Highland has five All-MVC First Team selections in softball, one in baseball

By Curt Libbra

Updated June 4, 2018 8:13 PM

Highland High School softball players who earned All-Mississippi Valley Conference First Team honors were, clockwise from top left, Khourtney Zobrist, Hannah Sullens, Lily Garbett, Sam Miener and Breann Wernle. Colten Knebel, lower left, was also named to the All-MVC First Team in baseball. File photos News Leader

Six Highland High School baseball players and eight softball players were named Mississippi Valley All-Conference selections.

In baseball, designated hitter Colten Knebel was named to the MVC First Team. Knebel batted .473 on the season and slugged .757. He had 35 hits, including seven doubles, one triple, four home runs, and he drove in 33.

HHS pitcher Connor Pinsker and outfielder Garrett Marti were selected to the Second Team.

Marti finished the season with a .394 batting average and slugged .606. He had 41 hits, including 12 doubles and five triples. He had 19 RBI.

Pinsker was 6-1 in 10 starts for the Bulldogs. He compiled a 2.47 ERA in 51 innings of work, striking out 50 opposing batters along the way.

Catcher Dylan Knebel, second baseman Brock Troxell and outfielder Evan Herman from Highland also received MVC honorable mention.

The HHS baseball team finished the season 23-12, losing to Columbia in the regional title game.

In softball, Highland second baseman Khourtney Zobrist, shortstop Lily Garbett and outfielder Hannah Sullens were named to the All-MVC First Team. Sam Miener was also named to the First Team as a designated player and Breann Wernle as a flex player for HHS. The flex player is a defensive spot, while the designated player is a batter.

Zobrist batted .364 with a .475 slugging percentage. She had 36 hits, including eight doubles and a home run. She had 25 RBI to lead the team.

Garbett had .357 batting average and slugged .469. She had 35 hits, including eight doubles and a home run. She had 18 RBI.

Sullens had a team-leading .367 batting average. She slugged .511. She had 33 hits, including five doubles, a triple and two home runs. She knocked in 19.

Miener hit .311 as a freshman. She had 19 hits, including three doubles and a home run and drove in 13.

Delaina Sigman, another freshman, made the Second Team for Highland as a pitcher. Sigman started seven games and was 5-0 on the season. Four of her starts were complete games. She had a 2.47 ERA. In 40 2/3 innings, she struck out 37.

Addison Rinderer made the Second Team as a first baseman, and though she spent many innings behind the plate, Lauren Baer made the Second Team as an outfielder.

Rinderer hits .354 and slugged .416. She had 40 hits, including five doubles and a triple, and she drove in 12.

Baer slugged .507 while batting .333. She had 23 hits, including nine doubles and a home run, and she collected 13 RBI.

Highland finished the year 21-11, losing to Freeburg in the regional championship game.

Baseball 1st Team All-MVC

P- Nick Beeler, senior (Triad)
P- Mack Langdon, senior (Triad)
C- Quinten Albrecht, senior (Waterloo)
1B- Collin Carey, senior (Jerseyville)
2B- Evan Fournie, junior (Mascoutah)
SS- Jacob Schanz, senior (Mascoutah)
3B- Josh Mesenbrink, senior (Triad)
OF- Blake Wittman, senior (Jerseyville)
OF- Jaydon Stewart, senior (Mascoutah)
OF- Danny Tharp, senior (Waterloo)
DH- Colten Knebel, senior (Highland)

Baseball 2nd Team All-MVC

P- Connor Pinsker, senior (Highland)
P- John Minor, junior (Mascoutah)
C- Sam Scott, junior (Mascoutah)
1B- Nick Beeler, senior (Triad)
2B- Travis Heilman, senior (Triad)
SS- Caden Clark, senior (Civic Memorial)
3B- Kyle Ohl, senior (Mascoutah)
OF- Garrett Marti, senior (Highland)
OF- Zach Kraabel, senior (Triad)
OF- Jaelyn Curry, senior (Mascoutah)
DH- Hunter Boyd, sophomore (Triad)

Baseball All-MVC Honorable Mention

P- Brett Tuttle, senior (Jerseyville)
P- Zach Kraabel, senior (Triad)
P- Lucas Goodsell, senior (Waterloo)
P- Geoff Withers, senior (Civic Memorial)
C- Bryce Zupan, junior (Civic Memorial)
C-Dylan Knebel, senior (Highland)
1B- Tyler Jowett, junior (Mascoutah)
2B- Brock Troxell, senior (Highland)
SS- Brett Tuttle, senior (Jerseyville)
3B- Zach Vaughn, junior (Civic Memorial)
OF- Mack Langdon, senior (Triad)
OF- Spencer Powell, senior (Civic Memorial)
OF- Evan Herman, senior (Highland)
DH- Hayden Sontag, senior (Civic Memorial)

Softball 1st Team All-MVC

P- Liz Young, junior (Triad)
P- Tieghan Morio, senior (Mascoutah)
C- Payton Bode, junior (Triad)
1B- Lauren Brown, sophomore (Jersey)
2B- Khourtney Zobrist, senior (Highland)
SS- Lily Garbett, junior (Highland)
3B- Mikayla Healy, freshman (Mascoutah)
3B- Heather Albers, sophomore (Waterloo)
OF- Susan Buchanan, senior (Civic Memorial)
OF- Peyton Tisdale, senior (Jersey)
OF- Hannah Sullens, senior (Highland)
DP- Isabel Lehan, sophomore (Triad)
DP- Sam Miener, freshman (Highland)
FL- Breann Wernle, senior (Highland)

Softball 2nd Team All-MVC

P- Lindsey Merritt, senior (Waterloo)
P- Delaina Sigman, freshman (Highland)
C- Cassie Reed, senior (Civic Memorial)
1B- Addison Rinderer, senior (Highland)
2B- Kailey Daniel, junior (Triad)
SS- Dallas Zirkelbach, sophomore (Triad)
3B- Lauren Rexing, sophomore (Jersey)
OF- Jenna Bohnenstiehl, freshman (Triad)
OF- Kaitlyn Jennings, senior (Mascoutah)
OF- Lauren Baer, senior (Highland)
DP- Emma Hamilton, senior (Mascoutah)

Softball All-MVC Honorable Mention

P- Erika Storey, junior (Jersey)
C- Taylor Downen, junior (Waterloo)
1B- Grace Etling, senior (Mascoutah)
SS- Jenna Christeson, sophomore (Civic Memorial)
3B- Caroline Lehan, freshman (Triad)
OF- Ally Hardy, freshman (Civic Memorial)
OF- Kayla Rudolphi, senior (Mascoutah)
OF- Taylor Kaufmann, senior (Waterloo)
OF- Chelsea Maag, junior (Jersey)
DP- Maddie Droege, senior (Jersey)
DP- Shyla Schweppe, senior (Triad)
DP- Kate Heffner, senior (Mascoutah)

This story was originally published June 4, 2018 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Highland has five All-MVC First Team selections in softball, one in baseball."