Final four team places four on first team all state

by Angie Asam

Staff Writer

The Rogers City Hurons varsity softball team ended a great season with a 2-0 loss in the state semifinals to eventual state champion Kalamazoo Christian, finishing as one of the top four teams in the state in Division IV.

With a great season under their belts, many Huron players earned postseason honors with senior Nikkie LaLonde, junior Cassie Brege, sophomore Logan Fleming and freshman Sarah Meredith were named to the first-team all-state by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) last week.

LaLonde earned the honor for the second consecutive year and was an honorable mention selection as a sophomore. She batted .356 on the season with 42 hits. She scored 41 runs and belted seven doubles, a team-leading five triples and two home runs. She walked 14 times and had two sacrifices on the year while striking out just nine times. She also drove in 28 runs.

LaLonde was also a valuable defender for the Hurons from her position in the outfield. LaLonde was also first-team all-Straits Area Conference, all-district, all-region and named to the academic all-state team. She will also be playing in the senior all-star game put on by the MHSSCA July 24 in Lansing.

Brege earned the honor as a utility player as she caught, played second base and played the outfield for the Hurons this season. She led the team with nine sacrifices and batted .457 on the season with 37 hits. She scored 35 runs and belted eight doubles, two triples and drove in 22 runs. Brege was also all-district and all-region this season.

Fleming earned first-team honors for the second consecutive season at third base. She led the team in at bats (133), runs (48), hits (63) and RBI (41) from the leadoff position in the lineup. She batted .474 this season and had eight doubles, one triple and five home runs.

Fleming was named co-player of the year in the Straits Area Conference, sharing the honor with Cheboygan’s Aspen Williams. She was a first-team all-conference selection and was also on the all-district and all-region teams. Fleming also pitched some for the Hurons this season allowing one hit and striking out three in two innings of work while allowing no runs.

Sarah Meredith earned first-team honors as a designated player, having played three more innings in that role than she did as a catcher. She led the Hurons in batting average this season hitting .521 with 50 hits including a team leading nine doubles, one triple and a team-leading seven home runs. She drove in 38 runs.

Sarah Meredith was also second-team all-conference, all-district and all-region.

TWO HURONS also made the all-state honorable mention team. Junior Courtney Streich earned the honor at shortstop. Streich batted .375 on the season and led the team in walks with 15 and four hit by pitches. She had 42 hits this season including eight doubles, three triples and two home runs. She drove in 27 runs. Streich was also first-team all-conference, all district and all-region.

Senior Rebecca Meredith earned honorable mention honors as an outfielder. She hit .415 on the season with 39 hits including five doubles and four home runs. She drove in 22 runs. She was also an honorable mention selection in the conference and earned all-district and all-region honors. Rebecca Meredith was also named to the academic all-state list and will be playing in the senior all-star game put on by the MHSSCA July 24 in Lansing.

Senior Brooklyn Idalski was named to the second-team all-conference and was on the all-district and all-region teams as an outfielder. Idalski batted .320 on the season with 32 hits, 25 runs scored, eight doubles and 16 RBI. She was also named to the academic all-state team.

Idalski also pitched for the Hurons going 10-2 on the season. She threw 64 innings allowing 35 runs on 65 hits. She struck out 53 and walked just 13 and had an earned run average of 2.734.

Junior Morgan Hall was an all-district selection this season. She batted .

318 on the year with 28 hits, 35 runs scored, eight doubles, one triple and five home runs. She also drove in 27 runs.

Senior Brenna Hincka was also selected to the academic all-state team. Hincka had seven hits and scored 13 runs this season. She had one double and drove in six runs.

Junior pitcher Nikki Radke was an all-conference honorable mention selection this season. She was three-for-six at the plate this season and had a double and two RBI. On the mound Radke was 13-5. She pitched 89 innings allowing 53 runs on 103 hits. She struck out 47 and walked 22 and had an earned run average of 2.674.

“I am happy for all the girls. I know all of them would trade in their individual awards for a state title but it is nice that they were recognized by the other coaches in the state,” said coach Karl Grambau who was named the all-district and all-region coach of the year by the MHSSCA.