Pair of WPIAL superstars sweep top honors to headline all-state softball team; 44 local standouts selected to inaugural all-state baseball team

If there were ever any doubt about the surplus of star power in Western Pennsylvania when it comes to high school softball, look no further than the 2024 edition of the all-state team presented by the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association for proof.

After placing 81 players on last year’s PHSSCA all-state team (48 on the first team, 33 on the second team), the WPIAL had 78 players represented on this year’s squad, with 46 being selected to the first team and 32 more landing on the second team. This time around, though, the WPIAL swept the two most prestigious categories in the year-end awards, with Neshannock junior Addy Frye receiving the Pennsylvania Overall Pitcher of the Year award and Seneca Valley junior Lexie Hames taking home top honors as the Pennsylvania Overall Player of the Year.

“I know [Hames] is good, and I think it’s great seeing local girls doing big things,” Frye said. “I think it’s a friendly competition.”

Already tabbed as the Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year as well as the freshly minted two-time PUP Player of the Year, Hames will need to make room for some more hardware in her trophy case after receiving yet another Player of the Year award. Last year, Hames received the Pennsylvania Overall Pitcher of the Year award, but this checks off another box on her list of lofty career goals — and she’s starting to run out of boxes to check.

“It feels a little bit better, but honestly, both awards are very high achievements,” Hames said. “Just getting either of them is really awesome.”

Hames finished her season with a record of 16-1 to go with an 0.56 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 265 strikeouts to 34 walks in 111 innings pitched. Opponents batted just .080 against the flame-throwing Clemson recruit, who struck out 19 batters in eight innings of work in a 4-3 extra-innings win against Norwin in the WPIAL Class 6A championship game.

Every bit as fearsome in the batter’s box as she is on the rubber, Hames batted .426 with a 1.652 OPS and nine home runs to go with 27 RBIs while drawing 34 walks, most of the intentional variety. For her career, Hames now has 672 strikeouts and 28 home runs with three WPIAL championship appearances and a pair of WPIAL titles to her credit.

“It’s crazy to be a part of, and it’s crazy that it all happened in my junior year,” Hames said. “It’s a time for self-reflection for me. Because I always have a big goal at the beginning of the year, like a ‘reach’ goal.

“I’m going to have to really reflect and be like, ‘What’s my big goal this year?'”

Junior pitcher Addy Frye took home the Pennsylvania Overall Pitcher of the Year award after leading WPIAL and PIAA Class 2A champion Neshannock to its second undefeated season in the past three years. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Frye might not have quite as many individual accolades as Hames on her resume, but nobody can compare with “The Great 8” when it comes to team success. The Providence recruit led Neshannock to its third consecutive WPIAL Class 2A title and second state title in the last three seasons, taking her game to a new level in the postseason while pitching five consecutive playoff shutouts before a 12-2 win against South Williamsport in the PIAA Class 2A final.

With Frye leading the charge, the Lancers have completed two perfect seasons in the past three years — a feat no other WPIAL team has achieved more than once. She finished the season with a record of 19-0 with an 0.59 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 212 strikeouts to only 13 walks while batting .492 with six home runs and 33 RBIs. For her career, Frye now holds a record of 57-1 with 536 strikeouts to go with 21 home runs at the plate.

“It didn’t really hit me [that I only have one season left at Neshannock] until I went to dinner with my Providence coaches the other day,” Frye said. “I’ve changed so much since my freshman year. Just seeing all my hard work paying off feels amazing.”

Elizabeth Forward sophomore shortstop Julia Resnik was rewarded for her stellar all-around play as the Pennsylvania Class 4A Player of the Year after propelling the Warriors to their second WPIAL title. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Elsewhere, Elizabeth Forward sophomore shortstop Julia Resnik was voted Class 4A Player of the Year, while Chartiers-Houston junior catcher Ella Richey received the Class 1A Player of the Year award. Both Resnik and Richey played instrumental roles in leading their respective teams to WPIAL titles.

After a spectacular debut campaign in which Resnik received the PUP Rookie of the Year award in 2023, the five-tool talent turned in an emphatic encore to earn PUP Most Well-Rounded Player honors as a sophomore, powering the Warriors to their second WPIAL crown and first since 2019. After batting .573 with 21 extra-base hits, 31 RBIs and 33 runs scored as a freshman, Resnik hit .526 with a team-high 1.648 OPS this spring while tallying 6 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs, 27 RBIs and 45 runs scored. Also a terrific defender, Resnik now has 40 extra-base hits, 58 RBIs and 78 runs scored while striking out only three times in her first two seasons.

For the Buccaneers, Richey has quietly produced one of the most prolific careers of any WPIAL player in recent memory, and she is finally starting to reap the rewards. A sweet-swinging leadoff hitter with effortless power, Richey batted .558 with a team-leading 1.726 OPS, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and 41 runs scored for the WPIAL Class 1A champions. This marked Richey’s second consecutive season with double-digit homers, and she has now batted .500 or better with 30-plus RBIs and runs scored in each of her first three seasons. Richey is now hitting .546 with 31 home runs, 107 RBIs and 129 runs scored for her career.

