SOFTBALL
JENNA ABBOTT
The former Dawson County star pitcher and hitter had a superb career, leading the Lady Tigers to multiple state playoff runs, including a Sweet 16 run in 2012. In her senior season at Dawson, she hit a mind-blowing .611 with 7 homers and 26 RBI. In the circle, she posted a 13-3 mark with a 1.70 ERA and 107 strikeouts, adding one save. She was the BLITZ Player of the Year in 2012 and played a full career at Auburn, appearing in two College World Series, including coming within one win in 2016 before falling to Oklahoma in game three of the finals. She finished her career with a .270 average, 10 HR, 86 RBI, 45 R, 16 2B and 2 3B. She also pitched in 24 games, carrying a 2.48 ERA and striking out 17 batters.
JACY AYERS
Jacy Ayers was fantastic at Banks County. As a sophomore, she was an integral piece to the Lady Leopards’ State Championship season. That year saw her hit .404 with 2 HR and 19 RBI, and go 11-7 with a 2.86 ERA with 102 K. That earned All-State status, and she had a 2.10 ERA with 35 K in a shortened 2021 season. Her senior year, Ayers exploded with a .518 average, 3 HR, 43 RBI, a 2.76 ERA with 117 K, and BLITZ Player of the Year honors and again was an All-State selection. Ayers finished with a .455 average with 5 HR and 62 RBI to go with 45 runs, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 25 wins, a 2.35 ERA, and 255 strikeouts. She went on to play at Lander University.
LAYNE BAILEY
Layne Bailey was stellar at Dawson County. The pitcher saved her best for last, leading the Lady Tigers to a deep playoff run. The All-State selection won BLITZ Player of the Year as a senior in 2023, going 17-9 with a 1.80 ERA and 164 K, and at the plate hit .345 with 4 HR and 19 RBI. She had a 3.18 ERA as a junior with 10 wins and 87 K, while hitting .299 with 2 HR and 13 RBI. In her sophomore season, Bailey hit .304 with 5 HR and 31 RBI, adding 29 runs, while going 11-10 with a 4.65 ERA and 74 K. All told, the 3-time All-Region selection had 38 wins, a 3.15 ERA, and 325 K in the circle, and hit .320 with 12 HR, 70 RBI, and 50 R. She went on to play at Lee University.
KATELYN BOMAN
Katelyn Boman was a mainstay for White County. The utility player batted .409 as a senior in 2022, blasting three homers and racking up 25 RBI, 31 runs, four doubles, and four triples. She hit .397 as a junior with 12 RBI and 16 runs, and closed with a stellar line of .375-5-50 overall with 80+ runs in her career.
JAYCIE BOWEN
Bowen was one of Banks County’s greats, as the two-way player finished her illustrious career with a .486 average, 17 HR, and 117 RBI. She scored 79 runs, tallied 38 doubles, 4 triples, and was an All-State honoree. In the circle, Bowen went 18-6 with a 1.43 ERA and 206 K. The two-sport star (basketball), chose to pursue basketball at Georgia College. Bowen was BLITZ Player of the Year as a senior after batting .550 with 11 HR and 44 RBI and leading the Lady Leopards to a State Championship game. She went on to play college basketball.
COURTNEY & CRYSTAL BUSBEE
Courtney and Crystal are not the same person…as they are the first to tell you. However, their careers were intertwined. Courtney finished her career with a .324 average, 67 RBI, 55 runs, 27 doubles and 135 hits, all of which fall in the top-ten in Union County history. A gamer, the catcher played through injury and almost never took a game off, piling up 417 at-bats, third most in Union County history. Sister Crystal was a defensive mainstay at shortstop, and she hit .298 with 44 RBI, 98 runs (3rd most all-time at Union) and 21 doubles as part of her 100 hits. Crystal went to Emmanuel College before transferring to Georgia Gwinnett College and having a solid collegiate career.
