Douglas High junior Talia Tretton delivers a pitch earlier this season. Tretton earned Class 5A North Player of the Year honors for the second season in a row, helping lead the Tigers to their first state title since 1992.
Photo by Ron Harpin.
With an undefeated league record, it’s no surprise Douglas High softball loaded up on the Class 5A North all-region teams for the spring.
Leading the way for the Tigers were Talia Tretton and Mackenzie Willis.
Tretton, a junior, was named the Class 5A North Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while Willis picked up the Pitcher of the Year honor for the second time in as many seasons.
In the circle, Tretton put together a 1.70 ERA in 119.2 innings of work, capping most of them with a strikeout — of which she tallied 193.
At the plate, Tretton hit .500 in 133 plate appearances and put together 14 home runs, 14 doubles and led the Tigers with 47 RBIs.
Willis was also dominant, putting together a 1.79 ERA in 93.2 innings pitched.
The outgoing senior had 154 strikeouts to 33 walks this season and allowed just 24 earned runs all spring.
(Douglas High senior Mackenzie Willis throws a pitch during a Class 5A league game earlier this season. Willis, an outgoing senior, was named the Class 5A North Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row. / Ron Harpin)
FIRST TEAM
Other big names that earned first-team all-region honors for the Tigers.
Haley Wilkinson concluded a spectacular spring season with an all-region nod in the infield. The junior shortstop hit .513 and belted a team-high 15 home runs alongside 12 doubles and seven triples.
It won’t show up in the stat book, but Wilkinson also played some of the best defense in the state this spring, showcasing her ability to make diving stops to both left and right.
Joining Wilkinson on the first team was fellow middle infielder Zora Simpson.
Simpson, a junior, posted a .442 batting average with nine home runs, a team-high 16 doubles and 40 runs driven in.
At utility, outgoing senior Bre Williams earned a first-team all-region selection.
Williams belted 10 home runs, including the one that broke the tie in the state championship game against Centennial.
The senior hit .479 at the plate with 10 doubles and 46 RBIs. She spent most of her time defensively at first base.
Sophomore Maddie Gooch joined the other Tigers as a first-team selection in the outfield.
The athletic center fielder hit .434 with nine doubles and 23 runs driven in. She also highlighted her defensive ability with stellar plays in the outfield.
• Earning a first team all-region nod from Carson High was outgoing senior Corine Doran.
Doran had a gaudy .566 batting average in 31 games played, with seven home runs, 11 doubles, a triple and 27 RBIs. She led the Senators in essentially every offensive statistic.
SECOND TEAM, OTHERS
Dakota Till and Cam McClelland were the two Tigers selected for the second team all-region squad.
Till earned the selection at infield, where she held down third base. At the plate, the senior hit .434 with four home runs, three doubles and 28 RBIs.
McClelland earned second-team honors in the outfield as a sophomore. McClelland roped eight home runs for Douglas, along with eight doubles and a triple. The sophomore had 31 RBIs and also split time at catcher when she wasn’t in a corner outfield spot.
Joining their teammates on the all-region teams were Lilyann Lee and Annie Hill, earning honorable mention all-region selections.
Lee hit .305 in 59 at-bats, with six home runs, three doubles and 23 RBIs.
Hill put together a .349 average at the plate, along with seven doubles, a triple and nine runs batted in. The sophomore was a constant in the outfield for Douglas this season.
• From Carson, senior Ashleigh Naranjo and freshman Cali Stagliano rounded out the honorable mentions.
Naranjo, who held down the catching duties for the Senators, hit .293 with 17 RBIs and four extra-base hits.
Stagliano picked up her first all-region honor as a freshman; she hit .239 with two doubles and seven RBIs.
CLASS 5A ALL-REGION
Player of the year – Talia Tretton, Douglas
Offensive Player of the Year – Karolyn Glover, Reed
Pitcher of the Year – Mackenzie Willis, Douglas
Coach of the Year – Jon Wunder, Reed
First team
P – Sammi Boggs, Damonte Ranch; Josie Koelewyn, McQueen; Sophia Pardue, Reno. IF – Isabela Alosi, McQueen; Corine Doran, Carson; Mackenzie Trocke, Spanish Springs; Haley Wilkinson, Douglas; Zora Simpson, Douglas. OF – Madelyn McAdara, McQ; Lacey Grimes, Bishop Manogue; Makenna Dahir, SpSp; Breanna Staats, Reed; Maddie Gooch, Douglas. C – Sharlee Jackson, SpSp; Hailey Wackowski, Damonte Ranch. UTIL – Haley Noble, Reed; Bre Williams, Douglas.
Second team
P – Lily Delamora, SpSp; Ryan Jurischk, McQ; Ava Greene, Galena. IF – Layni Noonkester, SpSp; Kiki Harris, Bishop Manogue; Avery Cordell, Damonte Ranch; Dakota Till, Douglas. OF – Vanessa Bein, McQ; Madison Rogers, SpSp; Olivia Mares, DR; Cam McClelland, Douglas. C – Lily Fanene, McQ; Averie Stephan, BM. UTIL – Tannis Jacklin, Reno; Carli York, SpSp.
Honorable mention
Carson – Ashleigh Naranjo, Cali Stagliano. SpSp – Hanna Fitzpatrick, McKenna Timmons. Reed – Kaylie Carey, Anna Maxwell, Payton Jones. BM – Avery Marren, Lauren Faust. Galena – Brooklyn Cooper, Jordan Gurney. Douglas – Annie Hill, Lilyann Lee.
