The 2016 Champions of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, the Milford Eagles are well-represented on the All-ECC Softball teams as seven players, including five first team selections were honored. In addition, for leading the Eagles to a third straight conference championship, head coach Christy Gregory was tabbed the league’s coach of the year.
The first team choices from Milford were aplenty with the Eagles picking up a league-high five first team choices. The quintet includes senior infielder Kelly Noll, freshman catcher Katelyn Reynolds, junior infielder Katelyn Rheude, junior infielder Kelsey Seitz and junior pitcher Valerie Thompson. Senior infielder Hannah White represented Milford on the All-ECC second team, while junior outfielder Kelly Carraro was Milford’s honorable mention for this year.
Noll, who finishes her stellar prep career as a three-time all-conference selection, finished with the Eagles’ third-best batting average at .434, while stealing a team-high 11 bases. She added five doubles, one triple and nine RBI at the plate. Playing her first season at shortstop, Noll was outstanding defensively, committing just seven errors in 25 games.
Reynolds burst on to the scene in a big way in her first prep campaign, hitting a stout .481 and pacing the Eagles with 11 doubles. She tacked on a pair of triples, one home run and 23 RBI, while snagging seven stolen bases. Reynolds also caught every inning of all 25 games for the Eagles this spring.
Rheude is now a two-time all-conference choice after hitting .390 this year. In addition to playing an outstanding third base, Rheude contributed eight doubles, three triples, her first career home run and 23 RBI. At the hot corner, she committed just two errors in over 70 chances.
After bouncing back from missing the first several games from injury, Seitz exploded, earning her third consecutive first team All-ECC honor. In just 19 games, Seitz hit a robust .571 with a team-high 28 RBI. She also paced the club with five triples, adding eight doubles and eight stolen bases. In her first season at second base, Seitz totaled only two errors.
In her season as a full-time pitcher, Thompson capped the campaign as the most dominant pitcher in the league. The junior lefty posted a 19-3 record in the circle, including 10 shutouts, while holding a 1.01 ERA and limiting opponents to a .165 average. She also struck out 134. At the plate, Thompson hit .338 with four doubles and 22 RBI.
White enjoyed a very solid senior season, hitting .348 with four doubles, one home run and 20 RBI. She also played a stellar first base, anchoring the Eagles’ infield defense. Carraro, in her first season as a starter had six stolen bases, one double and three RBI for the Eagles.
Milford enjoyed another outstanding season in 2016, finishing 21-4 overall and becoming the first team in ECC Softball history to finish unbeaten in league play (14-0). During the year, the Eagles enjoyed a 16-game winning streak and capped the year outscoring their opponents by a 183-33 margin.