2012 ALL-AREA SOFTBALL: Welch takes Player of the Year

At 10 years old, Ashten Welch decided it was time to turn in her pointe shoes for spikes.

Since second grade, she had been a student of ballet. Performing pirouettes, pliés and pas de boureés no longer peaked her interest.

Welch wasn't meant to be confined in a studio; she craved the thrill of the softball diamond.

Eight years later she accomplished her masterpiece, not with graceful moves at a recital, but by blowing away opposing batters as the top arm in the Mid-Valley area.

The Marysville High senior ended her four-year varsity softball career with a 52-19 record, 560 strikeouts and a 1.73 ERA in 417 innings pitched.

This past spring, she went 19-4 with 177 strikeouts in 137 innings for the Indians, leading Marysville to an undefeated Golden Empire League record and second consecutive league championship.

Her 1.94 ERA, combined with opponents only batting .175 against her, led to Welch's second straight GEL MVP nod.

Not bad for a girl who set a record after walking 22 batters in a game at North Yuba Little League.

"It was horrible," Welch said about the 22 batters walked. "I've come a long way."

She's now the Appeal-Democrat's 2012 All-Area Softball Player of the Year, her third consecutive first-team selection.

Before she had one of the top fastballs in the region, Welch said she could barely make the throw to first as a second baseman in her first year of Little League.

She gradually moved to third base, before the desire to move into the circle took over. Despite the 22-walk incident, she wasn't deterred from pursuing pitching.

"I just got mad," Welch said. "I went home and just kept working on it. It feels good now because my hard work is finally paying off."

Welch's time spent in the travel-ball circuit cleaned up her game.

Beginning at age 12, she played with various clubs, including Drop Zone, the Live Oak-based California Chaos, the Roseville Heat and Sutter Storm.

She said the biggest influence on her was College World Series champion Alicia Hollowell, a former University of Arizona All-American pitcher, who helped Welch fine-tune her pitches.

By the time she reached her freshman season at Marysville, Welch was quickly becoming an ace in waiting.

When Maurice Clavelle took over as head coach of the Indians in 2010, he didn't hesitate to make Welch his ace as a sophomore.

"From then on, it was lights out," Clavelle said. "It was really good to watch her control keep getting better and better."

Clavelle loves Welch's mental toughness. A sentiment shared by Sacramento City College assistant coach Jenneffer Kohler, who recruited Welch to play for the Panthers next season.

Kohler, a former Mid-Valley prep star and Marysville native, played at Sac City and Texas Tech.

"I like (Welch's) demeanor," Kohler said. "It's hard to read her if she's doing well or not doing well. There's not a lot of ups and downs.

"She's a competitor."

Welch faced some of the best competition in the Sac-Joaquin Section this season, which will serve her well at the next level.

She finished her prep career with 14 one-hitters and two no-hitters.

Welch was the only local product selected to play in the Sacramento Evening Optimist Club All-Star Game last month. She also earned a second team nod on the Sacramento Bee's All-Metro team.

"She's going to help us mightily," Kohler said. "There's a lot of good things she brings to our program."

One of those things is her bat.

Though more known for her pitching prowess, Welch batted .430 this season with 26 RBIs. She hit .352 over four years with the Indians and knocked in 83 runs.

She enjoys taking out some aggression with the bat, but said nothing quite compares to taking the ball in the pitcher's circle.

"It's my place," Welch said. "I never get nervous before a game, it feels like I belong there."

She has belonged to the Marysville softball family for four years, something she said she'll miss.

Maybe not as much as Clavelle will miss her next season.

The GEL Coach of the Year will likely need to get a new routine next season.

For the past three seasons, he's sat on the bucket, chewed on sunflower seeds and called Welch's pitches — she rarely missed a spot.

"It was like playing a video game," Clavelle said. "I have no doubt she will continue to get better. The sky's the limit."

FIRST TEAM

PITCHERS

Randi May, junior, Wheatland

A first team All-Area selection for the A-D last season as a sophomore, May didn't skip a beat as a junior this past year with the Pirates.

She was named Butte View League MVP for the second straight season after leading Wheatland to two consecutive undefeated BVL campaigns. She earned a first team All-Northern Section nod as well.

May also helped lead the Pirates to the Northern Section Division IV championship game for the second straight year.

The right-hander went 21-9 this season and pitched 182 of the 186 innings the team played. May held a 1.50 ERA and struck out 186 batters with just 29 walks.

She also handled the bat well with a .362 batting average and 27 RBIs.

Amanda Taylor, junior, East Nic

The junior right-hander did just about everything for the Spartans this season.

The Mid-Valley League - South MVP and second team All-Northern Section pick pitched 151 innings for East Nic with a 1.72 ERA and 175 strikeouts.

Taylor dueled Colusa's Sophia Garcia in an epic eight-inning showdown in the Northern Section Division V semifinals, though the Spartans lost 1-0 on an error.

Taylor was also East Nicolaus' best hitter with a .527 average, six homers and 26 RBIs to lead the team. She tallied 13 doubles and scored 27 runs.

