2017 ALL-JOURNAL SOFTBALL

First team

T-1. Anna Lux, sr., P, St. Mary’s — 70 (2)

T-1. Jody Hansen, jr., SS, St. Mary’s — 70 (2)

3. Ali Beltz, jr., C, St. Mary’s — 66 (1)

4. Alison Benz, sr., IF, Wabasso — 55

5. Emily Benz, jr., P, Wabasso — 43

6. Josie Pautzke, so., P, Cathedral — 40

7. Nicole Hall, so., 1B, Nicollet — 38

8. McKenna Berdan, sr., SS, Cathedral — 37

9. Madison Suess, sr., 1B, New Ulm — 36

Second team

10. Meleah Reinhart, sr., P, New Ulm — 35

11. Kayla Brandes, sr., 2B, New Ulm — 22

12. Brooke Skrien, jr., C, Nicollet — 17

13. Joey Batt, so., CF, New Ulm — 15

14. Nicole Gangelhoff, sr., 3B, Cathedral — 14

T-15. Rose Hazuka, jr., C, Cathedral — 12

T-15. Lauryn Franta, so., CF, Cathedral — 12

17. Hannah Biedenbender, sr., IF, MVL — 9

18. Hannah Beckius, sr., P, Nicollet — 6

(#) First-place votes annotated in parentheses

The Journal did not receive nominations from Sleepy Eye and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop.

FIRST TEAM

Anna Lux, sr., P, St. Mary’s

Lux was named the Tomahawk Conference Player of the Year in helping lead St. Mary’s to a third-place finish at the Class A state tournament. In the circle, Lux was 21-3 with an ERA of 1.92 and 137 strikeouts compared to 44 walks in 120 1/3 innings. At the plate, Lux batted .438 with 39 hits (including three doubles, three triples and two home runs), 23 RBIs and 25 runs scored. Lux was named to the Class A state All-Tournament team and was a first-team All-State selection as a senior. For her career, the four-time All-Conference player batted .440 with 127 hits (including 16 doubles, 25 triples and six home runs) with 95 RBIs and 101 runs scored. In the circle, Lux finished her career with a 47-13 record with a 2.64 ERA and 314 strikeouts in 371 1/3 innings pitched.

Jody Hansen, jr., SS, St. Mary’s

Hansen earned first-team All-State honors in helping lead St. Mary’s to a third-place finish at the Class A state tournament. At the plate, Hansen batted .510 with 49 hits (including 10 doubles, three triples and a team-high eight home runs) with 42 RBIs, 64 runs scored and a team-high 32 stolen bases. A three-year starter and three-time All-Conference selection, Hansen has accumulated a .518 batting average with 142 hits (29 doubles, 12 triples, 15 home runs), 93 RBIs, 180 runs scored and 82 stolen bases with one more season to play. She was named to the All-Tournament team at state.

Ali Beltz, jr., C, St. Mary’s

Beltz was a powerhouse at the plate in helping lead St. Mary’s to a third-place finish at the Class A state tournament. Beltz hit .577 with team-highs in RBIs (43), hits (56), doubles (13), triples (six) as well as six home runs and 36 runs scored. For her career, Beltz has hit .543 with 143 hits (24 doubles, 13 triples and 12 home runs) with 118 RBIs and 110 runs scored with one more season to play. She was a first-team All-State selection and was named to the All-Tournament team at state.

Alison Benz, sr., IF, Wabasso

Benz led the Rabbits at the plate, batting .634 with 52 hits, 15 RBIs and 43 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .705 this season. A two-time first-team All-State selection and three-time All-Conference selection, Benz finished her career with a .528 batting average with 149 hits (22 doubles, seven triples, one home run) with 62 RBIs and 130 runs scored.

Emily Benz, jr., P, Wabasso

A second-team All-State selection and two-time All-Conference selection, Benz batted .506 with 42 hits, 30 RBIs and 31 runs scored. In the circle, Benz went 16-7 with a 4.82 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 135 innings. For her career so far, Benz has batted .462 with 104 hits, 65 RBIs and 87 runs scored.

