Chester softball gets three on all-state teams

<p class="p1">The postseason accolades continue for the Chester High School Lady Yellow Jackets softball team.

<p class="p1">Sophomore Miah Mitchell was recently selected to the Class 2A All-State second team by the Illinois Coaches Association, while juniors Logan Colvis and Alyssa Keith earned third team nods.

<p class="p1">Mitchell, a sophomore, batted .516 with 10 home runs, 33 RBIs and stole 19 bases. In 93 at-bats, she struck out only once.

<p class="p1">Colvis went 15-4 in the circle, allowing 112 hits while striking out 49 and walking 37 in 124 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .315 with two homers and 31 RBIs.

<p class="p1">"When I found out that I earned All-State, I felt really excited and honored," Colvis said. "It made me realize that all those days of pitching and extra work, really paid off.

<p class="p1">"But as much as that's true, softball is a team sport and I couldn't have been as successful as I was this season without my teammates and a great defense behind me."

<p class="p1">Keith batted .453 for Chester with two home runs, 28 RBIs and 22 runs scored. She had an on-base percentage of .506.

<p class="p1">Colvis and Mitchell were recently named to the Black Diamond Conference West Division's All-Conference first team, while Keith earned a second team selection.

<p class="p1">Chester finished 21-5 last season, shattering the 1992 record of 15 wins. The Lady Yellow Jackets lose only one senior, outfielder Jenna Wahl, to graduation.

<p class="p1">In Class 1A, Steeleville sophomore Lexi Middendorf got a First Team nod, while sophomore pitcher Sydney Hood was selected to the Third Team.

<p class="p1">"You could tell that Lexi had an awesome year," said Steeleville coach Andy Gerlach. "She batted .584 and was around .600 all year.

<p class="p1">"She started out of the gate with 13 consecutive hits, so that was huge. She was just solid all year."

<p class="p1">Middendorf batted .584 with a single-season record 10 home runs and 47 RBIs for the young Lady Warriors, who won their first regional title in program history and advanced to the sectional championship against rival Trico.

<p class="p1">"I was hoping, since last year I got Second Team, that I would get first," Middendorf said. "But I wasn't really expecting it. It was kind of a surprise."

<p class="p1">Hood batted .414 with four home runs, 21 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .529. She went 23-8 in the circle with a 2.02 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 187 innings pitched.

<p class="p1">"It's an honor and I think it's start putting Steeleville on the map for being one of the best softball teams," Hood said of being All-State. "It definitely sets higher goals for everybody."

<p class="p1">"She had 23 wins and we used her a lot this year," Gerlach said. "She pitched a couple games where she pitched well enough to win, but we didn't come through with our bats."

<p class="p1">With no seniors on the team, Steeleville could return everybody in 2017.

<p class="p1">"We talked right after the Trico game and even at the awards banquet (Sunday) night, this is what it takes to get to Peoria," Gerlach said. "We really have to focus, we have to understand what it's going to take.

<p class="p1">"(The state tournament) is a goal for us. We want to keep playing down the road."