Junior catcher Ella Richey was voted Pennsylvania Class 1A Player of the Year after she helped lead Chartiers-Houston to its ninth WPIAL softball title. (Emily Matthews/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

Full list of WPIAL all-state honorees:

Class 6A

First Team

Pitcher – Lexie Hames, Seneca Valley

Catcher – Calle Henne, Pine-Richland

First Base – Emily Griffith, Hempfield

Shortstop – Allie Cervola, Hempfield

Shortstop – Bailey Snowberger, Norwin

Outfield – Maggie Howard, Hempfield

Outfield – Carlyn Vaupel, North Allegheny

Second Team

Catcher – Lily Vicari, Butler

Class 5A

First Team

Pitcher – Aubrey Shaffer, Thomas Jefferson

First Base – Jessie Pugh, Armstrong

Second Base – Morgan Alisesky, Thomas Jefferson

Third Base – Cam Ponko, Penn-Trafford

Shortstop – Toryn Fulton, Franklin Regional

Shortstop – Emma Paul, Armstrong

Shortstop – Aubrey Police, West Allegheny

Shortstop – Hanna Suhoski, Trinity

Outfield – Zoe Krizan, Thomas Jefferson

Outfield – Shaylyn Shall, Western Beaver

Second Team

Pitcher – Kayla Williams, Latrobe

Catcher – Ava Henke, West Allegheny

Catcher – Mackenzie Keenan, Penn-Trafford

Shortstop – Laura Craska, Mars

Outfield – Emersen Gatten, Peters Township

Outfield – Adrianna Martz, Franklin Regional

Utility – Ciara Camacho, Franklin Regional

Class 4A

First Team

Pitcher – Shelby Telegdy, Elizabeth Forward

Catcher – Lily Duffill, Chartiers Valley

Catcher – Mackenzie Reese, Hampton

First Base – Gracie Sokol, Belle Vernon

Second Base – Katie Sokol, Belle Vernon

Third Base – Addy Nigut, Elizabeth Forward

Shortstop – Julia Resnik, Elizabeth Forward

Outfield – Delaney O’Connor, Chartiers Valley

Second Team

Pitcher – Olivia Zimmerman, Indiana

Third Base – Marta Gualazzi, Chartiers Valley

Shortstop – Charlotte Lomb, Hampton

Shortstop – Sami Springman, Beaver

Class 3A

First Team

Pitcher – Sydney Sekely, South Park

Catcher – Makayla Etling, Southmoreland

Catcher – Rylee Gray, Avonworth

Catcher – Morgan Mosqueda, South Allegheny

Shortstop – Abby DeJidas, Freeport

Shortstop – Aricka Young, Mohawk

Second Team

Pitcher – Alivia Lantzy, Avonworth

Pitcher – Cheyenne Piper, Ligonier Valley

Third Base – Addy Moskal, Mohawk

Shortstop – Amarah McCutcheon, Southmoreland

Shortstop – Sydney Savatt, Avonworth

Shortstop – Danica Trainer, Mount Pleasant

Outfield – Layne Shinsky, Avonworth

Designated Player – Jayla Jones, Avonworth

Class 2A

First Team

Pitcher – Addy Frye, Neshannock

Pitcher – Sydney Gonglik, Bentworth

Second Base – Ali Giordano, Neshannock

Third Base – Gabby Quinn, Neshannock

Shortstop – Morgan O’Brien, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart

Outfield – Jaidon Nogay, Neshannock

Designated Player – Addie Deal, Laurel

Utility – Autumn Boyd, Laurel

Second Team

Catcher – Gabby Perod, Neshannock

Third Base – Brianna Aluisia, Shenango

Shortstop – Mayci Lang, Laurel

Outfield – Zoe Offie, Shenango

Class 1A

First Team

Pitcher – Bailey Barnyak, Carmichaels

Pitcher – Meadow Ferri, Chartiers-Houston

Catcher – Ella Richey, Chartiers-Houston

Second Base – Olivia Williams, Union

Shortstop – Carys McConnell, Carmichaels

Outfield – Addie Nogay, Union

Designated Player – Olivia Benedict, Union

Second Team

Pitcher – Mia Preuhs, Union

Pitcher – Grace Stein, Jeannette

Catcher – Irelyn Fisher, Union

Catcher – Katie Waggett, Carmichaels

First Base – Ali Jacobs, Carmichaels

Shortstop – Lauren Rush, Chartiers-Houston

Outfield – Marissa Tharp, West Greene

Utility – Payton Gilbert, West Greene

Baseball

In addition to the annual all-state softball awards, 42 WPIAL players and two City League players were selected to the Pennsylvania all-state baseball team, selected by the newly formed Pennsylvania State Baseball Coaches Association.

The PSBCA unveiled its inaugural all-state team on Monday, with more than 400 nominations narrowed down to the top 40 players in each class by the committee. Riverside placed four players on the team to lead all WPIAL schools, while Eden Christian, Indiana, North Catholic and Waynesburg each produced two all-state selections apiece.