2025 Hillsdale County Softball Preview: POTY watch, key losses and early favorites

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HILLSDALE COUNTY — The Hillsdale County prep softball season is just getting underway.

Weather conditions have put a damper on the start of the season, but a couple teams managed to get their first games into the books in week 1. However, this week looks to be the big opener for the softball season, with multiple tough-to-call matchups expected. .

Before things get into full swing, let's take a look at some of the key returning and key losses for teams in Hillsdale County from the 2024 spring softball season.

More: 2025 Hillsdale County Baseball Preview: POTY watch, key losses and early favorites

2024 Awards​

Player of the Year​

• Lyra Nichols - Jonesville (Class of 2024)
• Runner-up: Ariana McDowell (Class of 2025)

First Team All-Area​

Class year according to last spring

• Tydann Cooney – Camden-Frontier – Senior – Fielder
• Lexus Sigler – Camden-Frontier – Senior – Fielder – Co-Captain
• Lyra Nichols – Jonesville – Senior – Pitcher/Fielder - POTY – Co-Captain
• Elena Prater – Jonesville – Senior – Fielder
• Bryn Rusk – Jonesville – Sophomore – Reliever/Fielder
• Shelby Bryner – Pittsford – Senior – Reliever/Fielder
• Blakeleigh Cornstubble – Reading – Senior – Fielder
• Ariana McDowell – Reading – Junior – Pitcher/Fielder - Runner-Up POTY
• Maggie Santure – Reading – Junior - Fielder
• Dellashae Saxton – Waldron – Junior - Reliever/Fielder
• Morgan Burk – Waldron – Senior – Fielder

Biggest Key Losses​

Lyra Nichols was without a doubt the most productive baseball or softball athlete from last spring. The Jonesville athlete played her final season for the Comets and made it her best one yet. Nichols finished the season with a 5.43 batting average, a 1.010 slugging percentage, an on-base percentage of .622, 57 hits, 22 doubles, nine home runs, 51 RBIs and a fielding percentage of .888.

This doesn't include her pitching stats, where she made 20 appearances in the circle and struck out 214 batters. Hillsdale County softball and Jonesville will feel the loss of the four-year starter and multi all-league honoree.

Along with Nichols, teammate and 2025 graduate Elena Prater went out with four homers, 40 RBIs and 51 hits. With fellow teammate Gracen Hager, the Comets graduated a talented group of athletes that will be hard to replace.

Along with the Jonesville athletes, both Camden-Frontier and Reading lost key players. Blakeleigh Cornstubble turned her impressive career as a big-time hitter and a three-time district champion into a path to playing for Anderson University. Lexus Sigler and Tydann Cooney both were home run hitters along with Cornstubble.

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Returning First Team Honorees​

The first major returning honoree was Player of the Year runner-up Ariana McDowell. In 22 games, she struck out 97 batters and gave up only eight walks. The senior was injured this winter basketball season, and we hope to see the ace pitcher back in the circle sometime this spring.

A trio of other honorees will be back to help the Rangers make a run at a fourth straight district trophy, including senior Maggie Santure. Santure caught every game for the Rangers last year, and she was one of the top athletes in the County when it came to fielding percentage with .980, only having four errors.

More: Week 1 Baseball and Softball Notebook: Hillsdale baseball is off to a rolling 3-1 start

Helping anchor Jonesville for this year will be junior Bryn Rusk. As a sophomore, Rusk had a .436 batting average as the lead-off player in the lineup and had 51 hits. In the circle, she had 97 strikeouts and will be looked to step up as one of the main starters in Jonesville's bullpen. She also led the team in fielding percentage.

Dellashae Saxton has already begun to make an impact her senior year for the Spartans. Saxton had an impressive 10 wins last year for the Spartans as their top pitcher, striking out 81 batters.

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POTY Watch​

In addition to the returning all-area first team honorees, these are some of the athletes that will make an impact on the field this spring, and some who have already shown signs of an impressive 2025 season in limited action.

Heidi Gawronski,Elexis Landwehr and Sutton Cooney - Camden-Frontier: Gawronski and Landwehr were major impact players last year for Camden-Frontier, and the duo are already off to a big start this season. Gawronski has already recorded a no-hitter. She also will be one of the top bats for the RedHawks. Landwehr looks to be just as impactful in the circle as her sophomore teammate. Sutton Cooney will be in play for the catcher first team honor in this season's all-area team.

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Shyanne Ellsworth, Kristyn Mapes and Kherington Ladd - Hillsdale: Senior Shyanne Ellsworth is the lone returning all-league honoree for the Hornets and will be an anchor leader for the team this spring. Mapes already has two double-base hits in limited action this spring and leads the team with four RBIs. Kherington Ladd looks to be a surprise freshman standout in Hillsdale County, having already recorded 24 strikeouts in three appearances.

Alexis Trine and Ava Kramer - Jonesville: Trine did not play in the 2024 season, but one doesn't have to look back very far to see the impact she has made in previous seasons for Jonesville softball. The recently named D3 honorable mention all-state girls basketball honoree will have a chance to make a major splash for the Comets. Ava Kramer is another returning Comet who had more than 20 hits and 15 RBIs last spring for Jonesville and should be a major contributor in a bigger role.

Miranda Daniels, Maddie Horn and Lydia Little - North Adams-Jerome: Senior captain Miranda Daniels returns to the team this spring and looks to already be making an impact. The Rams beat Stryker 20-2 in their first game of the year, and one of those scores was an inside-the-park homer for Daniels. Maddie Horn and Lydia Little look to help Daniels make this spring one of the best in recent years for North Adams-Jerome softball.

Laura LeMar, Kaylee Lawson and Lily Belknap - Pittsford: Returning all-league honorable mention honoree Laura LeMar looks to take over as the lead ace after the departure of 2025 graduate Shelby Bryner. Junior Kaylee Lawson also looks to be an impact player alongside her junior teammate. Senior Lily Belknap was honorable mention all-league and is listed as the lone senior on the roster.

Aubree Ervans and Leah Headley - Reading: Another recently named all-state honoree (second team D4 girls basketball), returning first baseman and senior Aubree Ervans should be another talented batter at the Rangers' disposal this spring. Ervans put in an impressive first-game showing against Pittsford that included two hits, two runs and two RBIs. Leah Headley looks to anchor the bullpen as one of the primary pitchers for Reading. The sophomore struck out 11 batters in her first appearance this spring.

Kailie Kurtz and Makenna Burk - Waldron: Two seniors will be backing up Saxton as key returners for Spartan softball this spring. Kurtz is one of the Spartans' top returning batters and runners, having scored 40 runs last season with an on-base percentage of .667 and having hit one homer. Burk returns to the team for her final season under coach and father Jon Burk, who will retire after this season.

District Favorites​

• Jonesville (Division 3, District 82): There's a lot to be seen from the Comets after losing a strong senior class from last spring, but the district lines up favorably with potential matchups against Homer, Quincy and Hillsdale. Their toughest competition will be Hanover-Horton.
• Reading (Division 4, District 117): Matched up with Camden-Frontier, Concord and Tekonsha, the Rangers will have tough competition if they want to earn a fourth district title in a row.

Matchups we are excited to see in April​

• Friday, April 11: Camden-Frontier at Hillsdale
• Monday, April 21: Jonesville at Reading
• Tuesday, April 22: North Adams-Jerome at Waldron

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: 2025 Hillsdale County Softball Preview: POTY watch, key losses and early favorites

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