The Herald’s 2022 All-Area high school softball teams

Editor’s note: The Player of the Year and All-Area teams were chosen by The Herald sports staff based on coach recommendations, season statistics and first-hand observations.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

River Mahler, sr., SS, Monroe

Click here for The Herald’s player of the year story on Mahler.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike Perrine, Cascade

Perrine, who took over as the Bruins’ head coach prior to the canceled 2020 season, guided Cascade to a massive turnaround. After seven consecutive losing seasons, the Bruins went 19-8 this spring and captured the Class 3A District 1 Tournament title. They earned their first state appearance since 2009 and just their second in program history. And they tied for seventh place at the 3A state tournament, where they claimed their first-ever state victories.

Mike Perrine (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

FIRST TEAM

Yanina Sherwood, soph., P, Jackson

Sherwood posted a 1.17 earned-run average in 143.2 innings pitched, while totaling 205 strikeouts and limiting opponents to a .176 batting average. She also was a power threat at the plate, belting six home runs and three doubles. The hard-throwing sophomore ace led the Timberwolves to a 24-4 campaign, the Wesco 4A title and a 4A state semifinal appearance.

Yanina Sherwood (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Emma Nagy, sr., P, Monroe

Nagy logged a 3.34 ERA in 176 innings pitched, while totaling 182 strikeouts and 70 walks. She also batted .457 with 11 home runs, one triple, seven doubles, a .509 on-base percentage and a .904 slugging percentage. The two-way senior helped lead the Bearcats to a 20-8 record and a tied-for-fifth-place finish in the 3A state tournament.

Emma Nagy (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Morgan Epperson, sr., P, Marysville Getchell

Epperson struck out 152 batters in 149 innings pitched and batted .329 with eight home runs. The two-way senior helped lead the Chargers to the 3A state tournament, which marked the first state appearance in the program’s decade-long history. She had some of her best pitching performances in the postseason, including a one-hitter in a state play-in round win over Eastside Catholic.

Morgan Epperson (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Alli Wilson, sr., C, Snohomish

Wilson batted .457 with two home runs, two triples, 12 doubles, a .559 on-base percentage and .728 slugging percentage. The senior catcher helped lead the Panthers to a 20-6 record, the Wesco 3A/2A title and a 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

River Mahler, sr., INF, Monroe

The Stanford University-bound shortstop batted .691 with nine home runs, six triples and 18 doubles while breaking a number of school records for the Bearcats. Mahler had at least one hit in every game and struck out just twice all season, posting a .709 on-base percentage and a 1.297 slugging percentage. She also stole nine bases and made a number of spectacular plays at shortstop, where she logged a .981 fielding percentage. She led Monroe to a 20-8 record and a tied-for-fifth-place finish in the 3A state tournament.

Nyree Johnson, soph., INF, Lynnwood

Johnson batted a scorching .724 and belted 20 home runs in a record-breaking season for the Royals. The sophomore shortstop also hit three triples and six doubles, while posting a .774 on-base percentage.

Scarlette Chapman, soph., INF, Kamiak

Chapman batted .556 with six home runs, four triples and nine doubles. She posted a .605 on-base percentage and a 1.041 slugging percentage, while also stealing seven bases and playing error-free defense in the infield.

Teagan Carroll, jr., INF, Marysville Getchell

Carroll batted .505 and blasted five home runs, seven triples and 13 doubles. She helped lead the Chargers to the 3A state tournament, which marked the first state appearance in the program’s decade-long history.

Allie Thomsen, fr., OF, Jackson

Thomsen batted .392 with 10 home runs, one triple, six doubles and 10 stolen bases. The freshman phenom also excelled as a change-of-pace reliver for the Timberwolves, posting a 1.96 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 46.1 innings pitched. She helped lead Jackson to a 24-4 campaign, the Wesco 4A title and a 4A state semifinal appearance.

Allie Thomsen (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Riley Ryan, sr., OF, Arlington

Ryan batted .476 with three home runs, five triples and seven doubles. She posted a .583 on-base percentage and an .889 slugging percentage, while helping lead the Eagles to an 18-8 record and a 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

Lexi Eck, sr., OF, Arlington

Eck batted .416 with seven home runs, one triple and nine doubles. She posted a .475 on-base percentage and a .775 slugging percentage, while helping lead the Eagles to an 18-8 record and a 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

Lexi Eck (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Cameron Dunn, jr., DP, Mountlake Terrace

Dunn batted .596 and blasted 16 home runs and six doubles, including an incredible streak of 11 consecutive games with a homer. She posted a .743 on-base percentage and a whopping 1.745 slugging percentage.

