Calling the shots: Oxford catcher Cartner selected for high school softball all-star game

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

OXFORD — Kelly Cartner was just hoping to have a solid senior season. The recent Oxford graduate lived up to that this past spring, helping the Wildcats post one their best seasons to date.

And the season, technically, isn’t over just yet for Carter, who will attend Central Michigan in the fall. Cartner made an impression on some Oakland County coaches this past season and has been selected for Wednesday’s Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association All-State game. She will participate in the Division 1 game, which will take place at 10 a.m. at Rannehy Park.

“She had a phenomenal season,” said Oxford coach Kristi McDevitt. “Batting wise, she had one of the best seasons in school history. I wish she would have received more recognition.”

Cartner was not one of the few catchers to make All-State, but the four-year varsity veteran did earn All-Region, All-District and All Flint Metro League, as long with making the All-Area First Team by www.northoaklandsports.com and All-county Honorable Mention. She was also Academic All-State.

“It’s really cool to be able to do this,” said Cartner, who opted to the summer off from travel ball to concentrate on other things. “The Troy coach (Tom Calnen) really liked me and he asked me to play.

“I had a decent junior season, so I wasn’t really expecting to have the type of year that I had,” added Cartner, who batted around .350 as a junior. “We had a great season this year. We won the league and district. Those were our goals.”

Cartner hit an impressive .483 this season for Oxford, which is believed to be a single-season school record. She also set a school mark with 45 singles, had eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 26 RBI, and a .505 on-base percentage. She surpassed former standouts Jessica Anhel and Kelsey Oliver, who both ranked among the top Wildcats in multiple categories.

Cartner is also a fine defensive catcher, throwing out 13 runners on the base paths, and had 236 putouts and only 10 passed balls. In other words, she didn’t mind calling pitches and helping be in control.

There will be at least one more opportunity to do so in catcher’s gear, as Cartner is not the only local star who will be participating in Wednesday’s festivities. Joining Cartner on the Division 1 White Team, which is coached by Troy skipper Tom Calnen, is Troy’s Jordan Wheatley (P), Katie Dunn (C), Colleen Burns (OF) and Sara Dykowski (2B), and Clarkston’s Bailee Braunreuther (P-INF) and Taylor Hasselbach (SS), the 2010 Miss Softball-Position Player.

Lake Orion’s Tessa Tomlin will participate on the Red Team. Rochester hills Lutheran Northwest catcher Gracen Meyer will participate in the Division 4 game.

Despite impressive numbers as a senior for a team that won league and district titles in the same season for the first time in school history — Oxford’s league title was also a school first and its 17-game league win streak also sets a new mark — the 5-foot-6, strong-armed Cartner was not really a college recruit.

She will attend CMU and said if she plays well enough in the all-star game, that she may consider walk on for the Chippewas. Softball is not her life goal, as she has plans to go into sports administration and one day serve as an athletics director.

“We’ll how the game goes,” said Cartner, who graduated with a 3.75 GPA and inside the top 40 in her class. “I haven’t out-ruled (playing in college) yet.

“I am just looking forward to the chance to play in the game, then go away to school,” she continued. “I really know what I want to do in terms (of a profession).

In the profession of sports administration, Cartner will be still be able to call the shots. Just like behind the plate.

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Last updated: Jul 21 2010 at 2:31 AM