Addison's Lana Hines — The Times' 2018 All-Area Coach of the Year.

There’s simply no other way to say it.

Olivia Ball was absolutely, positively extraordinary this season.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association certainly thought so — handing the West Point standout a spot on the Class 5A All-State Softball Team (first-team designated hitter) following an excellent junior campaign in which she broke out in a big way.

Look at the stats. Talk to the coaches. Watch her swing the bat.

Do those things, and you’ll probably reach the same conclusion I did.

Ball is, without question, The Times’ 2018 All-Area Softball Player of the Year. 

Holly Pond’s Kolby Holcombe (Hitter of the Year), Addison’s Anna Grace Luker (Pitcher of the Year) and Addison’s Lana Hines (Coach of the Year) accompanied Ball as the other laudable members of the 2018 All-Area Softball Team.

Let’s kick this thing off with Ball.

The Wallace State commit crafted a .471 batting average, .559 on-base percentage, 1.171 slugging percentage and 1.732 OPS in 104 at-bats this season. Additionally, she pummeled 21 home runs — setting a new school record — and nabbed 59 RBIs, 55 runs, 49 hits, 21 walks, 10 doubles and four stolen bases to help the Lady Warriors corral their fifth straight Cullman County Softball Tournament title and reach the North Central Regional Tournament for the second consecutive year.

Ball’s slugging percentage, OPS and home run total were second-best among all Class 5A hitters.

Those stellar stats aren’t at all surprising to the coaches who faced the unenviable task of trying to find a way to get Ball out at the plate.

A few succeeded, most failed, some didn’t try.

Just ask Curry’s Dave Lawson, who watched Ball club three home runs and drive in nine runs during an 18-15 offensive shootout back in April.

“I coached her in travel ball when she was 10, so I already knew about her,” he said. “I didn’t pitch to her in the area tournament, because you couldn’t let her beat you. That speaks to the caliber of player she is. She was the toughest out we faced all year. It was obvious she had the ‘it’ factor. Work ethic. Attitude. Desire to be the best. She’s going to continue to evolve and get better and better.”

Or ask Fairview’s Annie King, who saw Ball homer three times en route to a seven-RBI performance just two weeks later.

“She’s very disciplined,” she said. “That’s the only way I can describe it. She swings at good pitches. If we threw her balls, she’d watch them. You just don’t want her to come up to the plate. Everyone is nervous when she does.”

Or ask Cold Springs’ Patrick West, whose team only had to deal with Ball in one contest this season.

Four at-bats. No hits. One RBI. Two runs. More than enough.

“When I saw her play back in sixth grade, I knew she was going to be good,” he said. “She puts a lot of effort and a lot of work into her game. We had a very small sample size against her this year. That kid … she may have had seven three-home run games if we had to go up against her in 10 games. You just never know. I’ve never seen a kid who has the potential to go yard like she can.”

Holcombe, the 2017 All-Area Player of the Year, turned in an equally impressive senior season.

The Samford signee produced a .514 batting average to go along with 57 hits, 46 RBIs, 23 runs, 12 doubles and nine home runs. She also fashioned second-team accolades (designated hitter) on the Class 3A All-State Softball Team.

Luker, meanwhile, couldn’t have been more reliable for Addison in the circle.

The talented eighth-grader, who claimed second-team accolades (pitcher) on the Class 1A All-State Softball Team, netted 17 wins to go along with a 1.44 ERA and 144 strikeouts.

Hines led Addison to 19 wins this season. Along the way, the Lady Bulldogs won the Class 1A, Area 12 Tournament and Class 1A North Central Regional Tournament en route to garnering a spot in the state tournament in Montgomery, where they won two games before being eliminated.

Jeremy Luker and Danny Butler also played key roles as assistants.

Cold Springs (Hayden Goodwin, Drew Sanders and Anna Kate Voce), Good Hope (Bailey Swann, Skylar Tucker and Erika Woodall) and West Point (Makayla Brown, Molly Pendley and Carlie Wilkins) graced this year’s first team with three selections apiece.

Cecilee Gaither (Addison), Destiny Walker (Addison), Kennedy Wren (Cullman), Katie Ball (Fairview), Ally Hogeland (Fairview), Cassidy Campbell (Hanceville) and Katie Burnham (Holly Pond) comprised the rest of the honorary squad.

See below for The Times’ complete 2018 All-Area Softball Team, including honorable mentions.

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The Times’ 2018 All-Area Softball Team

Player of the Year: Olivia Ball, West Point

Hitter of the Year: Kolby Holcombe, Holly Pond

Pitcher of the Year: Anna Grace Luker, Addison

Coach of the Year: Lana Hanes, Addison

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First Team

Cecilee Gaither, Addison

Destiny Walker, Addison

Hayden Goodwin, Cold Springs

Drew Sanders, Cold Springs

Anna Kate Voce, Cold Springs

Kennedy Wren, Cullman

Katie Ball, Fairview

Ally Hogeland, Fairview

Bailey Swann, Good Hope

Skylar Tucker, Good Hope

Erika Woodall, Good Hope

Cassidy Campbell, Hanceville

Katie Burnham, Holly Pond

Makayla Brown, West Point

Molly Pendley, West Point

Carlie Wilkins, West Point

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Honorable Mentions

Addison: Macey Butler, Abbie Chambless

Cold Springs: Victoria Freeman, Kylon Hamby

Cullman: Gracie Cook, Sydney Holder

Fairview: Devan Fulmer, Selena Lacy

Good Hope: Angelina Flanigan, Abby Neighbors

Hanceville: Gracie Hudspeth, Jadah Hurst

Holly Pond: Gracie Bryan, Maddie Heatherly

Vinemont: Maddie Oliver, Kylie Williams

West Point: Gracie Abbott, Avery McClure