The 2026 softball season has come and gone with each team showing vast improvement from 2025.
Elysian Fields tripled their total wins from six to 18 with an 18-16-1 and 6-8 in District 19-2A play. Harleton and Jefferson continued their presence in the playoffs with the Lady Wildcats finishing at 11-24-1 and 9-5 District 19-2A play and the Lady Bulldogs finishing with a 12-20 and 5-5 District 13-3A play.
Marshall nearly doubled their win total from nine to 17. The Lady Mavericks finished 17-13-2 and 7-7in District 10-5A. Waskom passed 10 wins for the first time in over a decade with 14-20 and 5-9 in District 19-2A play.. More on Hallsville in a moment.
Five players stood out and earned top superlatives for this year’s awards.
Most Valuable Player: Ella Baird, So., Hallsville
Baird completely dominated the diamond for the Lady Cats. She put Hallsville on her back as the sole ace, leading her team to the state semifinals for the second year in a row.
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She finished the season with a .354 average, .392 OBP, .575 slug in 39 games played. She collected 40 hits with two home runs, 20 RBI and nine runs.
In the circle, she finished with a 25-6 record, a 1.623 ERA with 278 strikeouts. She walked 67 batters and had a 1.003 WHIP in 211.1 innings pitched.
Her 278 strikeouts puts her at 10th place in Texas, first in all of Class 5A, first in the district, fourth in Region III and 105th in the nation.
Her 1.623 ERA puts her in 1st place in the district, 10th in Class 5A and 40th in Texas.
In just her sophomore season, she’s putting up veteran numbers as not only the best in the Piney Woods but as one of the top prospects in the nation.
Newcomer of the Year: Harper Day, Fr., Elysian Fields
Day completely dominated in the circle for the Lady Jackets. She batted .351/.442/.557 with 34 hits, 22 singles, five doubles, six triples, one home run and eight stolen bases.
In the circle, she pitched 122.1 innings with an 11-9 record and a 3.262 ERA.
Her 156 strike outs places her within the top-100 in the state at 96th. She ranked first in the district and 14th in all of 2A.
Day is proving she is one of the top pitchers in 2A with her great showing in her freshman season in a tough district.
Offensive Player of the Year: Miller Goswick, Jr., Hallsville
Goswick is known for her defensive prowess but one of the most underrated aspects of her game is the way she carries herself and produces in the box.
Her .360 average placed her at 19th in the district but that’s not the part that stands out about her offense. Whenever Goswick steps up to the plate, pitchers know she is a threat to hit one out of the park with just one swing. Her 18 home runs landed her at second place in the district, seventh in Class 5A, 14th in Texas and 61st nationally and led the district in RBIs with 51.
Overall, she finished her junior season with a .360 average, .415 OBP, .939 slug, with 41 hits, 18 home runs, 11 singles, 11 doubles, two triples and 56 RBI.
Defensive Player of the Year: Maddie Cooner, Jr., Jefferson
Cooner continues to defend center field like she’s done her whole career for the Lady Dawgs. She finished the season with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 30 putouts, three assists and one double-play.
She led the district in fielding and opposing batters knew that if anything hit in the air was heading towards Cooner, it’d be a sure out. Cooner led the no fly zone with ease.
Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Mentz, Fr., Marshall
Mentz put up one of the best pitching seasons for the Lady Mavs as a freshman and in total in a while.
She finished with a 10-10 record but that doesn’t do her justice. She led Marshall to a near extra innings upset in Hallsville that ended with her team falling 1-0 in 13 innings. To take the defending state runner ups and eventual state semifinalists that long without a run is a promising sign for Marshall’s ace.
On the year, she pitched 122.2 innings with a 2.51 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .211 batting-average against, while striking out 173 and walking 44. Her strikeouts ranked third in the district, 30th in the region and 105th in Texas. Her ERA finished at third in the district, 38th in Class 5A and 135th in Texas.
Coach/Team of the Year: Kayla Whatley, Hallsville
Despite losing many pivotal pieces to the Lady Cats state championship runner up season in 2025, Whatley and the Lady Cats put together arguably a way better season than the previous.
Her Lady Cats finished as outright Class 5A-District 10 outright champions for the first time in 10 years. They reached the state semifinals for the second consecutive year, one of the hardest feats to accomplish. Hallsville downed Denison in the bi-district round, Frisco Lone Star in area, Belton in regional semifinals, Midlothian Heritage in regional finals before falling to eventual state runners up White Settlement Brewer in the state semi-finals.
Hallsville finished the season with a 30-9-1 overall and a 12-2 District 10-5A record.
First Team: Harper Day, Fr., Elysian Fields; Madison Owens, Sr., Elysian Fields; Ella Baird, So., Hallsville; Morgan Garcia, So., Hallsville; Miller Goswick, Jr., Hallsville; Bella Green, Sr., Harleton; Maddie Cooner, Jr., Jefferson; Rayleigh Gulk, Jr., Jefferson; Chloe Wood, Jr., Jefferson; Ashley Mentz, Fr., Marshall
Second Team: Kirsten Commander, Sr., Elysian Fields; Averie Blocker, Fr., Hallsville; Mackenzie Griffin, Jr., Hallsville; Heidi Hart, Jr., Hallsville; Erin Terry, Fr., Hallsville; Kailee Skaggs, Fr., Harleton; Jacie Cooner, Fr., Jefferson; Karly Long, Jr., Jefferson; Maci Barbo, Jr., Waskom; Aubrey Maxwell, Fr., Waskom
Third Team: Kaylen Commander, Jr., Elysian Fields; Madison Giddens, Sr., Elysian Fields; Abby Hooten, So., Elysian Fields; Maddie McKinney, Jr., Hallsville; Annabelle Bunger, Fr., Harleton; Brynlie Braddock, Sr., Jefferson; Sa’Riya Durden, Fr., Jefferson; Karleigh Robinson, Sr., Marshall; Peyton Fussell, Jr., Waskom; Avery Woodley, So., Waskom
Honorable Mention: Taylor Youngblood, Jr., Elysian Fields; Libby Ford, Jr., Hallsville; Audrey Jones, Sr., Hallsville; Tenazia Alexander, So., Jefferson; Janaa Goynes, So., Jefferson; Summer Collins, So., Waskom; Jaydan Cullum, Jr., Waskom; Chyanne Haines, Jr., Waskom; Jada Spencer, Sr., Waskom; Hadlee Thompson, Fr., Waskom