Fort Worth-area Softball All-Area individual awards: Player of the Year, more
.jpg "White Settlement Brewer center fielder Ava Pena (00) runs as she beat out a throw to first base against Montgomery Lake Creek in the UIL Class 5A Division II state softball championship game at Red & Charline McCombs field in Austin, Texas, on Friday, May 29, 2026.")
Introducing the Fort Worth-area High School Softball 2026 All-Area individual award winners.
Editor’s note: The full 2026 All-Area Team will be released Thursday.
Player of the Year
Meredith Hambric, Sophomore, Byron Nelson
Hambric put together one of the most dominant pitching seasons in the area, going 23-5 with a 1.17 ERA and 239 strikeouts across 185 1/3 innings. The sophomore set Byron Nelson’s single-season and single-game strikeout records (15) while earning District 4-6A co-MVP honors and leading her squad to a strong 37-7-1 overall record.
Her efforts helped Byron Nelson claim the District 4-6A title, the first in school history, and advance further in the playoffs than any previous Bobcats team. Denton Guyer, in the Class 6A Division II regional finals, eliminated Byron Nelson with an 8-5 Game 3 win in extra innings.
Pitcher of the Year
Stacy Jennings, junior, Richland
Jennings was a two-way force for a Richland squad that finished 33-6 and won the District 6-5A title. She logged 182 2/3 innings, holding opponents to 119 hits and 35 earned runs while striking out 231 batters against 73 walks for a 1.34 ERA.
At the plate she hit .375, adding consistent offensive production to go with a run that ended in the Class 5A Division I regional semifinals.
Offensive Player of the Year
Ryan Roberts, senior Mansfield Lake Ridge
Roberts capped her high school career with a standout offensive season, batting .541 with 60 hits, 18 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 58 runs and 41 RBIs. The District 3-6A MVP also held her own defensively, posting a .957 fielding percentage in center field.
Newcomer of the Year
Ava Pena, freshman, White Settlement Brewer
Pena wasted no time making an impact in her freshman season, hitting .547 with a .583 on-base percentage, eight doubles, eight triples, four home runs, 33 RBIs, 56 runs and 24 stolen bases in the regular season. She elevated her game in the playoffs, batting .556 with two home runs and 12 RBIs as Brewer advanced to its first state semifinal and state championship.
Pena earned UIL All-Tournament honors and was named to the Texas High School Coaches Association Super Elite Team.
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