2023 Daily Chronicle All-Area Softball Team

Daily Chronicle 2023 All-Area Softball Player of the Year

Tia Durst, sr., DH, Sycamore

First team

Kairi Lantz, fr., C/3B, Sycamore - Having an immediate impact in her first varsity season, Lantz hit .398 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs. She finished with a 1.113 OPS and allowed only three passed balls all season.

Christine Venditti, sr., C/3B, Genoa-Kingston - Venditti hit .379 and had a lot of power, belting six home runs and finishing with a 1.105 OPS. She drove in 24 runs and stole six bases. She also didn’t make an error behind the plate and was the team’s defensive MVP.

MacKenzie Hardy, sr., C/3B, Kaneland - Hardy hit .385 and drove in 22 runs. She also was a wall behind the plate and an All-Interstate 8 Conference selection.

Emily Olp, sr., C/3B, Kaneland - Olp capped her standout career with the Knights with a .342 batting average, three home runs and 21 RBIs this season. She was an academic all-conference selection in the Interstate 8.

Kailey Plank, sr., SS, Kaneland - Coach Madison Mikos called her shortstop a leader off and on the field with the ability to grind through any adversity thrown at her. Plank hit .326 this year with three home runs and 18 RBIs.

Emily Trzynka, jr., SS, Genoa-Kingston - The team’s MVP hit .463 this year, had a 1.173 OPS, hit three home runs and drove in 17. She also scored 35 times and stole 11 bases.

Brooklynn Snodgrass, sr., 3B/C, Sycamore - Snodgrass hit .352 with six home runs and 38 RBIs and had the highest batting average against above-average pitching for the Spartans at .375. She’ll continue playing at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Izzy Aranda, so., 3B, DeKalb - Playing at third or anywhere else the Barbs needed, Aranda hit .375 this year and drove in 18 runs. She had a .583 slugging percentage.

Sydney Myles, fr., OF, DeKalb - Myles hit .328 this year, drove in 17 runs and slugged .516. And she put up those numbers while also competing in track and field. She took third in Class 3A in the high jump.

Addie McLaughlin, so., CF, Sycamore - A vacuum on defense, she had 44 putouts and two assists in center field. She hit a team-best .427 with two home runs and 30 RBIs, plus scored 52 times and batted .618 when leading off an inning. She was 17 for 17 in steal attempts.

Brynn Woods, fr., P/3B/OF, Kaneland - Woods not only provided a big stick in the middle of the Kaneland lineup, but she was the primary pitcher for the Knights as well. She hit .385 year and drove in 16 runs while recording a 3.818 ERA in the circle.

Kiearah Mitchell, jr., P/1B, Genoa-Kingston - Mitchell would have been a four-year starter if not for COVID-19 mitigations. This year she hit .411 with 15 RBIs and a home run. She also was 6-7 in the circle with a 4.40 ERA, striking out 68 and walking 28 in 79 innings.

Alyssa Wilkerson, sr., P, Sycamore - The team’s primary pitcher, especially when the postseason rolled around, Wilkerson went 12-5 on the year with a 2.06 ERA. She struck out 98 and walked 47 in 95 1/3 innings. She also started batting more for herself at the end of the year, finishing with a .308 batting averaging in 39 at-bats.

Honorable mention: Madison Bogle, sr., SS., Indian Creek; Kaitlyn Williams, soph., 1B, Sycamore; Faith Heil, fr., OF, Sycamore; Violet Northrup, sr., CF, Genoa-Kingston