Abby Grace Richardson, Brookhaven Academy

It’s a toss-up of who was most looking forward to seeing Brookhaven Academy senior slugger Abby Grace Richardson graduate — opposing pitchers or coaches.

All it took was one pitch to find her zone and Richardson would send the ball sailing out of the yard. The power in her bat was a huge part of Brookhaven Academy capturing the MAIS 5A state championship to cap off a dream season back in October.

For her outstanding play during her senior campaign, Richardson has been named The Daily Leader All-Area Most Valuable Player.

The catcher and Copiah-Lincoln CC signee was second on the team with 50 RBIs for coach Becky Flowers. In 146 plate appearances, she struck out just seven times this season for a Brookhaven Academy team that finished 32-6-1.

A fixture in the heart of the BA lineup since her freshman season, the coaches, catchers and pitchers in the other dugout worked together to make sure that Richardson saw as few good pitches as possible this season.

When she did get a pitch she could hit, she made the most of it, slugging a team high 19 homeruns during her senior year along with five doubles and two triples.

Richardson drew an astounding 53 walks on the year, 30 more than the second placed player in that category on her team.

Last season as a junior, Richardson was tabbed as All-Area Offensive MVP and her long list of accolades include being named an MAIS All-Star and part of the MAIS 5A All-State team following her senior season.

Richardson turned down Division I offers to begin her college career playing at Co-Lin for coach Meleah Howard.

With MAIS schools playing their softball season in the early fall and CLCC playing its season in the spring, Richardson was often at her future home ballpark watching Co-Lin softball as the Wolves made their run to the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference state championship this year.

The scouting reports on hitters are usually a little more detailed on the collegiate level.

One would think though, that next year the coaches at places like Pearl River and Gulf Coast CC will have the same thing written down in their book for Richardson as the coaches from Oak Forest Academy and Silliman Institute did these last four years — don’t give her a pitch she can hit.