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KAUKAUNA — As the Kaukauna Galloping Ghosts softball team continues its quest for a fourth-straight state championship, a group of former Ghosts also is achieving success at the college level.
Since 2020, several former Ghosts have gone on to play college softball in NCAA Divisions I, II and III.
Over the past few weeks, college conferences have announced their All-Conference Awards/Honors, and five former players have earned post-season recognition for their 2024 seasons. Four of them were also on the team for the first 50+ games of the current win streak.
The group has 10 state titles between them.
- Ashley Fauske, Sr., Rightfield, Northern State University, (DII, NSIC) – 2nd Team All-Conference
- Anna Lacount , So., Catcher, Minot State University (DII, NSIC) – 2nd Team All-Conference
- Kally Meredith, Fr., Centerfield, Florida International University (DI, Conference USA) – 2nd Team All-Conference; All-Freshman Team
- Addison Race, So., Pitcher, St. Norbert College (DIII, NACC) – All-Conference Honorable Mention
- Haylie Wittman, So., Second Base, University Wisconsin – Oshkosh (DIII, WIAC) – 1st Team All-Conference; 3rd Team NFCA All-Region VII
Ashley Fauske (2020)
Fauske played in 47 games, starting 46 of them. At the plate, she had an overall .364 batting average, collecting 59 hits in 162 at-bats. Her .449 on-base percentage included six doubles, three triples, and 24 walks. Fauske also tallied 42 runs scored, 18 RBI, and eight stolen bases. She led her team in batting average, runs, hits, walks, and on-base percentage. While roaming the outfield, Fauske racked up 48 putouts and three assists. Fauske was a freshman on the 2017 championship team.
Anna Lacount (2022)
Serving as Minot’s #1 catcher, LaCount started 35 games this season, DH-ing when she wasn’t behind the plate. With an overall .347 batting average (.378 in conference), she had 11 runs scored, 14 doubles and 24 RBI to go along with a .400 on-base percentage. Lacount also led the conference in sacrifice flies. Defensively she had 75 putouts and 16 assists in 94 chances, and she threw out five would-be base-stealers (though not too many tested her arm). Lacount won state titles in 2021 and 2022.
Kally Meredith (2023)
Meredith’s overall batting average of .383 (.427 in conference) ranked fourth in CUSA and her 57 hits were tied for third. She was also second in stolen bases with 21 (24 attempts). Meredith ranked fourth nationally and tops in the conference with an average of 0.29 sacrifice bunts per game. She was also the fifth-hardest player to strikeout in the conference. In the field, she made several “customary” diving catches on her way to a .977 fielding percentage. Meredith was part of Kaukauna’s three-peat state championship teams of 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Addison Race (2022)
Race went 8-11 in the circle this year for a team that finished 10-30. She ended the season with an overall 3.08 earned run average (3.20 in conference), throwing 120-1/3 innings over 19 starts. Her 72 strikeouts ranked fourth and her 35 strikeouts looking were tops in the conference. She threw 17 complete games and had three shutouts. At the plate, she batted .316 with three doubles and nine RBI in 57 at-bats. Race won state titles in 2021 and 2022.
Haylie Wittman (2022)
Wittman had an overall batting average of .345 (.368 in conference) to go along with a .409 on-base percentage. In her 116 at-bats, she tallied 30 RBI (sixth in the conference), 27 runs scored, 13 walks, five doubles, and a triple. Her six home runs ranked fifth in the conference and helped her achieve a .560 slugging percentage. In the field, Wittman recorded 15 double plays to lead the WIAC and owned a .972 fielding percentage. Wittman won state titles in 2021 and 2022.
Side note:
Somewhat unrelated, but a small bit of irony nonetheless, the last pitcher to get a win versus the Ghosts (May 18, 2021), Neenah’s Morgan Harwood, was a freshman pitcher at UW-Stevens Point this season. She earned 1st Team All-Conference, Pitcher of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year for the WIAC.
