May 25, 2005

Flores, Troxler, Wilson, Clark take home Parish Softball Awards

By Eric LeBlanc
Sports Editor
(Photos by ERIC LEBLANC)

The St. Charles Herald-Guide Guide would like to congratulate the Destrehan and Hahnville softball teams for their great seasons and would like to recognize the accomplishments of a few players. Every player on these two playoff teams deserves praise, but these four players stood out above the rest as deserving of our Parish Cy Young, Offensive MVP, and Player of the Future awards.

The winners are:

Parish Cy Young Award Winner: Chelsey Flores

There was one pitcher this season who had a hand in almost every game her team played, with 25 of them being victories. That pitcher was Hahnville’s Chelsey Flores.

Flores was 25-6 this season and had a miniscule 1.72 ERA while recording 209 strikeouts. She pitched 179 innings and allowed only 59 walks and 31 earned runs.

She also played an important part in the Lady Tigers’ two victories over rival Destrehan with a complete game shutout and a one-run complete game. She also led the Lady Tigers to their first-round playoff victory over Abramson with 14 strikeouts and a home run.

Flores was named to the All-District first team and as a sophomore, should lead the Hahnville Lady Tigers to many more victories in the next two years.

Parish Offensive MVP: Karla Troxler and Kaci Wilson

Successful lineups in baseball or softball begin with a leadoff hitter who can get on base. And there also needs to be someone in the lineup who can bring that leadoff hitter in. Outfielders Karla Troxler and Kaci Wilson each filled those respective needs for their teams this season.

Troxler batted .365 on the year with 38 runs scored. She also stole 25 bases and drove in seven runs from the leadoff spot. She was named to the All-District First Team and was honored on the state level by being named to the Louisiana High School Coaches Association’s All-Star Team.

Troxler was the sparkplug at the top of the Lady Tiger lineup whether it was dropping down a bunt, slapping a single to right or taking a walk. Then her speed on the bases wrecked havoc on opposing teams’ defenses. The Lady Tigers will miss the graduating senior next season as this is Troxler’s second Offensive MVP award.

If Troxler was Hahnville’s sparkplug, then Destrehan’s Kaci Wilson was the Lady Cats’ drivetrain. Wilson was the power in the middle of a solid Destrehan lineup and a good defender in left field.

Wilson batted .465 on the season with 21 RBIs, three home runs, three doubles and seven triples.

She helped lead the Lady Cats to their second consecutive playoff run, and was key in their first-round victory over Higgins with a triple and two RBIs. Wilson was also named to the All-District Second Team.

With one year left in her high school career, Wilson should again be an important part of the Destrehan offense next season as a senior.

Player of the Future: Shannon Clark

For the second year in a row, the Destrehan Lady Cats have produced a Player of the Future award winner at catcher. After Courtney Berthelot won the award last year, she shifted to third base and allowed freshman Shannon Clark to take over behind the plate.

And Clark has more than held her own as she batted .437 this season with 18 RBIs, nine doubles and a home run. She also played well enough to be given an honorable mention to the All-District Team.

Clark helped to lead the Lady Cat offense from the three hole and was solid behind the plate on defense. And when the Lady Cats needed her to shift to third base towards the end of the season, she made the transition seamlessly.

With Clark just a freshman, she should continue to lead the Lady Cat offense for three more years and she should collect many more honors before graduating.

Eric LeBlanc can be reached at EricL@heraldguide.com or at (985) 758-2795, ext. 219.