Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames, Avonworth’s Alivia Lantzy, Serra Catholic’s Caroline Malandra headline 2023 all-state softball team

The 2023 high school softball season has been over for a few weeks now, but it’s never too late to recognize the best players the state had to offer.

The Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association released its 2023 All-State Team on Thursday, with more than 550 nominees narrowed down to a first team and second team for every position in all six classifications. The PAHSSBCA committee also named an overall Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, as well as a Player and Pitcher of the Year for every classification.

In all, 81 WPIAL players received all-state recognition, with 48 earning first-team honors and 33 voted to the second team in their respective classification. A trio of WPIAL stars garnered additional accolades, with Serra Catholic senior third baseman Caroline Malandra winning the PA Player of the Year award in Class 2A, while Seneca Valley sophomore Lexie Hames took home the PA Pitcher of the Year award in Class 6A and Avonworth junior Alivia Lantzy earned the same award in Class 3A.

Malandra led the WPIAL with a .742 batting average while tallying nine doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 39 RBIs and 43 runs scored on the year. She posted a 1.435 slugging percentage and a whopping 2.201 OPS while helping the Eagles to an unbeaten mark in section play and a 15-4 record overall.

“I batted around .500 my sophomore year, and I thought that would be around where I would stay. I never imagined myself being able to bat above .700,” Malandra said. “I was definitely shocked [when I saw the awards]. But I got the sense that I was proud of how I got here. It was nice just seeing all my hard work finally pay off.”

Hames propelled the Raiders to a second consecutive WPIAL championship appearance, finishing 17-2 on the year with an 0.46 ERA, 0.49 WHIP, 269 strikeouts and only 32 walks in 122 innings pitched. She also batted .393 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in only 28 at-bats, posting an on-base percentage of .738 while slugging .964 — good for an OPS of 1.702.

Meanwhile, Lantzy was at her best on the biggest stage once again for the Antelopes, pitching a complete-game gem in the WPIAL Class 3A title game for the second year in a row. Lantzy finished with a 21-2 record to go with a 1.21 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 134 innings, and she batted .485 with eight doubles, a triple, six home runs, 32 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

Also, a pair of local standouts were named among the four recipients of the inaugural PAHSSBCA Courage Award, honoring players who overcame major adversity during the season. Hempfield’s Mia Bandieramonte and Carmichaels’ Carys McConnell each received the honor for their courageous and exemplary performances after their fathers died before the start of the season.

A senior second baseman and designated player, Bandieramonte had a solid season for the WPIAL Class 6A champion Spartans, but she saved her best swing for the biggest moment of her softball career. With Hempfield and Seneca Valley knotted up in extra innings in the WPIAL title game, Bandieramonte crushed a go-ahead solo home run off Hames deep into the night sky in the top of the eighth inning to power the Spartans to a dramatic 2-1 win. For the season, she hit .296 with four doubles, three homers, 12 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Hear from Player of the Game Mia Bandieramonte from Hempfield after she launched a go-ahead home run off ace pitcher Lexie Hames in the top of the eighth inning to lift the Spartans to a 2-1 win over Seneca Valley in the WPIAL Class 6A title game: pic.twitter.com/p0CwMripAi

— Steve Rotstein (@SteveRotstein) June 1, 2023

A leadoff-hitting shortstop, McConnell put together one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory for the Mighty Mikes. She led Carmichaels to an undefeated regular season and a trip to the WPIAL Class 1A championship game, where she went 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles and five RBIs in a 10-8 loss against Union. McConnell finished her debut season batting .507 with six doubles, five triples, four home runs, 37 RBIs and 35 runs scored, and she also received first-team all-state honors at shortstop.

