ROCKINGHAM - A trio of Richmond Senior High School Lady Raider softball players have completed the trifecta of postseason honors, as the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association unveiled its 2018 4A All-State team late Tuesday evening.
Senior center fielder Brianna Baysek, junior shortstop Savannah Lampley and junior pitcher Greyson Way earned the state’s highest recognition following the spring softball season. Lampley and Way are no strangers to the All-State team, as they both earned their second career selection after making the 2017 All-State team as sophomores. For Baysek, her senior campaign draws to a close with her first career selection.
If making the team for the second time in their careers wasn’t already enough, Lampley and Way also earned the state’s highest individual honors for the first time. The NCSCA splits the state into East and West districts, and awards a player from each side as “Player of the Year” and “Pitcher of the Year.” Of the 83 total roster players, Lampley earned the East’s Player of the Year honors, while Way took home Pitcher of the Year.
In a season filled with triumphs, multiple program and state record-breaking performances (including tying the NCHSAA record of 55 home runs by a club in a single season), a handful of no-hitters, and ultimate heartbreak in the Western Regional Finals, the three Lady Raiders swept the postseason accolade circuit. Their efforts helped Richmond compile a 24-5 overall record, win a sixth-straight conference title and earn the No. 1 overall seed in the state playoffs.
Baysek, Lampley and Way were guaranteed locks for the All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team, which was announced on June 7, after the Lady Raiders rolled to a perfect 14-0 record in SAC play. Two weeks later, on June 22, all three made the 4A All-District 4 team, along with teammates Owen Bowers (senior) and Paige Ransom (freshman), both of whom also made the All-SAC team.
Adding to their already impressive resumes with still their senior season to go, Way and Lampley also earned top individual honors on the SAC and District 4 teams. On the conference team, Way earned the solo “Player of the Year” honor -- and on the District 4 team, Lampley was recognized as the “Player of the Year,” and Way nabbed the “Pitcher of the Year” recognition.
According to Richmond head coach Wendy Wallace, it’s the first time in the program’s history that the Lady Raiders swept the top individual honors in both the player and pitcher category for the All-District and All-State teams. In 2017, former pitcher Makenzie Ward was the All-District “Pitcher of the Year.”
“Starting from All-Conference, to All-District, to All-State, it’s a testament to all three players, along with the other girls, for their hard work all year,” Wallace said. “When the girls set their personal goals, I think this is something they set for themselves. When we talk as a team, we want to win the conference and a state championship. But it’s good for them to set those goals for themselves because that holds them accountable and allows them to work harder.”
Brianna Baysek, senior center fielder
Baysek’s senior season was a bit of redemption on her part, after she suffered an ankle injury early in her junior campaign, which caused her to missed a handful of games. But thanks to a resilient attitude and hitting the weightroom hard, she became one of five Lady Raiders to hit over the .400 mark during the 2018 season. She boosted her batting average from .273 in 2017 to .412 as a senior.
Aside from being a defensive anchor in the outfield in center, Baysek racked up a team third-best 42 hits. She also was the Lady Raiders’ third-leading doubles producer (10), and put her longball swing to good use, as she roped 10 home runs of the season, which was fifth-best on the team. The UNC-Wilmington bound freshman’s slash line for the 2018 season was a .412 batting average, .483 on-base percentage and a .754 slugging percentage.
“It feels pretty good to be named to the All-State team,” Baysek commented. “It’s a little bittersweet because I won’t be returning next season to play with all my friends. I’m really proud of all of my teammates, and it means a lot to me to be selected.
“It’s the cherry on top and I’m going out with a bang,” she continued of her three postseason accolades. “It’s a good way to go. I’d like to say a big thank you to my coaches because they helped me out this season with my hitting -- they really helped me grow as a player. I’d also like to thank the whole team because we played really well and they made my senior season really fun. It made for some really good times and memories.”
“Bri is a little bit of a different dynamic than all my other players who have gotten these awards,” Wallace said of Baysek. “She doesn’t play travel ball, she plays volleyball, and she just transitioned over to play softball from February to May. She’s got a ton of athletic ability and I think that played a key role in how well she produced all year. She had more confidence in herself this year, and was so strong all season.”
