All-Albany Area Softball Team: Abby Hughes is Player of the Year

The 2019 softball season is the books and it is one for the record books. The Lee County Trojans made school history with four wins in the state championship tournament and reached the state finals before finally coming in second. It was the first time the Lady Trojans had won any games in the Elite Eight tournament, though Lee County had been there three times before. But the Lady Trojans weren’t also ones to set records. The Lady Trojans of Dougherty had their best season on record, winning 18 games, being ranked in the state’s top ten and coming close to making the state playoffs. The Baconton Charter Lady Blazers blew through their region games with a perfect 14-0 record and won another region title. The Pelham Lady Hornets won 14 games, the most in school history, and also made the state playoffs for the first time.

Each of those victories took some special performances by the area’s best softball players. Here is the All-Albany Area softball team for 2019:

Coach of the Year: Dwayne Suggs, Lee County High School, 29-8, third straight region championship, second place in Class 6A.

Player of the Year: Abby Hughes, Lee County, pitcher, 22-6 record on the mound with a 1.06 ERA and 289 strikeouts. At the plate she hit .426 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. She is committed to play college softball at Georgia Tech.

Pitcher of the Year: Jana Lee, Dougherty High School, 16-6 record on the mound with an .048 ERA and 221 strikeouts. She has another year of high school, but she has already committed to play college softball at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Offensive Player of the Year: Denver Bryant, Dougherty High School, led the state of Georgia in Class AAAA with a .759 batting average. She had 41 hits in 54 at bats that included 11 home runs, 12 doubles and seven triples. She scored 51 runs and knocked in 36. She has committed to play college softball at Auburn University.

Defensive Player of the Year: Trellis Whaley, catcher, Lee County. Whaley earned her spot at the defensive player of the year because of her play during the final games of the season. She was near perfect at the plate defensively and threw out five runners trying to steal during the region championship and the state playoffs. She had a fielding percentage of .994 for the season. She has committed to play college softball at Auburn-Montgomery.

First Team Diamond Dozen:

Pitcher: Dale Elmore, Baconton Charter School

Pitcher: Robby Jane Vann, Westwood

INF: Karlee Back, Lee County

INF: Emily Sosbee, Terrell Academy

INF: Rebekah Cooper, Lee County

INF: Emily Childress, Westwood

Catcher: Sierra Brogdon, Terrell Academy

OF: Lenzie Vickers, Baconton Charter

OF: Shaniya Tenson, Dougherty

OF: Sara Stevenson, Terrell Academy

Flex: Kerstan McCook, Pelham

Utility: Reid Johnson, Pelham

Second Diamond Dozen

Coach of the Year: Robbie Brogdon, Terrell Academy

Pitcher: Brooke Hall, Worth County

Pitcher: Brooke Zinker, Worth County

INF: Rhiannon Belcher, Lee County

INF: Gaila Price, Terrell Academy

INF: Bridgett Beck, Pelham

INF: Joi Hubbard, Deerfield-Windsor

Catcher: Laura Beth Collins, Westwood

OF: Emma Jackson, Terrell Academy

OF: Sarah Harper, Baconton Charter

OF: Gracie Ritter, Pelham

Flex: Marley Smith, Lee County

Utility: Sarah Culp, Baconton Charter

Special Photos: Courtesy Lee County High School
Special Photo: Chanta Lee
Dougherty High School

Special Photo: Chanta Lee
Dougherty High School

Special Photo: Lee County High School