MATTIE CANUP
Canup was a great-hitting catcher who also played great defensively. She had a phenomenal junior and senior season. As a junior (2015) she hit .453 with 21 RBI, 22 runs and 11 SB, also adding 11 doubles and a triple, posting a .514 OBP. She followed it up with a 2016 senior year that saw her hit .491 with 18 RBI, 15 R, 8 2B, 4 3B, 10 SB, 12 BB and a .590 OBP. She hit .380 as a freshman, .360 as sophomore, .453 as a junior and .463 as a senior. Her career totals included .415 average (school career record), 77 RBI, 76 runs, 27 doubles, one triple and 131 hits to with 35 stolen bases. She also drew 54 walks and reached on HBP 10 times, and a record 20 sacrifice bunts.
LEXI CASH
A three-time All-Region selection, Lexi Cash was money for the Lady Indians. For three-plus seasons, she hit over .440, scoring over 100 runs, driving in more than 70, and blasting over 10 homers. The Brenau star ended up having a slid career for the Golden Tigers as well.
LAKEN CHAMBERS
Chambers left Union County as one of the top two-way players in school history. She was a dominating presence both in the circle and at the plate since day one, becoming a rare four-year impact player. Her career batting average of .360 consists of 14 homeruns and 117 RBI. In the circle, she went 69-31 with a 1.50 ERA and 515 strikeouts and four saves. She owns the single-season and career RBI mark at Union County. Chambers hit .362 with 2 homers and 19 RBI as a senior, going 15-7 with a 1.45 ERA and 130 strikeouts. Her junior year (2015) was better, as she hit .444 with 5 homeruns and 38 RBI, going 18-8 with 3 saves and a 1.33 ERA to go with 145 strikeouts. As a sophomore in 2014 she also hit .330 with 4 homers and 36 RBI while going 23-8 with a 1.54 ERA and 141 strikeouts. This came after her freshman year that saw her hit .343 with 3 homeruns and 24 RBI, going 13-8 with a save and a 1.97 ERA with 99 strikeouts. Chambers was also back-to-back winner of the BLITZ Softball Player of the Year award for her sophomore and junior seasons and led the Lady Panthers to state all four years, including an Elite 8 run and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances. She played at the University of North Georgia, making it to the College World Series as a freshman after hitting .667 in limited action with 5 RBI and going 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in 14 games pitched. Her college stats include a 24-5 record, 1.02 REA, and 115 K in 206 innings of work.
PAIGE COOK
Cook was so good at softball, Mississippi State locked her up before her sophomore season. The Lady Bulldog had a great Lady Raider career, batting .437 with 10 homers and 66 RBI. She scored 80 runs, had 26 doubles, 8 triples, and 33 stolen bases, and was a 4-time All-Region selection. Cook played excellent defense, and won Player of the Year honors as a sophomore after putting up a .476-6-25 stat line. At Mississippi State, Cook has had an impressive career with a .304 average, 22 HR, 103 RBI, 18 2B, and 93 runs scored in 183 games played (167 starts) entering her 5th year in 2024.
MADI CRONIC
Madi Cronic was a fantastic 4-year starter for the Lady Leopards, and was an instrumental part in the program claiming a State Championship in 2019 and a Runner-Up finish in 2018. Cronic was the BLITZ Player of the Year in 2020 after batting .490 with 6 HR and 40 RBI. She finished her career with a .443 average (171 hits), 9 HR, 76 RBI, and 100 runs scored. She also had 52 walks and had a career OBP of .548, a .583 SLG percentage, and was a slick fielder with a .920 FLD percentage. The shortstop was a 4-time 1st Team All-Region honoree, and twice an All-State selection. Cronic earned a softball scholarship to West Georgia, playing 13 games before transferring in 2023-24 season to Piedmont University.
