Softball: 2023 Northwest Herald All-Area Team

Meet the 2023 Northwest Herald All-Area softball team.

FIRST TEAM

McKayla Anderson, Dundee-Crown, jr., P

Anderson, who had 15 wins and a 2.37 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, racked up the most strikeouts in the Northwest Herald area with a school-record 267 whiffs in 168 2/3 innings. She set the record in her last game of the season, beating the previous mark of 266. Anderson also was effective with the bat, hitting .409 with four homers, 26 RBIs and 26 runs scoured. She is committed to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Tallulah Eichholz, Harvard, so., P

Eichholz, a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team pick for the second year in a row, helped lead the Hornets to their first winning season in the Kishwaukee River Conference. She recorded 239 strikeouts with a 2.09 ERA and 0.86 WHIP. Eichholz also was her team’s best hitter with a .458 batting average and .595 on-base percentage. In the Class 3A regional final she carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and struck out 18 in a 1-0 loss to Kaneland.

Lilly Kunzer, Marengo, jr., P

Kunzer, an All-Area first-team selection for the second straight year, led all area pitchers in wins, finishing her junior year 19-2-1 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 176 strikeouts and 33 walks in 128 innings. She was also one of the Indians’ top hitters with a .477 batting average, 13 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBIs. Marengo went undefeated in the KRC at 10-0 and won a Class 2A regional title.

Juliana Maude, Huntley, sr., P

Maude was one of the toughest pitchers to square up in the area and helped lead the Red Raiders to their third Fox Valley Conference title in a row. She was 16-6, adding four saves, and tallied a tidy 2.15 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Maude fired 143 strikeouts and walked only 17 batter over 133 1/3 innings. She will play at North Central College next year.

Becca Weaver, Cary-Grove, jr., P

Weaver, an All-Area first-team selection for the second straight season, was the Trojans’ top pitcher with a 2.92 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 10 walks in 79 innings. At the plate, she was one of C-G’s best hitters with a .447 batting average, .505 on-base percentage, 28 runs scored and 21 RBIs. Weaver posted seven doubles and three triples.

Taylor Davison, Richmond-Burton, sr., C

Davison was voted the KRC Player of the Year by coaches for the second year in a row, hitting .479 with a .589 on-base percentage and an area-best 13 home runs. Davison, a two-time All-Area first-team pick, had six doubles, 32 RBIs and 25 runs scored. She will play next year at Syracuse.

Bria Riebel, Hampshire, so., middle IF

Riebel was among the area’s biggest power bats and helped lead the Whip-Purs to their first regional title in seven years with a 4-2 win against Hononegah. She hit .469 with a team-leading nine home runs and knocked in 35 runs. She played mostly shortstop but also filled in at catcher for Hampshire.

Vanessa Buske, McHenry, jr., middle IF

Buske shined at the plate and in the circle for the Warriors, who finished runner-up in the FVC. The junior went 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 64 2/3 innings, while hitting .426 with a .486 on-base percentage, 37 runs scored, 23 RBIs, five doubles, two home runs and 22 steals.

Brooke Klosowicz, Johnsburg, sr., corner IF

Klosowicz, an All-Area first-team choice for the third straight season, was the area’s second-leading hitter with a .603 batting average and .663 on-base percentage. She set the Skyhawks’ single-season record with 12 homers and drove in 36 runs. Klosowicz hit two homers, including the go-ahead shot in the eighth inning, in Johnsburg’s Class 2A regional final win over Sandwich. She will play next year at Penn State.

Dana Skorich, Crystal Lake South, jr., corner IF

Skorich provided a lot of power and run production as the Gators’ top hitter. The junior hit .447 with a .519 on-base percentage, driving in an area-best 45 runs and scoring 26 times. She pounded out eight home runs and had eight doubles.

Emily Harlow, Prairie Ridge, jr., OF

Harlow was the Wolves’ captain and led the team with eight homers and 37 RBIs. The junior played center field and third base, hitting .437 with 27 runs scored. Coach Scott Busam said Harlow made spectacular plays in the outfield and was one of Prairie Ridge’s most clutch hitters. She blasted three homers in Prairie Ridge’s last regular season game.

Clara Hudgens, Huntley, sr., OF

Hudgens was a table-setter for the Raiders, hitting .431 with a .515 on-base percentage. The senior center fielder tallied an area-best eight triples, along with eight doubles, 40 runs scored, 32 RBIs and 10 steals. Huntley won its third straight FVC title with a 17-1 record.

Katie Mitchell, Huntley, sr., OF

Mitchell, the 2023 Northwest Herald Softball Player of the Year and All-Area first-team pick for the third straight year, led all area players with 57 hits, 58 runs scored and 58 stolen bases in 60 attempts. Mitchell hit first or second in the order for the Raiders, who captured their eighth consecutive regional championship. She will play next year at Loyola.

Norah Mungle, Woodstock North, sr., UTIL

Mungle, who will play next year at Wisconsin-Platteville, helped lead the Thunder to back-to-back Class 3A regional titles. In the regional championship against Prairie Ridge, she was 2 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Mungle set the career doubles record at North and ended the year with a .500 batting average, .561 on-base percentage and 27 RBIs.

SECOND TEAM

CiCi Di Silvio, Jacobs, sr., P

Madison Kunzer, Richmond-Burton, so., P

Channing Keppy, McHenry, jr., P

Reese Mosolino, Prairie Ridge, fr., P

JoJo Vermett, Woodstock North, jr., P

Kylee Jensen, Marengo, so., C

Maddie Crick, Cary-Grove, jr., corner IF

Meghan Ryan, Huntley, jr., corner IF

Adysen Kiddy, Prairie Ridge, so., middle IF

Anna Sanders, Burlington Central, jr., middle IF

Maddy Christopher, Marengo, sr., OF

Hailey Holtz, Richmond-Burton, so., OF

Addison Pino, Dundee-Crown, sr., OF

Giada Motto, Crystal Lake Central, jr., UTIL

HONORABLE MENTION

Aubrina Adamik, Huntley, fr., SS

Gianna Carone, Crystal Lake Central, sr., P-SS

Jozsa Christiansen, Marengo, so., P-OF

Gabby Christopher, Marengo, fr., SS

Parker Frey, Prairie Ridge, fr., 3B-SS

Abby Geis, McHenry, sr., 3B

Kennedy Grippo, Crystal Lake South, sr., P-SS

Krista Herrmann, Woodstock North, so., SS

Kaley Koltz, Cary-Grove, jr., OF

Makayla Larson, Burlington Central, jr., IF

Britta Livdahl, Harvard, jr., C

Aubrey Lonergan, Cary-Grove, so., UTIL

Mia Lulinski, Marengo, sr., OF

Madison Harvey, McHenry, jr., 1B

Arya Patel, Jacobs, sr., UTIL

Jadyn Polerecky, McHenry, jr., OF

Lyndsay Regnier, Richmond-Burton, sr., 3B

Kayla Riener, Johnsburg, fr., C

Mia Robinson, Hampshire, fr., 1B

Addison Salazar, Woodstock North, jr., P-3B

Olivia Shaw, Crystal Lake Central, so., P

Ella Smith, Johnsburg, jr., 1B

Norah Spittler, Richmond-Burton, sr., 1B

Mia Spohr, Richmond-Burton, sr., SS

Emma Stolzman, McHenry, sr., C

Sadie Svendsen, Huntley, so., 2B

Katie Svigelj, Crystal Lake Central, sr., P-1B

Emily White, Marengo, jr., 3B