A&M Consolidated, Bryan and Brenham landed three players apiece on the first team of The Eagle’s 14th Annual All-Brazos Valley Softball Team.

Each of the area softball powers’ contingents include two position players and one pitcher, and each team’s honorees are led by players who have been standouts for at least two seasons.

Brenham’s Emily Albus headlines the All-BV squad as a rare four-time selection to the first team. The Cubettes shortstop joins Consol girls basketball player Karla Gilbert, like Albus a Texas A&M signee, on the short list of area athletes to play their way onto the top squad in every year of high school.

Brenham’s trio on the top team includes senior pitcher Kaci Federwisch, a three-time selection, along with senior outfielder Lane Jurden.

Consol catcher Sarah Allison is a two-time pick for the first team, which she made as a shortstop last year. The Lady Tigers also placed junior pitcher Sarah Halliwell and senior outfielder Jordan Berry on the top unit.

Senior shortstop Ashley Lara and junior outfielder Patty Gorzycki of Bryan are repeat selections for the first team, where they are joined by senior pitcher Jennifer Kasper.

The other members of the first team are infielders Jessica Parish of Lexington and Kassie Rodham of Rockdale, along with utility player Katie Gilbert of North Zulch

All-Brazos Valley teams were selected by members of The Eagle sports staff based on nominations by their coaches.

Consol’s Billy Hicks, who led the Lady Tigers to a program-best 32 victories and into the Class 5A regional quarterfinals, was chosen as Coach of the Year in voting by his peers.

Three players earned special recognition by making the first squad on the All-Brazos Valley Team and the Academic Team, led by two-time selection Kasper, an All-American Scholar who ranks ninth in her class of 738 at Bryan. Gorzycki and Allison also earned berths on the No. 1 academic team, Gorzycki for the second consecutive season.

The other members of the academic first team are AnnaMarie Fazzino of Rudder, Alyssa Gregg and Dayton Kunz of Consol, Emily Peirce and Jennifer Saxby of Bryan, Ashton Johnston of Lexington and Lara Phillips of St. Joseph. Saxby and Peirce are repeat selections.

Although the Brazos Valley did not send a softball team beyond the regional semifinals, the area produced another solid crop of players. The selections to the second team for on-field accomplishments offer plenty of talent, including two from Consol and two from Bryan.

Lady Vikings senior outfielder Kaitlyn Hathcox and junior pitcher Peirce landed spots on the second team, where they were joined by Consol outfielder Jordan Bettiol and infielder Sydney Parks, both juniors. The No. 2 unit includes pitcher Kelsey Dillard of St. Joseph and catcher Maria DeLira of Leon.

Other members of the second team are infielders Megan Hearn of Rockdale, Payton Standley of North Zulch and Sydney Wellmann of Brenham, outfielder Elissa Downey of Leon and utility players Hollie Chennault of Caldwell and Samantha Corgey of Normangee.

The No. 2 academic team includes Kayley Smith and Bettiol of Consol, along with Taylor Boenker, Taylor Dohnalik, Meagan Kraatz, Rachel Nuche and Hathcox from Bryan. The other picks are Britney Bledsoe and Kayle Emery of Rudder, Kayla Garcia from Navasota, Hayley Jatzlau of Lexington, plus DeLira, Dillard and Gilbert.

While the all-BV team offers plenty of players with impressive statistics, none of the hitters can match the amazing numbers amassed by Albus. She led the area with a .617 batting average and 70 stolen bases in 75 attempts, adding seven triples, four home runs and 30 runs batted in.

Each of the infield selections on the first team were shortstops who had big offensive years. Lara hit .444 with nine triples and 21 runs batted in. Parish batted .519 and led the area with nine homers and 54 RBIs. The speedy Roddam swiped 59 bases and scored 44 runs with a .516 batting average.

The pitchers paced the three largest schools in the area. Halliwell, the only junior in the group, moved up from last year’s all-BV second team after she flourished in the role of staff ace while going 30-6 with a 1.49 earned run average. Federwisch posted a 24-7 mark with an 0.63 ERA, striking out 267 batters in 223 innings. Kasper was 16-3 with 142 strikeouts in 121 innings.

Allison is the only first-team pick who was chosen at a different position than at which she made the team last year. The Sam Houston State signee hit .434 with seven home runs, 14 doubles and 45 runs batted in.

Gorzycki earned a spot in the outfield by batting .392 with 22 stolen bases and scoring 29 runs. Berry led Consol’s regulars with a .470 average and 19 doubles, driving in 36 runs. Jurden hit .322, swiped 24 bases and drove in 17 runs.

Utility player Gilbert led North Zulch to the Class A regional semifinals as ace pitcher and a key hitter. The sophomore was 20-10 with 180 strikeouts. She also batted .354 and stole 26 bases.