Lady Cats Have Excellent Turnout In All-District Awards
Over the last decade, district championships and deep playoff runs have become tradition for the Sulphur Springs Lady Cats, and this spring was no different, as they were able to live up to the lofty expectations they have set. After finishing their year with 27 wins and a trip to the Regional Semifinals, a number of Lady Cats also took home some hardware, as the All-District awards were announced recently.
District MVP
It was a historic season for junior Hannah Speed, who won her third District MVP award, in as many seasons. Speed completely demolished the school’s single-season home run record (which was previously 13 home runs), finishing her year with an almost unbelievable 22 home runs. Speed also drove in 55 RBI and hit .527 on the year, all while being the ace for the Lady Cats.
As a pitcher, Speed led the team with a record of 16-5 over 23 starts. The junior was able to strikeout 220 batters across 129.1 innings pitched, having an ERA of 2.05 and a WHIP of 1.152, while holding opposing hitters to just a .162 batting average against her.
Already with three District MVP’s under her belt, Speed still has a year left in her career as a Lady Cat. She enters her senior season needing just four more home runs to become the new all-time home run leader in Sulphur Springs Lady Cats history.
Defensive MVP
Another underclassman who had an incredible season was sophomore Shaelee Friddle, who was named the Defensive MVP. As just a sophomore, Friddle was one of the team leaders, playing lock down defense behind the plate for the Lady Cats. Friddle played all but one inning of district behind the plate and didn’t commit a single error, while also making just as big of contributions at the plate.
Friddle finished in the Top 5 for the Lady Cats in average (.436), OPS (1.297), homeruns (5), RBI (36), doubles (17), and hits (44). She was also one of the most clutch players on the team, hitting .568 with runners in scoring position, which was tied for the second-best on the team.
Friddle has accomplished about as much as a player can through their sophomore season and has the experience of two deep playoff runs under her belt already. Still with two more seasons ahead of her, the future is very bright for the Lady Cats defensive star.
Utility Player of the Year
Junior Claire Thompson was named the Utility Player of the Year, having one of the most dominant seasons at the plate of anybody in the state. Thompson provided a ton of power for the Lady Cats, finishing the season with eight home runs, and was able to hit five of them in just seven district games.
Thompson was also second on the team in RBI, finishing with 40 on the year. While she was great all season, Thompson got better and better as the season went on. From the start of District, until the end of the playoff run, Thompson hit .509 with an OPS of 1.527, and drove in 25 RBI, all of which placed in the Top 3 for the Lady Cats. Thompson has become a very feared hitter at the plate, and if she continues to improve as she has each season so far, she is on pace to have an incredible senior season in 2027.
Newcomer of the Year
Newcomer of the Year is awarded to the player who made the biggest contributions in their first year on Varsity, and very few players in the entire state can say they had as good of a debut campaign as freshman Addison Woodall.
The Lady Cats freshman was unstoppable at the plate, hitting .521 on the season. Her numbers only got better as the season went on, hitting .522 in district and an unbelievable .632 in the postseason, playing her best softball when the lights were the brightest. In just six playoff games, Woodall had 12 hits, including two homers, six doubles and one triple, driving in eight RBI along the way.
Woodall finished her freshman season with seven home runs and 38 RBI, both of which were third on the team. She also had the second best average (.521) and OPS (1.621) on the team, while leading the team in doubles (18). The Newcomer of the Year set the tone on what should be one of the most exciting careers offensively that the Lady Cats have seen in quite some time.
First Team All-District
Bayler Boatman, Sr- Lady Cats third baseman Bayler Boatman entered her senior season looking to end her career as a Lady Cat with a bang, after already making huge contributions over the last three seasons. This time around, Boatman would be making her contributions from the leadoff spot, setting the tone for the offense on a strong note and with a veteran leader at the top of their order.
Boatman was exactly what you’d hope to get out of your leadoff hitter, finishing the season with a .396 average and a .469 OBP. She also brought a strong mix of both power and contact, finishing fourth on the team in extra base hits and third on the team in doubles.
Along with her strong play at the plate, Boatman was also just as consistent defensively, playing Gold Glove defense at third base. While the Lady Cats have a very bright future and a ton of players returning next season, they will have their hands full when it comes to replacing the production they’ve gotten over the last four years from Bayler Boatman.
KK Montgomery, Sr- Senior KK Montgomery also capped off a very strong career as a Lady Cat by being named First Team All-District. Montomgery had yet another strong season at the plate, hitting .435 in district and finishing the year with six home runs.
