(Wilson photo) Hope Wilson (right) broke the single season homerun record for Auburn. The previous record holder was her sister, Abby (left). Hope is the 2025 all-county/all-city softball player of the year.
Marty Gordon
NRVsports@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The Auburn High softball program continued its run into the state playoffs this season with a runner-up finish.
In doing so, the team claimed three top all-county/all-city honors.
Sophomore Hope Wilson broke or tied five school records, including setting a new high for home runs in one season with15 and RBI’s with 59. Both previous records were held by a grad she knows so well – her older sister who just finished playing at Radford University. She fell two short of the state record of 17 homeruns.
Auburn Coach Tim Smoot said there really no holes in this lineup, and Wilson worked as hard as any player he has ever coached.
Wilson also tied the record for hits in a season with 49. She finished with .563 batting average and 12 doubles. She was named the all-state Class 1 first-team catcher, and all-region and all-Mt. Empire District player of year.
For her effort, Wilson is this year’s all-county/all-city softball player of the year.
She is joined on the first-team by pitcher Machenzie Booth, who picked up 17 wins against five losses. Booth is this year’s all-county/all-city pitcher of the year.
Booth finished the season with a 2.04 earned run average with 157 strikeouts and 27 walks.
The senior, who is headed to Lynchburg University in the fall, was a first-team pitcher for Class1, all-region and all-Mt. Empire District. She was also the all-region pitcher of the year. She was the workhorse for the Auburn program and carried the team throughout the playoffs. This included beating a tough J.I. Burton team 8-0 in the state quarterfinals, and beating Rappahannock 4-3. Booth then pitched well in the 3-0 state championship loss to Eastside. Booth also took Jefferson Forest (the Class 4 state runnerup) to eight innings earlier in the regular season.
Their coach, Tim Smoot, is the 2025 all-county/all-city softball coach of the year after leading the team to an overall 22-5 mark.
Wilson and Booth were joined on the all-county/all-city team by four other teammates.
Johnnie Gaynor was named to group at designated hitter, Ariel Mullins at outfield, Leah Wimmer at third base and Samantha Anderson at second base.
Christiansburg’s Aubrey Davis was named to the team as an outfielder and is this year’s all-county/all-city newcomer of the year and one marked to watch over the next few years. Davis as a sophomore hit .321 on the season with five doubles and five homeruns. She also finished 3-1 on the mound and was named all-River Ridge District first team, and was also named to the all-county/all-city team as a pitcher.
Christiansburg’s Tyleigh Dillard received the honor at first base, along with teammates Reagan Smith at utility player, Addison Reasor at shortstop and Sophia Russell at outfield.
Eastern Montgomery’s Mary Miller joined Blacksburg Clara McMahon at the pitcher position. Blacksburg’s Aubrey Hudgins was named as co-utility player of year.
