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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Caston senior pitcher-second baseman Kinzie Mollenkopf was the first ever student-athlete from her school to win an IHSAA mental attitude award.
Now she has another honor: She is our RTC Softball Player of the Year.
She was a dominant pitcher in Caston’s most important games, and she seemingly had as many clutch hits as any hitter in the Lady Comets’ devastating lineup.
When she was tired or in a jam in the circle, she was always calm through the storm and would work her way through it. And that was when you were lucky enough to get her in a jam. Against Southwood in the sectional final, she allowed only two baserunners in seven innings.
At the plate, her home run against West Central was one of the biggest hits Caston had in their tournament run.
We just had that feeling about Caston. If they could just navigate their way through the extremely tough Sectional 52, then they would have a chance of making it to state.
A chance turned into reality for Caston, and they created a lifetime’s worth of memories. Kinzie Mollenkopf was a big reason why.
Mollenkopf headlines our All-RTC softball team. We tried to slot players at the positions where they received their most playing time.
We thank coaches for sharing their stats and their insights on their players and other players in the area, but ultimately, this list is ours and ours alone, and we take full responsibility for this list.
Pitchers
Kinzie Mollenkopf (Caston) (Player of the Year) – Mollenkopf could throw any pitch in any count, and she excelled at reading hitters. In a year of so many memorable moments, our favorite was her gutting through those final innings against Cowan in the semistate final in her second game of the day against a top opponent in warm, muggy conditions.
Dalynne Bussard (Tippecanoe Valley) – Bussard had played at a high level of competition in travel ball before ever playing in her first high school game, and it showed. Though Bussard was one of four Valley pitchers, it was clear who should have been pitching in the biggest games, and Bussard delivered Valley’s first sectional title in 31 years. She also hit .461 with four homers and 23 RBIs.
Mia Howdeshell (Rochester) – She lowered her ERA from 5.64 as a freshman to 3.62 as a sophomore in 2023. She improved her endurance, speed and movement. The pitching arrangement between the Howdeshell sisters reminded us of the arrangement between Ady Harsh and Maci Brown in 2018, and that resulted in a conference championship.
Catchers
Madi Smith (Tippecanoe Valley) – Smith was Valley’s MVP in 2023 because of her leadership, her ability to handle four different pitchers and her clutch hitting. Her batting average went from .345 as a sophomore to .379 as a junior to .465 as a senior, and she nearly doubled her RBI total from 17 last year to 33 this year.
Kylee Logan (Caston) – Logan hit .354 with four homers and 26 RBIs, and needless to say, all that extra work with Mollenkopf paid off in a trip to the state finals as a freshman. She’s a very athletic catcher, and we are wondering if the best is yet to come.
Casey Webb (Pioneer) – Webb hit .457, and she homered four times. She was the team’s second biggest power threat after Crystabelle Blickenstaff.
Infielders
Emma Howdeshell (Rochester) – Emma Howdeshell hit .603, and it wasn’t a soft .603 either as 27 of her 44 hits went for extra bases. That gave her an 1.875 OPS, and she was the area’s best defensive shortstop in addition to that.
Isabel Scales (Caston) – She hit .538 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs, and she did it against a significantly tougher schedule than her previous two high school seasons. Putting her in between Addison Zimpleman and Mollenkopf in the lineup meant that opposing pitchers had to pitch to her, and the results were usually devastating. Also, with the emergence of Logan, she played a very good shortstop that improved Caston’s team defense.
Addison Zimpleman (Caston) – She hit .500 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. Her 1.590 OPS out of the leadoff spot usually meant that Caston was going to have a lead after the first inning. She was also low-key the best defensive second baseman in the area.
Crystabelle Blickenstaff (Pioneer) – We were shocked when Blickenstaff did not make the first-team all-Hoosier North list, so hopefully making this list will be a bit of justice. Blickenstaff was strong, leading the team with nine homers and 46 RBIs.
Kylie Coleman (Rochester) – Coleman improved her batting average from .343 last year to .462 this year, and she was second on the team with 36 RBIs. You just never see Coleman take an off-balance swing. She also had a strong arm at third base.
Macee Hinderlider (Caston) – It’s not often a player who hits No. 9 in her team’s batting order makes our first team, but even hitting down in the order, she had 40 hits, 25 RBIs and a team-high 10 stolen bases with her unique combination of speed and underrated strength.
Ava Beasy (Pioneer) – Beasy came on strong as her freshman year progressed, and she finished with a .446 average and 28 RBIs.
Outfielders
Sydney Haughs (Rochester) – Haughs seemed to benefit from new coach Jim Coleman, crediting him with hitting drills that improved her consistency. She hit .487 with a team-high 42 RBIs, a noteworthy accomplishment for a team that scored 240 runs in 22 games.
Kylie Attinger (Pioneer) – Timing is so important for slap hitters. Attinger has gotten better and better at timing, and combined with her long strides and great speed, good luck keeping her off base if she hits the ball on the ground. She hit .560 in 2023.
Jocelynn Vincent (Pioneer) – Vincent came into her own as a hitter, hitting .435 with three homers and 28 RBIs.
Corinna Stiles (Tippecanoe Valley) – Stiles adapted to more of a leadoff role in the batting order, and she hit .358 with 20 RBIs while playing a sterling center field.
Bailey Harness (Caston) – Harness with .289 at the plate, but it was her catch in the seventh inning against Cowan in the semistate final that would be enough to make our list.
Aubrey Miller (Rochester) – Miller hit .457 with 23 RBIs as a freshman, quickly working her way up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup as a dangerous slapper between Emma Howdeshell and Coleman. She struck out 24 times, and once she gets that number under control, look out.
Adeline Cripe (Pioneer) – Cripe hit .400 with a .926 OPS against tough competition. She can play just about any position in the infield or the outfield, though she seemed to find a home in center field this year.
Honorable mention
Kadyn Baughman (Argos)
Mackaylie Costello (Tippecanoe Valley)
Molly Moriarty (Tippecanoe Valley)
Kallie Watson (Rochester)
Annie Harsh (Caston)
Ava Stackhouse (Argos)
Kaitlyn Kanschat (Culver)
Emma Sells (Pioneer)
Lexi Schenkel (Argos)
Brittany Benn (Tippecanoe Valley)
Mylee Heinzmann (Rochester)
Darah Strasser (Rochester)
A.J. Hinds (Culver)
Anna Shock (Tippecanoe Valley)
Zoey Hunnicutt (Culver)
Maddi Heinzmann (Rochester)
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