BRANCH COUNTY – The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) 2025 Spring Sports season is officially in the books, with champions from across all major sports crowned over the past few weeks.
Just this past weekend baseball and softball teams from across the state, including a close neighbor to the west in Mendon (Division 4 softball), earned their spots atop the softball/baseball world with state titles.
Now that the seasons are officially over, postseason awards are being announced, with the most recent coming from the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA), which recently announced its All-State honorees, a list that includes multiple players per position on both the first team and honorable mention. Among all the honorees from across the state a total of six Branch County athletes were recognized with All-State status.
So, which local athletes earned All-State honors on the softball diamond this season?
A total of six Branch County softball players earned all-state honors for the 2025 season, including three Coldwater Cardinals and three Bronson Vikings.
Two of those six earned First Team honors as two Bronson Vikings were named to the Division 3 All-State First Team as junior pitcher/infielder Ashlynn Harris and junior catcher Lydia Wells were both honored for their work on the diamond this season.
Harris earned her third Big 8 All Conference first team selection this season and her second straight Big 8 Most Valuable Player honor. Harris was a force both in the field and at the top of the lineup, where she hit leadoff for head coach Becky Gray. It was on the mound however where the junior did the most of her damage serving as Bronson’s number one starter. With pinpoint accuracy and a devastating change-up that got opposing batters swinging out of their shoes, Harris is the true definition of a staff ace. In leading Bronson to an undefeated Big 8 schedule and a Division 3 district title Harris proved she is without a doubt one of the most dangerous players in the state.
Harris’ battery mate, junior Lydia Wells, holds down the catching duties for Bronson and does so with toughness, intelligence, and poise. Not only is Wells one of the best defensive catchers in the state of Michigan, but she is also one of the most dangerous with a bat in her hands, hitting from the middle of the Bronson lineup.
Joining the Bronson duo of Harris and Wells with Division 3 honors was Viking teammate Kailynne Scare who was named to the Honorable Mention team for her work in the outfield. Scare burst on to the scene as a “do-it-all” outfielder this season, a player that not only can hit for average and power but can play a mean outfield, patrolling the green grass at Bronson high school with ease.
In Division 2 it was a trio of Coldwater softball players earning postseason recognition for their work on the diamond in a magical season for the Cardinals. Coldwater battled their way to a share of the Interstate 8 conference championship before making a big run in the MHSAA postseason, winning a District and regional title, as the team advanced all the way to the state quarterfinals.
Leading that run was junior shortstop Rylie VanAken, freshman pitcher Laynie VanAken, and junior utility player Mackenzie Searing, all of whom earned Division 2 honorable mention honors.
Rylie, a University of Akron commit, has started from day one at the shortstop position for Coldwater and was one of the most important pieces to the Cardinals drive to the Division 2 state quarterfinals this season. Rylie was a vacuum at the shortstop position on defense and got the offense going with power and average from the leadoff spot in the batting order.
Laynie, just a freshman, quickly took over the role of ace on the Cardinals pitching staff and worked her way into the heart of the Coldwater batting order. Laynie was often times untouchable on the mound and averaged double figures in strikeouts per game this season, including a 19-strikeout performance versus Harper Creek late in the season.
Joining VanAken-squared was junior teammate Mackenzie Searing who was also named to the D2 honorable mention team as a utility player.
Searing was a jack-of-all-trades player for first year head coach Aaron Bucklin and the Coldwater coaching staff this season. Searing spent most of her time in the outfield for Coldwater while also bringing the big bat each week as she hit from the five spot all season long. Searing was a major key to Coldwater’s success this season and will return as a major cog in the Coldwater machine next season.
For all things softball and baseball related in Branch County, follow The Daily Reporter online at www.thedailyreporter.com. For any questions regarding this story or questions regarding the season coverage please contact sports editor Troy Tennyson via email at ttennyson@thedailyreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Six Branch County softballers earn all-state honors; Bronson’s Harris and Wells named 1st team
Reporting by Troy Tennyson, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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