The 2022 All-County Softball Team is chosen through a combination of statistics, personal observation and coaching suggestions. Final decisions are made by News-Herald sports writer Timothy Belin. He can be contacted at 865-635-0841 or timothy.belin@news-herald.net.
Madison Hood
Maddy Hood came into the season with big expectations after earning an All-District nod, All-County Player of the Year and making it as a finalist for last year’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class 1A All-State first team. Far from phasing her, Hood exceeded all of her batting stats from her junior season to catch the eye of Johnson University’s staff, where she will continue her softball career.
Hood ended the season with a .585 batting average, 38 hits, 34 RBIs and 36 runs, all team-leading totals. Playing shortstop on defense, she recorded a .887 fielding percentage, with 47 put outs from 53 total chances.
Hood earned a spot in the District 4-1A All-District team as the district MVP. She is the 2022 All-County Player of the Year.
Maddy Helton
Lenoir City’s leading batter, Maddy Helton ended the season with a .608 batting average on her way to 34 hits, 21 RBIs and three home runs. A true utility player on defense, she spent time as pitcher, catcher, shortstop and first baseman for the Lady Panthers, recording a .924 fielding percentage.
One of three seniors on an inexperienced team, she was a leader on and off the field for her younger teammates.
Helton was named to District 5-3A’s All-District team.
Emma Jenkins
Emma Jenkins committed her softball future to Roane State Community College before the start of the season and showed exactly why the Lady Raiders wanted her in her final year in Loudon. Jenkins led by example on the field as the Lady Redskin’s starting catcher and was also one of the team’s leading batters with a .405 batting average and .436 on-base average.
Jenkins was named to District 3-2A’s All-District team.
Kamryn Dillard
A vocal leader for Lenoir City, LCHS head softball coach Matt Helton described Kamryn Dillard as a “coach on the field” for his young team. More than just words, Dillard led by example as well as both a catcher and shortstop on defense, and one of the Lady Panther’s most reliable hitters on offense. She ended the season with a .403 batting average, 27 hits and 16 RBIs.
Dillard was named to District 5-3A’s All-District team.
Karli Hammontree
Karli Hammontree became Greenback’s starting catcher as an eighth grader and went from strength to strength this year before an injury put a premature end to her season in mid-April. Despite the early exit, she was still able to record 80 put outs with a .976 fielding percentage, as well as 18 runs, 12 hits and 12 RBIs with a .316 batting average.
Hammontree was named in the District 4-1A All-District team.
Lauren Humphreys
Though only a sophomore, Lauren Humphreys shined as one of the Lady Panthers’ best outfielders this season. Despite battling through injury in the preseason, Humphreys established herself as one of the most reliable players on a young team still struggling with consistency and errors. She maintained a .950 fielding percentage for the season and made only three errors, achieving 22 put outs.
Chloee Jenkins
Chloee Jenkins stepped into the lead pitching role for the Lady Redskins midway through the season on her way to becoming one of Loudon’s leading players.
Jennifer Jones
Jennifer Jones took on the pitching role for the Cherokees in her freshman year after her predecessor tore her ACL, and she put that experience to good use in her sophomore season. Jones faced 470 batters across 99 innings and ended the season with a 2.528 ERA, allowing only 66 hits and 59 runs, 36 of them earned. She also threw 104 strikeouts and had a fielding percentage of .932.
Jones was named in the District 4-1A All-District team.
Katie Jones
Katie Jones built on an impressive freshman year to become one of the Lady Cherokees’ most important players this season. With a .356 batting average, she got 29 runs, 26 hits and was second only to Hood for RBIs with 24. Her most impressive contribution came on defense, however, where she held a .984 fielding percentage and put out 62 of her 64 total chances.
Jones was named in the District 4-1A All-District team.
Lauren Morton
One of Greenback’s most reliable hitters, Morton ended the season with a .379 batting average, 25 hits, 18 RBIs and 30 runs. On defense, she recorded a .792 fielding percentage, getting 18 put outs from the outfield.
Morton was named to District 4-1A’s All-District team.
Kensley Ridings
Kensley Ridings had a strong second season for the Lady Redskins to become an important player in a team still finding its feet. Only a sophomore, she will hope to use that experience and growth to become a key player and leader for Loudon in the next two years.
Gracee Roberts
Lenoir City’s final senior, Roberts stepped in as the team’s leading pitcher after the graduation of last season’s ace on the mound. She did so despite no previous experience in the role, highlighting her willingness to do whatever was necessary for her team. At the bat, Roberts recorded a .414 batting average with 29 hits and 12 RBIs, leading her team in triples. She also stole the most bases for the Lady Panthers, successfully doing so 18 times in 18 attempts.
Roberts was named to District 5-3A’s All-District team.
Baylee Yates
Baylee Yates made an instant impact in her first year playing for the Lady Redskins, becoming Loudon’s lead-off batter by season’s end. She was one of the biggest contributors to her team’s offense with a .317 batting average, .404 on-base average and three stolen bases.
Yates was named to District 3-2A’s All-District team.
