The 2024 Daily Reporter All-Hancock County softball team not only brings a final fond farewell to some of the area’s and state’s best players, but also a glimpse into the future.
One-third of this year’s team also earned Softball Coaches Association of Indiana all-state honors.
New Palestine’s Hancock County Player of the Year Allie Blum, third baseman Paige Ernstes and right fielder Sydney Oliver earned Class 3A/4A first, second, and third team recognition, respectively.
Mt. Vernon infielder Shelby Rakosky joined Ernstes on the second team.
Eastern Hancock seniors Brooklyn Willis and Sammie Bolding were named Class 1A/2A first-team all-state.
All six players just finished their senior seasons.
We’ll say ‘goodbye’ to some all-time greats, but the Hancock County talent pool is far from dry.
One-half of this year’s team will be back for at least one more season. Five of the nine returnees are sophomores.
New Palestine’s Ed Marcum, who led the Dragons to the Class 4A state championship game, is the county’s coach of the year.
Here’s a look at the 2024 All-Hancock County team:
P: McKenna Stewart, Eastern Hancock
A great addition to the Royals, Stewart, a junior, transferred to Eastern Hancock from Pendleton Heights.
She finished 14-1 in the circle with a 1.52 earned run average. In 92 innings pitched, she struck out 156. Opponents hit just .162.
P: Courtney Study, New Palestine
Study’s career at New Palestine included being a dual-sport athlete in the spring.
Along with making it to the IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Finals, the distance runner/pitcher had a fabulous senior season for the Dragons softball team.
An All-Hoosier Heritage Conference choice, she finished 16-3 for the state runners-up with a 2.01 earned run average. In a 111.2 innings, she struck out 80. She had shutout wins in the postseason over Pendleton Heights and Avon.
C: Charlotte Riehle, Greenfield-Central
Part of a Greenfield-Central team that had no seniors and reached the sectional championship game, Riehle, one of three Cougar sophomores to make the all-county team, hit .403 with a pair of home runs, six doubles and 29 RBI.
C: Easton Wampler, Mt. Vernon
A four-year veteran in the Marauder lineup, Wampler also played some at shortstop.
She was named to the All-HHC team and hit .403 with five home runs, five doubles, two triples and 26 RBI.
1B: Leilani Forshey, Greenfield-Central
Another one of the county’s great power hitters, Forshey hit 13 home runs — tied for eighth in the state — during her junior campaign.
She hit well for average, too, at .419, and drove in 34. Forshey was one of three Cougars to make the All-HHC team.
2B: Kristen Wineinger, Greenfield-Central
Wineinger is part of G-C’s strong sophomore class and an All-HHC choice.
A second baseman by trade, she moved to shortstop after an injury to standout Josie White. For the season, she hit .434 with six doubles, three home runs — including a go-ahead blast in a sectional semifinal win over Mt. Vernon — and 22 RBI. She scored a team-high 34 runs and also led the Cougars with 15 stolen bases.
3B: Paige Ernstes, New Palestine
A second-team all-state choice, the Mississippi State-bound infielder hit .385 with 11 home runs, eight doubles and a triple. She drove in 51, tied for seventh best in the state, and scored 31 runs. Ernstes made Cathedral pay in the regional championship when, after the Irish intentionally walked Blum, with a grand slam.
SS: Allie Blum, New Palestine
What a year for Blum. The county’s player of the year, headed to the University of Kentucky, led the state in home runs (21), runs scored (61) and slugging percentage (1.462).
She picked it up in the postseason with nine hits, all for extra bases. It included a 5-for-9 stretch with four home runs in regional and semi-state victories.
A finalist for Miss Softball, Blum represented the Dragons in the North-South All-Star game and homered on the first pitch she saw.
She went 3-for-3 in the all-star doubleheader and was named MVP.
IF: Sammie Bolding, Eastern Hancock
An all-state and All-MEC shortstop, Bolding will continue her career on the diamond at Division I Toledo in the Mid-American Conference.
She had another stellar year for the Royals, hitting .446 with seven doubles, 10 home runs and 28 RBI. She scored 45 runs and stole 25 bases. A combination of great eye at the plate and fear from opponents, Bolding drew 25 walks.
