February 12: First day for playing interschool games
April 28: Bi-district round
May 5: Area round
May 12: Regional quarterfinals
May 19: Regional semifinals
May 26: Regional finals
May 30-June 2: State Tournament, Austin
Teams to Watch
KELLER (35-6): The Indians won their second-straight UIL state title and fourth overall. With former Keller state champion Christina Gwyn-Barton now running things, the Indians will attempt to win a third-straight, which has never been done in the 25-year history of UIL softball. Nine players have signed or committed to play in college. Last year’s team set program records in hits (428), doubles (81) and tied with 35 wins.
EATON (26-8): What do the Eagles have in store during their second season? Last year, Eaton won District 6-5A and went to the third round of the playoffs. With no senior class in 2017, everyone is back, and they added a key player, senior Paige Tamayo from Trophy Club Nelson.
BROCK (29-6): The Eagles have made the playoffs 11 years in a row including the state tournament in back-to-back seasons. Since winning the state title in 2009, Brock has won over 30 games in the postseason.
BURLESON CENTENNIAL (25-10): In six seasons, the Spartans have become a softball regular with five district titles and a record of 148-45. The Spartans have gone three rounds deep three times and the regional semifinals in 2016.
LAKE RIDGE (24-8): The Eagles made history with their first trip to the regional semifinals, coming a game short of a series victory over Forney. Only two players graduated including one starter, but Lake Ridge gets Minnesota commit Mackenzie Denson, who had to sit out last year.
NOLAN CATHOLIC (26-6): The Vikings have reached the TAPPS state semifinals the past two seasons, and have gone at least three rounds deep each of the last six years.
Notable Coaching Changes
KELLER Christina Gwyn-Barton (Bryan Poehler): Does the name sound familiar softball fans? Gwyn-Barton was a member of Keller’s first state championship team in 2003. She comes over from Little Elm where she was head coach for one season, leading the Lobos to the playoffs and a 24-9 record. Gwyn-Barton takes over for Poehler, who moved to Frisco. Poehler won 120 games in four seasons with the Indians including the past two Class 6A state titles. Gwyn-Barton is still in Keller’s record books. She went 46-10 in two seasons, 32-4 and 19 shutouts in 2003, and struck out 586 batters with a 0.42 ERA in her career (both rank 2nd all time). During the 2003 season, her 32 wins are tied for 2nd most in a single season, 364 strikeouts are 3rd and her 0.40 ERA is 4th. In college, Gwyn-Barton played a year at Texas before transferring to Brigham Young, where she tossed the program’s first no-hitter and broke many of the school’s pitching records.
SAGINAW Brittany Barnhill (Hank Fulkerson): If Gwyn’s name didn’t ring a bell, Barnhill should. A former assistant at Ole Miss and Grapevine Faith, Barnhill was a Saginaw coach before taking over for longtime softball coach Hank Fulkerson, who won over 400 games in 45 years including a state title at Richland. The 2007 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, Barnhill was one of the all-time greatest high school players while at Justin Northwest. Her accolades are as follows- Three time all-state selection, 2007 Class 5A Player of the Year, 2006 District Offensive Player of the Year, 2005 District MVP and 2004 District Pitcher of the Year. She was named Player of the Year by both the Dallas Morning News and Star Telegram in 2007. She set a state record with 1,715 career strikeouts while posting a 29-3 record and an astonishing 0.06 ERA as a senior. As a freshman at Texas, Barnhill struck out 94 batters in 114 innings and was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after throwing her first career no-hitter over Texas A&M Corpus Christi. She also played at Ole Miss.
GRAPEVINE Angelina Curtis (Steve Bottoms): Curtis becomes the third softball player from an area school to land a head coaching job in 2018. She takes over for Bottoms, who won more than 320 games in nearly two decades (all at Grapevine), which included 15 playoff trips and the 2002 regional quarterfinals. A former volleyball and softball standout at Arlington Bowie, Curtis played her college ball at Sterling College in Kansas, where she was a four-year starter. Following college, she went overseas to play semi professional softball for the Friesing Grizzles in Germany. She found success as head coach with Westlake Academy, where they finished runner up at the Texas Christian Athletic Fellowship state final. From there, Curtis was an assistant at Coppell for two seasons.