TYBEE DENTON
There’s arguably no better two-way player we’ve ever seen. Tybee Denton led Banks County to its first state championship in program history in 2019 in a dream season. Over her career with the Lady Leopards, she finished with a 73-19 record in the circle, complete with 1,041 strikeouts, and a 1.20 ERA. At the plate, she hit .375 with 24 homers, 110 RBI, 39 runs, and 21 doubles. Her senior year saw the two-time All-State and Region Player of the Year go 29-3 with a save and a 0.47 ERA, striking out 412 batters in 195 innings. She threw 12 no-hitters as part of 21 shutouts. At the plate, she hit .423 with 12 homeruns and 41 RBI, complete with a .500 OBP and .837 SLG. Unbelievable! That earned her BLITZ Player of the Year honors. The UNG star led the program to a National Championship in 2023, and finisher her stellar college career with a record of 67-10 with a 1.96 ERA and 526 K in 490 IP with 46 CGs and 20 Shutouts. She was twice named 1st Team All-Conference in the Peach Belt (Pitcher of the Year in ’24), and was All-American in her final year. She left UNG 4th in career wins.
CALLIE DYER
Dyer left Union County as one of the top hitters in school history. The outfielder went on to play at Young Harris, but while at Union County, she hit .360 with 14 homeruns, 106 RBI, 71 runs, 46 doubles, 4 triples, and a total of 155 hits. She played in 141 total games (school record), including playing for a State Championship in 2010. Dyer was a 2-time All-State and 2-time All-Region selection. Her 46 doubles (school record) includes a single-season record of 19.
LAUREN ENGLISH
Lauren English was a go-to leader for Lumpkin County. The infielder (primarily 3B) had a monster senior year in 2021, batting .435 with 8 HR and 34 RBI, adding 34 runs. In her junior season, she also hit .380 with 4 HR and 31 RBI with 29 runs. Her career line includes a .405 AVG, 15+ HR, 75+ RBI, and 75+ runs. She was an All-State selection once and 2-time All-Region pick. She went on to play for Piedmont College.
KENZIE FLEMING
Fleming was a star softball player for the Lady Raiders. The power-hitting catcher set the school record for homeruns, and was a four-year mainstay in the lineup, as well as a three-year basketball player. She was named first-team all-region in her 2011 junior season and all-area second team. She followed that up with an all-area honorable mention in 2012 and named to the all-region team. Fleming was an integral part of the Lady Raiders’ region championship in 2011, helping the girls to a state tournament appearance. Her sophomore year saw Habersham advance to the Sweet 16. Fleming went on to a successful collegiate career at Berry College, where she hit .332 for her career with 10 homers and 86 RBI, tallying 121 hits, 34 of which were doubles (47 XBH).
BRIGHTON HARDER
It wasn’t the picture-perfect career for Brighton Harder, as she was supposed to be one of the big-time leaders for Lumpkin County in 2019. Due to a broken bone, she missed all but the last five games of the regular season. But when she came back, she hit .857 to help get the Lady Indians into the playoffs. She also had a solid junior season with a .463 AVG, .532 OBP, and 33 SB. Her career numbers include an average above .450, OBP over .530, and over 50 stolen bases. Harder went to Emmanuel to continue her career there.
BELLA HENSON
Bella Henson was a solid first baseman, batting .361 for her career with 10 HR and 46 RBI, adding 21 doubles, 53 runs, 12 stolen bases, and slugging .628 as well as posting a .413 OBP. As a sophomore she hit .329-3-9; posted a .387-3-17 as a junior; .369-4-20 as a senior.
CARSON HOBBS
Talk about a special talent. Carson Hobbs might be the best hitter we have ever seen at the high school level. The Commerce star was a 3-time Region Player of the Year and 3-time All-State easy pick. A peek at the total numbers shows her worthiness of Hall of Fame – .490 average, 17 bombs, 137 RBI, 95 runs, and 45 doubles. She also found time to shine in the circle her last two seasons, going 24-7 with a 1.60 ERA and 189 strikeouts. She starred from day one on, as a freshman (.466-4-24), sophomore (.494-5-33), junior (.426-3-39), and senior (.525-5-41) at the plate was a beast. She was 10-4 with a 1.93 ERA as a junior and 14-3 with a 1.48 ERA as a senior. Hobbs went to play at Anderson University.
