Ella Hayes Back to Back Region Player of the Year

CARNEYS POINT – Ella Hayes did not rest. After being named the best player in the region last year as a freshman, the Salem Community College shortstop easily could have settled in for a comfortably productive second year as she progressed to the next level. But she wanted more. 

She elevated her approach and in many ways had an even better year that paid off even bigger dividends.

For the second year in a row, Hayes was named the Region 19 Division II softball Player of the Year, a feat rare if not unprecedented.

"It's definitely an honor and I'm super grateful," Hayes said. "I worked hard. I may not have had the exact same stats as last year, but I improved on a lot of things. My goal was to be better than I was last year and I feel like I accomplished that for the most part."

The sophomore from Kansas City didn't quite reach her goal of hitting .700, but she still led the region in batting for the second year in a row (.577) – she was fifth nationally – as well as hits (79) and stolen bases (23-of-24). She was second in the region in extra-base hits and fourth in RBIs.

While her batting average dipped a few points, she still had more runs (60), hits (79), doubles (22), triples (4) and stolen bases than the year before. And once again she was hard to strike out, fanning only twice in 168 plate appearances. 

"She had the kind of year that we were hoping to get out of her," Mighty Oaks coach Angel Rodriguez said. "One thing about her freshman year, no one knew who she was; the teams we were playing were getting to know her for the first time. Her talent showed a lot, getting Player of the Year last year, and this year they all knew who she was so they pitched to her differently, they approached her a lot differently, so you weren't able to hide.

"This year she was a returning player who threw these great numbers up and that's what she continued to be. It's always hard to want to be your best and do better than you did the year before. I know for her it was like a battle she had with herself, a little self-competition, but she gave us everything she's always given us. Her dedication to the game is unmatched. She was always a hard out and that's what she continued to be."

It all can be tied to her desire to be "quite a bit" more aggressive in every aspect of the game. That didn't mean being a risk-taker, just being aggressive. Attacking pitches, stealing bases, reading the field to take the extra base when presented.

"I told Coach Angel I was going to be more aggressive this year," she said. "I told them this year I was really going to hit hard and prove that I can play at the higher level of D-I or D-II and compete at that level, too. I don't think there's a better way to show it than laying out for everything."

Hayes was one of four Mighty Oaks named to the all-region teams. Sophomore catcher Callie Rozak (.434, 7 HRs, 40 RBIs) joined Hayes on the first team, while freshmen Bella Rappa (.372, 39 runs, 32 RBIs) and Chantelle Haskie (.327, 26 RBIs) were second-team picks. They were the top four top hitters in the Mighty Oaks' lineup.

"For us it was good,," Rodriguez said. "Callie had a little more of a larger role this year, taking on a majority of our catching, and she handled that really good. We get two freshmen on the list for second team. It's always good, especially building that confidence heading into next year and also for the returning players, too, to see that hard work is noticed and putting in the effort goes a long way. It was nice to see the recognition they deserve."