BNL’s Ratliff, Graves named to South All-Stars, selected to First Team All-State

BNL seniors Kendall Graves and Ava Ratliff were named South All-Stars by the SCAI. They are the 11th and 12th players in program history to earn that honor. Courtesy photo

By Justin Sokeland

WBIW.com

BEDFORD – Ted Williams, who wanted to be known as the “greatest hitter who ever lived,” once stated a batter had to decide to hit for power or average. “You can’t do both,” was his claim. With no offense to the late Boston Red Sox legend, he never had the privilege of meeting Bedford North Lawrence’s super duo.

Ava Ratliff and Kendall Graves, BNL’s double hammer at the top of the lineup, and sterling defenders at key positions, joined an elite program list when they were named to the Indiana South All-Star teams by the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana. They are the 11th and 12th players in BNL history to earn the honor, and the first BNL teammates on the squad since 1991.

Both were also named First Team All-State in Class 3A/4A.

Both are destined for Div. I programs. Ratliff, a four-time All-State selection at catcher who set the state career record for home runs, has signed with Auburn, while Graves is headed for Butler. And both were offensive forces for the Stars.

During her incredible career with the Stars, Ratliff blasted 69 home runs and finished second in state history with 179 RBIs while boasting a career batting average of .515, obliterating the school record with 195 hits. As a senior, she hit .495 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs, a great campaign by any standard.

Graves got better as she aged. Her batting average jumped 140 points to .515 during her senior season, and she still cracked 11 home runs with 42 RBIs, and she joined a prestigious list with 50-plus hits in a single season.

BNL’s Ava Ratliff shattered the state record with 69 career homers and was second with 179 career RBIs.

“If you look at stats, they both had outstanding seasons,” BNL coach Brad Gilbert said. “They put up really good numbers, and against the competition we play, that’s pretty good.”

They are BNL’s third and fourth All-Stars in the last five years, following Sarah Stone (2021) and Annie Waggoner (2023).

“It’s a really special opportunity, and being able to do it with Kendall makes it even more special,” Ratliff said. “It’s rewarding, because we both worked so hard. Doing this together is an honor.”

No hitter has been as feared as Ratliff. She was walked intentionally four times in one game earlier this season and drew 65 walks during her career. Her overall slugging percentage (1.214) is off the charts. She’s also been named national catcher of the year twice, and she won the Johnny Bench Award last season.

“What Ava has done is just incredible,” Gilbert said. “We’ve not seen a power hitter like that in a long time. And her defense, throwing runners out, just makes her incredible. It’s not easy to hit a softball. It’s definitely not easy to hit 69 balls out of the ballpark. I don’t know there’s been anybody that got pitched around like she did and still performed.“

Her personal highlight was breaking the state record for home runs as a junior. She has raised that mark to a number that might stand the test of time.

BNL’s Kendall Graves, a defensive wizard at shortstop, raised her batting average 140 points as a senior.

“Breaking the home run record, that was special and crazy,” she said. “That was such a cool experience. Softball is my life. It’s always been that way.”

Graves could also help win games in multiple ways. Her smooth ability at shortstop, turning the difficult into a routine out or taking away a possible hit by charging a tough bounce, was often overlooked.

“There were times we had defense-only practice, and she was just all smiles,” Gilbert said. “She makes plays that are unbelievable, those are things you can’t put on the stat sheet. She takes away so many hits, it’s awesome to watch her. She’s fearless. She attacks the ball like no one else. She just went after it.”

After starting her career as a late-inning defensive replacement at third base, she shifted to shortstop as a sophomore and made it her home. Raising her average and power numbers was her main goal.

“I had a lot of hard work, just getting ready for the season,” Graves said. “Defense is my favorite, where I’m most comfortable. My batting average is what I’m most proud of. It’s nice to have a lot of home runs, but my goal was to hit over .500.

”Making the All-Stars, that’s pretty big to me. That was one of my goals for the year, so it’s special to me. And I’m super happy to be alongside Ava to do that. I love playing with some of my best friends, just playing the sport I love.”

The South All-Stars will face the North in a doubleheader on June 21 at Indiana University.

BNL’s Ava Ratliff is a four-time All-State selection as a catcher.

BNL’S SOUTH ALL-STARS

1989 – Amy Aronson

1991 – Mindy Haskett, Jama Kern, Jenny Mitchell

1992 – Brett Mooneyham

1993 – Billie Jo Mitchell

1998 – Amanda Kellams

1999 – Jessie Matlock

2021 – Sarah Stone

2023 – Annie Waggoner

2025 – Ava Ratliff, Kendall Graves