Detroit News contributor Keith Dunlap selects the top softball players in Metro Detroit for the 2026 season.
First team
Pitchers
Lyla Turmell, Sr., Walled Lake Northern
A two-way force for the Division 1 state champions, Turmell was a big reason why Northern won it all by dominating at the plate and in the circle. Named first team all-state as a pitcher, Turmell went 29-2 with a 0.913 ERA, a .150 batting average against and 259 strikeouts in 176 innings pitched. Offensively, she hit .542 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs. She has signed to play in college for Toledo.
Mary Gugala, Sr., Northville
Headed to play college ball at Wayne State, Gugala, in the words of Northville head coach Scott DeBoer, was simply a winner throughout her high school career. This year against a brutal schedule, she went 32-3 with 338 strikeouts, a 1.026 ERA, a .136 opponents batting average and 29 complete games in 218 innings pitched. Gugala was named first team all-state in Division 1.
Shannon McAuliffe, Sr., Salem
The winningest pitcher in school history, McAuliffe finished out a stellar career with her best season, going 22-5 with 349 strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA in 178⅔ innings pitched. Named first team all-state in Division 1, McAuliffe finished her career with an 84-30-1 record, 1,381 strikeouts and a 1.80 ERA in 706⅓ innings pitched for Salem. She will pitch in college for Murray State.
Infielders
Kiley Phelan, Sr., Macomb Dakota
Phelan missed roughly half the season with a wrist injury, but it still speaks to her ability that she still put up monster numbers and earned first team all-state honors in Division 1. In 21 games, Phelan hit. 493 with five home runs, 11 doubles, 39 RBIs, 60 total bases and 21 runs. Defensively, she had a .967 fielding percentage. Phelan has signed to play in college for Central Michigan.
Mallory Hool, Sr., Allen Park
Signed with Oakland University, Hool was the most feared hitter in the lineup for an Allen Park team that won 25 games. Hool batted .585 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and 55 runs. She had an OPS of 1.727 and a slugging percentage of 1.085. She was named first team all-state in Division 1.
Averi Rowlett, Sr., New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Staying local to play in college for Detroit Mercy, Rowlett ended her high school career in terrific fashion, being named all-state in Division 1. In 34 games, Rowlett hit .505 with nine home runs, 35 RBIs, 40 runs, 16 walks and just five strikeouts to help Anchor Bay go unbeaten during the regular season in MAC Red play.
Aubrey French, Jr., New Baltimore Anchor Bay
The other half of Anchor Bay’s Division 1 first team all-state tandem in the infield, French was an all-around force as well, especially at the plate as a table-setter at the top of the lineup. French finished with a .500 batting average, 18 RBIs and 32 runs. As was the case with teammate Rowlett, she had more walks (eight) than strikeouts (seven).
Outfielders
Sophia Chaput, Sr., Farmington Hills Mercy
Mercy had a younger team than usual this spring, which made Chaput a perfect veteran leader. She was a big reason why Mercy caught fire at the end of the season and advanced to the Division 2 state championship game. Signed with Oakland University, Chaput batted .513 with 51 runs, 22 RBIs and three home runs primarily from the leadoff spot.
Makenna Kresbaugh, Jr., Walled Lake Northern
One of the big bats in a potent Northern lineup, Kresbaugh was an RBI machine, collecting 67 of them for the Division 1 state champions. Kresbaugh also had a .422 batting average, 15 home runs, four triples and an .889 slugging percentage. Defensively, the first team all-state player had a .968 fielding percentage.
Lilyana Piconke, Soph., Armada
It was quite a breakout year for Piconke, who figures to be one of the state’s best players over the next two years. She was certainly top-notch this year playing against a tough schedule that featured several good Division 1 teams, batting .424 with 11 home runs, 63 runs, 58 RBIs, a .500 on-base percentage and 31 stolen bases in helping lead Armada to its first-ever Division 2 state championship.
Kennedi Adams, Jr., Northville
A spark plug at the top of the lineup and an elite defender in center field, the Ohio State commit hit. 405 with 23 RBIs, two home runs, 41 runs and 26 stolen bases to help Northville reach the state semifinals. She didn’t commit an error in 53 chances on defense and was named honorable mention all-state in Division 1.
Catcher
Jocelyn Burns, Soph., Northville
A wall behind the plate and a force when swinging the bat, Burns was named first team all-state in Division 1 and was a big reason why Northville went 35-5-1 on the season. Burns batted .441 with four home runs, 53 RBIs and 10 doubles. Defensively, she allowed just five passed balls on over 3,400 pitches and had a .994 fielding percentage.
Head coach
Kristen Woodard, Walled Lake Northern
In her 15th season, Woodard has built Northern’s program from the ground up into an annually ranked team in Division 1. This year was special though, as Northern finally got over the quarterfinal hump, reached the state’s final four and made good on its first trip there by capturing the Division 1 state championship. It was the first state title for any athletics program in Northern’s history.
Second team
Pitchers — Savannah Letson, Jr., New Baltimore Anchor Bay; Kaydence Hinkle, Soph., Orchard Lake St. Mary’s; Megan Rocker, Sr., Macomb Lutheran North
Infielders — Aubrey Kresbaugh, Soph., Walled Lake Northern; Emily Searle, Jr., White Lake Lakeland; Allie Ray, Soph., Rochester Hills Stoney Creek; Leighton Scott, Sr., Howell
Outfielders — Hailey McDonald, Sr., New Baltimore Anchor Bay; Vivi Ostrowski, Sr., Grosse Pointe South; Jillian Walters, Jr., Utica Ford; Jailyn Janson, Soph., South Lyon East
Catcher — Sami Allen, Sr., Birmingham Seaholm
Honorable mention
Shaela Byrnes, Jr., Walled Lake Northern; Taylor Capozzo, Sr., Armada; Brooklyn Chlipala, Soph., Wyandotte Roosevelt; Alivia Covert, Soph., Orchard Lake St. Mary’s; Megan Cox, Fr., Armada; Reese Dunny, Sr., Hartland; Julia Dyson, Soph., Carleton Airport; Lauren Elkins, Jr., Milford; Grace Girvin, Soph., Armada; Alyssa Goldman, Jr., White Lake Lakeland; Shaylan Gourlay, Jr., Wyandotte Roosevelt; Clara Groen, Sr., Plymouth Christian; Sophia Husek, Soph., Grosse Pointe South; Maddie Iverson, Fr., Grosse Pointe South; Keira Logan, Sr., Riverview; Brooklyn Martin, Soph., Carleton Airport; Anna McGavin Sr., Farmington Hills Mercy; Kaylyn Messer, Fr., Allen Park; Savana Mullen, Soph., Livonia Franklin; Katie Murphy, Sr., Romeo; Lila Nursey, Jr., Birmingham Seaholm; Julia Rancilio, Sr., Richmond; Emersyn Rix-Renne, Sr., Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Mikayla Roberts, Jr., Salem; Taylor Selimi, Jr., Farmington Hills Mercy; Aubree Soto, Soph., Dearborn Divine Child; Bella Spellman, Sr., Walled Lake Central; Kate Stemmler, Sr., Grosse Pointe North; Mia Taylor, Sr., Woodhaven; Oliva Tilley, Sr., Carleton Airport; Makenzie Waterson, Jr., Grosse Pointe South; Ruby Wells, Sr., Livonia Stevenson
Keith Dunlap is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Meet the 2026 Detroit News All-Metro Detroit softball teams
Reporting by Keith Dunlap, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Keith Dunlap, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
