CLASS 6A SOFTBALL CAPSULES
 

 
BLUE VALLEY
 
Coach: Ashley Jenkins
 
Record: 20-6 (No. 6 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Lawrence, 2-0; beat Olathe East, 5-4.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Topeka High (3: 25-3), 1 p.m. Tuesday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Kyla Cisneros, so., P/3B; Ellie Reinert, sr., C/1B; Gianna Gilstrap, jr., 3B/C; Lucy Kennedy, sr., SS; Shea Splittorff, sr., CF.
 
Worth noting: Tigers were just 11-14 in Jenkins first season as head coach a year ago before enjoying turnaround season this spring. … Trip to state is second in three years and third in last five years with each of those appearances ending with quarterfinal losses. … Two of Tigers’ losses came to 5A qualifier and defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas while two others came to perennial 6A power Washburn Rural. … Other losses came to Eastern Kansas League foes Blue Valley North and St. James Academy. … Tigers have relied on a balanced lineup, dominant pitching and steady defense. … Gilstrap is hitting .476 with 8 home runs and 42 RBI while posting a 1.474 OPS. … Cisneros is hitting .375 with 8 home runs, 33 RBI and 10 stolen bases while also starring in the circle with a 17-2 record, 2.05 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched. … Kennedy is batting .435 with 40 runs scored while  Splittorff is hitting .440 with 37 runs scored and 15 walks. … Ellie Reinert has added 4 home runs and 36 RBI while batting .398. … Devin Splittorff is batting .430. … Defensively, Blue Valley has been solid throughout the season with a .956 team fielding percentage.
 

 
CAMPUS
 
Coach: Emily Prichard
 
Record: 16-12 (No. 8 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Liberal, 13-2; beat Washburn Rural, 4-3.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Derby (1: 28-0), 3 p.m. Tuesday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Madilyn Harris, sr., OF; Emmie Cooper, jr., 2B/OF; Lilly Clements, jr., 3B; Kyra Caudillo, sr., C; Alexis Butler, jr., SS; Reese Storm, fr., 2B/OF; Kylie Matthews, so., P.
 
Worth noting: Colts upset perennial power Washburn Rural in the regional finals to earn second state trip in three years. … Colts finished at Class 6A state runner-up in 2024, falling 10-4 to Olathe Northwest in the champion game. … Colts own win over fellow 6A qualifier Maize and also swept perennial 5A power Valley Center 10-5 and 14-0. … Colts have hit 50 home runs as a team this year with Butler belting 13 of them and Cooper blasting 11. … Cooper is hitting .582 and Butler is hitting .400. … Caudillo leads team with 45 hits and is hitting .444. … Storm is hitting .392, Clements is hitting .385 and Harris is hitting .340. … Matthews has a 3.78 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched.
 

 
DERBY
 
Coach: Christine Weve
 
Record: 28-0 (No. 1 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Junction City, 10-0; beat Manhattan, 8-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Campus (8: 16-12), 3 p.m. Tuesday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Karlie Demel, sr., SS; Olivia Parra, sr., OF; Brielle Hendrick, jr., OF; Kayla Cooper, sr., C; Addi Gutzmer, so., P/1B; Ashlyn Hamilton, sr., P; Kelby Clingan, jr., P/1B.
 
Worth noting: Trip to state is fourth straight and 18th overall for the Panthers. … Derby has finished third three of the past four years, falling in semifinals last year to eventual champion Olathe West before finishing third. … Best state finish for program was a runner-up showing in 2007. … Weve won state titles as head coach of Bishop Carroll in 1999 and 2001 and is now in 23rd year at Derby where she won her 350th game for the program last year. … Panthers were undefeated Ark Valley Chisholm Trail I champions and swept 6A qualifiers Campus and Maize and 5A qualifiers Bishop Carroll and Maize South while also owning wins over 5A qualifier Great Bend and 4A qualifier McPherson. … Panthers needed extra innings for wins over Salina South and Valley Center and also have six one-run wins overall. … Demel is hitting .560 with 38 RBI and 49 runs scored. … Hendrick is hitting .473 with 33 runs scored. … Parra has 11 home runs and 45 RBI and is hitting .436. … Gutzmer is hitting .460 with 20 RBI and is 10-0 with a 1.14 ERA and 109 strikeouts. … Hamilton is 10-0 with a 2.51 ERA and 91 strikeouts and Clingan is 8-0 with a 2.63 ERA. … Cooper is hitting .419. … Panthers are hitting .417 as a team with 32 total home runs and 61 stolen bases. … Team ERA is 1.89 and Derby pitchers combined for 0 earned runs and 21 strikeouts in 12 innings in regionals.
 

