~ PVN staff report
CHARLOTTESVILLE, June 16 — Three Page County Panthers were among the 2023 Class 2 All-State softball selections announced by the Virginia High School League on Friday. Senior first baseman Jocelyne Rinker was the lone first-team selection, while two other Panthers were named second team honorees. Rinker is heading to Division I Radford to play softball next spring.
Junior right-hand pitcher Bailee Gaskins earned second team honors, along with junior outfielder Arianna Roudabush. The only other All-State selection from Region 2B was Clarke County’s senior shortstop Madison Edwards, who earned second team honors. Gaskins was chosen as the Player of the Year in both Region 2B and the Bull Run District.
Tazewell’s sophomore pitcher Carly Compton is the Class 2 Player of the Year, and Tazewell’s head coach Tom Keene is the Class 2 Coach of the Year.
The right-handed Compton finished the season with a 19-3-1 record pitching 143 innings, striking out 303 batters with an ERA of .098, and only allowing 14 earned runs, 48 hits, and 24 walks. She dominated Southwest District and Region 2D batters in 2023, throwing six no-hitters, two perfect games, six one-hitters, and 12 shutouts. In just two seasons, Wright has a pitching line of 36-8-1, 288 innings pitched, 125 hits, 37 earned runs, 598 strikeouts, 51 walks, and a .128 ERA. Additionally, she has thrown eight no-hitters, three perfect games, eight one-hitters, and 21 shutouts. She is a two-time Southwest Director POY, Region 2D POY, and a second-team all-state selection as a freshman.
Keene, the Class 2 coach of the year, guided the Bulldogs to a 20-4-1 record and the program’s first-ever state title with a 5-2 victory over James River (Buchanan) in the state finals. Tazewell reached the state finals with a 2-1 win over two-time-defending state champion Appomattox County in the quarterfinals and a 5-0 win over 2018 state champion and 2022 state runner-up Page County.
The all-state softball team consists of three pitchers, one catcher, four infielders by position, three outfielders, one DP-flex, and two at-large players from any position. Only those players selected first-team all-region are eligible for selection to the all-state team. The all-state selection committee comprises eight coaches, with two from each region.
Follow VHSL softball at https://www.vhsl.org/softball/
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