Staff Report
The Florida Athletic Coaches Association has announced its State Softball All-Star team, and its 2020 player and coaches of the year for each classification.
Under normal circumstances, the FACA All-Star game series is usually made up of four region teams of seniors from across the state, with each district nominating three players and MLB scouts filling in the rest of the rosters for the game. The FACA All-Star series has been held annually at various sites, most recently in Lakeland at Florida Southern College. This season’s series has been cancelled, however, the FACA is still recognizing seniors deserving of the All-Star teams.
RELATED: Wilken, Minacci, Centala, Lee, DeVito head area FACA 2020 Baseball honorees
Hillsborough County makes up FACA’s District 15 and the area coaches, who are also members of the FACA, selected the five Hillsborough County players for the honorary All-Star Team.
FACA All-Star Team – District 15 representatives
(listed in order of coach voting results)
2020 – Jada Smallwood, signed U of Maryland? – Jada has been a crucial part of this team for 4 years as a UTIL, now at 3rd. She has worked hard for this moment and has already been huge for us this year. I’m excited to see her hard work pay off WHEN we finish out this season!” pic.twitter.com/4tMEFfIIro
— Newsome Wolves Softball (@SoftballNewsome) March 18, 2020
Jada Smallwood, Util/3B, Newsome
Smallwood had 10 runs scored and 10 RBI this season to go along with her .538 batting average. She is headed to the University of Maryland to continue her career, and leaves Newsome after a career with 12 home runs, 30 doubles, and 83 RBI, while also being named the District 15 FACA Class 7A Player of the Year.
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❗️Final Senior Shoutout ❗️
Senior “ace” pitcher, #12 Kayla Swinson will graduate from Durant with a 4.8 GPA. The daughter of James and Renee, she will be continuing her career at Webber International University. Kayla finished the 2020 season with a .5 ERA and 58 K’s pic.twitter.com/eJSFfVpE36
— Durant Softball (@durant_softball) April 23, 2020
Kayla Swinson, P/2B, Durant
Swinson went 7-0 this season, with just a 0.50 ERA and 58 strikeouts. The Webber International commit finished her high school career with 159 strikeouts, a 15-3 record and a 1.32 ERA, while also being named the District 15 FACA Class 6A Player of the Year.
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#15 Senior Ellis Erickson
Fav softball moment: When we beat Wharton to be district champs but the funniest is definitely when coach fell showing us the pickle drill (it’s okay though she was okay)
Interesting fact: I have never broken a bone (knock on wood) pic.twitter.com/BNS2iCWUn0
— Freedom Softball (@SB_FHSPatriots) April 15, 2020
Ellis Erickson, Freedom
Erickson hit .536 in 2020 with eight RBI, nine runs scored and four stolen bases. The Northern Illinois signee finished her career with the Patriots totaling 10 doubles nine triples, 62 RBI and 71 runs scored.
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2020 – McKayla Timmons, signed Ball State University ? – “McKayla always gives ?. Her practice mentality is just as fierce as her game day mentality.” pic.twitter.com/09MwPFyz39
— Newsome Wolves Softball (@SoftballNewsome) March 20, 2020
McKayla Timmons, 1B, Newsome
Timmons finished her three-year varsity career at Newsome with a combined .503 average and is signed at Ball State University. This season, Timmons paced the Wolves with 12 runs scored, while she hit 13 career homers, drove in 70 and scored 73 times.
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❗️Senior Shoutout #1 ❗️
Our Senior catcher, #21 Kelly Swank will graduate from Durant with a 4.1 GPA. The daughter of David and Anissa Swank, she will be attending the University of Minnesota Duluth on a softball scholarship and plans to earn a degree in Communications. pic.twitter.com/1p6uFRMwC8
— Durant Softball (@durant_softball) April 20, 2020
Kelly Swank, 1B/C, Durant
The University of Minnesota-Duluth signee hit .417 in 2020 with 15 RBI in just seven games as one of Durant’s captains. Swank finished her Cougars career playing in 77 games, hitting .333, with 39 RBI, 48 runs and a .956 fielding percentage.
FACA Region 15 Player and Coach of the Year
(by classification)
Congrats Olivia!@813preps @tbhometeam @biggamebobby @flhssports pic.twitter.com/nL4r0U15qj
— Cambridge Christian (@CCSLancers) May 20, 2020
Class 2A Player of the Year – Olivia Elliott, C/OF, Cambridge Christian
The Lancers sophomore had a .636 average in 2020 with five triples, two home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored.
The #FACA has voted Coach Mike Cates as their Class 2A District 15 Softball Coach of the year for 2020 ?#saderssoftball pic.twitter.com/ZoUWCWAOU3
— Crusaders Softball (@SadersSoftball) May 22, 2020
Class 2A Coach of the Year – Mike Cates, Seffner Christian
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The Florida Athletic Coaches Association voted Samantha M. A’20 and Jeff Krone as Class 3A District Player of the Year and Coach of the Year for softball. Congratulations? pic.twitter.com/ssVb55znel
— AHN Jaguars (@holynamestpa) May 21, 2020
Class 3A Player of the Year – Samantha Miller, 3B, Academy of the Holy Names
The Jaguars senior and Georgetown commit hit .455 with 13 RBI, eight runs and two homers in 2020.
Class 3A Coach of the Year – Jeff Krone, Holy Names
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Class 4A Player of the Year – Destiny Dehoyas, 1B, Robinson
The UCF softball signee had a .432 average in 2020 with two doubles, two triples, three home runs and 10 RBI.
Class 4A District Coach of the Year – Ed Gallio, Robinson
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Class 5A Player of the Year – Kathyria Garcia, Util, Jefferson
The Dragons sophomore hit .688 (22 hits), with three doubles, three triples, and a home run, while scoring 20 runs and stealing 16 bags.
Class 5A Coach of the Year – Eve Soto-Suarez, Jefferson
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Class 6A Player of the Year – Kayla Swinson, P, Durant
Class 6A Coach of the Year – Olivia Cuellar, Durant
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Class 7A Player of the Year – Jada Smallwood, Util/3B, Newsome
Class 7A Coach of the Year – Ally Lendedham, Newsome
