Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County High School Bears softball team held its 2012 awards banquet on Monday, July 18, at the school's commons area.  A large gathering of players, parents and supporters were on hand as the team honored players and team accomplishments.  The 2012 Bears had a successful season, finishing with a 22-17 record, runner-up trophy in the 12th District Softball Tournament, and advancing to the Third Region Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.  This season also marked the fifth consecutive 20-win season for Butler County Softball.

"I'm really proud of these young ladies and all they were able to accomplish this season on the softball field," said Coach John Embry.  "They worked hard, handled much adversity, stayed positive, and kept focused on performing well on the diamond."

The first awards handed out during the banquet were the "Biggest Chew" awards. Morgan Manning and Callie Cardwell received these awards after providing BCHS Head Coach John Embry with the most memorable teaching moments during the season.

The first stat-based awards handed out on the night were Varsity Gold Gloves. To be eligible for a Gold Glove, players must have a fielding percentage above .900. Receiving the award were Morgan Manning (.900), Payton Grubb (.939), Amy Rogers (.984), Madeline Drake (.916), Hannah Peach (.982), Natoshia White (.969), and Alex Embry (.963).

Silver Sluggers were then awarded for players with a batting average above .300. Receiving the awards were Madeline Drake (.412), Natoshia White (.394), Amy Rogers (.375), Hannah Peach (.333), and Morgan Manning (.303). This was the highest number of Silver Sluggers ever awarded for a season since Embry began coaching in 2002. In addition, the averages of Rogers, White, and Drake surpassed that of any previous member of the Bears softball team since 2002.

Junior Varsity Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers were then awarded. Kassie Jo Phelps (.900), Hannah Peach (.962), and Allie Howard (.929), not pictured, received Gold Gloves.

Hannah Peach (.416), Alex Embry (.317), Callie Cardwell (.305), Naomi Cade (.355), and Emily Rich (.349), not pictured, received JV Silver Sluggers.

Players were then reconized for being named to the Academic All-State team for their classroom performance. Members of the First Team Academic All-State have GPAs of 3.75-4.0, Second Team Academic All-State members have GPAs of 3.5-3.74, while players receiving Honorable Mention have GPAs of 3.25-3.49. Lynsie Clark, Kassie Jo Phelps, Madeline Drake received Academic All-State Honorable Mention. Payton Grubb, Morgan Manning, Jazmin Reynolds, Amy Rogers, Natoshia White, Allie Howard (not pictured), and Emily Rich (not pictured) were named to the First Team Academic All-State.

Amy Rogers, Madeline Drake, and Natoshia White were then presented with miscellaneous offensive awards. Rogers was awarded for scoring the most runs (43), highest slugging percentage at .567, and for having the most sacrifices (9) over the season. Rogers also caught 21 baserunners stealing during the season. Drake had the highest on base percentage (.440) and the highest batting average with runners in scoring position (.480). White won the RBI race with 30 in only 22 games after suffering a season-ending knee injury. White also led the team with 4 home runs.

Hannah Peach was recognized as the 2012 Most Improved Player. Peach also had the most walks at 11. Jazmin Reynolds was recognized as the 2011 Most Improved Player.

Kassie Jo Phelps and Morgan Manning were then recognized for their pitching during the season. Phelps pitched the majority of the JV innings while Manning pitched nearly every varsity inning during the 2012 season. Phelps' stats for the JV season are as follows: 16-14 record, 133.2 innings pitched, 3.30 earned run average, .261 opponent batting average, 157 hits allowed, 63 earned runs allowed, and 129 strike-outs. Manning's stats for the varsity season are as follows: 22-17 record, 242.1 innings pitched, 2.48 earned run average, .275 opponent batting average, 272 hits allowed, 86 earned runs allowed, and 135 strike-outs.

Jazmin Reynolds, Payton Grubb, and Morgan Manning served as captains on the 2012 squad. Each captain received a framed picture of the 2012 team with the 12th District Runner-Up trophy.

Isabella Faye Embry received the 2012 Dugout Award for her efforts during the season.

The last award presented was Most Valuable Player.  That distinction was actually shared by three players this season - pitcher Morgan Manning, catcher Amy Rogers, and shortstop Madeline Drake - all of whom put up impressive stats during the season and contributed uniquely to the team's success in their respective positions.