Josie Pautzke, so., P, Cathedral

In her first year as a starter, Pautzke went 18-3 in the circle with a 2.12 ERA while batting .429 with 30 hits and 22 RBIs for the Greyhounds. Pautzke earned second-team All-State honors and was an All-Conference selection this year.

Nicole Hall, so., 1B, Nicollet

Hall led the Raiders at the plate, batting .526 with 43 RBIs and 22 runs scored on 40 hits (11 doubles, one triple and three home runs) in earning All-State honors this season. So far for her career, Hall has batted .490 with 99 hits (21 doubles, six triples, seven home runs) with 82 RBIs and 62 runs scored with two seasons to play.

McKenna Berdan, sr., SS, Cathedral

Berdan finished her illustrious four-year career as a starter with a first-team All-State selection. She batted .418 with 33 hits, 31 runs scored and 15 RBIs from the leadoff spot as a senior. For her career, Berdan hit .385 with 124 hits, 124 runs scored and 78 RBIs. She was a three-time All-Conference selection.

Madison Suess, sr., 1B, New Ulm

Suess led the Eagles at the plate in batting .477 with a .511 on-base percentage on her way to being named an All-Conference selection. She also thrived in her first season as a starter at first base.

SECOND TEAM

Meleah Reinhart, sr., P, New Ulm

Reinhart returned to varsity softball following a two-year absence to bat .411 while amassing a 2.54 ERA in the circle for the Eagles. She also held opponents to a .126 batting average against and was named an All-Conference selection this year.

Kayla Brandes, sr., 2B, New Ulm

Brandes struck out just once in 90 plate appearances for the Eagles, batting .411 with an on-base percentage of .495 as a senior from the leadoff spot. She was a two-time All-Conference selection and was lauded by coach Kristi Andersen Loose as the “one of the hardest-working players” she has ever coached.

Brooke Skrien, jr., C, Nicollet

Skrien batted .488 with 39 hits, 13 RBIs and 29 runs this season. So far for her career, Skrien has batted .406 with 63 runs, 25 RBIs and 51 runs scored.

Joey Batt, so.,CF, New Ulm

Batt hit .452 with an on-base percentage of .538 from the No. 2 slot in the Eagles’ lineup after a two-year absence from softball.

Nicole Gangelhoff, sr., 3B, Cathedral

Gangelhoff batted .325 with 25 hits, 27 runs scored and 21 RBIs in her senior year for the Greyhounds. A three-year starter on varsity, Gangelhoff finishes her career having batted .386 with 91 hits, 83 runs scored and 64 RBIs.

Rose Hazuka, jr., C, Cathedral

Hazuka batted .388 with 26 hits and 27 RBIs for the Greyhounds this year. For her career, Hazuka has batted .356 with 53 hits and 59 RBIs. She was a two-time All-Conference selection and was named second-team All-State this year.

Lauryn Franta, so., CF, Cathedral

Franta batted .443 with 27 hits, 24 runs scored and 19 RBIs as a sophomore in earning All-Conference honors in her first year as a starter. So far for her career, Franta has batted .430 and will return with two more years to play.

Hannah Biedenbender, sr., IF, MVL

Biedenbender batted .444 as a senior for the Chargers, scoring 21 runs and notching 16 RBIs on 24 hits with a .531 on-base percentage. For her career, the All-Conference selection batted .466 with 88 runs scored, 46 RBIs and 96 hits.

Hannah Beckius, sr., P, Nicollet

Beckius was the Raiders’ main pitcher, going 9-4 in the circle with a 2.66 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings pitched in earning All-State and All-Conference honors this year. At the plate, Beckius hit .414 with 36 hits, 13 RBIs and 29 runs scored. For her career, Beckius hit .420 with 113 hits, 63 RBIs and 101 runs scored.