Full list of WPIAL all-state honorees:

Class 6A

First Team

Pitcher – Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley

Pitcher – Riley Miller, Hempfield

Catcher – Deirdre Flaherty, Mt. Lebanon

Third Base – Josey Michalski, Norwin

Shortstop – Bailey Snowberger, Norwin

Outfield – Megan McDonough, North Allegheny

Utility – Brooke Boehmer, Mt. Lebanon

Second Team

Catcher – Calle Henne, Pine-Richland

Third Base – Bella Gross, Seneca Valley

Third Base – Lauren Howard, Hempfield

Outfield – Jocelyn Langer, Pine-Richland

Class 5A

First Team

Pitcher – Bria Bosiljevac, Shaler

First Base – Eloise Facher, Shaler

Second Base – Toryn Fulton, Franklin Regional

Second Base – Aubrey Police, West Allegheny

Shortstop – Emma Paul, Armstrong

Shortstop – Hanna Suhoski, Trinity

Outfield – Taylor Lorish, Plum

Outfield – Amber Morgan, Trinity

Outfield – Shaylyn Shall, Western Beaver

Utility – Bethany Rodman, Shaler

Second Team

Pitcher – Taylor Dunn, Trinity

Catcher – Taylor Schmitt, Mars

First Base – Izzie LeFebvre, Western Beaver

Second Base – Ava Pries, Upper St. Clair

Third Base – Olivia Hood, New Castle

Outfield – Jenna Clontz, Armstrong

Outfield – Emma Smerick, Armstrong

Utility – Maura Wade, Penn Hills

Class 4A

First Team

Pitcher – Kaitlyn Molitoris, Montour

Pitcher – Shelby Telegdy, Elizabeth Forward

Catcher – Lily Duffill, Chartiers Valley

Shortstop – Madison Crump, Chartiers Valley

Shortstop – Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward

Outfield – Mia Arndt, Montour

Outfield – Maren Metikosh, Belle Vernon

Outfield – Avrie Polo, Montour

Second Team

Second Base – Rylee Prosperi, Chartiers Valley

Third Base – Lauren VanDivner, Belle Vernon

Outfield – Lexi Daniels, Belle Vernon

Outfield – Hannah Evans, Elizabeth Forward

Class 3A

First Team

Pitcher – Alivia Lantzy, Avonworth

Catcher – Rylee Gray, Avonworth

Shortstop – Amarah McCutcheon, Southmoreland

Shortstop – Aricka Young, Mohawk

Designated Player – Ava Nulph, Mohawk

Second Team

Pitcher – Katie Armstrong, Burrell

Catcher – Makayla Etling, Southmoreland

Third Base – Emma Obersteiner, Avonworth

Outfield – Krista Brunson, Mount Pleasant

Outfield – Leah Kuban, Avonworth

Utility – Adoria Waldier, Yough

Class 2A

First Team

Pitcher – Addy Frye, Neshannock

First Base – Hunter Newman, Neshannock

Third Base – Caroline Malandra, Serra Catholic

Shortstop – Aaralyn Nogay, Neshannock

Shortstop – Lida Wos, Serra Catholic

Outfield – Jaidon Nogay, Neshannock

Outfield – Juliette Vybiral, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Second Team

Pitcher – Sophia Celaschi, Charleroi

Catcher – McKenna DeUnger, Charleroi

First Base – Addie Deal, Laurel

Second Base – Grace Zeppelin, Laurel

Third Base – Gabby Quinn, Neshannock

Designated Player – Abbie Miles, Laurel

Class 1A

First Team

Pitcher – Bailey Barnyak, Carmichaels

Pitcher – Meadow Ferri, Chartiers-Houston

Pitcher – Mia Preuhs, Union

Catcher – Ella Richey, Chartiers-Houston

First Base – Delaney Warnick, Frazier

Second Base – Maria Felsher, Frazier

Second Base – Olivia Williams, Union

Shortstop – Carys McConnell, Carmichaels

Shortstop – Lauren Rush, Chartiers-Houston

Outfield – Sophia Zalar, Carmichaels

Designated Player – Ali Jacobs, Carmichaels

Second Team

Catcher – London Whipkey, West Greene

Third Base – Grace Vaughn, Frazier

Outfield – Karli Mazak, Leechburg

Outfield – Addie Nogay, Union

Designated Player – Olivia Benedict, Union