Link and Hendricks receive ICA all-state honors
Gillespie senior Kamryn Link, pictured holding the IHSA Class 2A Piasa regional championship plaque with his catcher Ian Brown, was named to the ICA all-state baseball team as a pitcher and outfielder. Link had a 1.03 ERA and an 8-1 record while batting .528 with five home runs, 51 hits and 41 RBI. The Miners went 32-1 this season. Photo contributed.
By JACKSON WILSON
Enquirer Democrat Reporter
Two Macoupin County athletes were named to this year’s Illinois Coaches’ Association All-State baseball and softball rosters.
Kamryn Link of Gillespie landed honors as a left fielder and pitcher.
Abby Hendricks of North Mac received third team recognition as a catcher.
In addition to receiving All-SCC honors, North Mac catcher Abby Hendricks was named to the ICA All-State third team for North Mac. The junior catcher hit .585 with five home runs and 39 RBI while compiling a massive 1.092 slugging percentage. Hendricks also went the entire season without committing an error on defense. Photo contributed.
Link helped orchestrate a historic season in his senior campaign for the Miners. Link batted .528 overall and reached base 62 percent of the time. He launched five home runs, led the team with 51 hits, scored 48 runs, contributed 41 RBI and stole 12 bases.
On the mound, Link twirled a microscopic 1.03 earned run average as the ace of a deep pitching rotation. He additionally led the Miners with a .811 slugging percentage, 11 doubles and a pair of triples. As a unit, Gillespie accomplished its program’s first undefeated regular season and went 32-1 overall. The Miners won an outright South Central Conference crown and landed their school’s 16th regional championship before eventually being eliminated by Quincy Notre Dame in the sectional finals.
Hendricks, a .585 hitter, also connected on five home runs as a team captain. She compiled a 0.608 on-base percentage and drove in 39 runs for North Mac. Her slugging percentage was through the roof at 1.092 and she led all Panthers with 38 hits, including 14 doubles and a pair of triples. In addition to scoring 26 times, Hendricks went the entire season without a defensive miscue behind the plate. Hendricks, who is set to return as a senior for North Mac in 2024, was named to the ICA third team in recognition of her performance. The Panthers finished the year as a regional semifinalist at 13-10 overall while going 4-5 in their inaugural campaign as an SCC squad.