ANGIE HUGHES
Hughes goes down as one of the most dominant pitchers in state history, striking out more than 1,000 batters while at Union County. She led the Lady Panthers to their sole State Championship game in 2010. Hughes was named BLITZ Player of the Year after her stellar senior season in which she went 26-6 in the circle with a 0.76 ERA and 432 strikeouts – that’s not a typo! She finished her career in the top-three in state history in strikeouts. Her numbers: 689 innings pitched, 1,082 strikeouts, 79 wins. Hughes led the Lady Panthers to 101 team wins over four seasons (three state playoff runs) before heading to Lee University. She earned a 61-36 record for the Flames, to the tune of a 3.69 ERA and 658 strikeouts. She added four saves, 41 complete games (10 shutouts) and pitched 595 innings.
HARLEE INGRAM
Harlee Ingram was a power hitter in the Commerce lineup, blasting 15 round-trippers and batting .385 in her career with 85 RBI, 60 runs scored, and 30 doubles. The first baseman was a playmaker for the Lady Tigers.
MORGAN JACOBSON
Morgan Jacobson was a true slugger. She held the White County school homerun record for a career with 37 bombs, adding 130 RBI and a .428 average. Jacobson was a solid third baseman as well, and was an anchor on the White County Lady Warriors State Championship team in 2010. Jacobson was a 2-time All-State player.
JOY LEWIS
Lewis is perhaps the best definition of “big things come in small packages” as she put up some monster numbers in her career at Dawson. She helped lead the Tigers to an Elite 8 run, and was an All-State player her senior year (2014) after recording 222 strikeouts in 201 innings, with a 2.36 ERA. She also hit .408 with 24 RBI and 28 runs scored that season. Overall, her career looked like this: .443 average, 2 HR, 101 RBI, 82 R, 32 2B, 2 3B at the plate and a 36-9 W-L mark with a 1.59 ERA, 377 K in 315 innings and 42 complete games. She also was named region player of the year as a senior. Lewis went on to play at the University of Pennsylvania for one season.
JASMINE LOWERY
Jasmine Lowery was a 4-year starter who anchored the Lady Indians’ offense, helping the team to multiple deep playoff runs. Lowery progressed each season, batting .303 as a freshman, .370 as a sophomore, .407 as a junior, and .451 as a senior. She had 5 HR in her junior season and 6 in her senior year. Her career saw her bat .380 overall with a .500 OBP, slugging 14 HR to go with 73 RBI, 68 R, 41 2B, 3 3B, 5 SB and 132 total hits. Lowery was a 3-time 1st Team All-Region selection and an All-State selection as well. She earned a spot to play at Piedmont University. Entering 2024, she has a .347 average with 26 RBI and 14 2B along with 29 R.
JILL MARTINET
Jill Martinet was a true slugger, bashing 18 homers and pounding out 25 doubles while also flashing speed (16 stolen bases). She closed her career in style with a State Championship, and had a career average of .442 and .715 slugging percentage. She was a very reliable third baseman, logging a .930 fielding percentage. She had 97 career RBI as well. As a junior, she hit .434 with 5 HR and 40 RBI, and followed that with a senior season of .480-9-46. Martinet went on to Reinhardt University, where she shined from the get-go as a team leader in the lineup. She had a .393 AVG with 13 HR and 97 RBI along with 30 2B and 58 R in college.
LANEY MCGEE
Laney McGee was a consistent threat in the Stephens County lineup. The third baseman/catcher (and played some great SS as well) batted .440 roughly for her stellar career for the Lady Indians. She showed power with five homers, and drove in a ridiculous 90 runs, scoring 73 as well throughout her time in Toccoa. As a sophomore, McGee hit .431 with a homer and 16 RBI. She followed it up with a .443-2-44 stat line as a junior, and .438-2-30 as a senior.
SYDNEY MCGINNIS
McGinnis was a very consistent player in her time at Dawson County, batting .347. While she didn’t have a ton of power (20ish extra-base hits), she drove in some 40 runs, scored about 50, and was a reliable fielder (.964%). McGinnis was a 2-time All-Region player, and went on to play at Anderson Broaddus.
