VHSL Announces 2026 Class 2 All-State Softball Team
Appomattox County's Paisley Mann selected Class 2 Player of the Year; Appomattox County's Janet Rawes named Class 2 Coach of the Year
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — The Virginia High School League announces its 2026 Class 2 all-state softball team. Appomattox County senior pitcher Paisley Mann is the Class 2 Player of the Year, and Appomattox County head coach Janet Rawes is the Class 2 Coach of the Year.
Mann, a first-team all-state selection at pitcher for the third consecutive year, compiled a 13-2 record with a stellar 1.08 ERA. In 91 innings pitched, she threw two no-hitters, allowed just 14 runs, walked 31 batters, and struck out 167 hitters. In the circle, she concluded her career with a 1.01 ERA, a 43-4 record, 26 shutouts, and 13 no-hitters. With over 320 innings pitched, Paisley recorded 595 strikeouts while issuing only 89 walks, establishing herself as one of the most dominant pitchers in program history. At the plate, Paisley led her team with a .500 batting average during the 2026 season. She also recorded 25 RBIs, 12 doubles, four triples, and struck out only six times. She finished her career with a .467 batting average, 143 hits, 121 RBIs, and six home runs while striking out only 20 times. A standout student-athlete, Paisley maintained a 4.26 GPA and will continue her academic and athletic career this fall at Radford University.
Appomattox County softball coach, Janet Rawes, guided her Raiders team to a 23-3 record and a state runner-up finish, falling to King William in the Class 2 finals. Since taking over the program in 2015, Rawes' teams have an overall record of 189-35, including bringing home the program’s first state championship title since 1987 with a 2-0 win over Randolph-Henry. She has completed 16 years of coaching at Appomattox, including 11 years as the varsity head softball coach. During that time, Rawes has been named Dogwood District Coach of the Year six consecutive times, Regional Coach of the Year five times, and State Coach of the Year three times. She is a 1989 graduate of Appomattox County High School, where I participated in both basketball and softball. I was a member of the 1987 State Championship softball team.
The all-state softball team consists of three pitchers, one catcher, four infielders by position, three outfielders, and one DP. Only those players selected as first-team all-region players are eligible for selection to the all-state team. The all-state selection committee comprises eight coaches, with two from each region.