Alexis Slater, sr., Utility, Mariner

Slater, last year’s All-Area player of the year, had another big season at the plate and in the circle. The senior batted .463 with two home runs, one triple and five doubles, while posting a .517 on-base percentage and a .704 slugging percentage. She also logged a 2.80 ERA in 70 innings pitched, with 126 strikeouts and just 16 walks.

SECOND TEAM

Rebecca Carson, sr., P, Shorewood

Carson posted a 2.38 ERA in 112 innings pitched during the regular season, while totaling 130 strikeouts and just 15 walks. She logged a 0.89 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) and limited opponents to a .210 batting average. She also hit .375 with two home runs, two triples and nine doubles. The two-way senior led the Stormrays to a 15-7 record, which marked their most wins in at least a decade.

Abigail Surowiec, jr., P, Cascade

Surowiec was the Bruins’ primary pitcher and batted .323 with 12 home runs, including seven homers in the postseason. The two-way junior helped lead Cascade to a breakthrough campaign that included a 19-8 record, the 3A District 1 Tournament title, the program’s second-ever state berth and a tied-for-seventh-place finish in the 3A state tournament.

Abigail Surowiec (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Lizzie Durfee, sr., P, Arlington

Durfee posted a 3.60 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 133.1 innings pitched. The senior pitcher helped lead the Eagles to an 18-8 record and a 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

Lizzie Durfee (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Maddie Knowles, jr., C, Cedarcrest

Knowles batted .361 with nine home runs and six doubles, while posting a .484 on-base percentage and an .819 slugging percentage. She also excelled on defense, catching 10 runners stealing and allowing just three passed balls all season. She helped lead the Red Wolves to the 2A state tournament.

Emma Hansen, jr., INF, Snohomish

Hansen hit .438 with five home runs and 10 doubles, while posting a .494 on-base percentage and an .825 slugging percentage. The junior shortstop also stole 10 bases and logged a .924 fielding percentage. She helped lead the Panthers to a 20-6 record, the Wesco 3A/2A title and a 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

Emma Hansen (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Katharine Townley, sr., INF, Cedarcrest

Townley batted .508 with six home runs and six doubles, while posting a .522 on-base percentage and an .836 slugging percentage. The senior third baseman also logged a .983 fielding percentage and helped lead the Red Wolves to the 2A state tournament.

Natalie Krueger, sr., INF, Lakewood

Krueger hit .464 with five home runs, one triple and 17 doubles, while posting a .509 on-base percentage and an .814 slugging percentage. The senior shortstop helped lead the Cougars to an 18-8 record and a 2A state semifinal appearance, which marked their deepest state run in program history.

Alexa Hamshaw, jr., INF, Cascade

Hamshaw batted .417 with five home runs and posted a .451 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage. The junior first baseman and pitcher helped lead the Bruins to a breakthrough campaign that included a 19-8 record, the 3A District 1 Tournament title, the program’s second-ever state berth and a tied-for-seventh-place finish in the 3A state tournament.

Alexa Hamshaw (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Hailey Pelletier, soph., OF, Jackson

Pelletier hit .433 with three home runs, three triples and six doubles, while splitting time between outfield and catcher. She helped lead the Timberwolves to a 24-4 record, the Wesco 4A title and a 4A state semifinal appearance.

Hailey Pelletier (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Skyla Bristol, jr., OF, Snohomish

Bristol batted .468 with three home runs and 10 doubles, while posting a .523 on-base percentage and a .766 slugging percentage. The junior outfielder and pitcher helped lead the Panthers to a 20-6 record, the Wesco 3A/2A title and a 3A state quarterfinal appearance.

Skyla Bristol (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Alexa Bradley, soph., OF, Lake Stevens

Bradley hit .442 with three home runs, one triple and seven doubles. She posted a .469 on-base percentage and a .675 slugging percentage, while helping the Vikings come within one win of the 4A state tournament.

Avalon Kummer, soph., DP, Lakewood

Kummer batted .526 with three home runs, one triple and 15 doubles, while posting a .553 on-base percentage and an .825 slugging percentage. She helped lead the Cougars to an 18-8 record and a 2A state semifinal appearance, which marked their deepest state run in program history.

Faith Jordan, jr., Utility, Glacier Peak

Jordan hit .400 with six home runs, one triple and eight doubles, while posting a .481 on-base percentage and an .800 slugging percentage. She split time between shortstop and pitcher, logging a 1.82 ERA with 92 strikeouts and 28 walks over 65.1 innings in the circle. She helped lead the Grizzlies to a 15-7 record.