Flash Staff Report
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(June 9, 2017) — Nadine Arredondo had a hit and Sami Shaffer received medical clearance in time to play two positions in the field. Both just graduated from Stephenville but were selected for one more high school performance in the Big Country FCA All-Star Classic softball game at Mayer Field in San Angelo Friday.
The Honeybee standouts helped the North all-stars to a 11-3 win over their South counter parts in the second of the Classic’s five all-star sporting events.
The all-star baseball game followed softball Friday in San Angelo, while the volleyball and football games are Saturday in Abilene. The Classic tipped off last Saturay, with basketball in Brownwood, where Stephenville head coach Bill Brooks had Yellow Jacket Coby Vandenberg and Dublin’s Brady More on his South club that lost 86-76 to the north.
Arredondo laced a single to left field and later had a deep fly out that Stephenville head coach Rus Mayes says very likely would have left the park if the wind had slowed some or was coming from a different direction. Arredondo went 1-for-3 from the plate and started played her traditional spot at third base. She goes down as one of the greatest players in Honeybee softball history with single-season and career records in home runs and RBIs. The Texas Girls Coaches Associaton named her to its 4A all-state team earlier this week, after she hit .517 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI to also earn the title 8-4A district offensive MVP . Arredondo was a multi-sport star at Stephenville, also reaching the Texas High School Powerlifting Association State Meet and the UIL Track & Field State Meet in the discus. She narrowly missed throwing the shot put at state, finishing third in Region I-4A.
Shaffer played catcher and later short stop for the North but did not take any at bats as a caution following the broken arm that brought a premature end to her senior season.
For Shaffer, softball continues at the collegiate level next spring. The No. 2 career home run hitter at Stephenville behind classmate Arredondo, Shaffer has signed a letter of intent with Tarleton State. She likely has played catcher for the last time, with a move back to the middle infield or even outfield more likely with the TexAnns. Missing the final three games wasn’t enough to stop the .508 hitter from being named 8-4A catcher of the year. She belted four home runs, drove in 19 runs and scored 31.
Arredondo was voted co-MVP and Shaffer offensive MVP at the Honeybee softball team awards luncheon. The Bees celebrated a school-record 26 wins, their second district title and many personal milestones achieved along the way. Arredondo and Shaffer, while certainly hard to replace, are the only graduates from the softball team, setting up a mostly veteran lineup for Mayes to work with in 2018.
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