A championship-caliber senior season has led to Alyvia Lawrentz being named the 2025 winner of the Dave Truex Award as Pickaway County’s most outstanding senior softball player.
“I think it comes back to how hard of a worker she is in offseason workouts. As much as she’s grown as a person, she’s also matched that physically, too,” Teays Valley coach Derrick Hastler said. “She’s always been a strong, athletic kid. To continue to build and get even stronger, physically — I think that’s why she’s able to compete and perform as well as she has, because she’s been committed to those things.”
Whether it was keeping opposing teams under control from the pitching circle, tracking down balls in left field or getting the offense going as the leadoff hitter, Lawrentz was a leader on the field. It’s a combination of skills that has developed over the years, she said.
“Even my sophomore year, I played the outfield more than I pitched. My junior year, I got to pitch more and this year I especially got to pitch more,” Lawrentz said. “I’ve seen myself grow as an individual each year. You can see it in my pitching stats, my hitting stats or anything. But I definitely had to take up a bigger role the past two years being the leadoff batter.”
She started 18 games in the circle where she had a 13-4 record with a 1.713 earned run average. Lawrentz struck out 183 opposing batters while only issuing 14 walks. Even when TV’s opponents got on base, Lawrentz was able to leave 74 stranded.
“Lyv came in as a freshman, wanted to do well, that work ethic has always been there. Sophomore year, she played in the outfield, like she said, and she wasn’t super thrilled at that at first, but over time, you know, you talk about that growth in accepting the role and taking some ownership, and it got to the point where she was like, “No, don’t put me in the dirt,’” Hastler said. “She loved it and would make diving plays and do things for her team.
“Then, as her role in the circle grew over time, that’s just her taking ownership and doing whatever needs to be done to help the team. She’s always been what we call a team-first gal. So, whatever the needs of the team were, however she could fulfill that role, she’s going to go and give it everything she has.”
One of her biggest wins this year came early in the season when the Vikings faced Lancaster in their first official game in the Ohio Capital Conference. The Gales had ended TV’s season in the regional semifinal a year earlier but this time around Lawrentz threw a two-hit shutout for the win.
“Going to the OCC, we faced Lancaster last year, so we knew what we were facing. We obviously didn’t know the other teams, what we were facing, but we knew Lancaster was a huge one, and we knew we needed to prepare for them, especially. I think we did that very well,” Lawrentz said. “We beat them twice and even just beating them the first time, it was like, what’s going on?”
The Vikings ended up beating Lancaster (which advanced to the Division I final four this season) on the road to start the second half of the league as part of an undefeated run through the OCC.
“I think the OCC, I think it was just like showing that we can do whatever we want to. I think it just shows to the younger girls, we’re capable of being here,” Lawrentz said.
When the season wrapped up, not only did she have a league championship to look back on, Lawrentz was named Player of the Year by the league’s coaches.
At the plate, Lawrentz hit for a .409 average, scored 40 times and drove in 17. She also had the discipline to draw 17 walks.
Along with the accolades from the OCC, Lawrentz was named Player of the Year for Division II in the Central District by the coaches association and First Team All-Ohio.
“Lyv had a very discerning eye and was willing to take walks and get on base,” Hastler said. “That’s what you want out of a lead off. It’s not like she’s slow, but she’s not a super speedy person, but she can run – don’t let that fool you at all. So, she gets on base, we’re pretty confident she’s going to be able to make things happen if we need to make things happen. (She had 14 stolen bases on the season.)
“But above all, it’s just her maturity and approach — if you’re going to walk me, that’s fine. We can’t score if we don’t get on base. She really took ownership and understanding of that. And I think that’s a big reason why she was so successful in that spot.”
The Vikings were a young team this season as Lawrentz, Aimee DeWeese and Sophia Seymour were the only seniors.
“We don’t have named captains because we tell them all the time, this is your team no matter who you are, take ownership of it. And if you see a need or if there’s something that needs to be done, do it,” Hastler said. “And she’s always been willing to step in and do those things that need to be done and be vocal when she needed to be vocal.
“Sometimes the way that you’re a vocal leader is really different depending on the situation. Sometimes you need to be soft spoken and understanding based on who you’re talking to or what’s going on. And Lyv’s really great seeing the dynamic of situations and being able to be a little more stern and a little more forceful when she needs to be, but also understanding that sometimes people just need a little bit of love and that’s the best way to go about motivating or getting people to do what needs to be done.
“And so her leadership, her as a human are what we’re going to miss a lot.”
Lawrentz said how well the team got along helped with all the Vikings were able to get done this season.
“Even just starting workouts and getting to know everyone and the girls, it seemed like we bonded extremely well. No one could take that away from us,” Lawrentz said. “Especially over my four years, we bonded, I think the most that we ever have.
“I feel like we didn’t even have to be like those big leaders on the team because I felt like everyone knew what needed to be done and how it needed to be done, because we had those goals and those boundaries already set.”
With her high school career at an end, her collegiate career is waiting as she is set to play for Ohio Dominican.
Hastler said that even her decision to major in exercise science shows why Lawrentz was such an asset to the Vikings.
“That’s not a, ‘I’m going to go make millions of dollars type of thing.’ It’s ‘I’m going to find a way to help other people and serve other people,’” Hastler said. “And I think that’s what as coaches gives you the most pride. When you see kids develop and understand how to work within a team, and then that goes on and they can project that forward. She’s going to be part of a team forever.
“Obviously, her stats were tremendous and her abilities on the field are going to leave a huge gap for us to find a way to try to fill those things, but what I miss most about when people move on is when the good people leave, they’re tough to replace. And she’s that.”
• The Dave Truex Award was created in 2023 with Circleville’s Cara Cooper and Circleville’s Gabby McConnell being recognized as the initial two winners
Truex recorded 416 wins in 28 seasons leading Circleville and had another 156 wins before that as the baseball coach.
