Marble Falls softball player Phillips named all-state

CAPTION: Marble Falls’ Callie Phillips is selected to the 2026 Class 4A all-state team, the first Lady Mustang chosen for the honor who is coached by Alex Lozoya. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Marble Falls softball player Callie Phillips was chosen to the Blue Bell/Texas Sportswriters Association Class 4A All-State Softball Team for the 2026 season.

Phillips, who will graduate in 2028, was selected to the third team as a utility player.

“It feels amazing,” she said. “I feel incredible about it.”

She was nominated by Lady Mustangs head coach Alex Lozoya.

“I expressed on how hard she works in a district that was very difficult to play, that was very competitive, that while the team as a whole and the program did show competitive improvement as far as competing in games, ultimately, I don’t feel that we won enough that we probably could have,” he said. “And hopefully that changes going into next year, but that does not — should not — take away from the efforts that kids were putting on with individual performances.”

Phillips, who is the first Lady Mustang named to an all-state team playing for Lozoya, had a batting average of .554, a .620 on-base percentage, a 1.152 slugging average with 51 hits that includes 16 dubs, six triples and nine home runs resulting in 32 RBI.

“Along with the numbers that she put up in the non-district part of our season and compared to other players in the state, I think the committee for the Texas Sportswriters Association felt that Callie was deserving of being named the utility player.”

A utility player is simply an athlete who can do it all.

“She caught, she played in the infield, she spent a couple of innings in the outfield, she pitched for us,” the coach said. “She had a hand in everything that we were doing. I put up all her stats and all the positions she played. That was one of the requirements that was put in the form that they sent out to fill out for the information – all positions played, statistics for all positions that were listed.”

He noted that some athletes “don’t want to be seen as a utility player.”

“Because it almost makes it seem like you don’t have a set position,” Lozoya said. “But I think Callie takes pride in being flexible on the field, to be able to play wherever the team needs her with the intent of playing her best. She’s able to play off spots and going wherever the team needs her to play to give the team the best chance to win.”

It’s her most recent honor for the season. She also was the District 24-4A co-Defensive Player of the Year, academic all-district and her team’s Most Valuable Player.

Phillips, who credits her parents, family, teammates and coaches for the individual awards, said the honors simply motivate her to keep working.

“Of course, it gives me a reason to push myself even harder than I already do,” she said. “It makes me want to get to that second team all-state, that first team all-state. It makes me want to be that player that people know. And that’s just how I feel. It’s an amazing feeling. I’m proud of myself and I’m proud of everyone who has come along with me. I’m really happy to see where my journey with softball goes.”

Other district players named to the all-state team include pitcher Avery Dunlap, who is one of three on the first team in that position, and first baseman Kaitlyn Weber, who is one of three in that position on the honorable mention list. Both played for Salado.

CAPTION: There wasn’t a defensive position that Callie Phillips couldn’t play. She was a shortstop, outfielder, pitcher and catcher.