JESSICA MORGAN
Morgan is a generational talent – Right off the bat (no pun intended), she splashed on the scene as a freshman phenom [.468 AVG, 6 HR, 23 RBI], winning the BLITZ Softball Player of the Year award in 2014. After that freshman season, Morgan committed to the University of Georgia. The catcher led the Lady Warriors to 38 wins in her four seasons — including three state playoff trips, and her career closed with an impressive stat line: .490 AVG, 31 HR, 98 RBI. That also includes more than 100 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 40 doubles and almost 10 triples in her career. Her senior year saw her hit to the tune of a .544 average (43-for-79), complete with 10 HR, 29 RBI and 29 runs scored. She was an extra-base machine, collecting 13 doubles and three triples, as well as reaching base on seven walks and three hit batsman. A rare breed of power and contact, Morgan only struck out twice during the entire season. She won the BLITZ Player of the Year award again her senior year for her efforts, giving her two POY awards. Morgan left White County early and was able to play at UGA in Spring 2018, meaning she had the rare opportunity to play her senior year of high school and freshman year of college within the same academic year. She homered in her very first at-bat at UGA. Her college stats include a .233 AVG with 8 HR and 42 RBI, 9 2B, and 20 R.
TABITHA MORRISON
Morrison was a two-time All-State player, putting up some solid numbers at Dawson County as part of the Elite 8 team. The outfielder hit .440 in her career, adding eight homers and driving in 95 RBI. The speedster also had 80 stolen bases and more than 50 extra-base hits. Her junior 2014 season saw her hit .511 with 27 RBI and 31 runs. Morrison now plays at Brenau University, and had a decent career there.
MALLORY PARSON
Parson was a do-it-all player at Banks County, leading the Lady Leopards to 57 wins in the circle with a 2.74 ERA. She was 57-18 overall, adding three saves, and struck out 418 batters in 455.1 innings pitched, having a 1.29 WHIP. She was just as pivotal on offense, batting .442 as a mostly-singles hitter, notching 41 RBI, 83 runs, 59 stolen bases, 20 walks and 12 doubles and two triples. She was the region player of the year as a senior (two-time first-team All-Region) and holds the Banks County record for career strikeouts and stolen bases, and was named second team All-State. Parson now plays at Georgia State, winning one game as a sophomore in 2018. She went on to pitch at Georgia Military College, where she was 6-1 with a 2.27 ERA as a freshman, striking out 18 in 46.1 innings of work (5 complete games). She then went to Georgia State and played 3 seasons.
EMILY PERRIN
Perrin led Jefferson to a State Championship game in her 2018 senior season, and was one of the top players in the state (All-State), going 22-5 with a 0.92 ERA and 284 strikeouts. Her 2017 junior season was insanely good also, as she went 18-8 with a 1.65 ERA and 155 K. A 3-time All-Region selection, Perrin went 55-17 as a Lady Dragon with a 1.33 ERA and 539 K in 443 innings pitched.
TRINITY QUEEN
Trinity Queen was a power pitcher for the Lady Panthers, guiding Union County to well over 20 wins in the circle. She nailed down five saves to boot, and pitched to the tune of a 2.15 ERA, striking out over 250 batters along the way. She earned a pair of All-Region selections, and was the ace for Union County in her time in Blairsville.
STEPHANIE SATTERFIELD
The former slugger from White County (Class of 2011) enjoyed an amazing prep career, complete and capped with a miraculous Class 3A State Championship in 2010. That year, Satterfield tied the state record for homeruns in a single season (16). The pitcher and first baseman hit .485 with 16 homers and 53 RBI her senior year, going 14-3 with a 1.44 ERA in the circle, adding 55 strikeouts while adding a save. Her junior season included a .422 average with three homers and 27 RBI, going 13-6 with a 1.47 ERA and 133 strikeouts and a save. Satterfield goes down as one of the top softball talents to ever play at White County, and was named BLITZ Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Satterfield went on to play at Georgia Perimeter College, where she enjoyed a solid career for the Lady Jaguars.