Career Wins
Laura Moore, Timber Creek, 356
Tracy Tadlock, Azle, 290
Tanya Morrow, Northwest 287
Shannon Sullivan, Centennial, 280
Tim Stuewe, Carroll, 278
Amie Prater, Legacy, 273
Thomas Shives, LD Bell, 264
Ryan Starnes, Brock, 254
Jennifer Haltom, Mansfield, 248
Players to Watch
2018
Marissa Basaldu, Saginaw
Anarenee Beyer, Brock
Maggie Black, Colleyville Heritage
Avery Boley, Nolan Catholic
Alyssa Bradberry, Kennedale
Dara Brown, FW Christian
Bianca Builtron, South Hills
Courtney Cagle, Keller
Bekka Castillo, Cleburne
Randi Castillo, LD Bell
Kameron Cheshier, Chisholm Trail
Bri Clark, Colleyville Heritage
Kat Clum, Country Day
Hannah Dykes, Grapevine Faith
Reagan Ellison, Centennial
Carey Everly, Granbury
Hailie Fellers, Saginaw
Maddie Flores, Byron Nelson
Jordan Freas, Midlothian Heritage
Kacie Gilreath, Brock
Logan Graham, Azle
Bayleigh Hall, FW Christian
Sophie Hannabas, Legacy
Lauryn Henson, Arlington
Karley Horton, Weatherford
Mary Grace Howard, Kennedale
Maggie Hurst, Paschal
Kat Huseman, Saginaw
Lauren Isbell, Burleson
Lauren Jenkins, Brewer
Alisha Jones, Paschal
Hanna Jones, Keller
Sydney Kaai, Colleyville Heritage
Kristen Kamnick, Weatherford
Gracie King, Aledo
Sara King, Cleburne
Sydney King, Chisholm Trail
CJ Landrum, Country Day
Brooke Ledbetter, Azle
Rebecca Lindamood, Western Hills
Mady Lohman, Timber Creek
Melinda Martinez, Arlington Heights
Alice Marion, LD Bell
Katie Marshall, Everman
Jessica Mata, Chisholm Trail
Lindsey McElroy, Aledo
Maddie McGovern, Burleson
Rylie Melton, Peaster
Abbie Moore, Richland
Gracie Morton, Centennial
Peyton Newman, LD Bell
Shelby Noah, Midlothian
Moriah Ortiz, FW Christian
Kelsy Paris, Boswell
Maygan Paul, Birdville
Briana Perez, Timberview
Emma Perry, Paschal
Stephanie Pfeifer, Richland
Bristen Potter, Central
Abby Pounds, Colleyville Heritage
Miranda Pruitt, Joshua
Mikail Ragland, Arlington
Addy Redd, Waxahachie
Tana Reeves, Godley
Megan Reynolds, Aledo
Kamryn Reynoso, Richland
Peyton Robinson, Boswell
Gracelyn Rosales, Boswell
Katie Ruddy, Peaster
Jenna Rude, Martin
Paxton Scheurer, Mansfield
Ashleigh Sgambelluri, Arlington Heights
Kasey Simpson, Keller
Sydney Smith, Timber Creek
Macie Strickland, Cleburne
Abigail Stuart, Carroll
Kylie Summers, Chisholm Trail
Paige Tamayo, Eaton
Kate Tovar, Lake Ridge
Taci Tatum, Peaster
Mattye Tyler, Brock
Lydia Vidales, Paschal
Bailey Wagner, Brock
Payton Walker, Birdville
Lexi White, Chisholm Trail
Bailee Whitener, Aledo
Avery Zeigler, Carroll
2019
Kelby Been, Granbury
Kelsey Bushey, Brewer
Megan Calhoun, Kennedale
Madison Cashon, Carroll
Jaycee Cook, Legacy
Hannah Copeland, Northwest
Lexi DeLuna, Mineral Wells
Amanda Desario, Keller
Caroline Durham, Richland
Maci Elliott, Eaton
Kallie Erwin, LD Bell
Danielle Garcia, Fossil Ridge
Anne Elise Gest, Joshua
Landry Felts, Brock
Gaby Garcia, Carroll
Grace Green, Birdville
Kennedy Hardy, Mansfield
Hannah Hasle, Colleyville Heritage
Lani Hickey, Granbury
Karter Hill, Centennial
Reagan Hukill, Mansfield
Jadyn James, Martin
Madison Johnson, Saginaw
Dylann Kaderka, Keller
Julie Kennedy, Boswell
Brooke Kolanek, Arlington
Kaylee Martinez, Timberview
Sierra Mihailov, Midlothian
Haley Morse, Mansfield
Hayley Murrell, Centennial
Terra Newsom, Mineral Wells
Madison Ortiz, Saginaw
Natalie Powell, Birdville
Kyleigh Rich, Burleson
Baylie Ritchey, Cleburne
Brittni Rufus, Lake Ridge
Angelique Scivicque, Boswell
Kaitlyn Stone, Joshua
Khloe Summers, Chisholm Trail
Courtney Taylor, Legacy
Hope Waid, Fossil Ridge
Faith Waugh, Alvarado
Natali Wheeler, Burleson
Caroline Woodall, Keller
Kaitlynn Woodlee, Alvarado
Maddy Wright, Eaton
Nicole Yarbrough, Godley
Kenzlee Zaher, Eaton
2020
Emily Andress, Arlington Heights
Brooke Bingham, Grapevine
Chelsea Blankenship, Eaton
Delaney Boley, Nolan Catholic
Abigail Bradley, Azle
Emily Bradley, Azle
Shelby Bradley, Azle
Madison Brodnax, Haltom
Hayden Brown, Keller
Kortlyn Brown, Nolan Catholic
Kennedy Crites, Eaton
Mackenzie Denson, Lake Ridge
Lexi Ebbens, Godley
Audrey Fenn, Cleburne
Kaly Gonzales, Lake Ridge
Mia Greenzweig, Summit
Kaylee Hlavaty, Midlothian
Sarah Hawkins, Timber Creek
Addison Hooper, FW Christian
Elena Larson, Nolan Catholic
Rylee Layton, Timber Creek
Peyton Lea, Timberview
Krystal Lindsey, Richland
Riley Love, Keller
Kylah Marzette, Lake Ridge
Jalee McDonald, Arlington Heights
Jaden Middlebrook, Eaton
Brileigh Peters, Lake Ridge
Lencia Powell, Birdville
Bailee Riggs, Central
Hanna Roye, Cleburne
Annabelle Schraub, Eaton
Sydnee Shelton, Central
Payge Scoggins, Richland
Ashlyn Walker, Eaton
2021
Pending varsity rosters
Sydney Carithers, Brewer
Sydney Christopher, Chisholm Trail
Angie Cornell, Central
Tess Galipeau, Keller
Morgan Hess, Grapevine
Chloe Jones, Lake Ridge
Melanie Martinez, Boswell
Kelby Robbins, Legacy
Denise Rodriguez, Paschal
Audrey Schneidmiller, Burleson
Missy Wise, FW Christian
This story was originally published February 12, 2018 12:44 AM.