North Tama junior shortstop Gabriella Seda throws for the out at first against Collins-Maxwell on Friday, May 30, at Lee Wiges Softball Field in Traer. Seda was named to the all-Iowa Star Conference South Division first team for the third year in a row. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The BCLUW softball team claimed its first Iowa Star Conference South Division title this summer, and the Comets were recognized accordingly in the all-conference selections with four first-team honorees and seven total award-winners in a vote of the conference coaches after going 14-2 in Iowa Star South play.

North Tama and GMG were also well-represented among the selections including the Wolverines’ first year head coach, Autumn Sash, who was named as one of two Co-Coaches of the Year for the 2024-25 season.

North Tama

North Tama had two juniors return to the all-conference list with shortstop Gabriella Seda and pitcher Addison Hochstetler. Seda earned first-team honors for the third year in a row after hitting .372 with two triples, seven doubles, seven singles, 9 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Hochstetler moved up from the second team after batting .407 with four doubles, two home runs, 15 RBIs and 11 runs scored. She also started all 15 divisional games in the circle, going 3-12 with a 6.43 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings pitched.

North Tama also had a trio of second-team picks in senior outfielder Faith Dvorak and sophomore infielders Violet Seda and Harper Rausch.

Redhawk ace pitcher, junior Addy Hochstetler begins her wind up on May 30 against then-No. 11 Collins-Maxwell. Hochstetler was an all-Iowa Star Conference South Division first team pick this season, moving up from second team. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

GMG

A year after not fielding a varsity team, GMG finished third in the conference standings and was awarded with two first-team selections. Freshman catcher Skyler Murty and freshman pitcher Riah Boege both gained their first all-conference accolades after helping the Wolverines go 8-8 in South Division action.

Skyler Murty was GMG’s top offensive player in conference play, batting .417 with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, nine RBIs and nine runs scored. She stole nine bases and threw out six attempted base-stealers against her.

Boege pitched all but 5 1/3 innings for GMG in conference play, going 8-8 with a 2.20 ERA and a whopping 170 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings. Opposing hitters batted just .143 against her. She also contributed a .260 batting average, one double, one home run and eight RBIs to the offense.

Sash named Co-Coach of Year

GMG head coach Autumn Sash urges her runner to keep advancing during the Friday, June 20, Iowa Star clash with North Tama in Green Mountain. Sash was recently named Iowa Star South’s Coach of the Year alongside BCLUW's Megan Yantis. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

GMG’s first year head coach Autumn Sash and BCLUW’s Megan Yantis shared the Iowa Star South’s Coach of the Year honor in a vote of their peers, while Collins-Maxwell sophomore Jayden Peters was picked as the Player of the Year.

Peters went 11-4 in the circle with a 2.16 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings for the runner-up Spartans. Offensively she led the league in most categories, hitting .592 with six doubles, five home runs and 35 RBIs.

All three teams had one honorable mention selection. North Tama honored senior left fielder Gabby Velasco, BCLUW picked senior second baseman Allison Ward, while GMG selected eighth-grade center fielder Taelyn Sash.

All-Iowa Star Conference South Division Softball Teams

Player of the Year — Jayden Peters, so., Collins-Maxwell

Co-Coaches of the Year — Autumn Sash, GMG, and Megan Yantis, BCLUW

FIRST TEAM

Jayden Peters, so., P, Collins-Maxwell

Skyler Murty, fr., C, GMG

Raegan Crawford, sr., INF, BCLUW

Haylee Merryman, jr., INF, Collins-Maxwell

Gabriella Seda, jr., INF, North Tama

Jadyn Niemeyer, sr., INF, Colo-NESCO

Eden Ladehoff, fr., OF, BCLUW

Cassie Nason, sr., OF, BCLUW

Cypress Erickson, jr., OF, Collins-Maxwell

Klayre Gallentine, sr., UT, BCLUW

Riah Boege, fr., UT, GMG

Addison Hochstetler, jr., UT, North Tama

SECOND TEAM

Annabelle Heller, sr., P, Colo-NESCO

Emileigh Beals, 8th, C, Baxter

Cerra Muntz, sr., C, Colo-NESCO

Morgan Bergman, sr., INF, BCLUW

Callahan Coffeltt, 8th, INF, Collins-Maxwell

Violet Seda, so., INF, North Tama

Harper Rausch, so., INF, North Tama

Grace Farnsworth, jr., OF, BCLUW

Faith Dvorak, sr., OF, North Tama

Molly Angell, sr., OF, Colo-NESCO

HONORABLE MENTION

Camden Moffitt, so., OF, Baxter

Allison Ward, sr., INF, BCLUW

Adalie Kane, fr., INF, Collins-Maxwell

Landrey Harris, 8th, C, Colo-NESCO

Taelyn Sash, 8th, OF, GMG

Gabby Velasco, sr., OF, North Tama

Final Conference Standings

BCLUW 14-2

Collins-Maxwell 12-4

GMG 8-8

North Tama 3-12

Baxter 2-13

Colo-NESCO 1-15

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Gabby Seda’s correct hitting statistics.

Telegraph Note: This story is being published online now in tandem with the Times-Republican’s schedule. It will publish in the Friday, Aug. 15 print edition of the Telegraph.