The News Tribune’s 2026 All-Area high school softball team
First- and second-team selections for The News Tribune’s 2026 All-Area softball team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Brooklyn Pettit, Graham-Kapowsin, soph. — No player better embodied the meaning of “MVP” this spring. Pettit tossed four no-hitters and carried the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the Class 4A state tournament in Richland, marking the best season in program history. The 4A SPSL South MVP was the area’s only pitcher to eclipse 300 strikeouts (and one of two statewide), fanning 57 percent of the batters she faced. Right-hander went 24-1 with a 0.71 ERA and 317 strikeouts, adding 14 home runs and 45 RBI with a .545 batting average at the plate. “My freshman year, I was a little rigid,” Pettit told The News Tribune. “I was scared, not wanting to mess up, not trusting my team enough … This year, I know I can make mistakes, and I’ll still be OK. … It’s just helpful to play free and trust my team more.” Two-time TNT All-Area selection and 2025-26 Gatorade Washington Softball Player of the Year.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jamie Thomas, Graham-Kapowsin — Thomas guided the South Sound’s best team to its best finish in program history, finishing runner-up at the Class 4A state tournament in Richland last month. Graham-Kapowsin went undefeated in a loaded 4A SPSL and claimed the league title, earning the No. 1 seed at district and state tournaments.
PITCHERS
Abby Hoyt, Peninsula, fr. — This rising freshman defused a talented Timberline lineup in the 3A District 3 championship on May 16, earning 3A PSL Nisqually Pitcher of the Year honors from across the Narrows. Hoyt went 12-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 94 strikeouts, adding nine home runs and 43 RBI at the plate (.459 AVG).
Jaycee Kemp, Puyallup, fr. — Kemp rose to instant stardom from one of the state’s top leagues, pacing the South Sound in ERA (0.64, 129.2 IP) with 70+ mph heat. The 4A SPSL North MVP Pitcher’s 272 strikeouts ranked second in the area, and her 18 wins ranked fourth. “She wears (her) emotion, and the team kind of gravitates towards that,” Vikings head coach Alec Elliott said. “She’s just unapologetically herself when she gets in the circle, and it’s really cool to watch... like this alter-ego.”
Sierra Murray, Rogers, soph. — The 2025 TNT All-Area Player of the Year was again one of the area’s dominant two-way players, lifting the Rams to a Class 4A state quarterfinals appearance as the true ace at Rogers High. Murray went 20-6 with a 1.24 ERA, finishing third in the South Sound with 257 strikeouts. 4A SPSL North MVP slashed .449/.511/.654 at the plate, adding two home runs and 28 RBI. Two-time TNT All-Area selection.
Alexa Ramirez, Tahoma, jr. — Tahoma’s ace set the school’s single-season strikeout record (209 K) for the third time in as many years, powering the Bears to a fourth-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament. Two-time TNT All-Area selection finished third in the South Sound with 19 wins and posted a 2.26 ERA, slashing .444/.550/.746 with four home runs and 21 RBI at the plate. “Her stepping up this year was not a fluke,” head coach Alicia Thompson said. “She came into the season on a mission and never let her foot off the gas.”
Jozi Thompson, Kentridge, jr. — The 4A NPSL Pitcher of the Year struck out a career-high 205 batters, posting double-digit punch-out totals in 13 of her 16 starts this spring. Thompson went 8-7 with a 2.56 ERA for the Chargers, slashing .549/.623/1.020 with four home runs and 23 RBI. Iowa commit is a two-time TNT All-Area selection.
CATCHER
Hi’ilei Gomes, Kentlake, jr. — The 3A NPSL Player of the Year led the state in on-base percentage (.849) and ranked among the area’s premier sluggers. Kentlake’s catcher slashed .761/.849/1.804 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI despite a demanding role behind the dish, adding eight doubles and an eye-popping 2.653 OPS.
INFIELDERS
Nevaeh Haagen, Timberline, jr. — The 3A Puget Sound League MVP and two-way standout posted a .628 batting average at the plate and 2.62 ERA in the circle. Haagen’s 16 home runs and 68 RBI ranked second in the South Sound, fueling Timberline’s run to the Class 3A state tournament. Central Arkansas commit added a five-inning perfect game (vs. North Thurston) on March 30. “She’s just so consistent with her hitting,” Timberline head coach Lynsi Polanco said in March. “She gets on, she moves people around. She’s smart on the bases.” Two-time TNT All-Area selection.
Natalie Medalia, Silas, sr. — The South Sound’s Triple Crown winner (regular season and post) finished her senior season with an area-best .768 batting average, 18 home runs and 76 RBI. Medalia led the state in AVG, SLG (1.928) and RBI, per MaxPreps, adding eight doubles and nine triples. “One of the things I’ve struggled with in the past has been, when I fail or I get into a small slump, I don’t keep that level head, and so that’s where my consistency kind of gets thrown off,” Medalia told The News Tribune this season. “So it’s definitely helped me to just reset and keep going to the next at-bat. I’d definitely say that’s attributed to how consistent I’ve been.” Linfield commit.
Lehua Siaki, Graham-Kapowsin, jr. — The 4A SPSL South Offensive Player of the Year delivered clutch hits in big moments, slugging .770 for Graham-Kapowsin’s Class 4A state runner-up squad. Siaki posted a .460 batting average with five home runs and 35 RBI from the heart of the Eagles order. “It’s my mental approach,” she told The News Tribune last month. “(It’s) what normally gets me on base.”