IF: Shelby Rakosky, Mt. Vernon
Rakosky hit a remarkable .549 in her senior campaign where she played primarily at shortstop, but also played other spots in the infield and pitched.
An all-state choice headed to Division III Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Rakosky had nine doubles, two home runs, three triples, 20 RBI and 30 runs scored.
IF: Savvanna Riall, Greenfield-Central
Another member of G-C’s stellar sophomore class and an All-HHC choice, Riall, a third baseman, hit .507 with six home runs, eight doubles, 30 RBI and 31 runs scored.
IF: Lilli Ringer, Eastern Hancock
Another talented Hancock County sophomore third baseman, Ringer hit .437.
She was second on her club in RBI with 31 and scored 35 runs. She hit seven doubles, had four triples and three homers.
Ringer was second on her team in stolen bases with 18.
OF: Ainsley Baer, Mt. Vernon
Baer hit .351 with 24 runs scored, six doubles, a triple, one home run and 14 RBI. The senior outfielder tied for her team lead with seven stolen bases.
OF: Maddie Engle, New Palestine
A junior already committed to Indiana University, the Dragons center fielder hit .393 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. She added six doubles, a triple and 27 runs scored.
Engle hit a big two-run home run in a win over Avon in the semi-state semifinals and got New Pal off to a great start in a sectional semifinal win over Pendleton Heights with a three-run first-inning home run.
OF: Sydney Oliver, New Palestine
A Dragon all-stater headed to the University of Indianapolis, Oliver hit .505 with 12 doubles, five triples, 40 RBI and scored 36 runs.
She went 4-for-4 with a double, four runs scored and four RBI in a 14-2 win over Center Grove in the semi-state championship game.
OF: Addisyn Trackwell, Eastern Hancock
Daughter of head coach David Trackwell, Addisyn is another one of the county’s sensational sophomores.
She hit .425 with eight doubles, three triples, two home runs and 15 stolen bases. She drove in 26 and scored 32 times.
OF: Brooklyn Willis, Eastern Hancock
Willis had an all-state year and was also a member of the South squad in the state’s North-South All-Star game.
There weren’t many in the state that had a better year than the UIndy-bound outfielder. Willis hit .560 with 18 home runs — second in the state to Blum — and had 49 RBI with 10 doubles and two triples. She scored 47 runs and stole 15 bases.
In a late-season tournament at Connersville, she hit six home runs in one day, including a three-home run game.
UT: Josie White, Greenfield-Central
An injury cut short a season of one of the state’s top players. Fortunately for White and the Cougars, she’s just a junior.
White played shortstop during the season and returned for the sectional title game as an outfielder.
She hit .372 with three triples and a home run. She scored 16 runs in 12 games and drove in nine.
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2024 Daily Reporter All-Hancock County Softball Team
Pos.;Player, School;Class
P;McKenna Stewart, Eastern Hancock;Jr.
P;Courtney Study, New Palestine;Sr.
C;Charlotte Riehle, Greenfield-Central;So.
C;Easton Wampler, Mt. Vernon;Sr.
1B;Leilani Forshey, Greenfield-Central;Jr.
2B;Kristen Wineinger, Greenfield-Central;So.
3B;Paige Ernstes, New Palestine;Sr.
SS;Allie Blum, New Palestine;Sr.
IF;Sammie Bolding, Eastern Hancock;Sr.
IF;Shelby Rakosky, Mt. Vernon;Sr.
IF;Savvanna Riall, Greenfield-Central;So
IF;Lilli Ringer, Eastern Hancock;So.
OF;Ainsley Baer, Mt. Vernon;Sr.
OF;Maddie Engle, New Palestine;Jr.
OF;Sydney Oliver, New Palestine;Sr.
OF;Addisyn Trackwell, Eastern Hancock;So.
OF;Brooklyn Willis, Eastern Hancock;Sr.
UT;Josie White, Greenfield-Central;Jr.
Player of the Year;Allie Blum, New Palestine
Coach of the Year;Ed Marcum, New Palestine
Honorable mention: Eastern Hancock – Tatem Adams, Alina Alford, Emily Hodges. Mt. Vernon – Graci Hines. New Palestine – Jersi Gross, Katie Hirschy
