RVC softball: Jefferson's Dempsey wins Player of the Year, Enke earns Pitcher of the Year to headline 15 area honorees

Fifteen area softball players were honored in Rock Valley Conference Valley Division all-conference voting held recently.

Nine Jefferson players were honored, including five first-team selections.

Junior outfielder Hildie Dempsey garnered Player of the Year honors. Dempsey is a three-time first team all-league recipient.

The University of Central Florida recruit led the Eagles in batting average (.526), on base percentage (.558), OPS (1.300), slugging (.742), hits (51) and runs scored (37). Dempsey produced 15 extra-base hits, homered twice, drove in 13 runs and stole 15 bases. In the circle, Dempsey pitched 34 innings, struck out 48 and posted an ERA of 0.82.

Junior Ashlyn Enke was voted the conference’s Pitcher of the Year. Enke was a first team all-conference pick last season.

The Northern Iowa recruit tossed 85 2/3 innings and produced an ERA of 0.98 Enke, whose record was 9-3, held opposing hitters to a batting average of .140, striking out 155 hitters against just five walks. At the dish, Enke hit .330 with an OBP of .402 and OPS of .863. She notched nine extra-base hits and drove in 25 runs.

Jefferson senior shortstop Lily Fairfield picked up her third career first-team honor.

Fairfield, who will play collegiately at Bryant & Stratton College, hit .430 with an OBP of .473 and OPS of .953. She scored 35 runs and stole a team-best 16 bases.

Jefferson junior infielder Bre Mengel earned her second career first-team award and third all-conference honor overall.

Mengel, who will play collegiately at William Penn University, was second on the team in average (.460), OBP (.481), OPS (1.191), slugging (.710) and hits (46). She led Jefferson in extra-base hits with 18 and RBIs (37), also stealing nine bases and scoring 28 runs.

Jefferson junior pitcher Aeryn Messmann collected her second career first-team honor and third all-league accolade overall.

Messmann pitched 60 2/3 innings and went 9-0. She struck out 91 and walked just six en route to posting an ERA of 1.50, holding opposing batters to an average of .209. At the plate, Messmann hit .356 with an OBP of .414 and OPS of .892. She tallied 10 extra-base hits, drove in 21 runs and scored nine times.

First-year Jefferson coach Jeff Agnew won the Coach of the Year award.

Whitewater placed two outfielders — senior Gaby Kubicz and sophomore Sydney Schilt — and freshman catcher Paige Kollwelter on the first team.

Kubicz hit .352 with 10 extra-base hits, 17 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

Schilt led Whitewater in batting average (.463), OPS (1.314) and slugging (.821) and was second in OBP (.493). She had a team-high 12 extra-base knocks, including four home runs, while scoring 24 runs and driving in 20, also swiping 11 bases.

Kollwelter posted a batting average of .443 (second on the team) and led the Whippets in OBP (.547), producing an OPS of 1.12 while scoring 19 runs and driving in 13.

Jefferson senior outfielder Allie Hesse and sophomore catcher Hannah Werning and Whitewater junior pitcher Savannah O’Neal were second-team selections.

Hesse drove in 14 runs and scored eight times.

Smith hit .315, driving in eight runs and scoring nine times.

O’Neal hit .346 with an OBP of .477. In the circle, she pitched 90 1/3 innings with 83 strikeouts and 26 walks, posting an ERA of 2.55.

Jefferson junior Chloe Smith and senior Kirsten Woychik and Whitewater junior Falyn Krahn and sophomore Jennifer Gosh were honorable mention recipients.

Jefferson won the RVC Valley Division with a record of 11-3, followed by Monroe at 9-5, Whitewater at 8-6, East Troy at 4-9 and Delavan-Darien at 0-13.

Rock Valley 2024 All-Conference Softball Selections — Valley Division

FIRST TEAM

Name School Position Year

Aeryn Messmann Jefferson Pitcher Junior

Ashlyn Enke Jefferson Pitcher Junior

Paige Kollwelter Whitewater Catcher Freshman

Bre Mengel Jefferson Infield Junior

Lily Fairfield Jefferson Infield Senior

Gaby Kubicz Whitewater Infield Senior

Katrina Sathoff Monroe Infield Senior

Hildie Dempsey Jefferson Outfield Junior

Lilly Atkinson East Troy Outfield Sophomore

Sydney Schilt Whitewater Outfield Sophomore

Kaegann Paulson Monroe Utility Sophomore

Player of the Year

Hildie Dempsey Jefferson

Pitcher of the Year

Ashlyn Enke Jefferson

Coach of the Year

Jeff Agnew Jefferson

SECOND TEAM

Savannah O’Neal Whitewater Pitcher Junior

Hannah Werning Jefferson Catcher Sophomore

Irelyn Loomis East Troy Infield Sophomore

Faith Loback Delavan-Darien Infield Junior

Sophie Golembiewski Monroe Infield Junior

Brinley Roidt Monroe Outfield Junior

Allie Hesse Jefferson Outfield Senior

HONORABLE MENTION

Cadyn Lumkes Delavan-Darien

Elizabeth Zweifel Delavan-Darien

Makaya Anderson East Troy

Lilah Feyen East Toy

Chloe Smith Jefferson

Kirsten Woychik Jefferson

Olivia Feller Monroe

Kate Kundert Monroe

Falyn Krahn Whitewater

Jennifer Gosh Whitewater