Christian County junior Pickle Winkler has been voted the preseason region player of the year by the Second Region softball coaches.
The Louisville commit hit .424 as a freshman with 2 home runs and 22 RBIs. She also had 30 stolen bases.
Also voted among the top five players in the region was senior Reni Shemwell, who hit 13 home runs and drove in 42 runs while hitting .337 during the 2019 season.
Lyon County teammates Calista Collins and Sydney Melton were named to the preseason top five.
Collins earned First Team Class A All-State honors after hitting .566 as a sophomore. She belted 15 home runs and drove in 54 runs while playing shortstop for the Lady Lyons. Her 15 homers were second-most in the region.
Melton hit .432 as a sophomore with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. She had 18 extra-base hits and scored a team-high 46 runs. She struck out only four times in 128 plate appearances.
Henderson County junior Kaytlan Kemp, who has committed to Western Kentucky, was named to the region’s preseason top five after batting .420 as a freshman with 36 stolen bases.
Other players receiving votes were Lyon County’s Kaelyn Conger; Caldwell County’s Allie Felker; Webster County’s Gracie Thomas; Henderson County’s Kelsie Hill; Hopkinsville’s Kaitlyn Kaetzel; and Madisonville’s Amber Osborne and Mikayla Baize