Kaiser tops list of softball honorees

Sisters High School senior Jenny Kaiser received top post-season honors recently with the announcement of the all-Sky-Em League All-Star team and presentation of honors during the Sisters High School softball awards night.

Kaiser, a center-fielder, was named the lone Outlaw honored first team all-league by Sky-Em League coaches. She was also honored as the team's Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Inspirational Player.

Other All-League honorees were seniors Jenna Sneva (infielder), Hillary Renz (pitcher) and sophomore McKenzie Cooper (infielder). All three were named to the Sky-Em League's Second Team.

Sophomores Marisa Calavan (infielder) and Paige Bruguire (outfielder) received honorable mention all-league honors.

Marist's Nyree White and Kayla Braud were named Sky-Em League co-Players of the Year, and Marist coach Bob Hammitt was honored Coach of the Year.

In being named first team all-league for the second year in a row, Kaiser batted .487 in league and scored a team-high 20 runs in the Outlaws' dozen Sky-Em games. But her defensive play garnered much talk at the coaches' all-league meeting.

"It was pretty clear who the top defensive outfielder in the league was," said coach Tom Mauldin. "She made plays most outfielders don't or can't."

For the season, Kaiser batted .427 and scored a school record 34 runs. She also collected 35 base hits and stole 18 bases. Kaiser was honorable mention all league as a sophomore.

Cooper led the Outlaws in hitting during league with 21 base hits and a .500 batting average. She also led the team in runs batted in during league with 13 and was a perfect 12 out of 12 in stealing bases. She was honorable mention as a freshman.

Sneva batted .366 in Sky-Em play to garner second team status. She was first team in 2007 and 2008 and finishes her SHS career as the school's only player to surpass 100 (106) hits in a career.

Renz, who was first team all-league as a junior, led the Outlaws with 7 pitching wins and 92 innings in 2009. She also batted .295 in league and drove in a dozen runs. She had a team high 17 RBIs for the season.

"Six players receiving recognition for their league play is a good indication of how our program is doing," said Mauldin.

Other team honors went to Sneva as Offensive Player of the Year and Bruguire as Most Improved.

For the 2009 season, Sneva set a school record with 40 base hits and a .588 batting average. She also stole 27 bases in 30 attempts. Among those 40 base hits were a dozen straight base hits in preseason and a nine-for-nine performance in a double header against Sweet Home in mid-April. In non-league games, Sneva was 25 for 27 for a sterling .927 batting average.

"She had some pretty impressive streaks," said Mauldin. "In Florida (five games) she was 14 for 15, then the nine hits in the Sweet Home double header - impressive stuff."

Bruguire struggled in preseason, collecting one hit in 17 at bats, but once Sky-Em action opened, she excelled. She hit .316 and was third in RBIs during league play with eight.

"She found a home in the outfield. Once she got comfortable there, you could see her confidence and production develop," said Mauldin.

For the season, the Outlaws were 13-13 and finished third (7-5) in Sky-Em League competition.