The Chronicle's 2026 All-Area Softball Team

When Taylor Tobin was a freshman for the W.F. West High School softball team, she was going toe-to-toe with some of the best pitchers in the Evergreen Conference. Tobin's sophomore year? Same story.

Yet the right-hander didn't wilt when needing to match zeroes with the likes of Lilly Camp, Annika Hollingsworth and Ella Ferguson. Even though Tobin was going against the lineups of Aberdeen and Tumwater, she knew she had another battle.

"I had never faced that good of pitching before," Tobin said.

That trio of Division I arms departed in 2025. There was a vacancy for the top arm in the league for 2026.

"I definitely felt like, once they left, I could do this," Tobin said. "I had a little bit more confidence, too."

You can say that again.

The junior was the workhorse arm for the Bearcats en route to a Class 2A state runner-up finish by throwing 2,399 pitches, 196 strikeouts to just 24 walks. She was named as the EvCo's Most Valuable Pitcher, a different type of MVP.

She was named as the real MVP of The Chronicle's 2026 all-area team that had at least one player from eight different schools in SW Washington.

"We were pretty young, but I knew we had really good chemistry," Tobin said. "About halfway through the season, I was like 'We can do this.' So many clutch hits and clutch plays, I knew we could go far and I knew this team was special."

There were plenty of highs this spring for Tobin, including two perfect games and a stretch of not allowing a walk for multiple games. About the only low was when she was pulled from the circle in the Class 2A state semifinals amidst W.F. West trailing by multiple runs.

Instead of sulk, she got the needed breather needed to go five innings against Mark Morris in the state title game and limited the Monarchs for the majority of her outing.

"I just needed a break and I felt way better," Tobin said.

Three league games per week after spring break and every postseason game takes a toll on a pitcher. Tobin dealt with shoulder pain - not from an injury, just from pitching so much - and still posted a 2.58 earned run average, a 1.02 WHIP and opponents hit .221 against her.

Constant ice and taking practices lightly was the way for Tobin to be at the top of her game this season.

"In the offseason, I pitched a lot to make sure I was ready and my endurance was up," she said. "To look back, it is pretty cool to be able to do that."

Her final season for the Bearcats will begin in March. Until then, she'll keep pitching for the PAC 16-18U team that has several of her teammates this summer. The college process has started with a couple schools reaching out and vice versa.

It is the likely next step in Tobin's game. Still, she's taking everything like she did for W.F. West's runner-up season.

One day, one game and one pitch at a time.

"I have a lot of tournaments this summer and get all that figured out," Tobin said.

Here is the complete all-area team:

Avery Osborn, W.F. West

The Bearcats second baseman was a star in her debut varsity season with a .406 batting average and an OPS in the four digits. Three of her four home runs came in the second Swamp Cup meeting and her fourth was a critical homer in the Class 2A state semifinals. Osborn also had a 94.3 fielding percentage with 23 putouts, 10 assists and just two errors.

Karlee Coleman, W.F. West

Despite being a second team all-league pick, the numbers by the sophomore third baseman was anything but. Her .447 batting average was a team-best as was her 38 hits, eight doubles and 19 RBIs. She scored 24 runs and defensively, had 22 putouts and 22 assists while manning the hot corner.

Charlie Myers, Adna

In her first season with the Pirates' varsity squad, the Wagner commit took the reins as their top pitcher and led them back to the Class 2B state championship game. Myers finished 14-7 with 154 strikeouts and a 1.55 WHIP. At the plate, she had a 1.170 OPS and 25 runs batted in with three home runs. She was also named the C2BL MVP.

Tieander Olson, Adna

Another first-year Pirate that came onto the scene and was an instant impact for the C2BL champs and state runner-ups. The shortstop hit over .500 overall and with runners in scoring position plus had quadruple digit slugging percentage and OPS. Her 12 homers was a team-high as were the 49 RBIs. Olson was also a first team all-league pick.

Hadleigh Gerard, Adna

One of the stalwarts for the Pirates continued her stellar start to her prep career with another first team all-C2BL honor. She finished with a team-best 40 runs scored and recorded 42 hits plus drove in 26 runs. At second base, she turned four double plays and had a 94.3 fielding percentage.

Taysia Miller, Toledo

On a Riverhawks team that took third place in Class 2B, Miller was one of the premier players this spring. Of her team-best 54 hits, 19 of them went for extra bases, including five homers. Miller's batting average was exactly .500 and she scored 48 times. All those stats were enough to land her on the all league first team.

Peyton Holter, Toledo

The two-way star for the Riverhawks didn't pitch for most of the non-league slate, but returned for the home stretch and still posted a 14-2 record with a 2.44 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and opponents hit .200 against her. At the plate, Holter scored 38 times, drove in 28 runs and notched 35 hits. The right-hander also struck out 116 batters this season.

Xtyn Norberg, Toledo

The freshman was a key cog for the Riverhawks in their run to the District 4 title, being the second part of the battery and also excelling at the plate. Her batting average of .431 was the fifth-best on the roster and Norberg also added 25 RBIs and 38 runs scored. Her fielding percentage was 96.6 plus she notched 184 putouts and 14 assists.

Hayden Kaut, Napavine

The four-year career that spanned over three sports officially came to an end for Kaut, but not without one final memory. She drove in a staggering 52 RBIs, slugged .814, hit 16 doubles and five home runs. While manning first base, she was nearly flawless with a 97.6 fielding percentage. Kaut's athletic career will continue at Montana for basketball.

Dakota Lyons, Napavine

The Tigers southpaw took over as their ace and thrived to give them a top-five seed in the state tournament. Lyons went 14-3 with a 3.29 ERA and 91 strikeouts in the circle and her numbers at the plate were equally impressive. Her OPS was 1.277 with 16 extra base hits, 45 runs scored and a 2:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

Lauren Matlock, Pe Ell/Willapa Valley

A career that can stand up with the best in Titans history, Matlock earned her second straight P2BL MVPP with a line of .519/.557/1.538. She also notched 55 hits - 18 of them for extra bases - 40 RBIs and 51 runs. Bound for Western Washington to continue her softball career, Matlock also roamed the outfield with a fielding percentage of 91.2.

Jillian Hodel, Pe Ell/Willapa Valley

Another senior that was a part of a Titans team that made another trip to Yakima, Hodel did a little bit of everything. She pitched sparingly and still had an ERA of 3.66 with 31 strikeouts, but most of her damage was at the plate. She finished with a batting average of .549 and an OPS of 1.527, drove in 30 runs plus scored 40 times. Hodel also stole 11 bases.

Layla Hill, Rainier

The lone senior for the Mountaineers was able to earn a trip to the state tournament and win a game in the process. She finished with an area-best .613 batting average with 57 hits, 51 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. The all-C2BL first team honoree also had 91.1 fielding percentage in her final season.

Megan Barrett, Tumwater

A staple at the top of the Thunderbirds lineup, Barrett capped her softball career with an all-EvCo first team honor and almost led them back to the state tournament. She launched three home runs, registered 25 RBIs and crossed home 34 times. She had an OPS of 1.025 and a .359 batting average.

Zoella Zavodsky, Mossyrock

While the Vikings had a youth movement and a new coach, Zavodsky stood out in the most difficult 2B league in the state. She struck out 117 batters and had a 2.22 WHIP while at the plate, hit .509 and had a 1.303 OPS. Zavodsky also had 22 RBIs, scored 20 times and stole 11 bases.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM.