Ooltewah's Kayla Boseman has been selected to the 2016 MaxPreps Sophomore All-Americ Softball Team. The Lady Owls' standout was MaxPreps' National Freshman of the Year and has led her team to an 81-16 record in two seasons.
photo by File/Dennis Norwood
In 2015, Ooltewah’s sophomore phenom Kayla Boseman was selected as the MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year after leading the Lady Owls to a third-place finish at the TSSAA state tournament.
Boseman followed up that sterling rookie season with another strong performance in 2016 that earned her a spot on the MaxPreps Sophomore All-America team.
“This feels good,” Boseman said in a telephone interview from Irvine, Calif., where she’s playing for the Birmingham Thunderbolts99 in a national tournament. “I want to thank MaxPreps for selecting me to the All-America team again.
“I want to stay humble, maintain my composure and work really hard heading toward my junior year.”
Said Jon Massey, Boseman’s high school coach, “I looked at all the other girls on the team and Kayla’s numbers are as good, if not better, than the rest of them. Her being freshman player of the year was a huge honor and she had another fantastic year this season.”
In two seasons, Boseman has led the Lady Owls to an 81-16 overall record and one appearance in the state tournament.
Boseman was picked to this year’s all-America team as an outfielder after being picked as a pitcher in 2015.
This past season the Lady Owls won District 5-3A and Region 3-3A tournament titles, but lost to Stewarts Creek, 6-2, in the sectional round – one win shy of the state tourney.
The Lady Red Hawks rallied for all six runs and eight of their 10 hits against Boseman in the final two innings to pull off the upset at Jim Lovell Field. Ooltewah had won 21 of its previous 22 games going into the sectional showdown. Boseman hit her 21st homer in that game.
“That was disappointing,” Boseman said. “I thought we should have won the (Stewarts Creek) game and got to state, but I didn’t do enough to help my team. We have to work hard, take it game-by-game and pitch-by-pitch and get back to state next year.”
Stewarts Creek first baseman Loryn Sherwood was also named to the Sophomore All-America team. Sherwood belted a two-run double and two-run homer off Boseman in the section game, sending the Lady Red Hawks to their first state tournament.
Boseman, a Mississippi State commitment, although MaxPreps had her going to Ole Miss, paced the Lady Owls (41-6) at the plate and was one of the state’s most-feared hitters. She batted .589 and drove in 89 runs – almost two a game – while hitting 21 home runs and 17 doubles.
The hard-throwing right-hander won 19 of 23 pitching decisions, posted a 2.04 ERA and struck out 194 in 137 innings.
In 2015, Boseman also earned a spot on the Full Count All-America second team – one of five freshmen so honored – and was ranked No. 12 on that publication’s Hot 100 prospect list. She was also named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State team.
Boseman went 22-4 as a freshman with a 1.46 ERA and 241 strikeouts in 172 innings. She batted .531, hit 13 home runs, 15 doubles and three triples. Boseman put up in 68 RBIs.
The California tournament winds up Boseman’s summer softball schedule and she’ll then turn her attention to her junior spring softball season at Ooltewah.
Asked what areas of her game she’s been working on the hardest in the past few months, Boseman said, “I’m working on my changeup and drop ball and my speed and agility. I want to get faster and quicker.”
Massey, about to enter his fourth season with the Lady Owls’ program, has the luxury of having Boseman for two more seasons.
“Kayla bats number four in our lineup for a reason,” he said. “She’s got a lot of pop. She can hit for power and average, does everything we ask of her and she’s deserving of this honor by MaxPreps. Anything that gives us positive notoriety I’m all for. She’s putting the Ooltewah softball team out there with this recognition and that’s great.”
(Reach Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)