Throughout her career, Montgomery had the reputation as a player who got better as the moments got bigger, and this season was no different. Montgomery had the second-best average (.429) and OPS (1.429) on the team in the postseason, along with the second most RBI (8) in that time span, doing all of this while also making great play after great play in left field. While the future is very bright for the Lady Cats, filling the role of KK Montgomery will be no easy task.
Gracie Thompson, Sr- The Lady Cats only had three seniors on their team this season, and Gracie Thompson joined Boatman and Montgomery with all three of them being named First Team All-District. Thompson stepped into the full time role as the shortstop of the Lady Cats this season, and played the role very well.
Thompson also provided a ton of offense in the back part of the lineup, hitting .353 on the season, with her numbers getting better and better as the season went on. Thompson proved how much veteran leadership and experience matters, as she was one of the most consistent and reliable hitters on the team in the postseason, hitting .375 with a .889 OPS and six RBI in as many postseason games.
Whether it was her consistent hitting or her reliable glove at shortstop, Thompson showed how important it is to have experienced veteran leadership from Game 1 through their Regional Semifinals run and her presence will be greatly missed next season.
Brailie Blevins, Jr- Junior Brailie Blevins was yet another returning player for the Lady Cats, coming back for her third season on varsity, this time stepping into her biggest role yet. Now, as one of the more experienced leaders on the team, Blevins showed even more growth and had her best season yet, finishing the year with an average of .420 and a 1.063 OPS. Blevins finished 5th on the team in RBI (30), doubles (10), and hits (42), providing a ton of contributions from the back part of the lineup.
Blevins also stepped her game up as the season went on, having the third-highest postseason average on the team (.421). In the playoffs Blevins was 8-for-20, with three doubles and five RBI. On top of her contributions at the plate, Blevins played solid defense at second base and will return next year as a four-year varsity player, with tons of experience and deep playoff runs under her belt. Look for her to make yet another leap and have an even better senior season in 2027.
Allison Frazier, Jr- Junior Allison Frazier entered the 2026 campaign ready to prove herself, after being limited to just 29 at bats the year prior. This season, Frazier would not only be the starting centerfield, but would finally be a mainstay in the lineup and was more than ready for the opportunity to hit everyday.
In over 100 plate appearances, Frazier had an incredible year at the plate, finishing with a .424 average and a 1.128 OPS, racking up 24 RBI, 10 doubles, three homers and two triples along the way.
On top of her impressive hitting, Frazier also made huge contributions in the outfield and on the base paths. Frazier patrolled centerfield all season without being credited with a single error, and also had the second-most stolen bases on the team. Frazier has seen an increased role each year so far, and she’s also seen her game improve along with those opportunities. Frazier will come back in 2027 as a senior and one of the most experienced leaders on the team, and I look for her to have her best season yet as a Lady Cat.
Paislie Brown, Fr- One thing that separated this years’ Lady Cats team from their teams in the past was their level of depth, which is exactly what freshman Paislie Brown represented. Brown was named First Team All-District utility, after logging innings at second base, pitcher, right field and first base.
Brown hit .310 with 10 RBI and a pair of doubles in 46 plate appearances, while also logging an ERA of 3.70 and a 2-2 record across six appearances on the mound for the Lady Cats.
Getting that many opportunities and making the most of them as a freshman on such a deep and loaded team was a great way to begin her career for the Lady Cats. Look for Brown to get even more opportunities in each of the next three seasons, and look for her to make even more contributions with those opportunities.
Jersie Fowler, Fr- For a team with as much depth and returning talent as the Lady Cats had this season, they also had a tremendous amount of contributions from underclassmen, like freshman Jersie Fowler. Fowler added a level of depth to the pitching staff the Lady Cats haven’t seen in years, allowing Speed the opportunity to rest her arm and have more stamina in the postseason.
Fowler was incredible with the opportunities she did get pitching wise, striking out 17 batters in just 11 innings, without allowing a single run. She also hit .351 with a pair of home runs and 18 RBI in just 57 at bats.
Perhaps her strongest ability in her debut campaign was her versatility, logging innings as a pitcher, a first baseman, short stop, left fielder, centerfielder and right fielder. As someone who can play both infield and outfield, while also having strong outings when she got the chance to pitch, Fowler is going to give Coach Bailey Dorner and the Lady Cats plenty of possibilities with where to play her over the next three seasons.
Honorable Mention
Chloe Johnson, Fr- Freshman Chloe Johnson was the go-to courtesy runner for the Lady Cats this season, and was one of the best in the state in that role. Johnson was a nightmare for opposing teams on the base paths, leading the Lady Cats in stolen bases and finishing sixth on the team in runs scored.
Johnson not only showed off her speed on the bases, but also her heads up base running ability and will certainly be a problem for opposing teams on the base paths for many years to come.