 
GARDNER EDGERTON
 
Coach: Joanne Calvin
 
Record: 24-2 (No. 2 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Shawnee Mission West, 10-0; beat Olathe North, 2-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Maize (7: 21-7), 11 a.m. Tuesday at Baker University, Baldwin City
 
Key Players: Charlee Latteman, sr., SS; Morgan Beasley, jr., 3B; Anna Fitzgibbons, sr., 2B; Bella Garcia, fr., C; Ava Yokley, sr., P; Kenley Sutton, so., P; Kora Konrade, so., P; Aspen Walker, fr., OF; Kylie Kyle, jr., OF; Kaedence Becker, sr., OF; Makayla Cox, sr., DP.
 
Worth noting: Trailblazers return to state for the first time since having back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2022. … Gardner took third in 2021. … Trip to state is fifth overall with other two trips coming back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. … Trailblazers were 12-1 in the Sunflower League with lone league loss coming to fellow 6A qualifier Mill Valley, a 3-0 loss on April 9. … Gardner beat fellow 6A qualifier and defending champion Olathe West 5-4. … Only other loss came in regular-season finale split with 5A qualifier Basehor-Linwood (5-3 loss, 7-0 win). … Latteman is the Sunflower League Player of the Year after hitting .600 with 10 home runs, setting the school record for homers and slugging percentage. … Yokley is 11-1 with a 1.70 ERA and 40 strikeouts while Konrade is 7-0 with a 1.75 ERA and 35 strikeouts and Sutton is 6-1 with a 1.07 ERA and 72 strikeouts. … Trailblazers have set team records for home runs (23), hits, RBI and stolen bases. … Trailblazers were just 15-11 last season before making big jump this season.
 

 
MAIZE
 
Coach: Jeff Topping
 
Record: 21-7 (No. 7 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Wichita South, 16-0; beat Wichita East, 10-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Gardner Edgerton (2: 24-2), 11 a.m. Tuesday at Baker University, Baldwin City
 
Key Players: Gabi Uffendell, C; Lila Collins, OF; Tinley Travis, SS; Raegan Casey, OF; Joslynn Stiglitz, P; Grace Swart, P/1B.
 
Worth noting: After qualifying 15 times for state in 21-year period from 1994-2014, Eagles are back at state for the first time since 2017. … State appearance is 17th overall for the program. … Maize captured state championships in 1998 and 2010 and also took second in 1995, 2001 and 2006. … Eagles have four more semifinal appearances. … Topping was head baseball coach for Wichita Heights from 2008-19 before taking over Maize softball program in 2022. … He recorded his 250th career victory when Eagles beat Salina South 5-4 in a 12-inning game in late April. … Collins leads team with .483 average and set school record for doubles in a career with 45, getting 15 this season to go with 9 home runs and 41 RBI. … Uffendell is hitting .434 with 4 home runs and 31 RBI. … Travis is hitting .409 with 28 RBI and 32 runs scored. … Casey has 27 RBI and 39 runs scored and has drawn 23 walks. … Swart has 4 home runs and 31 RBI with a .380 average and also is 9-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 63 strikeouts. … She got her 200th career strikeout this season. … Stiglitz is 7-3 with a 3.51 ERA and 55 strikeouts.
 

 
MILL VALLEY
 
Coach: Kevin Mosher
 
Record: 24-3 (No. 4 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Wyandotte, 15-0; beat Shawnee Mission East, 3-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Olathe West (5: 24-3), 1 p.m. Tuesday at Baker University, Baldwin City
 
Key Players: Macy Brunner, sr., 1B; Jordyn Johnson, fr., OF; Liv Peery, jr., 3B; Emma Hadley, jr., P.
 
