Allen Red Devils softball fans have plenty to look forward to next season after freshman shortstop Taylor Damme won Jayhawk Conference MVP while Coach Nicole Peters won conference coach of the year.
Following a whirlwind season where the Red Devils (23-27, 13-7) finished tied for third in the conference standings while also upsetting 12th-ranked conference champion Johnson County Community College, Peters and Damme were just two of seven recognized, of which most will return next season.
Peters guided Allen to the Plains District Regional Tournament semifinals, where they fell to Cowley County 15-8.
The Red Devils’ record is a bit deceiving because Peters often schedules Allen against some of the top NJCAA DI and DII programs in the country, which accounted for the bulk of Allen’s losses in March and February.
Damme’s MVP recognition seems fitting considering she was Allen’s leader in virtually all offensive categories. Damme was also named to the All-Jayhawk Conference first team after finishing the season with a team-leading 16 home runs, 56 RBIs and .413 batting average with an .819 slugging percentage. She was just five hits shy of freshman outfielder Kara Walker for the team lead in hits and developed a reputation for being just as sure-handed in the infield as she was in the batter’s box.
Walker received a spot on the all-conference second team and was recently nominated as April’s Allen County Area Athlete of the Month. She finished the season with 69 hits, and 33 RBIs and was one of only two Red Devils to finish the season with an above .400 batting average. She also developed a reputation for her flashy catches in right field.
Freshman pitcher Andrea Ruby also made the All-Jayhawk Conference Second Team. Her abilities in the batter’s box and at second base made her a player Peters could plug in anywhere. She had a 4.35 ERA and was second to freshman teammate Addie Keys in strikeouts with 41.
Keys, sophomore outfielder Ella McCammon and freshman outfielder Harper Desmarteau, a 2024 Iola High School graduate, were named All-Jayhawk Conference honorable mentions.