Savannah Lampley, junior shortstop
A bright spot in Richmond’s lineup for the past couple of seasons, Lampley continued her dominant career with another stat-studded performance during her junior campaign. She’s the only current Lady Raider to make the All-SAC and All-District teams during every year of her career, and she put on a next-level clinic at the plate in 2018.
Verbally committed to play at UNCW since last summer, Lampley hit .535 on the season, which was the best on the team. Not only did she have a 21-game hitting streak, but she also led the Lady Raiders in on-base percentage (.629). Helping her earn the All-State Player of the Year recognition was her state-leading numbers in runs scored (56), stolen bases (36) and doubles (17).
“It feels really good knowing that all of my hard work paid off and I’m really proud of my teammates who also made it,” Lampley said. “But I think think that more of them should have made it. These three selections made all of the late nights in the cage and in the weightroom worth it.
“Next year, the No. 1 goal is to win a state championship,” she added, already looking forward to her senior season. “I set personal goals, and it’s nice to win (player of the year). But I was just trying to do my best to help my team win. Getting District and State player of the year is a bonus. I’d like to thank my parents and my coaches for always helping me and supporting me.”
Greyson Way, junior pitcher
The 2018 season was one that Way anticipated with a lot of excitement, as it would finally be her year to play a pivotal role in the pitching rotation after patiently waiting for two seasons. In fact, she became the entire Lady Raiders’ pitching core, as she started and pitched the entirety of all 29 games.
A dual-threat from the circle and at the plate, Way threw 177.1 innings and led 4A pitching in strikeouts (252) and wins (24). Her earned run average (1.93) and opponent’s batting average (.180) were also near classification lows. Way also added four no-hitters to her resume, with the most clutch being a seven-inning no-no against Hickory Ridge High School in the playoffs.
Offensively, she batted .443 (third-best on the team) and plated a team-high 41 RBIs (led the team for the second season in a row) on 43 hits. She slapped 12 doubles and eight longballs, bringing her career total to 30 dingers, just one behind Bowers with an entire season to go.
“It’s an honor to be selected, and I also think we had a lot of other girls on the team who should have been selected, too,” Way said. “It means a lot to me, and I’m proud of my teammates.
“In the offseason, I just worked really hard at pitching,” she continued. “During the season, the whole team was in the weightroom trying to be the best we could be on and off the field. And I had my teammates pushing me, which makes winning (these three top awards) even better. A big thanks to my coaches, my teammates and my parents. They’ve all helped me and I wouldn’t be here today without them.”
“With Savannah and Greyson, you have to pry a ball out of their hands,” Wallace laughed of her top award players. “They play softball all year round. We practice every day, but they go and hit an extra two or three rounds every night. Both of them set their goals and made up their mind that no one was going to outwork them. Just to see their hard work pay off with their two awards of player of the year and pitcher of the year is great for them and our program.”
Photo of Lampley and Way from their early playing days. Contributed by Angela Lampley.
A complete roster of all 83 players selected to the NCSCA 2018 All-State team, including All-State players and pitchers of the year, with school and position, can be found at ncfastpitch.org.
In total, 13 SAC players were named to the All-State team. Below are the top individual player awards and the SAC selections:
4A East Player of the Year: Savannah Lampley (Richmond)
4A East Pitcher of the Year: Greyson Way (Richmond)
4A West Player of the Year: Ruthie Jackson (Mooresville)
4A West Pitcher of the Year: Joelle Davis (Mooresville)
Hoke County High School (1): Alexis Blackwell, third base.
Jack Britt High School (4): Kassady Hardee, second base; Carlie Myrtle, pitcher/first base; Savannah Roddey, third base/outfield; Rayven Shepard, first base.
Lumberton High School (3): Madison Canady, shortstop; Lee Ann Nobles, first base; Kasey West, catcher.
Purnell Swett High School (2): JaiLeana Deese, pitcher/second baes; Madison Strickland, first base.
Richmond (3): Brianna Baysek, center field; *Savannah Lampley, shortstop; *Greyson Way, pitcher.
