Somerset Silver Palms’ Playa and Stevens are the Dade 5A-2A Softball Players of the Year

Somerset Silver Palms has quickly become one of the premier softball powerhouses in Miami-Dade County.

And a state championship might not be far away.

Senior pitcher Edan Playa and eighth-grade outfielder Ava Stevens were the cornerstones of the Stallions’ run to their first ever state final this season in Class 3A.

As such Playa earned the Miami Herald’s Class 5A-2A Pitcher of the Year honors for the second consecutive season while Stevens is the Player of the Year in that category.

Playa, who has signed with Southeastern University in Lakeland, went a staggering 20-1 this season in the circle, striking out 103 batters along the way. She compiled a 1.60 ERA over 139.1 innings.

For the second year in a row, Playa came through in some of the toughest spots for the Stallions including an extra-inning shutout win over previously unbeaten Coral Springs Charter in the Region 4-3A final - a rematch of last year’s matchup in the same round that Somerset lost.

“This was a great opportunity to get this (award) two years in a row,” Playa said. “Everyone expected a lot from me this year, so it was tough to meet those standards. My teammates backed me up with great defense and my coaches helped me handle the mental side of it. I tried to stay calm every game and tried my best on every pitch.”

While Playa was impressive, Somerset coach Gator Rebhan said he had never seen a season quite like the one Stevens had at the plate.

Consistently facing the best pitching in the state, Stevens hit an eye-opening .660 with six triples, five doubles and 32 RBI to lead the Stallions’ potent lineup. She also showed off her speed and defensive skills in the outfield and on the basepaths where she totaled a team-high 26 stolen bases.

Stevens is one of several middle schoolers who played key roles in the Stallions’ run to state and could be a part of such future seasons.

Stevens continues to shock people when they realize how good she has become on the diamond at such a young age as many of her teammates have as well.

“It all starts with our coach and he really brought this team together and our hard work together,” Stevens said. “It’s exciting because with the young team we have, we feel like we have great things in the future.”