Feisty, speedy Ally Choate is The Olympian’s All-Area softball player of the year

Ally Choate has a big decision to make before she even arrives at the Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane for the Class 4A state softball championships:

Which of the three vans that Yelm High School is taking east will she ride in?

“I’ve got to be with Ms. (Taryn) Smith, because Ms. Smith’s got the jams,” Choate said. “But then, (Jordan) McGrath is pretty cool. He’s got some jokes, he’s a pretty funny guy. And then, (Russ) Riches, we can save Riches for the freshman.”

The decision is, of course, based mostly on which assistant coach will play the best music during the five-hour trip.

Choate, a junior, likes hip-hop — a lot of Beyonce, but lately she’s been on a Drake kick with the release of his new album, “Views,” and also likes Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book.”

She’ll mix in some country when she’s in the right mood, and gets pumped up when her teammates chant her name when she’s at the plate.

“Anything that’s loud, I like,” she said.

The music and the chants fuel Choate — a Seattle University commit — on the softball field, and have helped the junior to a .566 batting average (47 for 83) and 20 RBIs through 27 games.

Yelm (22-4) took a No. 1 seed out the 4A West Central District tournament to qualify for state, and the Tornados were undefeated in 4A Narrows League play this year.

Choate, Yelm’s speedy, left-handed leadoff hitter — with her .641 on-base percentage — is The Olympian’s All-Area softball player of the year.

“One of the reasons our energy has been so high in the dugout this year is because of Ally,” senior outfielder Neka Viveros said. “Ally gets us going every time.”

She’s the first to step up to the plate every game, with her teammates spiritedly singing in the background. Choate has two personal cheers, the most common: “Ally, Ally Choate, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Choate.”

“She’s done a phenomenal job,” Yelm coach Lindsay Walton said. “She’s deadly on the bases, very smart.

“Her third year, teams seeing her for a third time, they’re figuring out how to pitch to her and making it more difficult for her to get on, but she always finds a way to get on base. She’s a very disciplined hitter.”

And a triple-threat. Sometimes she’ll bunt, sometimes she’ll power slap, sometimes she’ll swing away.

“First, I look at the infield and outfield and see where they’re standing,” Choate said. “If they’re really far back I’ll try to work the short game. If they’re really far in, I’ll think about poking it through.”

Her one consistency? It’s almost impossible to throw her out.

“I would say nearly,” Walton said. “People have gotten her out. But, you’ve got to be quick. You’ve got to field it cleanly and you’ve got to make a good throw.”

Otherwise, Choate gives opposing teams something to worry about on the base paths. She’s scored 38 times this season.

“She’s really good at reading the corners,” Viveros said. “She’s an amazing athlete to begin with. Even if it’s not a good hit, she runs it out and tries to get there. Sometimes she’s out, most of the time she’s safe. She’s got amazing speed.”

Viveros also credits Choate with keeping the momentum up outside of the fences of the softball field.

“It’s also at school,” Viveros said. “She’ll be like, ‘Hey, we’re going to get it today. Let’s have fun!’ She’s always excited and likes to scream.”

Choate said she probably ranks around second or third loudest on the team — Sage Ferrell, Adriana Viveros, Carley Nelson and Nicki Dehan can get up there, too, she said.

“We just love being on the field with each other,” Choate said. “It’s a great time.”

Choate plays center field, and helps direct traffic when the ball is in play.

“Sometimes they don’t really hear me from the outfield, so I could be singing a song and they wouldn’t even notice,” Choate said.

Oh, they notice.

“She’s always talking in the outfield when we’re on defense, and keeping people up in the dugout,” Walton said. “She’s got a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge about the game. So she’s always communicating with her teammates.”

She’s loud — and they like that.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 11:12 PM with the headline "Feisty, speedy Ally Choate is The Olympian’s All-Area softball player of the year."