The diamond's finest

Over the past five years, 54 different players have earned recognition on the NOW All-Suburban Softball Team.

But two have stood out among their peers since the postseason team that honors the best fastpitch players in NOW's suburban-Milwaukee coverage area was initiated.

Greendale's Callie Givens and Greenfield's Stacey Butts are the only two players chosen for the team three times.

Givens was named the NOW player of the year as a junior in 2006 after batting .544 with 25 RBIs during the regular season. Butts claimed NOW's top award as a junior as well in 2008 when she batted .561 with 27 RBIs.

Givens knocked in 72 runs and scored 59 during the three regular seasons after which she was named to the All-Suburban team, and she batted better than .500 only as a junior. Butts combined to hit .534 during her three years with 79 RBIs and 87 runs, giving the Greenfield star the statistical edge.

Givens, however, led Greendale to the WIAA Division 2 state title in 2006 and a state appearance in 2005. Butts' Hustlin' Hawks made it to state this spring (and when she was a freshman) but did not win a game.

In honor of the fifth anniversary of the NOW All-Suburban Softball Team, the NOW sports staff chose an all-time team. No standardized criteria were used though special consideration was given to multi-time selections and players of the year.

Pitchers

Greendale's Nikki Temple (05) was the first NOW player of the year when she went 16-1 with 13 shutouts and five no-hitters, 177 strikeouts and 0.39 ERA.

New Berlin Eisenhower's Lauren Beres (08-09) and Kayla Schlegel (08-09) are the only pitchers to be named to the squad more than once, and for good reason. They split duties in 2007 and 2008 and went a combined 51-5 over their four-year careers.

Infielders

Lindsay Cashman (06-07) was player of the year in 2007 after leading Homestead to back-to-back North Shore Conference championships and WIAA state tournament berths. She batted .632 the year she won the award and is currently playing hockey at the University of Vermont.

Germantown's Amy Johnson (08-09) was a first-team all-state selection this season after making the third team a year ago. Over the last two years, she batted an even .500 (77-for-154) with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs.

Givens (05-07) and Butts (07-09) are the team's only three-time selections.

Outfielders

Rachel Croak (05-06) batted .448 as a senior when Greendale won the D2 state title and was even more impressive (.500) as a junior.

Menomonee Falls' Morgan McCoy (08-09) was an all-state honorable mention in 2008 and combined for 37 runs and 34 RBIs the last two seasons.

One year after batting .418, Amanda Sudfeld (06-07) slugged her way to a third-team all-state selection at Eisenhower in 2007. She had 12 extra-base hits, including five home runs, for a slugging percentage of .712.

Catchers

New Berlin Eisenhower's Megan Duerlinger (09) and Greenfield's Sam Reuter (07) were first-team all-state picks the year they earned NOW honors.

Duerlinger blasted seven home runs and batted .421 with an on-base percentage of .500 for Eisenhower and allowed just one stolen base in her first varsity season behind the plate. Two years earlier, Reuter was an all-state choice for Greenfield after batting .423 with 13 extra-base hits and 33 runs scored.

Utility Player

The definition of versatility, Greenfield's Shannon Butts (08-09) began her career as an outfielder, moved to catcher as a sophomore and was a pitcher this spring when she was named the All-Suburban player of the year.

"There are very few people that can play three positions on the diamond," Greenfield coach Jack Miller said. "Very rarely can you find someone who can be a starting pitcher and a starting catcher and a starter wherever else she plays."

Coach

New Berlin Eisenhower won the WIAA Division 2 state title in 2008, making Jeff Setz (08) not just the only coach to win the award the year his team won a state title, but also one of just two coaches in the NOW coverage area to win state in the last 11 years.

MULTI-TIME SELECTIONS

These players have been named to multiple NOW All-Suburban softball teams: Lauren Beres, New Berlin Eisenhower; Rachel Croak, Greendale; Shannon Butts, Greenfield; Stacey Butts, Greenfield*; Lindsey Cashman, Homestead; Callie Givens, Greendale*; Amy Johnson, Germantown; Brittany Klug, New Berlin West; Morgan McCoy, Menomonee Falls; Kayla Schlegel, New Berlin Eisenhower; Lexi Sotiros, Brookfield East; Amanda Sudfeld, New Berlin Eisenhower; and Liz Wiese, New Berlin Eisenhower.

* three-time selection