The Virginia High School League announces its 2026 Class 1 all-state softball team. Eastside senior pitcher Emma Sartin is the Class 1 Player of the Year, and Buffalo Gap head coach Holly Desper is the Class 1 Coach of the Year.
A hard-throwing right-hander, the 5’8” Sartin completed one of the most dominating pitching seasons in VHSL history. The UNC-Greensboro signee threw 146.2 innings this year, posting a 21-4 record and a 0.52 ERA. She faced 568 batters, struck out 302, produced a 0.505 WHIP, and limited opponents to a .092 batting average. The 2026 season included 6 no-hitters, 6 one-hitters, 2 perfect games, 14 shutouts, and 19 games with 3 hits or fewer. Her career pitching numbers included a 45-7 record, 568 strikeouts, 62 bases on balls, a 0.66 ERA (7th in VHSL history), and an OBA of .113. Also a big contributor at the plate, Sartin batted .427 this past season (.526 with RISP), hit 5 home runs, drove in 36 RBI, and had an OPS of 1.206.
Desper, the Class 1 Coach of the Year, led Buffalo Gap to a 22-4 record and the program’s first-ever state championship game appearance. Her other honors include twice being named Region 2B COY and the Shenandoah District COY. In five seasons leading the Buffaloes, she has a 79-32 (71.2%) career record. A standout athlete at Gap, Desper helped lead the Buffaloes to back-to-back state basketball titles in 2008 and 2009 while earning all-state honors. She played collegiate basketball at Bridgewater College.
