After another season of exceptional softball in Lexington County, a season that saw three teams go all the way to Upper and Lower State finals (Lexington, Chapin and Gray Collegiate), the Chronicle has chosen 15 players to be on the All-County team.

All players selected were nominated by their head coaches. Lexington and Chapin lead all schools with three selections each. Gray Collegiate, Airport, White Knoll and Gilbert all had two selections each while Irmo had one.

Precious Bross - Shortstop - Irmo

Bross put on one of the more exceptional seasons you’ll find in South Carolina high school softball. She hit an eye-popping .522 with five home runs and 28 RBI. She also displayed her overall athleticism and speed by swiping 26 bases and putting on a highlight reel with her glove at shortstop.

Bross was named the region V-4A Player of the Year and 4A First Team All-State for her efforts. She’s only a junior, so she’ll return for one more season before taking her talents to Athens, Georgia to play in the SEC with the Bulldogs.

Ayden Leaphart - Shortstop - Gilbert

Leaphart is the second shortstop on this list and was an instrumental player on Gilbert’s Region V-3A championship team.

Opponents couldn’t keep Leaphart off base all season. She hit .469 and posted an on-base percentage of .600. Her exceptional slugging percentage drove up her on-base plus slugging percentage to an impressive 1.294.

Leaphart earned Region V-3A All-Region honors as well as a spot on the 3A All-State team.

Makynzi Sprague - First Base - Gilbert

Sprague is the second member of the Region V-3A champs to join the All-County team. Her .385 batting average and .580 on-base percentage helped contribute to her team’s exceptional 2023 season. She also drove in 20 runs and posted an impressive on-base plus slugging percentage of .974.

Sprague was named Region V-3A Player of the Year and was a shoe-in selection on the 3A All-State team. Next season, Sprague will be continuing her softball career at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Kiley Shelton - Center Field - Lexington High

Shelton’s power hitting and ability to bring in runs earned her a spot as one of three Lexington High Wildcats on the All-County team.

She hit an impressive .489 batting average and tacked on 16 extra-base hits to go along with her 10 home runs. She also collected 49 RBI which is the most of anyone on this list.

Shelton’s explosive statistical output and impact earned her 5A All-State and Region IV-5A All-Region honors. Next season, Shelton will continue her softball career at the division one level with Colgate.

Karley Shelton - Shortstop and Pitcher - Lexington High

Like her sister, Karley Shelton provided the Wildcats a big boost with her bat this past season. She hit .456 with 17 extra-base hits and five home runs while also driving in 35 runs.

As a pitcher, Shelton was responsible for six wins on the season. She was named Region IV-5A Player of the Year for her performance in the pitching circle and the damage she caused in the lineup. She was named to the All-Region and All-State teams as well.

Shelton is committed to playing at the University of South Carolina upon graduation in 2024.

Livi Warren - Right Field - Lexington High

Warren is the third and final Wildcat to make the All-County team this season. She was in an elite category with her ability to get hits, as she put up a mesmerizing batting average of .517 with 14 extra-base hits.

Warren also displayed an ability to make plays in right field with her impressive fielding percentage of .933.

As a freshman, Warren picked up Region IV-5A All-Region honors as well as 5A All-State.

Abby Gates - First Base - White Knoll

Gates finds her way onto the All-County list due to the power hitting she displayed in 2023. Her .408 batting average and 34 RBI were impressive, but the 10 home runs she hit helped put her in a power hitting category that only a few of the players on this list are in.

Gates was named to the Region IV-5A All-region team and earned a spot in the North-South All-Star Game. Next season, she’ll continue her softball career at West Virginia Tech.

Nikki Gallardo - Shortstop - White Knoll

Gallardo is the second Timberwolves player to make the list. Like Gates, Gallardo displayed some solid power hitting this season, as she smacked seven homers in 2023.

Her seven doubles and 26 RBI were enough to also earn her a spot on the Region IV-5A All-Region team.

Taylor Corley - Pitcher - Gray Collegiate

Corley put together one of the more dominant pitching seasons in all 2A this past season. She went 12-6 in the circle and made life miserable in the batter’s box as she struck out 102 hitters in a little over 86 innings.

She was named Region IV-2A Player of the Year and earned All-Region honors. She was also named to the 2A All-State team for the third straight season.

Maddox Long - Third Base/Pitcher - Gray Collegiate

Long is the second War Eagle on the list. Like Corley, she had an excellent season in the circle as a pitcher, striking out 50 batters on the season in 39 innings of work. But Long’s greatest contribution was with her bat.

Long displayed a great ability to hit for a good average (.452) as well as hit for power (six home runs). Her impressive pitching and hitting season earned her a spot on the All-region and All-State teams last season. The All-State selection was her second straight.

Leah Cabe - Pitcher - Chapin

Cabe’s performance in the pitching circle was instrumental in Chapin’s run to the Lower State finals.

She struck out 60 batters and posted an earned run average of 2.32 to help earn Region IV-5A All-Region honors. She excelled in the batters box too, hitting .371 and getting on base at a clip of .430. She also drove in 27 runs on the season.

Cabe will continue her softball career at Lander University next season.

Maddie McMillion - Catcher - Chapin

McMillion proved to be one of the more reliable Chapin hitters in the lineup. Her insanely high batting average of .465 and on-base percentage of .588 was enough to help ignite a deep playoff run for the Eagles.

The most impressive McMillion stat, however, was that she only struck out once in 97 at-bats. Her breakout season also resulted in her being named to the Region IV-5A All-Region team.

Taylor Palfrey - Center Field - Chapin

Palfrey is another Eagle hitter to make the list after an impressive season with the bat in her hands. Palfrey hit .402 and put up an on-base percentage of .478.

Palfrey’s base running and speed set her apart this past season. She scored 39 runs and stole 25 bases en route to a Region IV-5A All-Region selection.

Avery Ingram - Catcher - Airport

Ingram proved to be one of the best contact hitters in South Carolina this past season. She has the highest batting average (.535) and second highest on-base percentage (.583) of anyone on this list.

She did more than just collect a ton of singles, as she hit an astonishing 36 extra-base hits this year. She also drove in 24 runs and scored 38 on her own.
Ingram was named to both All-Region and All-State teams.

Macie McCracken - Third Base - Airport

McCracken was named Airport’s offensive MVP by her team this season after hitting three home runs to go along with 28 RBI and 20 runs scored.

The Eagles’ third baseman was always reliable to get on-base and produce as she posted a solid batting average (.405) and on-base percentage (.478).

Honorable mention

Mackenzi Bradley (White Knoll), MJ Stradinger (Gray Collegiate), Madison Knapper (Gray Collegiate), Aspen Boulware (Gray Collegiate), Maddy Rivers (Airport) and Addie Maynor (Airport)