Why Avary Stockwell, a sophomore, is at the center Green Hill softball's state playoff push

MT. JULIET ― At some point, the inevitable will happen when facing Green Hill softball's lineup . No matter how hard a pitcher tries to avoid sophomore third baseman Avary Stockwell , reality sets in that you're going to have to pitch to her.

And Stockwell eventually will make you pay.

McGavock managed to avoid Stockwell's hitting show. Chalk it up to one of those days as the Green Hill star went 0-for-3 with a run scored. But Green Hill defeated McGavock 12-0 in four innings Monday night and advanced to Wednesday's Region 6-4A championship at home against Mt. Juliet.

Centerfielder, Kendall Davis, led the Lady Hawks with two triples, an inside-the-park home run and four RBIs.

Stockwell wasn't thrilled with her offensive results Monday, but she'll get a chance to redeem herself in the region title game.

"I've learned a lot about myself over the past couple of years as a high school player," Stockwell. "The biggest thing is not getting too high or too low with how I play. There's a consistency I want to reach, and I have a high standard for myself, but dwelling on failure isn't going to help me or my team."

Stockwell is part of a formidable lineup that includes college softball signees like Emily LeGrand (James Madison), Maddie MacIntyre (Appalachian State) and Lily Buckley (Tennessee State), Parker Herrin (Trevecca), Cadence Jarrett (Trevecca) and Maliyah Wilkins (University of the Cumberlands).

But Stockwell is the centerpiece. The third baseman, who's natural position is catcher, has been the talk of Middle Tennessee softball since she arrived as a freshman and batted .407 with 18 home runs with 58 RBIs. It was her walk-off home run that lifted Green Hill to the TSSAA Class 4A state championship over Daniel Boone, 8-7, last year.

Entering Monday's region semifinal against McGavock, Stockwell has 19 home runs and close to 70 RBIs for the Large Class' No. 1-ranked Lady Hawks (39-6-2).

"There hasn't been a huge maturing point for Avary because when she walked in as a freshman, that's how she is now," Green Hill coach Savannah Sanders said. "That's what makes Avary so special. She's unique. We think the world of her, but you appreciate her because you see how hard she works and how much she loves her teammates."

Sanders heard about a middle-school aged Stockwell playing for a Mt. Juliet travel ball team just as Sanders took the softball coaching position when the school opened four years ago. Sanders watched Stockwell during high school softball tryouts prior to the 2023 season and was amazed at her power.

"She wasn't just clearing the fence, she was clearing it and then some," Sanders said. "She was impressive. You don't see that a lot with a freshman. And Avary is intimidating when you're throwing batting practice to her, behind the screen."

Stockwell converted to softball from gymnastics as a 5-year-old and never looked back. Her father, Christian, played soccer at Beech and graduated in 1988. Her mother, Nikki, played basketball at Clarksville High, graduating in 1990. Avary Stockwell is in her second stint with Mojo 08, out of Cookeville, after playing her eighth-grade year with a travel team in Atlanta.

And she's garnered the attention of college programs, several of which have made the trip to Mt. Juliet to watch her play during the high school season.

"It's not very often you see college coaches sitting around at high school games, and we have them in the stands frequently watching her and other kids on the team," Sanders said.

More than a dozen schools have been persistent in making sure she knows they're interested.

"I've gotten mail from schools like Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Clemson and Virginia Tech," she said. "There's more, too, and I'm honored by it, but I know I have time before I have to make those kinds of decisions. For now, it's just about playing with my teammates and making more memories."

LeGrand hits leadoff and offers her own problems for opponents. The senior came into the postseason with a .415 batting average including 15 home runs, 16 doubles and more than 50 RBIs. Stockwell, LeGrand and McIntyre have helped Green Hill average 9.2 runs per game. LeGrand has been impressed with Stockwell, who bats third.

"We're really great one through nine in our lineup," LeGrand said. "And Avary is great. She brings good energy, she's happy and she wants to be here. Her productivity spreads throughout the lineup. We love her."

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Avary Stockwell, a sophomore, is at the center Green Hill softball's state playoff push