4-for-4
Carmichaels’ Barnyak, McConnell named to all-state softball team
While Carmichaels’ Bailey Barnyak and Carys McConnell combined for eight all-state softball teams when the squads were released Monday morning, Uniontown’s Juliet White made program history in being selected as the first Red Raider on the team.
White, who will be a junior this upcoming year, earned second-team honors as a utility player in Class 4A on the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association (PAHSSBCA) All-State Team.
The PAHSSBCA Committee formulates the squads from approximately 700 nominations by high school coaches and members of the media throughout the state. The committee votes on a first and second team among the six classifications.
An overall PA Player of the Year and PA Pitcher of the Year, along with a Player and Pitcher of the Year in the six divisions are honored. The committee highlights two players who have overcome personal challenges during the season in its Special Recognition Courage Award.
A pair of area coaches are the PAHSSBCA Co-Coordinators in Chartiers-Houston’s Tricia Alderson and West Greene’s Bill Simms.
Barnyak and McConnell have been selected First-Team All-State all four years of high school.
Barnyak, who finished her career with the Mikes as the program’s leader in strikeouts with 897. She had a career record of 69-13 with an ERA of 0.90. The Indiana University of Pennsylvania commit hit .387 with three home runs and 70 RBIs in her career.
McConnell had a career batting average of .481 with 21 home runs and 140 RBIs. She had 130 hits over four years with 22 doubles and 14 triples while playing solid defense at shortstop.
McConnell has the talent to play at the next level, but she has elected to concentrate on her studies in college as a Pre Law student at the University of Pittsburgh.
Carmichaels head coach Dave Briggs has gotten to sit back and enjoy what Barnyak and McConnell have done for the program, which included three appearances in the WPIAL championship final and one in the state final.
“They were part of a senior group that put Carmichaels softball back on the map,” said Briggs following the Mikes’ final game of the season in the first round of the PIAA Class A playoffs at Berlin Brothersvalley. “It is tough to see them go, and I wish we could have won some of those title games, but not too many people can say they did what those girls did.”
White led Uniontown in most offensive categories this season while serving as the catcher for her coach and father, Jason White. In 20 games played, she had a .422 batting average with five home runs and 22 RBIs. White had an on-base percentage of .479 and a slugging percentage of .907. She had team-highs in hits (27), doubles (8) and triples (2), and was strong behind the plate in throwing out runners and working with her pitchers.
White caught 65 ⅔ innings and was at second base for 55 innings.
White relished being named to the all-state team, which was a surprise to her, but she was more pleased with the Red Raiders earning the program’s first postseason victory in a 5-3 triumph over Indiana in the first round of the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs.
“It was definitely a pleasant surprise when I found out I had made the all-state team,” White said. “I didn’t really think about it at all. As the season went on, I was more focused on winning each game than what I was doing individually. We lost three solid seniors in Emmaleigh Noah, Graci Rodeheaver and Lyric McLee, but the majority of our team is coming back, and now we are more hungry knowing that we can compete with these top teams.”
White, who has been playing softball since elementary school, hones her skills outside of the high school campaign in travel ball as a member of Team Pennsylvania Fastpitch.
“I have a little bit of a break from softball in August, but I am usually playing softball the entire year,” White said. “We have a lot of girls playing travel ball now and working in the offseason at Uniontown, and that has really helped the program to succeed. We want to keep adding more historic victories.”
Ke’Lani Chun provided Carmichaels with three all-state selections, as she was selected for the second team at second base.
West Greene had two selections on the second team in Class A, as Kendra Brudnock (utility) and Madelyn Roberts (outfield) made the cut.
Brownsville’s Ava Clark earned a selection at pitcher on the second team in Class 2A. Clark will continue her academic and softball careers at PennWest California.
Connellsville’s Cali Leichliter earned a spot on the first team in Class 5A at shortstop.
Belle Vernon had two selections in Addy Newman (first team/outfield in Class 4A) and Kaylee Sypolt (second team/shortstop in Class 4A), and the Leopards’ Sydney Callaway received one of two Courage Awards.
Callaway’s father died from a massive heart attack on March 1, and she wasn’t sure she would play this year, but the senior honored her father by starting at second base for Belle Vernon and head coach Tom Rodriguez.
Mount Pleasant’s Kendra Brunson was selected as a utility player on the first team in Class 3A. Brunson was instrumental in the Vikings advancing to the WPIAL championship game.