HS Softball: 22 make All-State team; Leffler 3A Player of the Year
Pine Grove's Callee Leffler, left, is greeted at home plate by her teammates after hitting a solo home run during the Schuylkill League softball semifinal against Williams Valley at Dot Seidel Field. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
The Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association (PAHSSBCA) Committee on Tuesday morning announced its All-State Team for the 2025 season.
Not surprisingly, 22 Schuylkill League players earned a spot on the first or second team. One, Pine Grove’s Callee Leffler, was voted as PAHSSBCA Player of the Year in Class 3A. Leffler, a Florida State recruit, helped the Cardinals capture the PIAA Class 3A state championship this season. She has been a first-team All-State outfielder in all three seasons of her high school career so far.
“I was super happy that my hard work paid off,” Leffler said when she learned of her Player of the Year honor.
The 22 local All-State players come from nine schools: Blue Mountain, Lourdes, Marian, Minersville, North Schuylkill, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven, Tri-Valley and Williams Valley. That means more than half of the 16 Schuylkill League teams have at least one All-State player.
“The Schuylkill League, we’re very talented around here, and it shows,” Leffler said. “We all work really hard. … Making that list is a very high honor.”
The PAHSSBCA team was selected from approximately 700 nominations by high school coaches and media members statewide. A first team and second team was then voted on and chosen for each of the six classifications.
In addition, the committee voted on the following awards: Overall PA Player of the Year, Overall PA Pitcher of the Year and a Player and Pitcher of the Year in each of the six classifications.
Lastly, the committee continued its Special Recognition Courage Award, which was started in 2023 and honors three players in 2025 who have all overcome major injuries this high school softball season.
T102sportsnow.com submitted nominations but did not have a vote and was not involved in the selection process.
For the complete team, click here
Leffler, a junior center fielder, put together a season for the ages. She batted .536 (45-for-84) with 60 runs scored in 29 games. She compiled 10 doubles, 11 triples, eight home runs and 29 RBIs. She had a .655 on-base percentage with 29 walks and zero strikeouts. Leffler slugged 1.202, stole 36 bases and turned in a 1.000 fielding percentage. She’s hitting .555 for her career.
The Class 3A Pitcher of the Year is Bald Eagle Area senior Sierra Albright, whom Pine Grove defeated 4-3 in 13 innings in the state championship game.
The Overall Player of the Year is Seneca Valley pitcher Lexie Hames; the Overall Pitcher of the Year is Addy Frye of Class 2A state champion Neshannock.
The other Players and Pitchers of the Year: Class 1A — Mia Calella, first base, Holy Cross (Player), Mia Preuhs, Union Area (Pitcher); Class 2A — Lily Palko, shortstop, Sharpsville (Player), Meadow Ferri, Chartiers-Houston (Pitcher); Class 4A — Kalli Karwowski, shortstop, Valley View (Player), Taryn Ashenfelter, Kennard-Dale (Pitcher); Class 5A — Alex Trevena, shortstop, Conrad Weiser (Player), Lauren Stalica, Abington Heights (Pitcher); and Class 6A — Calle Henne, catcher, Pine-Richland (Player), Riley Miller, Hempfield Area (Pitcher).
Including Leffler, six local players made the Class 3A squad. Pine Grove sophomore pitcher Jamie Dinger, senior first baseman Madison Shiffer and outfielder Leffler made the first team, while Cardinals junior shortstop Hannah Aungst made the second team. For Lourdes/Mount Carmel, senior Gabby Dusendschine made the first team at first base, and sophomore Arianna Adams gained a spot on the second team at utility.
Dinger pitched all 13 innings in the state championship game to finish the season with a 13-1 record and a 0.76 ERA. Dinger struck out 160 and walked 19 in 100.2 innings. She also batted .363 with three home runs and 25 RBIs and knocked in the game-winning run in the 13th inning of the state final. Shiffer hit .433 with five home runs and 48 RBIs; and Aungst had 40 runs, 12 doubles, 22 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
Dusendschine batted .543 with 18 RBIs. Adams hit .511 with 18 runs scored; she played pitcher, catcher and shortstop for the Red Raiders.
In Class 1A, six local players made the cut, four from Tri-Valley and two from Marian.
For the Bulldogs, senior outfielder Cassi Snyder made the first team, while senior second baseman Mady Schwalm, sophomore third baseman Liv Witmer and freshman shortstop Alina Leonard made the second team.
Snyder capped her career by hitting .479 with 35 runs, 15 RBIs and 17 stolen bases while playing center field, shortstop and third base. Schwalm hit .403 with 26 runs, three homers and 27 RBIs. Witmer batted .514 with 27 runs, four home runs and 37 RBIs. Leonard hit .458 with 34 runs, three home runs and 23 RBIs. In the circle, she went 4-1 with a 2.24 ERA.
Representing the Fillies are sophomore DeAnna Pugh as a first-team second baseman and junior Malina Letcher as a second-team shortstop. Pugh hit .516 with 35 runs and 25 RBIs; Letcher posted a .545 batting average with 30 runs, four homers and 35 RBIs.
In Class 2A, Williams Valley had five All-Staters, with one each from Minersville and Schuylkill Haven.
For the Vikings, junior catcher Quin Smeltz, senior utility player Sage Smeltz, senior second baseman Ally Underkoffler and junior shortstop Ella Kobularik made the first team. Senior first baseman Audrina Fry gained a spot on the second team.
Minersville junior Grace Sterner made the second team at second base, and Schuylkill Haven senior Teagan Wehr made the second team at shortstop.
Sage Smeltz ended her high school career as Williams Valley’s all-time leader in hits (148), RBIs (143), pitching wins (48) and strikeouts (404). For the season, she batted .512 with six home runs and 47 RBIs. In the circle, she went 15-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 94 innings. Sister and battery-mate Quin Smeltz hit .455 with three homers, 37 RBIs and a .984 fielding percentage. Her plus arm shut down opposing running games. While battling injuries, Underkoffler hit .531 with 26 RBIs; Kobularik batted .474 with 43 runs, 23 RBIs and made just two errors all season. Fry compiled a .475 batting average with 34 runs, four home runs and 29 RBIs.
Sterner hit .500 with 32 runs, a .622 on-base average and 16 RBIs. She made two errors all season.
Wehr batted .508 with 33 runs, two home runs and 15 RBIs, a .586 on-base average and 19 stolen bases.
In Class 4A, two Blue Mountain players and one from North Schuylkill made the team.