Worth noting: Jaguars have qualified for state for the second straight year and finished fourth last year, falling 2-1 in semifinals to Washburn Rural. … Trip to state is the 12th in program history, eight of those trips coming in Class 5A and one in Class 4A. … Top finishes were runner-up showings in 5A (2013) and 4A (2001) and Jaguars have also placed fourth three times. … Mosher in first year as head coach. … Jaguars won Sunflower League title for the first time in program history, wins over fellow 6A qualifiers Gardner Edgerton (3-0) and Olathe West (9-7) keying the title. … Lone league loss came to Olathe North and other two losses came to 5A qualifier Basehor-Linwood and Washburn Rural. … Jaguars set school records for wins and winning percentage. … Brunner is hitting .568 with 12 doubles and 4 home runs. … Johnson is hitting .512 with 3 triples and 4 homers. … Peery is hitting .510 with 8 doubles and 2 home runs. … Hadley is 12-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 2 saves. … Jaguars are hitting .428 as a team with 26 home runs. … Eight Jaguars have earned all-league honors this year after having none receive honors last year despite being a state-qualifying team.
 

 
OLATHE WEST
 
Coach: Cynthia Adams
 
Record: 24-3 (No. 5 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Shawnee Mission Northwest, 15-0; beat Olathe Northwest, 8-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Mill Valley (4: 24-3), 1 p.m. Tuesday at Baker University, Baldwin City
 
Key Players: Celise Kellepouris, so., P/OF; Emma Heinemann, sr., 1B/OF; Olivia Adams, so., OF; Kendall Bunch, fr., 1B/P; Gwen Shin, fr., SS/P; Lindsay Ruder, sr., DP; Stella Hamilton, so., 2B/3B; Brogan Doll, fr., C.
 
Worth noting: Owls captured second state championship in three years, beating Washburn Rural 8-7 in last year’s championship game to cap a 28-1 season. … West also won the state title in 2023, also beating Rural for the title, with that trip the program’s only other state appearance. … Adams is 153-42 in six years as head coach and was the 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas while starring for Bishop Miege. … Owls have wins over 5A qualifier and defending champion St. Thomas Aquinas (5-0) and fellow 6A qualifier Maize (6-0). … Owls suffered all three losses to fellow 6A qualifiers Gardner Edgerton (5-4), Topeka High (6-3) and Mill Valley (9-7) and get a shot at avenging loss to Mill Valley in quarterfinals. … Owls won first eight games this season via run-rule. … Kellepoouris threw every inning at last year’s state tournament and this year is 13-0 with a 1.03 ERA and 146 strikeouts. … She’s also hitting .479. … Adams is hitting .530 and leads the team in hits. … Bunch, Shin and Doll have been impact freshmen with Bunch hitting .483 and Shin hitting .438. … Heinemann is four-year starter who is hitting .411. … Ruder is hitting .470 and Hamilton is hitting .444.
 

 
TOPEKA HIGH/CAIR PARAVEL
 
Coach: Shane Miles
 
Record: 25-3 (No. 3 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Wichita Heights, 15-0; beat Wichita Northwest, 11-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Blue Valley (6: 20-6), 1 p.m. Tuesday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: London Backman, so., SS; Campbell Dawson, jr., OF/P; Madilyn Poole, jr., OF.
 
Worth noting: Trojans back at state for second straight year and for the fifth time since 2019. … Topeka won back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022 behind NCAA Division I standout Nija Canady. … Trojans were undefeated state champions in 2021. … Trojans have won 23 of last 24 games after 2-2 start, getting swept by Centennial League rival Washburn Rural (11-1, 7-3). … Only loss in last 24 games came to league rival Hayden (10-9). … Trojans beat defending 6A champion and qualifier Olathe West 6-3 on April 16. … Dawson is hitting a team-high .613 while Isaia is hitting .588. … Young (.571), Gateley (.541), Backman (.519), Chard (.512), Poole (.511) and Cushinberry (.500) are all hitting .500 or better with Trojans hitting .524 as a team. … Isaia has 11 home runs and 47 RBI while Young has 6 home runs and Dawson and Poole each have 3 home runs. … Dawson has 41 RBI, Young has 43 RBI and five other have at least 20. … Trojans have 134 stolen bases as a team with Backman having 32. … Dawson is 13-2 and Young is 12-1. … Dawson has a 2.61 ERA and has struck out 64 and Young has a 3.43 ERA and has struck out 51.