Heather Parker

At the risk of sounding like a shameless booster, it’s hard to find a specific area of the state of Alabama that’s blessed with more softball talent.

And with that in mind, the ranks of the 2010 edition of The North Jefferson News All-Star High School Softball team are large, and deep.

Six members of the AHSAA Class 5A state runner-up Mortimer Jordan squad, plus a quintet from Class 4A third-place Corner, lead off this year’s selections.

Picking from the Blue Devils was a fairly easy process, at it mirrors a selection already made on a statewide basis by the Alabama Sports Writers Association weeks ago.

A whopping five Jordan players — senior first baseman Morgan Estell and pitcher Heather Parker, junior pitcher-third baseman Blair Johnson and shortstop Danae Hays, and sophomore center fielder Haylie McCleney — made the ASWA All-State first team.

Additionally, junior third baseman Alyssa Linn was awarded an honorable mention on the state squad. If they’re good enough for the entire state, they’re certainly good enough for our little corner of it.

Speaking of Corner, senior pitcher Heather Anderson  leads a foursome of players from the Yellow Jackets.

Anderson, who follows in a tradition of strong pitchers for coach Aaron Jones’ team, was also an ASWA All-State first team selection, and was also chosen as as The Birmingham News western metro player of the year.

Anderson is the only senior on our list who will not be playing softball in college. After battling injuries, she’s decided to hang up her glove.

Junior second baseman Preslie Cruce, the Jackets’ other all-state pick, joins senior third baseman Kayla Estes,  freshman catcher Taylor Sloan and senior outfielder Heather Howell on our list.

Estes and her sister Marissa, who both transferred from Gardendale this season, will play at Bevill State next spring. Howell signed with Faulkner University to play both softball and volleyball.

Hayden places three players on the list, with senior shortstop Mara Connor leading the way. Connor, the teams heart and soul this season, led the Wildcats in several statistical categories.

Connor is joined by junior catcher Madison Durham, a solid presence behind the plate and in the batter’s box; and junior pitcher Tiffany Ausborn.

Gardendale suffered through a tough year, having lost all of its returning seniors for various reasons before the season got under way. Despite a season with a record the Rockets would like to forget, sophomore first baseman Sara Beth Williamson was a key offensive presence, with a memorable two-home-run game over area opponent Homewood as her best effort of the year.

Fultondale suffered a similar fate, bringing back no senior starters. In spite of that, the Wildcats enjoyed a measure of success, with only their losses in the North Central Regional separating them from a winning season.

Junior pitcher Kelsey Hubbard was coach David Reed’s main weapon in the pitching circle this year. Joining Hubbard on our list is junior Monica Rascoe, who was one of several similarly-talented Wildcats.

Tabernacle Christian, as the area’s only non-AHSAA school, sometimes gets overlooked by fans and pundits alike. But despite a so-so season as a team, Eighth grade pitcher Katie Parr stood out, regularly turning in double-digit strikeout games.

Parr will be pitching elsewhere next season. After coach Paul DuBose was let go in a personnel shakeup at TCS, her parents decided to seek a new school home.

THE 2010 NORTH JEFFERSON NEWS ALL-STAR SOFTBALL TEAM

GARDENDALE

Sara Beth Williamson, Soph.

MORTIMER JORDAN

Morgan Estell, Sr.

Heather Parker, Sr.

Danae Hays, Jr.

Alyssa Lynn, Jr.

Blair Johnson, Jr.

Haylie McCleney, Soph.

HAYDEN

Mara Conner, Jr.

Madison Durham, Jr.

Tiffany Ausborn, Jr.

CORNER

Heather Anderson, Sr.

Taylor Sloan, Fr.

Preslie Cruce, Jr.

Kayla Estes, Sr.

Heather Howell, Sr.

FULTONDALE

Kelsey Hubbard, Jr.

Monica Rascoe, Jr.

TABERNACLE CHRISTIAN

Katie Parr, 8th grade