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The 2023 State Champion Ladycats received more plaudits for their spectacular season as a host of impact players were named to the Texas Girls’ Coaches Association’s All-State team for the 2A division. Several Ladycats received the honor as Weimar fought through a difficult district schedule and defeated some stout competition in the postseason. Several different players stepped up for Weimar when they were needed most as they climbed their way into the top of the state rankings and finishing the season as the final team standing in the state tournament.
The Ladycats that were selected to the All-State team were Reagan Wick, Paige Pavlu, Izzy Reeves, Hannah Fisbeck and Taylor Smith as each of these players had significant contributions to the team’s overall success. Reeves received even more state recognition by being named to the TGCA’s 1A-4A All-Star to represent Weimar.
Smith and Wick were the potent pair of pitchers that helped keep postseason offenses at bay. They may have had their best series together in the postseason opener against Falls City as Weimar never sustained consistent pressure by the Lady Beavers’ hitting. Wick opened with a 14-strikeout game in the first of the series before Taylor Smith responded with a 12-strikeout game in the second to close the series and move on in the playoffs. They combined to allow only one run as well through both games. The two alternated with solid games on the mound throughout the first several rounds until Wick got the call to finish out the postseason as the Ladycats’ starting pitcher in the final few rounds. When Smith was not on the mound, she was picking apart opposing pitchers from the plate. One of her biggest performances was a three-hit, six RBI game against Schulenburg in a blowout game one win.
Pavlu’s impact on Weimar’s sixth state title cannot be simply boiled down to her clutch, game-winning RBI single to secure the championship. Although that play will go down in Weimar softball history, she made her presence felt throughout the playoffs with that final hit functioning as evidence of her strong hitting. She had a highlight performance against Schulenburg as well with two hits and three RBIs.
Reeves showed off her speed and intelligence on the basepath by running in several scores and scored the final run of the season to win the championship. She was no slouch at the plate either, picking up a playoff- high four hits that led to three RBIs in the first round against Falls City.
The Ladycats also benefitted from the RBI-machine, Fisbeck, who seemed to always provide the big swing when Weimar needed it throughout the postseason. She had several multi-RBI games and combined for eight total against Falls City with four in each game. She continued to bring runners home for the Ladycats as she helped the offense have some of their more explosive games before the later rounds of the playoffs.
The state’s recognition of the Ladycats that helped Weimar win a state championship is indicative of the amount of noise they were able to make with their performances. Each player recognized as one of the state’s best was worthy of that claim.
