Ten Lexington County softball players from seven different schools earned South Carolina High School Sports League All-State honors this week for their performances in the 2023 season. 

Lexington- Karley Shelton, Kiley Shelton, Livi Warren

The Lexington High Wildcats led all county schools in All-State selections with three. 

Karley Shelton had plenty of big moments for the Wildcats as a pitcher and as a hitter this season. In the circle, picking up six wins and being a reliable force while also coming through to hit a walk-off home run in the playoffs against J.L. Mann. Overall, she hit .456 with 12 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 35 RBI and a .904 fielding percentage. She’ll return next season for Lexington and is already committed to play at the University of South Carolina upon graduation in 2024.

Kiley Shelton earned All-State honors after an impressive season in center field, especially in the playoffs. In six playoff games, she crushed two home runs and drove in 11 runs to help push the Wildcats all the way to the Upper State semifinals. For the season, she hit .489 with 14 doubles, a pair of triples, 10 home runs, 49 RBI and posted a perfect fielding percentage. Next season, she’ll be playing college softball at Colgate.

Livi Warren accomplished the impressive feat of earning All-State honors as a Freshman. Warren hit an astounding .517 with 11 doubles, three triples and 24 RBI. While playing in right field, she posted a fielding percentage of .933.

Lexington head coach Laurie Epps not only has praise for their talents, but for their “team first” attitudes.

“Kiley stepped up big for us this season in some very clutch situations.  Karley was solid all season and was willing to play different positions because that is what the team needed. Livi, as a freshman, really made a big impact. She was the table setter for the rest of the lineup once we moved her to the top.  Each of these young ladies are selfless team players,” Epps said. 

Chapin- Ella Majchrzak

Chapin pitcher and outfielder Ella Majchrzak earned All-State honors for her contributions in the pitching circle and as an offensive weapon on a Chapin team that made a run all the way to the Lower State finals. 

At the plate, she hit .381 with nine doubles, a home run and 24 RBI. As a pitcher, she came up big with 10 wins on the season and posted an ERA of 1.99. Her most impressive stat, however, might be her 110 strikeouts in 91.1 innings of work.

"Ella has been a major part of our success by stepping up when we needed help in the circle. She is a utility player that we feel comfortable playing at most positions," Chapin head coach Cal Sayger said. "She has a team first mentality and is very deserving of this selection. Ella really helped her team succeed by relieving co-starter Leah Cabe. They pretty much split innings this year, but Ella really picked up the load when we started the playoffs and Leah was out sick. We would not have made it as far as we did without Ella's performance and willingness to do what is best for our program."

Irmo- Precious Bross

Georgia commit Precious Bross was named to the All-State team after another excellent season with the Irmo Yellow Jackets. Bross was an excellent playmaker at the plate and displayed an array of athleticism this season at the shortstop position. 

The All-State selection is only one of many honors Bross has earned this season along with being named the Region 5-4A Player of the Year earlier this month.

“Precious is just such a special player that only comes around every so often,” Yellow Jacket head coach Jason Huffman told the Chronicle. “She can do it all and was the heart and soul of our team. She is not only a great player, but I am more impressed with her attitude, her work ethic and how she treats her teammates and coaches. Her whole family is special and it’s players like her that make it fun to be a coach.”

Airport - Avery Ingram

Not many hitters got on base more than Avery Ingram did last season for the Airport Eagles. Ingram finished the season with an eye-popping batting average of .538 and an on-base percentage of .591. 

Per MaxPreps, Ingram struck out only once in her 88 plate appearances this season. She also hit 18 doubles and six triples to help lead Airport to a winning season of 15-10. 

"Avery is a phenomenal student athlete," Airport head coach  Anna Parker told the Chronicle. "I’ve had the privilege of coaching her on the field and teaching her in the classroom and her work ethic is unmatched. She’s been our starting varsity catcher since 7th grade and has always batted at the top of our lineup. She’s a consistent hitter and a great leader behind the plate for us. "

Gilbert - Makynzi Sprague and Ayden Leaphart

Gilbert won an impressive sixth straight region title this season and did so with the help of their two All-State selections. 

Makynzi Sprague adds on to her impressive resume of postseason accolades as she was also named Region 5-3A Player of the Year this season. Sprague put up impressive numbers at the plate with a batting average of .480 and an on-base percentage of .649. She also recorded 14 RBI and posted an impressive OPS of 1.209.

Ayden Leaphart will add this All-State honor along with her All-Region accolades she earned earlier this month. Leaphart, like Sprague, racked up hits and got on base consistently. She posted a batting average of .481, an on-base percentage of .632 as well as an OPS of 1.26.

“We were really happy about their selections. Makynzi and Ayden have grown up in Gilbert and have been around, or in, our program for many, many years. They represent all that we expect and ask for as players and representatives of their school and community,” Gilbert head coach Sarah Minchew told the Chronicle. “They are incredibly hard workers who dedicate their time and effort to self improvement, to the younger kids in the program and to the kids of this community. They not only excel on the field, but are model students in the classroom. In terms of softball, they were tremendous leaders on the field for us this year. Not only did they put up powerful statistics, they exhibited leadership that was unmatched, and in doing so, they carried us to our 6th straight region title.”

Brookland-Cayce - Cameron Moody

Cameron Moody was selected to the All-State team after an exceptional 2023 season in the pitching circle and with the bat. 

Moody hit .441 this season and led the Brookland-Cayce Bearcats in home runs with two while also getting on base at a high rate with an on-base percentage of .548. 

When it came to pitching, Moody earned seven wins and struck out 96 batters in 56 innings of work.

Gray Collegiate - Taylor Corley

Taylor Corley is another All-State performer who excelled in both hitting and pitching. Corley’s overall performance helped lead Gray Collegiate to a Region 4-2A title as well as an appearance in the 2A Upper State final.

Corley knocked in one home run and drove home seven runs while earning an on-base percentage of .448. 

When it came to pitching, Corley provided Gray Collegiate with 74.2 innings worth of pitching, a 2.16 ERA and 94 strikeouts. Opposing batters hit a lowly batting average of .223 against her and got on base at a low clip of .283.