2023 MaxPreps All-America Team: Ava Brown of Lake Creek headlines high school softball's best

A high school career that most could only dream of was a reality for Ava Brown of  Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas). One of the most dominant prep players of all time cemented her status with a second consecutive Class 5A state title and this year's MaxPreps National Championship.
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year
2010 — Kasey Fagan, Dunnellon (Fla.)
2011 — Paige McDuffee, The Woodlands (Texas)
2012 — Kenzie Conrad, Keystone (La Grange, Ohio)
2013 — Casey Stangel, Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
2014 — Johanna Grauer, Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.)
2015 — Tannon Snow, Chino Hills (Calif.)
2016 — Caroline Hedgecock, Downers Grove South (Ill.)
2017 — Taylor Dockins, Norco (Calif.)
2018 — Montana Fouts, East Carter (Grayson, Ky.)
2019 — Sydney Supple, Oshkosh North (Oshkosh, Wis.)
2020 — No selection due to COVID
2021 — Jordyn Bahl, Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.) / Sophia Simpson, Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas)
2022 — Keagan Rothrock, Roncalli


Payton Brown, Sr., Rockridge (Taylor Ridge, Ill.) 
The Illinois State softball recruit smashed a IHSA single-season record of 27 home runs while helping the Rockets win their third straight state title.

Payton Burnham, Jr., Sheldon (Eugene, Ore.)
The Oregon State-bound pitcher was unhittable as opponents batted .077. She finished with an 0.18 ERA as the powerful right-hander struck out 386 in 192 innings. The 6A state champion also batted .409 with five home runs.

Ava Coffinger, Jr., Gull Lake (Richland, Mich.)
The speedy lefty slapper finished with a .649 on-base percentage. When the Michigan State commit got on, she did damage, scoring 86 runs and swiping 33 bags.

Isabel Cunnea, Sr., Marist (Chicago)
The Northwestern commit went yard 23 times, batted .491 and drove in 73. She was a big reason the RedHawks won a state championship and finished No. 8 in the final MaxPreps Top 25.

Olivia Duncan, Sr., Buford (Ga.)
The Clemson signee helped her team to a fall Class 7A title, doing it all for the Wolves as she was 13-1 in the circle and hit eight home runs.

Kirsten Fleet, Sr., Auburn (Riner, Va.)
The James Madison University commit dominated in all phases of the game for the Eagles this spring. In the circle, she fanned 389, finished with a 0.48 ERA and held opponents to a 0.87 batting average. At the plate, she hit .456 with 11 home runs.

Jasmine Francik, Jr., Melbourne (Fla.)
Playing varsity since the seventh-grade, the Florida State commit has gotten better each season. She mowed down 411 batters this spring and tossed eight no hitters in 2023.



Karli Godwin, Sr., East Columbus (Lake Waccamaw, N.C.)
The Oklahoma State commit once again put up ridiculous numbers at the plate. She hit .731, hit 20 home runs, drove in 86 and walked 35 times.

Brooke Gray, Sr., Ballard (Louisville)

Abigail Gutierrez, Sr., Pearland (Texas)
The lefty ace finished 26-1 and struck out 191. The UT Arlington commit was a huge reason the Oilers captured a Class 6A state championship.

Jayden Heavener, Jr., Pace (Fla.)
The LSU commit allowed four earned runs all season in 127 innings. Her ERA was 0.22 and finished with 300 Ks. She could smash too, hitting .459 and blasting seven bombs.

Erin Hoehn, Sr., North Posey (Poseyville, Ind.)
The Michigan commit went out with a bang in the 2A state title game, tossing a no-hitter while fanning 15. She also hit a three-run bomb in the seventh as her team won its first state title and finished 29-0.

Mya Holt, Jr., Wetumpka (Ala.)
The Troy commit has had 531 at-bats so far with the Indians as she's been a varsity standout since the seventh grade. This year, she batted .512, hit 22 home runs and drove in a nation-best 96 runs. She was also a beast in the circle finishing 37-2 with a 0.75 ERA.

Alyssa Houston, Sr., Benton (Ark.)
The Stanford signee will go down as one of the most dominant players in state history. She capped off her illustrious career leading the Panthers to a third consecutive 5A state championship.

Lily Huneycutt, Sr., West Stanly (Oakboro, N.C.)
The right-handed pitcher went 27-1 this season with a 0.64 ERA and 259 punch-outs as the school captured its fourth straight state championship. She has surpassed over 500 strikeouts in varsity two seasons.

Addison Jackson, Sr., St. Amant (La.)
Headed to Boston College, the Gators' ace finished 31-1 with a 0.93 ERA and 288 strikeouts in 188.2 innings. At the plate, she hit .500 and smashed 28 home runs. She finished her career with two consecutive state titles.

Katie Kutz, Sr., Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.)
The leader of the Knights never lost a game during her prep career. As a senior, the Oklahoma State commit went 19-0 with a 0.45 and struck out 268 batters. At the plate, she hit .557 with 13 home runs.



Hailey Maestretti, Jr., Lutheran (Parker, Colo.)
The Utah pledge was dominant in all phases of the game for the 4A state champions, winning 27 games in the circle, batting .506 and hitting nine home runs.

Sage Mardjetko, Sr., Lemont (Ill.)
The South Carolina commit finished 22-0 and didn't allow a run all year in 137 innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out 326 batters on the season, including a 24-strikeout performance during the team's 1-0 win over Antioch in the 3A state game.

