Sometimes, all-area teams can be flooded with upperclassmen, as the more experienced players are naturally more adjusted to high school competition levels and put up better numbers.

The 2017 Premier Preps fast-pitch softball team, however, bucks that trend. Many members of the squad were sophomores or younger. Several are in middle school. All, however, are deserving of a spot on the team.

West Lauderdale’s Lily Ramsey was only a freshman, but she led her team in batting average, hitting .400 with a .469 on-base percentage, making the Premier Preps team as a catcher. Her teammate, pitcher Lexie Smith, is even younger. As an eighth-grader, Smith has established herself as one of the better pitchers in the area, pitching to a 1.74 earned-run average with 114 strikeouts while batting .400.

Enterprise’s Hannah Herrington, a sophomore, was selected as the team’s first baseman after hitting .428 for the Lady Bulldogs and driving in 25 runs. Her teammate, junior Telena Satcher, was one of the squad’s three outfielders. An All-Star selection in fast-pitch, Satcher had a .497 on-base percentage and was 31 of 31 in stolen bases.

There were a few seniors who made the cut. Clarkdale’s Aubree McWilliams is an outfielder by trade — and an outfielder on the Premier Preps team — but the Lady Bulldogs required her to be behind the plate for much of the year. An All-Star selection and Holmes Community College signee, McWilliams batted .400 this season with a .505 on-base percentage and knocked in 22 runs. Philadelphia’s Alyssa Davis was the Premier Preps team’s shortstop, as the Southern Mississippi signee hit .423 on the year and scored 44 runs for the Lady Tornadoes.

Newton County sophomore Karlye Tolbird was a standout at second base for the Lady Cougars this season, batting .338 with a .500 on-base average while scoring 21 runs and knocking in 16. Teammate and fellow sophomore Brittany Thomas was one of the Premier Preps squad’s three pitchers, as Thomas had a 1.44 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 78 innings of work.

Neshoba Central’s Tenly Grisham is only a seventh-grader, but she hits like an experience varsity player. Grisham led the Lady Rockets offensively, batting .421 with a .710 slugging percentage. She drove in 20 runs and scored 30 runs. Another seventh-grader, Choctaw Central’s Leia Phillips, was dominant for her team as well. Phillips batted .478 for the Lady Warriors and got on base 56 percent of the time. She made the team as an outfielder but also played in the infield.

Last, but certainly not least, is a player that almost exemplifies the common theme of this year’s team. Neshoba Central’s Aspen Wesley is considered the best pitcher in the state, and though she’s a sophomore, she’s been dominating opposing batters ever since she was in middle school. Wesley was the 2016 Gatorade Player of the Year and had a 0.78 ERA this season with 270 strikeouts. She is also committed to play at Mississippi State.

While the selection of the Premier Preps fast-pitch softball team may be over, the upcoming Premier Preps banquet on May 22 will further honor these athletes while also selecting a player and coach of the year. The banquet will begin at 5:30 p.m. that day.

Lily Ramsey — Catcher

Freshman 

West Lauderdale

Why she’s here: Ramsey led her team offensively, hitting .400 on the year with a .469 on-base percentage. She also had a 0.985 fielding percentage at catcher.

Hannah Herrington — First base

Sophomore

Enterprise

Why she’s here: Herrington hit .428 for the Lady Bulldogs this season, tallying 38 hits with five doubles three triples and 25 runs batted in. She also scored 15 runs.

Karlye Tolbird — Second base

Sophomore

Newton County

Why she’s here: Tolbird batted .338 for the Lady Cougars this season with 21 runs scored, 16 RBIs and four doubles. She had a .500 on-base average and and .894 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Tenly Grisham — Third base

Seventh grade

Neshoba Central

Why she’s here: She may only be in seventh grade, but Grisham dominated at the varsity level, hitting .421 on the season with a .489 on-base percentage and a .710 slugging percentage. She hit 20 RBIs, scored 30 runs, had five doubles and hit seven triples and one homee run. She also stole 25 bases.

Alyssa Davis — Shortstop

Senior 

Philadelphia

Why she’s here: A Southern Mississippi signee, Davis is one of the area’s most dynamic players. She finished the regular season with a .423 average and scored 44 runs for the Lady Tornadoes.

Talena Satcher — Outfield

Junior

Enterprise 

Why she’s here: An All-Star in fast-pitch, Satcher hit .304 for the Lady Bulldogs with a .497 on-base percentage and was 31-for-31 in stolen bases. She also had one double, scored 34 runs and drew 29 walks for Enterprise

Aubree McWilliams — Outfield

Senior

Clarkdale

Why she’s here: A Holmes Community College signee and usually an outfielder, McWilliams also saw time behind the plate for Clarkdale this season out of necessity. She finished with a .400 batting average, a .505 on-base percentage, a .550 slugging percentage and 22 RBIs. McWilliams was also an All-Star selection in fast-pitch.

Leia Phillips — Outfield

Seventh grade

Choctaw Central

Why she’s here: Phillips had a .478 batting average on the season with a .564 on-base percentage, three doubles, five triples and one home run. She also drove in 13 runners.

Aspen Wesley— Pitcher

Sophomore

Neshoba Central

Why she’s here: Considered the best pitcher in Mississippi, Wesley has been dominating teams since she was in middle school. She had a 0.78 earned-run average with 270 strikeouts for Neshoba Central, sporting a 19-1 record. A Mississippi State commit, Wesley was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2016 for Mississippi.

Brittany Thomas — Pitcher

Sophomore

Newton County

Why she’s here: Thomas pitched to a 1.44 ERA this season, striking out 70 batters in 78 innings of work. She had an 11-3 record on the mound. As a hitter, Thomas had a .402 average with a .495 on-base percentage and a .609 slugging percentage.

Lexie Smith — Pitcher

Eighth grade

West Lauderdale

Why she’s here: Smith had a lot of success on the mound for West Lauderdale, striking out 114 batters for the Lady Knights. She pitched to a 1.74 ERA in 156 innings of work, throwing 2,075 pitches. As a hitter, Smith batted .400 with a .450 on-base percentage.