Panthers’ Josie Bird called Class AAA first string all-state captain in softball | News, Sports, Jobs

Parkersburg South’s Becca Beatty prepares to bat throughout a high school softball video game this season. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

CHARLESTON — Josie Bird is understood for her huge flies.

The Lincoln County High School catcher’s prodigious power was a significant consider her being called captain of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association Class AAA all-state group Thursday.

The junior smashed 13 home runs this previous season and 39 in 3 years, in spite of often being pitched around, to help the Panthers to a 22-5 record and the Region IV finals.

“I can’t control what other teams do,” Bird said of pitchers tossing her 4 balls well outside the zone. “I try to do my job for the team. If they put me on, that just gives my teammates a baserunner on, which puts pressure on, too.”

Bird, who signed with Indiana, batted .500 with 40 runs-batted-in as a junior, She is understood for enormous homers, some that cleared the scoreboard in straightaway center field at her home park.

Ripley’s Cassidy Cummings enters into a fielding position throughout a high school softball video game this season. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

Bird smacked 5 doubles and one triple, drew 31 strolls and started out simply 6 times in publishing a .647 on-base portion and 1.176 punching mark. The Johnny Bench Award winner likewise starred defensively, with a .995 fielding portion, making one mistake and acquiring 32 helps.

“Josie changes a game with her abilities,” Lincoln County coach Tommy Barrett said. “When she’s at the plate, there’s no doubt that she’s the most dangerous player on the field.”

Bird was signed up with on the first string by Panthers colleague and energy gamer Ryleigh Shull, a junior who homered 6 times and batted .438 with 15 doubles. Shull, dedicated to Louisiana Tech, likewise published a 1.47 made run typical in 17 video games as a pitcher.

Pitching is an abundant product on the all-state group, with Mountain State Athletic Conference gamer of the year Madison Pitts, a junior from Spring Valley, signing up with freshman Drea Watts of state runner-up Cabell Midland on the very first system. Pitts went 13-4 with a 2.09 period and fanned 194 batters in 144 innings. Watts published a 1.40 period after taking control of as the Knights’ No. 1 starter when Quinn Ballengee suffered a season-ending knee injury. Ballengee’s torn ligament most likely was the only factor she wasn’t a first-team choice as a shortstop, as she was batting .478 with 5 home runs and 15 RBIs when she was hurt.

Kadence Pettit of John Marshall made an area of the group after pitching the Monarchs to the state champion. She was signed up with on the all-state group by colleague Ava Blake, who signed with Marshall. Rebecca Munslow, a sophomore from Jefferson, likewise made the first string group as a pitcher.

Pitts’ colleague, sophomore 3rd baseman Sydney Turner, made the team after leading the state with a .623 batting average and 45 taken bases to choose 2 homers and 14 RBIs.

Lauren Huebsch of University, Cassidy Cummings of Ripley and Sydney Young of St. Albans complete the first-team infield. Cummings struck .449 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs.

Freshman Maggie Campbell of University and junior Becca Beatty of Parkersburg South made it as outfielders. The Patriot had actually a .416 typical with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 22 RBIs.

South Charleston sophomore Sophia Frye made an area at catcher, with energy areas filled by Aubrey Smallwood of Woodrow Wilson, Tayven Stephenson of St. Albans, Alexis Adkins of George Washington and Micah Wilson of Morgantown.

Spring Valley’s Brooklyn Osburn, a utility player/shortstop headed to West Virginia Wesleyan, captained the junior varsity, which included Eastern Kentucky signee K.K. Wallis of Cabell Midland in the outfield with Air Force hire Maci Lunsford of Lincoln County and Madison Marks of Parkersburg.

Pitchers were Maddy Ruffner of Washington, Josi Erving of Greenbrier East and Hope Sizemore of South Charleston. The infield consisted of Miami (Ohio) hire Haleigh Adkins of Lincoln County, Punkie Harper of St. Albans, Faith Randolph of Wheeling Park, Shelby Harris of Jefferson, Karalyne Wade of George Washington and Taylor Boswell of Greenbrier East. Buckhannon-Upshur’s Alyssa Abel made it as a catcher.

Utility gamers were Kate Spry of Spring Valley, Landry Bone of Brooke, Kaitlyn Swisher of Ripley and Lindsey Black of Greenbrier East.

All-state plaques are available to all-staters at wvswa.org or bearwoodcompany.com. They are state-shaped, wood plaques engraved with the WVSWA logo design, name, high school and year of the honoree.