ALL-STATE SOFTBALL TEAM: West Point’s Wilkins collects 1st-team honors; Addison’s Luker, Cullman’s Shannon also recognized

Published 5:00 am Sunday, June 5, 2022

West Point’s Carlie Wilkins notched first-team accolades in Class 5A when the Alabama Sports Writers Association announced its 2022 All-State softball teams on Sunday.

A first-team selection for the second straight season, Wilkins helped guide the Lady Warriors to 31 victories and the program’s first-ever state tournament appearance.

Addison’s Anna Grace Luker, meanwhile, secured second-team honors in Class 2A, while Cullman’s Haley Shannon garnered honorable mention status in Class 6A.

The All-State softball teams are decided by the ASWA’s prep committee, which chooses from a list of talented athletes spanning seven classifications across the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA).

See below for capsules on local softball players spotlighted by the ASWA.

Name: Carlie Wilkins

School: West Point

Year: Senior

Class: 5A

All-State Status: First Team (Outfielder)

Highlights: Compiled a .483 batting average, .537 on-base percentage, .983 slugging percentage and 1.520 OPS with 72 RBIs, 58 hits, 41 runs, 17 home runs, 11 walks, 11 stolen bases and nine doubles in 41 games.

Coach Speak: “Carlie has been an anchor in our lineup for years, but she really had a great year at the plate this year with her ability to hit for power and for average. She has great hands and phenomenal bat speed. Combined with a very aggressive approach, she caused a lot of problems for opposing pitchers. When pitchers made mistakes, she made them pay for it. Even when she wasn’t getting hits herself, her presence in the middle of the lineup made pitchers give our other hitters better pitches to hit out of respect for her. She can hit with anybody in the state. She’s a special athlete, and all the hours and hours of hard work made her very dangerous.” — Steven Harbison

Name: Anna Grace Luker

School: Addison

Year: Senior

Class: 2A

All-State Status: Second Team (Outfielder)

Highlights: Compiled a .419 batting average, .483 on-base percentage, .589 slugging percentage and 1.072 OPS with 54 hits, 40 runs, 18 RBIs, 16 walks, 11 doubles, five stolen bases, three home runs and a triple in 39 games.

Coach Speak: “We could depend on her at the plate, and we expected a lot out of her. She’s always worked hard, and she gave it her all — practices, games, whatever the situation was.” — Lana Hines

Name: Haley Shannon

School: Cullman

Year: Junior

Class: 6A

All-State Status: Honorable Mention (Outfielder)

Highlights: Compiled a .465 batting average, .507 on-base percentage, .535 slugging percentage and 1.042 OPS with 66 hits, 46 runs, 32 stolen bases, 17 RBIs, 10 walks, six doubles and two triples in 45 games.

Coach Speak: “She leads by example. She got hurt the second game of the year and played with pain all throughout the year. She was still able to perform at a high level. Her mental toughness is extraordinary. She sets the table, always gives us a chance to win and is a valuable asset to our team.” — Lawayne Morton