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All-Union small school softball
Columbus’ Lily Coil named 2022-23 captain, VBC Randy Smith earns coach distinction
The 2022-23 softball season brought plenty of exciting moments.
Those moments couldn’t have been made without the area’s outstanding players and coaches.
While none of the area small schools got to the state tournament, Southeast Iowa was still home to some of the best softball in the state.
With that being said, it’s now time to pinpoint some of the players that showed out on the field this season with the 2022-23 installment of the All-Union small school softball list.
Leading on this year’s All-Union list is none other than the Warriors of Van Buren County.
The Warriors lead the way with four total selections, which includes three players and the coach distinction.
Columbus has just on player on this years’ list, but that comes with the captain honor.
Highland follows with three player selections. Cardinal and Mid-Prairie each have two named. Along with Colubmus, Winfield-Mt. Union and Hillcrest Academy each have one selection.
This time around, just four seniors grace the list.
COACH: Randy Smith, Van Buren County
Van Buren County head coach Randy Smith helped the Warriors take leaps this summer.
After going 12-12 the year prior, the Warriors turned around and finished with a 19-8 overall record this season, which included a second-place finish in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division at 10-3.
The Warriors came up just a few games short of the state tournament after a loss to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont.
CAPTAIN: Lily Coil, sophomore, Columbus
Not many were as dominant on the softball field as Columbus sophomore Lily Coil this season.
The unanimous SEISC first-team selection finished the season with a whopping .623 batting average. That was the third-best average across the entire state in all classes.
She also led the Wildcats in runs, hits and RBIs. Coil finished with 34 runs, 38 hits and 24 RBIs all while striking-out just once.
Coil also stole a perfect 24-24 bases this season.
In the circle, Coil pitched to a 7-5 record. She gave up 44 runs (20 earned) on 48 hits and 51 strikeouts. Coil finished with an ERA of 2.96.
PITCHER: Jessica Kraus, senior, Highland
Highland is senior pitcher Jessica Kraus was a unanimous selection SEISC first-team pick this season.
Kraus was the Huskies go-to throughout the season, amassing a record of 14-5.
In 26 games, she faced 376 batters, giving up 45 runs (32 earned) on 73 hits with 122 strikeouts. Kraus ended with an ERA of 2.21 and held opponents to an average of .194.
PITCHER: Nicoa McClure, junior, Highland
McClure was the Comets lone Class 2A All-District pick this season.
Playing in a touted South Central Conference, a conference that saw two teams make the state tournament, McClure pitched to a 12-15 record.
She gave up 121 runs (73 earned) on 216 hits against 778 opponents. With an earned runs average of 2.75, she struck out 152.
McClure batted .245 on the year, tallying 24 hits and a team leading 17 RBIs.
CATCHER: Anna Anderson, senior, Winfield-Mt. Union
Winfield-Mt. Union senior Anna Anderson was one of the Wolves’ top players on the diamond this season.
In 45 at-bats through 18 games, Anderson led the Wolves with a batting average of .533, along with a team leading 24 hits.
She also ended with 15 runs and 14 RBIs, while striking out just once.
INFIELD: Dakota Mitchell, sophomore, Mid-Prairie
For Mid-Prairie sophomore Dakota Mitchell it was a fantastic summer of softball.
The River Valley first-team selection finished the season with the sixth highest batting average in the RVC South, .439.
Her .519 on base percentage was the fifth best in the RVC.
She tallied 50 hits, 37 singles, seven doubles, four triples and two home runs with 22 RBIs. Mitchell also had a team-best 32 runs scored.
INFIELD: Ashlynn Huff, freshman, Van Buren County
Huff is one of three freshman on this season’s All-Union list.
She was integral in helping the Warriors to a great season as she was awarded with a first-team SEISC utility distinction for her play.
Huff led the Warriors with an average of .464 through 27 games.
She finished with a team-high 38 runs and a high of 39 hits with 22 RBIs. Huff stole 13-13 bases through the season as well.
INFIELD: Delaney Shaw, sophomore, Hillcrest Academy
Another SEISC first teamer was Delaney Shaw of Hillcrest Academy.
Shaw was one of the top players to grace the field for the Ravens this season as she led with a batting average of .431.
She finished with 21 runs and a team high 25 hits with 17 RBIs. She stole 11 bases on the season and finished with a fielding percentage of .905 with 148 total chances.
INFIELD: Payton Brun, junior, Highland
Brun, who held down first base for much of the season for Highland, was yet another SEISC first-team pick.
She batted .389 on the season, scoring 31 runs with a team-best 35 hits and 26 RBIs.
She was pretty good as running the base pads as well, stealing 15-15 bases on the season as well.
At first, Brun committed just one error in 161 total chances with a fielding percentage of .994.
OUTFIELD: Ivy Davison, junior, Van Buren County
Davison was a corner stone of the Warriors outfield defense this season.
The conference first-team center fielder batted .410 through 27 games.
She scored 32 runs with 34 hits and a team-high 36 RBIs.
In the field, Davison finished with a fielding percentage of .907.
OUTFIELD: MyLei Smith, senior, Highland
Smith helped the Huskies to yet another great season.
The senior was a first-team all-conference selection in her final go in the red and white.
Smith batted .342 this season with 19 runs, 25 hits and 12 RBIs.
She stole 11-11 bases through the season as well. In the outfield she finished with a fielding percentage of .926.
OUTFIELD: Summer LaRue, freshman, Cardinal
The second of three freshman on the All-Union list, LaRue was fantastic for the Comets.
She helped Cardinal nearly knock off eventual state champion Iowa City Regina in the regional semifinals.
LaRue led the team with a .368 batting average, three doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs with 11 runs.
In the outfield, she finished with a fielding percentage of .842. She also stole 10-11 bases on the season.
UTILITY: Annabelle Cormier. senior, Van Buren County
Cormier was leader for the Warriors this season and was an important piece in helping the VBC take strides.
The senior hit .449 this season with 34 runs, 35 hits and 22 RBIs.
She was also stellar at first-base, not letting much past her, while finishing with a fielding percentage of .995 and just one error.
UTILITY: Sydney Knebel, freshman, Mid-Prairie
The final of the three freshmen on the 2022-23 list, is Sydney Knebel of Mid-Prairie.
Knebel was the Golden Hawks go-to in the circle. She started in 25 of 26 games through the season.
Knebel ended with an ERA of 3.45, fourth in the RVC, through 150 innings, a conference high.
She held the opposition to an average of .274, giving up 176 hits, 74 earned runs with 119 strikeouts.
In the box, Knebel finished with an average of .395 with 45 hits and 32 RBIs.
