The News Tribune’s 2025 All-Area high school softball team
First- and second-team selections for The News Tribune’s 2025 All-Area softball team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sierra Murray, Rogers, fr. — Poised beyond her years, this 15-year-old phenom was unflinching during Rogers’ run all the way to the Class 4A state championship game. 4A SPSL North MVP was the South Sound’s strikeout leader during her first high school season, posting a 17-4 record with a 1.35 earned run average, 252 strikeouts and 79 walks in 155.1 innings pitched. At the plate, hit .413 with 18 RBI.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Hawkins, Rogers — Coached the Rams to a 25-5 record and saved the best for last, guiding the No. 10 seed all the way to the 4A state tournament championship game, picking up wins over No. 7 Hanford, No. 15 Lake Stevens and No. 3 Issaquah before falling to top-seeded Skyview in the title game.
PITCHERS
Ella Ferguson, Tumwater, sr. — The Sacramento State commit missed the first two weeks of her senior season with a back injury, but Ferguson instantly returned to postseason form and posted a 10-4 record and 2.06 ERA with 147 strikeouts. 2A Evergreen first-teamer mashed softballs at the plate (.412/.444/.824) with five homers. Three-time TNT All-Area selection.
Alyssa Harris, Enumclaw, sr. — The 3A NPSL Pitcher of the Year faced 363 batters this spring and struck out 201 of them. Harris issued just 17 walks (11.8 K/BB) with an 11-1 record and 1.51 ERA, guiding the Hornets to the 3A district title. PLU commit slashed .528/.597/.868 with two homers and 22 RBI.
Jessika Jennings, Graham-Kapowsin, sr. — The 4A SPSL South’s MVP carried the Eagles to the state semifinals and a third-place finish in Richland. Workhorse arm (119 IP) posted a 16-3 record with a 1.88 ERA and 205 strikeouts and boasted a .926 slugging percentage with 55 RBI at the plate. UMass Lowell commit.
Alexa Ramirez, Tahoma, soph. — The 4A NPSL first-teamer set her school’s single-season strikeout record as a freshman in 2024 before shattering her own total (167 K) in ‘25. Ramirez went 13-1 with a South Sound-best 1.03 ERA and slashed .500/.548/.796 with 24 RBI.
Jozi Thompson, Kentridge, soph. — 4A NPSL Pitcher of the Year dominated her league start after start, racking up 191 strikeouts with a 13-3 record and 2.10 ERA. Kentridge’s team leader in both ERA and RBI (19) slashed .462/.532/.731 at the plate with nine multi-hit games.
Alanna Wirtala, Emerald Ridge, sr. — The South Sound’s wins leader (19) put the finishing touches on a magnificent Jaguars career, collecting 225 strikeouts with a 2.22 ERA in her fourth and final state-tournament run. The 4A SPSL Pitcher of the Year struck out 626 batters in an Emerald Ridge uniform and hit .422 with two homers and 20 doubles in 2025. Western Washington pitching commit.
CATCHER
Mia Heigh, Auburn Mountainview, sr. — 3A NPSL MVP called every game at catcher for the past four years with high-level framing and blocking ability. At the plate, aggressive hitter mashed the softball all spring, batting .630 with 13 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 20 walks and 56 RBI. Linfield commit.
INFIELDERS
Nevaeh Haagen, Timberline, soph. — 3A PSL Nisqually MVP also pitched and caught and was a threat no matter where she lined up on the diamond. Hit .683 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI for the Blazers.
Aby Redwine, Emerald Ridge, sr. — With an elite glove at first base and plenty of pop in the batter’s box, Redwine was a key part of Emerald Ridge’s state tournament team this spring, batting .643 with six home runs and 50 RBI.
Kiley Sledge, Franklin Pierce, soph. — The 2A SPSL MVP posted an other-worldly 1.684 slugging percentage, batting .737 with six doubles, six triples, 12 home runs and 32 RBI. On the mound, posted a 3.99 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 28 walks in 40.1 innings pitched.
Tessa Trippy, Auburn Mountainview, fr. — This freshman burst onto the scene and was a doubles machine for the Lions, batting .567 with 20 doubles, seven home runs, 17 walks and 36 RBI. 3A NPSL first-team selection.
