For immediate release:
PORTLAND, Oregon (July 16, 2019) -- The Oregon Sports Awards’ Prep Softball Player of the Year award is again making its way to Marist Catholic High.
In 2018, senior-to-be Abby Doerr edged teammate Ariel Carlson in the voting process. Doerr, a catcher and the daughter of head coach Missy Doerr, turned in a stellar 2019 campaign. She hit .694 with 74 RBI, 19 home runs, 14 doubles and 4 triples and claimed Sky-Em Conference and 4A Player of the Year honors.
But Doerr finished as the runner-up for the Prep Softball Player of the Year award this time around. Indeed, it was Carlson, an outgoing senior who will play softball at Oregon next year, whom the Oregon Sports Awards’ voting panel tabbed as the 2019 recipient.
Carlson is in the midst of a month-long slate of club softball games with the Beverly Bandits – a Chicago-based travel team – but received her award in studio on NBC Sports Northwest’s “The Noe Show” with Brian Noe on Monday
Click here to watch clips of Carlson’s interview and to view a behind-the-scenes look at her time in studio. Future single-sport prep award announcements can also be picked up live on KJOR Rip City Radio 620.
Sport Oregon, which manages the Oregon Sports Awards, and NBC Sports Northwest have partnered to announce each of the 2019 award winners on television and radio segments from July 8-31.
Grants Pass outgoing senior Grace Gaither, who will continue her softball career at Oregon State in 2020, joined Carlson and Doerr as a finalist.
Carlson cemented herself as one of the best hitters in national high school softball history this spring. She finished the season with 20 home runs and 56 RBI to boost her career totals to 72 and 252, respectively. Carlson ranks third in national history in career home runs and fourth in RBI.
“Ariel is one of the hardest working players I know and leads by example on and off the field,” Melissa Doerr said. “It still never gets old to see how far she can hit her home runs. Her career at Marist has been very successful and she will be greatly missed.”
Carlson led the Spartans in batting average (.701) on-base percentage (.802) and slugging percentage (1.791) and finished the season with 47 hits in 67 at-bats. Carlson and Abby Doerr helped the Spartans finish with a 23-3 overall record and notch their first-ever Sky-Em Conference title after dropping down to the 4A classification.
Carlson received 4A and Sky-Em first team honors and received her second consecutive Gatorade Oregon Softball Player of the Year award as well.
She will play infield for the Ducks but agreed to pitch for Marist this spring. Carlson posted a 23-4 record in the circle with a 2.10 ERA and 249 strikeouts.
“Ariel is an outstanding all-around player that sacrificed playing infield, which is her favorite, to pitch for our Marist team,” Melissa Doerr said.
Carlson is regarded as the biggest “get” for Ducks head coach Melissa Lombardi in her 2019 recruiting class. FloSoftball ranks Carlson as the No. 21 overall prospect in the class of 2019 and she is listed as Softball America’s 24th-best prospect.
She was active in the classroom and in the community throughout high school. Carlson volunteered with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center and as a youth softball coach. She maintained a 3.55 weighted GPA and spent time as a photographer for the high school newspaper.
2019 Oregon Sports Awards sponsors:
Presenting sponsor: HP
State Champion Sponsors: NBC Sports Northwest Nike Pamplin Media Group Portland Thorns Portland Timbers Portland Trail Blazers Providence Heath and Services Washington Trust Bank
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Brady Johnson
Sport Oregon
P: 503-313-5129
E: braden@sportoregon.org