Fastpitch individual awards announced

Due to the fact that the SHS softball banquet was held after a NEWS holiday deadline, the specific award winners were not published last week with all the other spring sports recipients.

Earning the Offensive Player of the Year award for the state-qualifying Spartan fastpitch club was junior catcher Sam Bingham.

Brittany Jeans, the other half of the almost-unbeatable Lady Sparts as their outstanding pitcher, was voted Defensive Player of the Year.

Ninth-grader Shawna Hochstetler was named Coaches Award winner by head coach Cherlyn Schander.

This year's team, which earned a trip to State for the first time in school history, broke over a dozen individual or team school records, according to Schander.