Joy Wilde, Lincoln, sr. — 3A PSL Narrows MVP was Washington’s leader in batting average at .805, per MaxPreps. She hit seven home runs, walked 31 times and drove in 36 runs.
OUTFIELDERS
Danielle Biehl, Gig Harbor, sr. — The 3A PSL Narrows Pitcher of the Year doubles as the league’s best outfielder, tallying both 123 strikeouts in the circle and 28 RBI (.576 AVG) in the batter’s box as Gig Harbor’s leadoff hitter. Two-time TNT All-Area selection posted an 11-2 record and 2.95 ERA and carried the Tides into the state tournament for a third-straight year.
Mia Hammington, Tahoma, jr. — The 4A NPSL MVP was one of the South Sound’s premier all-around players this spring with speed, power, and a cannon arm. Grand Canyon commit went 19-for-19 on stolen base attempts, mashed nine home runs, and hit more doubles than singles (.573 AVG). Bears head coach Darren Rawie: “An absolute athlete.”
Payton Walling, Rogers, soph. — The leadoff center fielder for the Rams’ state runner-up team, Walling tallied 28 RBI as Rogers’ top-of-the-lineup spark plug. 4A SPSL first-teamer slashed .459/.494/1.095 with 13 home runs (14th in WA) and homered in three straight games from May 8-16.
UTILITY
Jayda Guadron, Emerald Ridge, jr. — The sky is the limit for the 4A SPSL’s Utility Player of the Year, a Division-I prospect with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 2025. Emerald Ridge’s trusted backstop and dependable infielder hit .500 with two home runs and stole 11 bases with 26 RBI. Jaguars head coach Adam Schakel: “Literally can play them all!”
Brooklyn Pettit, Graham-Kapowsin, fr. — The 4A SPSL South’s Pitcher of the Year turned heads as a freshman, posting a 7-3 record and 2.66 ERA (120 K) for Graham-Kapowsin’s state-quarterfinals squad. Two-way standout drove in 47 runs (.448 AVG) and launched eight homers.
Kiera Thomas, Puyallup, sr. — 4A SPSL North first-teamer posted career-highs in batting average (.532) and ERA (2.50) this spring, Puyallup’s top arm with 120 strikeouts in 86.2 innings. Carnegie Mellon (PA) commit collected 13 extra-base hits and 30 RBI.
DESIGNATED HITTER
Kalani Higa, Tahoma, jr. — Two-time TNT All-Area selection, 4A NPSL first-team pick hit .487 this year with 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 29 RBI. Cal Poly commit.
Hannah Potter, Auburn Riverside, jr. — No player in the South Sound watched the ball sail over the outfield fence more than Potter, who hit an area-leading 14 home runs this spring. 4A NPSL first-team selection posted a .588 batting average.
SECOND TEAM
Pitchers — Ava Bautista, Olympia, sr.; Laken Elvig, White River, fr.; Stevie-Rae Garcia Zamora, Washington, soph.; Kailee Pearson, Cascade Christian, sr.; Jaylah Sok-Vandergriff, River Ridge, jr.; Sarah Stevens, Tumwater, soph.
Catchers — Kenzie Stolmeier, Emerald Ridge, sr.; Ava Miranda, Peninsula, sr.
Infielders — Brooklyn Crass, Olympia, sr.; Brynn Erdmann, Auburn Mountainview, sr.; Gabby Greenwood, Kentwood, jr.; Scarlett Mabe, Central Kitsap, jr.; Meeghan Meagher, Federal Way, sr.; Genesis Miller, Kentridge, jr.; Paityn Powell, Yelm, fr.
Outfielders — Ava Day, Central Kitsap, sr.; Taryn Jones, Tahoma, sr.; Alyssa Neal, Enumclaw, sr.; Lana Trinidad, River Ridge, sr.; Izzy Vargas, Graham-Kapowsin, sr.
Designated Hitter — Danica Butler, Auburn Riverside, sr.; Leila Kennach, Franklin Pierce, sr.; Kennedy Selander, White River, sr.
Utility — Sara Halterman, North Thurston, soph.; Natalie Medalia, Silas, jr.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
