PLAYER OF THE YEAR
KASEY WOOD
SCHOOL Bentonville
CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 5-8
THE SCOOP Wood batted .448 with a .528 on-base percentage and 1.482 OPS. ... Collected 39 hits, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 33 RBI and scored 31 runs for undefeated 6A-West Conference champions and state semifinalist. ... Was 14 of 14 on stolen-base attempts. ... As a pitcher was 1-0 with 8 saves over 39 innings pitched. ... Recorded 51 strikeouts with a .538 ERA and .692 WHIP. ... Was the NWADG Player of the Year in 2022. ... Has signed with the University of Arkansas. ... Helped the Lady Tigers win back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID "I would consider our season a great season. Every great team goes through battles. I think this season was very important to the growth of the program and for the future players on the team. Regardless of how it turned out, I think our class played an important role for younger players. I think they will grow because they could see the kind of work that goes into a great program. Not everything happens the way you want it to even if you do everything you can. That's how it is in the real world. But I'm very, very proud of the team. I think it was a great season."
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NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
LANEY CHILTON
SCHOOL Gravette
CLASS Freshman
HEIGHT 5-8
THE SCOOP Made an immediate impact atop the Lady Lions' batting order as a freshman. ... Batted .446 with a .495 on-base percentage and a 1.398 OPS for 23-2 Class 4A state champions. ... Was second on the team with 37 hits. ... Led the team with 8 home runs and 45 RBI. ... Struck out just twice in 94 plate appearances. ... Hit 2 homers in a game twice. ... Also added 10 doubles and 8 stolen bases. ... Helped team win the 4A-1 Conference and 4A-North Regional championships.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID "Coming into a team that had a lot of good upperclassmen who could really hit, I think what helped me most was coming in on days that were not mandatory and just putting in that extra work was very helpful for me. Making the jump to high school was not as tough because I had been playing travel ball where I think the pitching was better. I had to make an adjustment for that, but it was easy to adjust to it. Now the focus is to continue to improve and try to win another state championship."
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COACH OF THE YEAR
SAMANTHA LUTHER
SCHOOL Gravette
THE SCOOP In just her second season led the program to its first state championship and a 23-2 record. ... Lady Lions won the 4A-1 Conference and 4A-North Regional championships. ... Lady Lions' only two losses came to Class 6A Bentonville and Bentonville West. ... Gravette won its final 17 games of the season.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID "This is something that I've never done before and something I will never forget. I knew this group was special from the beginning. I think once I figured out that the girls knew what it takes, coming together as a team, and working hard every single day. Yes, that was our goal, winning a state championship, but not focusing only on that and focusing instead on the everyday things, I knew this was possible."
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THE TEAM
PLAYER NAME;SCHOOL;CLASS;NOTABLE
Ella Beeman;Rogers;Senior
Batted .374 with 34 hits, 10 doubles, 4 home runs, 26 RBI. Was 11-3 in the circle with 2 saves and 1.758 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings pitched.
Emory Bowlin;Pea Ridge;Sophomore
Batted .400 with 38 hits, 2 home runs, 30 RBI; Was 17-9 as a pitcher with a .911 ERA and .805 WHIP. Had 272 strikeouts in 169 innings pitched. Struck out all 21 batters she faced against Rogers Heritage in a perfect game.
Stephanie Crittenden;Bentonville West;Sophomore
Batted .558 with 53 hits, 8 home runs and 29 RBI. Had a 1.659 OPS for state tournament team.
Brooke Handle;Gravette;Junior
Was 17-2 in the circle with a 2.459 ERA, 1.351 WHIP and 104 strikeouts in 111 innings. Prior to suffering a broken jaw, was batting .333 in nine games.
Tori Hennarichs;Springdale;Senior
Batted .442 with 34 hits, 3 home runs, 22 RBI, 26 runs scored, and a 1.176 OPS.
Ava Johnson;Rogers;Junior
Batted .389 with 28 hits, 7 doubles, 15 RBI. Was 10-2 in the circle with 2 saves and a 1.230 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched.
Ryleigh Keele;Harrison;Junior
Batted .367 with 29 hits, 10 doubles, 2 home runs, 30 RBI. Was 21-6 in the circle with a 1.830 ERA and 231 strikeouts for 5A semifinalist.
Brinkley Moreton;Lincoln
Batted .553 with 52 hits, 15 doubles, 17 home runs, 53 RBI. Was 17-7 in the circle with a 1.941 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 140 2/3 innings pitched.
Trista Peterson;Bentonville;Senior
Batted .469 with .526 OBP and 1.496 OPS. Recorded 46 hits, 14 doubles, 11 home runs, 51 RBI and 38 runs scored.
Anniston Reith;Springdale Har-Ber;Sophomore
Batted .426 with 29 hits, 10 home runs and 30 RBI. Was 14-4 in the circle with a 1.674 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 138 innings pitched.
Ryann Sanders;Bentonville;Junior
Was 26-2 with 1.357 ERA and .736 WHIP in 129 IP. Recorded 169 strikeouts with 16 walks. Verbally committed to Louisville.
Reece Shirey;Farmington;Junior
Batted .489 with 43 hits, 7 triples, 23 RBI, 34 runs scored. Struck out twice in 95 plate appearances.
Bentonville senior Kasey Wood is the All-NWA Democrat-Gazette Player of the Year. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
Gravette freshman Laney Chilton is the All-NWA Democrat-Gazette softball Newcomer of the Year. Randy Moll/Westside Eagle Observer
Gravette softball coach Samantha Luther is the All-NWA Democrat-Gazette Coach of the Year.