Gianna Mares, Sr., Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.)
She capped off a third consecutive state title as a player after pitching a seven-inning complete game shutout in a 2-0 win against Greenway in the championship game. Headed to BYU, she also hit .486 with 15 home runs.

Katelynn Oxley, Jr., Bartow (Fla.)
Finished the season with a 0.50 ERA and struck out 307, including 16 in the state championship game. The Florida commit struck out 10 or more in 11 straight games to close out the season.

Sara Phillips, Jr., Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)
She's a three-sport athlete for a 7A school, a Maryland commit and now a two-time state champion. She earned state tournament MVP honors for her performance in the circle and she was also 4-for-7 at the plate with five RBI.

Kailey Plumlee, So., Gordonsville (Tenn.)
She's been a star in the circle since eighth grade for the Tigers. She's already surpassed the 1,000-strikeout mark. This season she struck out 323 batters, batted .547, hit eight jacks and guided her team to a Class 1A state championship.



Randi Roelling, Sr., Central Catholic (Modesto, Calif.)
The Cal signee struck out more than half the hitters she faced. She led the state with 375 strikeouts, which was 57 more than the next player. She also blasted seven home runs.

Keagan Rothrock, Sr., Roncalli (Indianapolis)
The Florida commit will go down as one of the most dominant prep pitchers of all time. In nearly 500 innings, she ends with a 0.45 ERA, 1,080 strikeouts and 22 no-hitters. She also hit 26 home runs during her time with the Royals.

Julia Shearer Sr., North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.)
She led the state with 355 strikeouts and pitched her 22nd shutout during the Knight's 1-0 win in the PIAA 6A state championship. The Maryland signee went 28-0 with 0.21 ERA in the circle.

Yanina Sherwood, Jr., Jackson (Mill Creek, Wash.)
The UNLV commit finished 23-1 in the circle with a 0.53 ERA mowing down 250 batters. The powerful righty also blasted five home runs helping her team take home a 4A state title.

Desirae Spearman, Sr., Hanks (El Paso, Texas)
She put on a show in every game she played this season. She led the country with 30 home runs, had 25 multiple hit games and batted .688 overall. On the defensive side, the New Mexico State commit struck out 271 batters and went 20-1 as the team's ace.

Kaitlyn Terry, Sr., Greenway (Phoenix)
She defines the term "dual threat." The UCLA commit finished with an eye-popping .706 average, smashed 23 home runs and knocked in 68 runs. But that might not compare to what she did in the circle. The lefty struck out 406 batters in 169 innings and allowed five earned runs all season.



Madison Walker Sr., Olathe West (Olathe, Kan.)
The Mizzou commit put up ridiculous numbers this season for the 6A state champions. She batted .659 with a 1.545 slugging percentage. She had a state-best 18 home runs with 71 RBI.

Second team

Faith Aragon, Sr., Carlsbad (N.M.)
The UTEP commit capped off a stellar career leading her team to a second consecutive state championship.She was 16-1 in the circle and finished the season with a .632 average and 13 home runs.

Anahi Arreola, Sr., Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
The slugger hit a California-leading 20 home runs. She started the spring season hitting eight bombs in seven games and never took the foot off the pedal.

Kayce Bennett, Sr., Live Oak (Watson, La.)
The Southern Miss commit was one of the most powerful hitters in the country. The catcher hit 10 home runs over her last 11 games and finished with 24 overall.

Mykenzi Duke, Sr., Lexington (Tenn.)
Smashed 26 home runs this season, tied for fifth nationally. She also finished in the Top 10 with 82 RBI.

Ansley Bennett, So., Summerville (S.C.)
Did it all for the Green Wave as they won the school's first state championship. She was the team's ace and also one of their biggest bats. She pitched a shutout and drove in a pair during their 2-0 championship win over Byrnes.



Taniyah Brown, Sr., Brewbaker Tech (Montgomery, Ala.)
The Memphis commit helped the Rams win the school's first state championship. She batted .476 with 19 bombs. The power hitter also got it done in the circle, winning 41 games and striking out 319.

Kennedy Diggs, Jr., Sherwood (Creighton, Mo.)
The powerful right-handed pitcher set a Missouri record with 511 strikeouts in the fall. The Kansas commit was a workhorse, as she pitched in 36 games and 236 innings.

Alyssa Faircloth, Sr., Tuscaloosa County (Northport, Ala.)
The Troy signee mowed down 402 batters in 182 innings. The lefty finished with a 0.92 ERA and struck out 10 more in 23 games this spring.

Addisen Fisher, Jr., Bend (Ore.)
A massive all-around threat, the UCLA commit batted .602 with seven home runs. She allowed five earned runs in 102 innings, striking out 214 and finishing with a 0.32 ERA.

Maddia Groff, Sr., Marian (Omaha, Neb.)
The Southern Illinois commit was a force all over the diamond for the Class A fall state champions, going 25-1 in the circle and batting over .500 at the plate.
The South Alabama commit posted a 26-1 record and had nearly 300Ks. At the plate, she hit .467, 76 RBI with 20 home runs.


Finished the season with 213 strikeouts, including 17 in the two-game sweep of South Panola in the 6A championship series. The Southern Mississippi commit also hit nearly .400 at the plate.

Sophia Mariottini, Sr., Hollister (Calif.)
The Haybalers finished the season by putting their name on the map as a national power and Mariottini was a big part of that. The Molloy University commit ended with a 30-2 record in the circle. She also contributed on offense, batting over .400.

Ryan Maddox, Sr., