Jun 27, 2015 6 min read

Senior, shortstop

One of the best defensive shortstops in the state, Gray was magnificent in the field and at the plate this spring. She led the Hillers’ high-powered offense with a .611 average and was a power threat in the No. 2 spot in the order. The Pitt recruit hit 15 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and struck out just once all season. She also scored 44 runs and an on-base percentage of .696.

Junior, pitcher

The hard-throwing right-hander led the Pioneers back to the WPIAL playoffs by continuing her reputation as one of the top pitchers in Class A. She struck out 98, walked just 21, finished with a 3.68 ERA and held opponents to a .222 batting average. Bennington did damage at the plate with a .455/.662/.873 slash line with three home runs and 22 RBI.

Senior, pitcher

The move up to Class AA did not phase Burns. The Point Park recruit was again one of the top pitchers in the WPIAL with a 14-4 record and 157 strikeouts in 119 innings. She walked only 25 batters and had a 1.41 ERA. Burns hit .492 with a home run in the WPIAL playoffs, scored 25 runs and had 15 RBI. She only struck out three times in 61 at-bats and stole 12 bases.

Junior, first base

One of the most feared hitters in the WPIAL, Elling continued to punish opposing pitchers in 2015, batting .580 with 10 doubles, four triples, two home runs and finished third on the team with 40 hits. The Penn State recruit began the postseason with three multi-hit games and hit three postseason home runs.

Senior, third base

The Raiders struggled with youth and inexperience, but Gibbons was the glue to an offense that surprised this spring and reached the WPIAL playoffs for the second consecutive year. The Penn recruit batted an area-best .627 with 22 runs, 22 RBI, 10 doubles and three home runs. She struck out four times in 62 plate appearances.

Senior, outfield

A back injury prevented the four-year starter from pitching, but Kesneck hurt teams with her bat. She hit .425 with 31 hits, nine doubles, two triples, a home run and a team-high 33 RBI to help the Bucs reach the WPIAL Class A title game and the state playoffs. She hit .500 during the playoffs and did not commit an error all season.

Senior, pitcher

The three-year starter was dominant in her final season, helping the Rockets capture their first WPIAL title. She finished the season with a 15-4 record, an area-best 170 strikeouts in 112.1 innings pitched and a 0.69 ERA. She also batted .400 with 17 RBI. Ludrosky finished her career with 505 strikeouts, and was almost unhittable in the postseason with a 71-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Senior, outfield

A four-time first team all-district selection, the power-hitting left-hander had another stellar season at the plate. She batted .588 with 20 runs, 28 RBI, five home runs and only two strikeouts in 48 plate appearances. The Robert Morris recruit also was stellar in the field with no errors ion 24 chances.

Junior, shortstop

One of the most gifted offensive players in the WPIAL, Rush had another strong season for the Big Macs with a .577 average, 33 runs, 31 RBI, three doubles and an area-best 11 home runs. She struck out only three times in 66 plate appearances and had a .636 on-base percentage.

Junior, pitcher

Tarr helped the Blue Devils capture a share of the Section 1-AA title and had the program close to a top seed in the Class AA playoffs. The 6-1 right-hander had a 16-4 record with 158 strikeouts, a 2.61 ERA and was a threat at the plate. She batted .327 with four home runs and 23 RBI.

Senior, catcher

Returning from shoulder surgery, Craig was solid defensively, keeping base runners honest with her arm. Craig, who plans to walk on at Coastal Carolina, batted .373 with nine doubles, two triples, 25 RBI and a team-high 17 walks.

Sophomore, Second base

The Saint Francis (Pa.) recruit had another strong offensive season for the Big Macs and took on a larger role as the No. 3 hitter. She batted .456 with 21 runs, ranked third on C-M with 22 RBI and hit three home runs.

Freshman, pitcher

When an injury relegated Kesneck to outfield duty, Dittrich stepped in and helped the Bucs reach the WPIAL Class AA title game. A finesse pitcher, Dittrich had a 19-4 record and a 1.00 ERA in 133 innings. She struck out 72 and walked only 16, while holding opponents to a .216 average.

Senior, second base

The Hillers’ leadoff hitter set the tone for an offense that was one of the most dangerous in the state. Hornak batted .592 with a team-high 48 hits and scored 40 runs. She had an on-base percentage of .600 and led Trinity with 43 singles.

Senior, shortstop

A four-year starter, Kraushaar was one of the Bucs’ top hitters. She ranked second on the team in batting average (.434), first in hits (33), first in runs (37) and tied for first in walks (9). She also hit five doubles, two triples and one home run as Chartiers-Houston’s leadoff hitter.

Junior, pitcher

The first-year starter helped the Highlanders return to the WPIAL playoffs. McGuier struck out 150, only walked 22 and allowed just 21 earned runs in 119 innings. She also batted .313 with five doubles, two home runs, 31 total bases and 12 RBI.

Senior, pitcher/utility

Perich, a Gannon recruit, averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game in the circle and was a force as the Indians’ leadoff hitter. She batted .321 with a .415 slugging percentage, nine RBI, 13 runs and also had a .967 fielding percentage.

Senior, shortstop

After moving to shortstop full-time, Ritts had another strong season for the Blue Devils. She batted .536 with a team-high 30 RBI and only struck out once all season. Burgettstown’s No. 3 hitter finished with 30 hits and a .625 slugging percentage.

Senior, catcher

An outstanding defensive catcher, Rush also was a big threat at the plate for the WPIAL Class A champion Rockets. A Seton Hill recruit, she batted a team-high .535 with one home run, six doubles, 14 walks and 10 stolen bases. Rush also had a .650 on-base percentage and struck out only once in 68 at-bats.