Kiley Sledge, Franklin Pierce, jr. — One of the South Sound’s most consistent producers delivered again this spring, batting .750 with six home runs in just 36 at-bats. Sledge’s .824 on-base percentage ranked second statewide, per MaxPreps, all while sporting a .944 fielding percentage at shortstop. “I’ve never had the opportunity to coach a player of her caliber,” Cardinals head coach Ron Angelot said. “Nothing as fluid and as talented and as versatile as her. For as good a player as she is, from the short time that I’ve been around her, an even better kid.” Utah commit is a two-time TNT All-Area selection.
Tessa Trippy, Auburn Mountainview, soph. — Trippy’s promising freshman campaign in 2025 blossomed into a full-fledged breakout this spring, posting a .675 batting average that ranked fourth in the South Sound. Trippy added six home runs and 40 RBI without a regular-season strikeout (18 G). 3A NPSL first-teamer is a two-time TNT All-Area selection.
OUTFIELDERS
Mia Hammington, Tahoma, sr. — The 4A NPSL Player of the Year delivered another TNT All-Area season as the everyday center fielder in Maple Valley. Hammington hit .605 with seven home runs and 34 RBI, posting a team-high 47 runs throughout Tahoma’s run to a fourth-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament. “She bunts for base hits, slaps for doubles and hits for power,” Tahoma head coach Alicia Thompson said. Grand Canyon commit and two-time TNT All-Area selection.
Riley Meyers, Sumner, sr. — 4A SPSL first-team selection ranked among the South Sound’s best in home runs (eight) and RBI (40) as the valley’s standout slugger. Linfield commit slashed .522/.584/1.075 and plated a season-high nine RBI on April 7.
Lila Schmidt, Enumclaw, soph. — 3A NPSL first-team selection ranked fourth among the area’s RBI leaders (46), slashing .644/.677/1.186 with five homers for Enumclaw’s Class 3A state-tournament team. Meyers added nine doubles this spring and recorded a three-triple game on March 23.
UTILITY
Laken Elvig, White River, soph. — A true two-way threat in Buckley, the 3A NPSL Pitcher of the Year guided the Hornets to a Class 3A state tournament appearance with team-highs in RBI (37) and innings pitched (83). Elvig went 13-3 with a 3.96 ERA, finishing 10th in the South Sound in strikeouts (132), and slashed .494/.583/.974 with seven home runs.
Norah Fenton, Orting, sr. — Only 11 opponents dared to try to steal a base on Orting’s catcher all spring, and Fenton nabbed eight of them. The 2A SPSL MVP posted a .517 batting average with eight home runs and 30 RBI, adding 30 runs and 19 stolen bases. Bellevue Community College commit.
Gigi Bell, Bonney Lake, fr. — The 4A SPSL South MVP Pitcher thrived in her first year as the Panthers workhorse, already among the South Sound’s best with 144 strikeouts (eighth) this spring. Bell posted a 3.85 ERA against a gauntlet of the state’s top lineups, batting .311 with four home runs and 14 RBI at the plate.
DESIGNATED HITTERS
Jayda Guadron, Emerald Ridge, sr. — The 4A SPSL North Offensive Player of the Year was one of the area’s most-versatile stars, a veteran leader at catcher and infielder for a young Emerald Ridge core. Guadron slashed .582/.693/1.164 this spring, belting seven home runs with 33 RBI. “A lot of the success here at Emerald Ridge is due to her,” Jaguars head coach Adam Schakel said. “Not just because she’s an amazing player, but she’s a great person.” Central Washington commit and two-time TNT All-Area selection.
Scarlett Mabe, Central Kitsap, sr. — The 3A PSL Narrows MVP struck out just twice in 91 plate appearances, powering the Cougars to a Class 3A state tournament appearance as Central Kitsap’s most-feared bat. Mabe slashed .581/.637/1.000, belting three home runs with a team-high 18 doubles and 44 RBI. Eastern Oregon commit.
SECOND TEAM
Pitchers — Aubrey Gidley, Steilacoom, fr.; Ariana Linder, Central Kitsap, sr.; Riley Linnane, Kentlake, soph.; Porsha Miller, Timberline, soph.; Josie Pendergrass, Stadium, fr.; Leticea Romo, Yelm, jr.; Josslyn Sorensen, Sumner, sr.; Sarah Stevens, Tumwater, jr.; Vivien Sweet, Peninsula, jr.; Frankie Wolfrom, Fife, soph.
Catchers — Kayleese Dorfner, Timberline, jr.; London Kim, Stadium, sr.
Infielders — Naya Alastra, Sumner, soph.; Megan Barrett, Tumwater, sr.; Isabella Haagen, North Thurston, soph.; Alexa Hansen, White River, fr.; Brooklyn Harrison, Gig Harbor, fr.; Kalani Higa, Tahoma, sr.; Kelsey Jones, Tahoma, soph.; Zhosi Pool, Bonney Lake, jr.; Sydney Potvin, Olympia, jr.; Sosephina Sailiai, Federal Way, jr.
Outfielders — Sarah Cody, Gig Harbor, fr.; Abby Crawford, Olympia, soph.; Sloan Cross, Auburn Riverside, soph.; Addi Hanel, Bonney Lake, soph.; Paige Jones, Peninsula, soph.; Manamea Laban, Graham-Kapowsin, fr.; Saihdee Trolson, North Thurston, jr.
Designated Hitter — Raylie Birklid, River Ridge, jr.; Payton Cantrell, Gig Harbor, sr.; Karlie Hegg, Mount Tahoma, sr.; Hannah Potter, Auburn Riverside, sr.; Ava Quiroz, Decatur, fr.
Utility — Jesabella Arceo, Thomas Jefferson, jr.; Kadence Avila-Petitt, Mount Rainier, sr.; Mallory Geving, Fife, sr.; Gabby Greenwood, Kentwood, sr.; Sara Halterman, North Thurston, jr.; Savvy Paulson, Central Kitsap, sr.
This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "The News Tribune’s 2026 All-Area high school softball team."
