I’m a little late on this, but it’s still worthwhile to mention that two softball players from the Flathead region were named to the Great Falls Tribune’s annual Super-State team, which is one of the top honors a Montana player can receive. The team is made up of the the best players at each position and the top two pitchers in the state, regardless of school size or classification.
Brittany Franklin, a Glacier catcher who was featured in this year’s spring Beacon Best of Preps, was named to team again, one of five repeat selections. Franklin was selected as a designated hitter. She will play softball at the University of Great Falls next year.
Kodi Woods, an outfielder from Polson, was also named to the team.
The Tribune had this to say about Franklin:
A varsity starter in all four years of Glacier High’s existence, Brittany Franklin holds almost every offensive record the Wolfpack has. Last year she hit .391 with five homers, two triples, 10 doubles and 26 RBI. She holds a .797 slugging percentage, a .493 on-base average, and struck out just twice in 64 at-bats this season.
Franklin is headed to the University of Great Falls next season.
“She’s an all-around good player, a three-time All-Stater (freshman, junior and senior years),” Glacier head coach Joel Bemis said. “And she leads by example in that she wants her teammates to do as she does.”
Of Woods, the Tribune said:
The highest compliment a player can get from anyone is to be recognized as a pure fastpitch softball player.
That’s how Polson head softball coach Larry Smith described his leadoff hitter, outfielder Kodi Woods.
Smith says Woods would be an absolute perfect fit to the Super State team. “She’s a great team leader, a pure fastpitch softball player,” he said. “She’s a very quick, very consistant hitter … a natural righty converted to a left-hander slap hitter. She gets a lot of infield hits and a lot of steals.”
Woods hit .506 for the season with a .600 on-base percentage. She scored 41 runs, drove in another 21, stole 23 bases, and had an inside-the-park home run to boot.
“She had five assists from the outfield, all on runners trying to score from third on sac flies,” Smith added. “For a little gal, it’s more the accuracy than it is the strength.”