PHOTOS SUBMITTED The Daily Leader's 2025 All-Area Softball MVP, Brookhaven Academy's Ann Elise Duncan.

Brookhaven Academy senior pitcher Ann Elise Duncan wasn’t going to be denied in her final season of high school softball.

Duncan pitched in a MHSAA 4A championship series as a sophomore at North Pike. As a junior, she transferred to Brookhaven Academy, where she helped lead the Cougars to the MAIS 5A state title series, where BA lost the championship series 2-1 to Parklane Academy.

The 2024-2025 school year was a shot at redemption for Duncan and her team and the Cougars made the most of it, sweeping Parklane Academy 2-0 for the second state championship in the last three years for BA. 

Brookhaven Academy doesn’t bring home that title trophy without the pitching and hitting provided by Duncan.

A Pearl River Community College signee, Duncan has been named the 2025 Daily Leader All-Area Softball Most Valuable Player.

In the pitching circle, Duncan started 18 games and appeared in a total of 24 contests. She threw 123.2 total innings, facing 508 batters, and throwing 2,051pitches in her senior season.

Over 2,000 pitches, and she gave up just 54 total hits and 25 earned runs. Duncan struck out 233 batters and walked 66, finishing the season with an outstanding 1.41 ERA.

Last season Duncan was named All-Area Defensive MVP.

Duncan was selected MAIS 5A All-State and was picked as the 5A Most Valuable Player following her senior season. On Sept. 24, she posted a season high 17 strikeouts in an 8-1 win over Amite School Center, a team that made the MAIS 4A championship series.

As impressive as her pitching numbers were, Duncan was equally great at the plate.

She led Brookhaven Academy with 12 home runs, driving in 36 runs in 89 at-bats.

At PRCC, she will suit up for coach Christie Meeks and a Wildcat program finished 36-17 overall last season.

The MACCC is one of the toughest community college leagues in the nation and the experienced Duncan should shit in nicely with the Wildcats in Poplarville after leaving her mark on Brookhaven Academy softball.