All-Ohio Softball: Wellington's Teddi Hardoby moves up to first team, joined by four from area

Wellington's Teddi Hardoby was the only area player with All-Ohio recognition coming into the high school softball season. Before next season she'll be the only player who has landed on the All-Ohio lists twice. Hardoby, who was a Division III All-Ohio honorable mention as a freshman in 2019, was one of five players from Lorain County to land on the first teams for the 2021 season. The others were Amherst junior center fielder Cassidy Kettleman in Division I, Keystone senior shortstop Madi Herrington and junior pitcher Lily Cassell in Division II and Elyria Catholic junior shortstop Annika Bredel in Division III. Earning spots on the Division I second team were North Ridgeville senior second baseman Rachel Mease, Amherst senior third baseman McKenzie Cornwell and Avon sophomore catcher Emma Ody, while Keystone senior third baseman Kerrigan Williams and Firelands junior catcher Larren Rounds were honorable mention in Division II. "Oh, wow. I did not know that but it's pretty cool," Hardoby said of being the lone multiple winner. "It sucked not having a season last year and I was kind of worried about coming back. I felt like I had to push myself extra hard. "I was thrilled (when I heard I made the first team). I did well (this season), but I wasn't sure how I fell under the state, so to hear I made first team was pretty awesome." The Dukes standout batted 44-for-88 (.500) with nine doubles, seven triples and three home runs. She also finished with 24 RBIs, 50 runs scored and nine stolen bases. She's excited about the opportunity to be a three-time All-Ohioan, and can't wait for summer softball to get going. "I'm ready. I've been ready since the (final) game we lost," Hardoby said. "I actually hurt my wrist and was told that I was going to have to sit a little bit for travel, and I was like, 'No, I'll tape it. I'm fine. I've gotta keep working.'" Bredel ending up on the All-Ohio first team was a surprise to absolutely nobody, as the Panthers star set multiple county records and put herself high on the Ohio all-time lists in several statistical categories. "It just goes to show you that all the hard work you put in during the offseason — lifting, conditioning and practicing — really pays off," Bredel said. "It always goes back to the people who are behind you, your family and parents, my trainers who always push me and make me better. It really goes to show you all the support you have behind you." Bredel batted 50-for-66 (.758) with 12 doubles, five triples and 17 home runs in just 20 games this season. She also drove in 70 runs, scored 59 and stole 32 bases. While receiving 20 walks, she never registered a strikeout. "The goals are high next year, especially because you want to do the same thing," she said. "I'm really excited for travel season. I hope we have another great season because we obviously missed last season. We had high expectations this year and we didn't disappoint as a team, that's for sure." Kettleman, an Indiana University commit, is the first Comets player to land on the All-Ohio first team since infielder Aleecia Sunagel in 2009. Kettleman, who was also one of the top players in the county as a freshman, batted .637 with 13 doubles, seven triples and 10 home runs. She finished with 50 RBIs, 54 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. The average, hits, runs and RBIs were program records, and she hit safely in every game this season and the final seven of her freshman year in 2019. "I definitely was able to accomplish some things I wanted to this season, like raising my batting average, and I'm excited to get to work this offseason and see what we'll be able to do next year," she said. "We were able to do some things we haven't in awhile, like winning the district championship, and went further than our team has gone in a few years. We just want to keep building on this season and do even better next year." While many players became their program's first All-Ohio first-team selection in years, Herrington and Cassell just kept the streak going for the Wildcats. This is the sixth straight season Keystone has had a player earn the distinction, and the third straight the Wildcats have placed multiple players at the top, as pitcher Sydney Campbell and catcher Autumn Acord were named to the first team in 2018 and '19. "I think our coaches set us up well for that," Herrington said. "They push us hard and they produce a lot of great players from the practices and how they help us prepare, mentally and physically, for the games." Heading into Saturday's Division II state semifinal against New Concord John Glenn, Herrington is batting 57-for-94 (.606) with 16 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. She also has 60 RBIs, 44 runs scored, 16 stolen bases and is 1-0 in one start in the pitcher's circle. While Herrington said she tries not to track her stats in fear of psyching out herself, earning All-Ohio recognition was a career goal because she looked up to Keystone players in the past who earned the honor. "I've always wanted to be like those players one day," she said. "That's the best thing about Keystone softball and its tradition. I know even after I'm done playing softball for Keystone, this community and the future players will still have my back." Cassell was unsure what her junior season might look like after spending her freshman year backing up Campbell and having her sophomore season wiped out by the pandemic. Going into the state tournament, she is 28-1 with a 1.38 ERA, 245 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 162 2/3 innings pitched. Those wins include seven shutouts and a no-hitter. "We didn't know what our season was going to entail with having to wear masks and certain restrictions within the dugout and things like that, but I think this season turned out just the way we wanted it to," Cassell said. The end-of-season honors lifted the Keystone players' spirits this week, but they're hoping for a better reward this weekend. "We definitely want to go out and win … that's the main goal," Cassell said. "It's great to win these individual achievements, but to go out and win the state championship is definitely what we want." Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on Twitter.