Sophia Garcia, soph., Colusa

As impressive as her aforementioned victory over East Nicolaus was, Garcia's performance in the D-V title game cemented her status on the A-D's first team.

She went all 12 innings in an extra-inning win over Mt. Shasta with 16 strikeouts to lead the RedHawks to victory and send her coach into retirement with a title.

Filling the shoes of four-year All-Area selection Tiffany Friel was a daunting task, but Garcia flourished as the RedHawks' ace, pitching all 160 innings the team played this year.

The first team All-Sacramento Valley League pick put up a 1.09 ERA with 240 strikeouts.

POSITION PLAYERS

Ashleigh Biggs, junior, SS, Colusa

Biggs is a huge reason why Colusa hoisted a section banner this year.

She batted .553 with 28 RBIs, four homers and 10 doubles this season. All of those marks led Colusa, including her 42 hits and 23 runs scored.

Biggs was named the co-MVP of the SVL along with Megan Hughes of Willows.

Tressa Arostegui, junior, 3B, Marysville

The Indians' lead-off hitter led the team in hitting for the second consecutive season with a .511 batting average.

An All-GEL and All-Area selection for the second straight year, Arostegui knocked in 29 runs and scored a team-high 39 runs.

She was also Marysville's No. 2 pitcher behind Welch and struck out 22 batters in 21 innings.

Brina Buttacavoli, soph., 2B, Marysville

After batting over .300 as a freshman last year for the Indians, Buttacavoli broke out this season with a .494 batting average and a team-high 45 RBIs.

She smacked 20 extra-base hits, including three home runs and put up a .537 on-base percentage.

Buttacavoli earned first team All-GEL honors and an honorable mention on the Sac Bee's All-Metro squad.

Jacky Tanner, senior, SS, River Valley

The Falcons' senior shortstop belted seven home runs this season and knocked in 35 runs to help R.V. earn its third consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section playoff bid.

She accumulated a 1.041 slugging percentage while holding a .466 batting average.

Tanner scored a team-high 33 runs and was a first team All-Tri-County Conference selection.

Sami Prosser, senior, 3B, Sutter

Prosser concluded a stellar prep career with the Huskies by batting .513 with 23 RBIs and 32 runs.

She compiled 13 extra-base hits, including three home runs and a .782 slugging percentage. Prosser also posted a .547 on-base percentage.

Prosser was a first team All-BVL and second team All-Northern Section pick.

Mikayla McLanahan, soph., C, Wheatland

The Pirates' sophomore backstop was a hitting machine this season.

She led Wheatland with 45 RBIs, 17 extra-base hits and she batted .454 this season.

McLanahan was a first team All-BVL selection.

Tara McIntyre, soph., SS, Wheatland

Wheatland's lead-off hitter was a dynamo at the top of coach Jim Vossler's lineup.

She batted a staggering .604 with a .650 on-base percentage. Both of those marks led the Northern Section this season.

McIntyre used her excellent speed to steal 20 bases this season and she scored a team-high 49 runs.

This is McIntyre's second consecutive first team All-Area and All-BVL selection. She was also selected to the All-Northern Section first team.

UTILITY PLAYERS

Kristan Montgomery, senior, Lindhurst

The Blazers' do-everything senior was Lindhurst's top hitter this season and the ace in the circle.

She batted .537 with 51 hits, 19 extra-base hits and a .564 on-base percentage, earning first team All-GEL honors.

Montgomery scored 35 runs and stole 19 bases for the Blazers, helping the team earn a Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoff bid.

In the circle, she pitched 117 innings with a 1.56 ERA. She struck out 151 batters, finishing with an 11-8 record and three shutouts. The righty tossed three no-hitters this season and a perfect game.

She earned a Sac Bee All-Metro honorable mention.

Hailey Shelton, senior, River Valley

One of the pioneers of the Falcons' softball program, Shelton ends her four-year varsity career as River Valley's all-time leading hitter.

Along with Welch, Shelton is the only other three-time A-D All-Area selection on this list.

Shelton paired with Tanner to form one of the area's most lethal hitting duos.

Her pretty swing from the left side knocked in 42 runs for the Falcons. She tallied 12 doubles, four triples and three home runs.

Shelton batted .534, while holding a .590 on-base percentage and .932 slugging percentage.

Defensively, she split time between first base and catcher, leading the Falcons with a .979 fielding percentage.

She was an All-TCC pick and All-Metro honorable mention by the Sac Bee.

Jordan Thompson, senior, DH, Yuba City

Despite a torn rotator cuff, Thompson played in all 21 games for Yuba City this season and contributed mightily with her bat.

An All-TCC pick for the second straight year, Thompson batted .382 and led the Honkers with 20 RBIs and 11 extra-base hits.

Though relegated to DH due to her injury, Thompson scored 16 runs and was a force at the clean-up position in Yuba City's lineup.

After a stellar junior season in 2011, she was slated to be the Honker's No. 1 starting pitcher before her injury.