KAITLYN SEABOLT
Make no doubt about it, Seabolt is one of the top hitters in Union County history. The outfielder hit .386 overall, but slugged nine homeruns and had 61 RBI. She scored 118 runs (school record) and 35 doubles to go with nine triples. Her 177 hits are still the most all-time at Union County, along with her runs scored and batting average. She still also holds the single-season mark for hits (59), runs (45) and average (.522). A current assistant coach for Union County, Seabolt played collegiately at the University of North Georgia.
KATELYNN SIMPSON
Simpson, like McGinnis (above), was a large reason for Dawson’s success from 2012-2015, which included an Elite 8, Sweet 16, and Round 1 appearance, and 65 wins and 2 region titles. Simpson hit .345 with 40 runs, 25 RBI, 30 SB, and was an All-Region selection. Simpson went on to a successful softball career at Andrew College before transferring to Brenau to play lacrosse.
TAYLOR SPIVEY
Taylor Spivey was a stellar two-way talent. Moderate available stats (with some missing) paint the picture. Spivey hit .395 for the Jefferson Lady Dragons with 5 HR, 69 RBI, 50 runs, 35 doubles, 3 triples, and at least 11 wins and a 1.95 ERA to go with 94 strikeouts. The All-State player took her talents to Piedmont University.
DESIREE TRUDEL
Desiree Trudel had a career that spanned three chapters – going from two years at Apalachee to one at Commerce then on to Banks County. She finished as a State Runner-Up at Apalachee and made a 4th-place run at Banks her senior year. The infielder had a careeer .455 average with 134 hits, 40 homeruns, 113 RBI, 100 runs scored, 30 doubles, five triples, and 70 walks. A three-time All-Region and All-State selection, she hit .440 as a sophomore with 15 homers, setting the Apalachee single-season and career (17) mark, adding 43 RBI. She followed that with a .486-10-23 line as a junior at Commerce, and was .451-13-35 at Banks. She earned a spot at Rutgers to play at the next level.
PAIGE VICKERY
Paige Vickery crushed school records with career marks of 21 homeruns and 105 RBI. The utility player was a force, batting .360 in her illustrious career. That included 27 doubles, 7 triples, 95 runs, a .397 OBP, and .707 slugging percentage. The All-State selection as a senior put up the following line: .405 AVG (34/84), 9 HR, 28 RBI, 9 2B, 4 3B, 14 BB, .475 OBP, .929 SLG, and struck out only 4 times. Vickery went on to play at Anderson University. She made headlines during her freshman year with a doubleheader that included 4 homeruns and 2 Grand Slams! She was All-Conference with a .314 AVG, 12 homers, and 53 RBI.
SAM VINSON
Sam Vinson was fantastic for the Lady Dragons. From stats that could be gathered, she batted over .460 in her career at Jefferson. The utility player, who since has gone on to Georgia Southern, had 15-plus homeruns and 70-plus RBI, was a two-time All-State and three-time All-Region pick.
GEORGIA WEBB
The former Lady Raider standout softballer was the 2013 BLITZ Player of the Year after a great senior season in which Habersham won 15 games and made the state playoffs. That season, Webb hit .489 with 2 homeruns and 15 RBI with 10 doubles and 2 triples. She was equally impressive in the field, sporting a .961 fielding percentage. Webb, also a Player of the Week winner, played a full career at Young Harris, where she hit .313 with 8 HR, 96 RBI, 41 2B, 2 3B, 94 R and 9 SB, while playing solid defense (.970 FLD%).
EMMA WHITFIELD
Whitfield leaves Stephens County as the GOAT. The pitcher was a one-time BLITZ POY. She went 66-27 as a Lady Indian, complete with a 1.55 ERA and 809 strikeouts over 625.2 innings of work. She also compiled a .323 average with 13 homers and 80 RBI, and was a 3-time All-State player. Whitfield’s sophomore and junior seasons were ridiculous. As a sophomore, she went 24-9 with a 0.96 ERA and 285 K, while going 24-5 with a 0.92 ERA and 232 K the next season while guiding the Lady Indians to a State Runner-Up finish. Whitfield went to play for Clemson University, and picked up 5 wins, including being the program’s first-ever winning pitcher in a conference game in a victory over Virginia in 2020.
BLITZ 