Liberty Hill softball on brink of UIL state tournament led by UCLA-bound Rylee Slimp
LIBERTY HILL — Rylee Slimp made her presence felt by hitting a home run on the first pitch of the Region IV semifinals last week in Jourdanton.
The Panthers center fielder plays her best when the team needs her most, said Liberty Hill coach Kristen Brewer. Slimp, who's on a very short list for Central Texas softball player of the year honors, has powered Liberty Hill to the brink of the UIL state tournament next week.
One of only three seniors on the roster, Brewer considers Slimp a "triple threat." The numbers don't lie. Slimp combines a .577 batting average with six home runs, 42 RBIs, 15 doubles, nine triples and 49 stolen bases. She signed with UCLA after giving careful consideration to Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina.
"She's got the speed, she's got the bat, she will give up her body on defense, she's super fast," said Brewer, the team's head coach since 2018. "More than all that, she's a nice person and a good teammate. UCLA's got a good one coming."
Liberty Hill has it all: power, pitching and wins
One might say softball has been in Slimp's blood all along. She has received lifelong guidance from her dad, JB Slimp, who's the president of the Texas Blaze fast-pitch club. Brewer said Rylee has been on the fast track to softball success from the time she stepped on campus for the first time in 2020.
Liberty Hill (28-8) will be seeking its third trip to the state tournament — and first championship — but the Panthers first need to beat Harlingen South (33-4) in the regional finals this weekend to get there.
Curiously, Liberty Hill was considered a longshot to make it this far in the playoffs, Brewer said. As the lone Austin-area softball team still alive, the Panthers had to regroup after losing nine key seniors to graduation in 2023. To make it more challenging, they entered this season with an inexperienced pitching staff that includes someone who was competing in middle school at this time last year.
Freshman Bella Nicholson has become a valued member of the team as a pitcher and as a hitter. Her offensive numbers speak for themselves: .377 batting average, five home runs, 12 doubles, 35 RBIs.
In the circle, Nicholson (14-2, 4.31 ERA) and Aubri Ettinger (17-5, 4.41 ERA) have performed beyond expectations, helping the team win a district title. The Panthers limited 13 opponents to two runs or fewer. Ettinger was the winning pitcher when Liberty Hill clinched the regional semis with a 4-1 victory over Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial on Saturday. She allowed four hits and struck out 10.
"Our pitchers might not be the most experienced, but they're both very tough, very resilient," Slimp said.
Brewer added that the team is loaded with offensive weapons. The Panthers have scored 10 or more runs in a game 18 times. Among the most consistent contributors are left-fielder Addison Shifflett (.422, team-high 15 homers), shortstop Makayla Mendoza (.376, seven homers), third baseman Maddie Kingslien (.349, five homers) and catcher Cadence Wiese (.347, 11 homers, 38 RBIs).
The Panthers have speed, too. When it comes to mind-blowing statistics, they have 121 stolen bases without being caught once.
Liberty Hill is looking for its first trip to state since 2017.
LASA earns state honors
Remember the ultimate frisbee team from the Liberal Arts and Science Academy? Last weekend the Vertikills won the state championship by going 5-0 in the state tournament in Cedar Park.
LASA, which has played ultimate frisbee as a club sport since the 2005-06 school year, rolled over Austin High 15-0 and 10-9, Houston St. Thomas 15-0, McNeil 15-4 and Lake Travis 12-9.
"It's a big accomplishment to win state three years in a row," LASA coach Tina Woodings said. "It's not easy to keep winning when you have a target on your back. Other schools are growing in the sport, too, and they have incredible athletes."
Woodings said the team's all-for-one attitude has been vital because different players had key roles throughout the state tournament. She noted that 5-foot-7 offensive cutter/handler defender Akash McMinn snagged the game-winning throw in the 10-9 victory over Austin High.
The Vertikills will be the state's lone representatives when the High School National Invite convenes June 7-8 in Rockford, Ill.
Manor's Thomas ready to take off
Manor football player JT Thomas, who was the high school's valedictorian and is headed off to play football at the Air Force Academy, was named the recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship on Tuesday at the Manor school board meeting. It's a $220,000 scholarship over the next four years.
In all, Thomas has earned a total of $4.5 million in scholarships, said his mother, Shouneille Moore.
Manor's main Guy
Speaking of Manor High, former Mustangs football player Tyler Guyton returned to the school last Friday for a pep rally in his honor. Guyton made national news in April when the Dallas Cowboys took the 6-foot-8, 320-pound offensive tackle from Oklahoma with the 29th overall pick of the NFL draft.
During a dedication at a packed auditorium, Mayor Christopher Harvey announced the city would observe "Tyler Guyton Day."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Liberty Hill softball aims for state tournament behind Rylee Slimp
