (Highlands). OF — Logan Castleman (Beechwood), Devin Johnson (Beechwood), Cooper Schwalbach (Highlands). DH — Ayden Hutton (Beechwood). P — Carter Noah (Beechwood), Grady Kramer (Highlands).

DIVISION AA
Player of the Year — Blaine Walters (Cooper).
Coach of the Year — Chris Maxwell (Dixie Heights).
1B — Sam Crigler (Cooper). 2B — Christian Seger (Simon Kenton). 3B — Landen Scott (Simon Kenton). SS — Jesus Riera (Campbell County). C — Derek Atwood (Conner). OF — Adam Gray (Campbell County), Brennan Gangwish (Simon Kenton), Jack Coldiron (CovCath). DH — Truman Pierson (CovCath).  P — Blaine Walters (Cooper), Evan Webster (Ryle).

9TH REGION AWARDS
Player of the Year — Logan Castleman (Beechwood).
Coach of the Year — Kevin Gray (Beechwood). Assistant Coach of the Year — Denny Taney (Holy Cross).
Senior All-Stars — Logan Castleman (Beechwood), Evan Webster (Ryle), Blaine Walters (Cooper), John Odom (Beechwood). Junior All-Stars — Ethan Kavanagh (Highlands), Carter Noah (Beechwood), Bryce Smith (Dixie Heights).
Sophomore All-Stars — Owen Nally (CovCath), Zach Haigis (Dixie Heights), Jake Gulley (Highlands).

N.KY. SOFTBALL COACHES ALL-STAR TEAMS

DIVISION I
Player of the Year — Jessica Walsh (Campbell County). 
First Team — Macy Krohman (Simon Kenton), Karys Black (Boone County), Kai Dickerson (Ryle), Kaylee McGinn (Dixie Heights), Dylan Scott (Cooper), Serena Paterno (Notre Dame), McKinlee Miller (Campbell County), Brooke Albert (Dixie Heights), Grace Morgan (Ryle).
Second Team — Nikki Bridgers (Boone County), Corin Crawford (Conner), Bella Bastin (Campbell County), Amber Chaney (Cooper), Olivia Meier (Notre Dame), Merrin Kelly (Scott), Hannah Bishop (Ryle), Star Smith (Boone County), Emma Houston (Conner).

DIVISION II 
Player of the Year — Rachel Gabbard (Highlands).
First Team — Olivia Verst (Pendleton County), Maddie Kramer (Brossart), Kacy Zimmerman (NewCath), Addisyn Michael (Walton-Verona), Maycie Walker (Grant County), Shannon Flaherty (St. Henry), Maddie Musk (Pendleton County), Reagan Carlisle (Pendleton County), Kaycee Fogt (St. Henry).
Second Team — Kennedy Baioni (Highlands), Sydney Steimle (St. Henry), Morgan Barnes (Newport), Madison Kennedy (Lloyd), Breanna Beach (Grant County), Anna Greenwell (Highlands), Samantha Verst (Pendleton County), Piper Macke (Highlands), Jenna Fryer (NewCath).

DIVISION III
Player of the Year — Grace Workman (Dayton).
First Team — Brooke Meier (Villa Madonna), Arianna Dotson (Bellevue), Olivia Palesak (Calvary Christian), Emma Donelen (Dayton), Anna Wagner (Villa Madonna), Delaney Kemper (Williamstown), Emily Taylor (Williamstown), Alexis Leger (Bellevue), Karina Casterlon (Ludlow).
Second Team — Cameron Williams (Bellevue), Kayla Everman (Ludlow), Hannah Steffen (Covington Latin), Casey Fulton (Villa Madonna), Ruby Boutot (Calvary Christian), Madison Morgan (Ludlow), Tabi Jordan (Williamstown), Kaylin Peer (Williamstown), Savanna Schwartz (Calvary Christian).

$500 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Jaylin Buford (Dixie Heights), Becca Mitchell (Campbell County), Olivia Palasek (Calvary Christian), Mariah Frommeyer (Brossart), Brooke Meier (Villa Madonna).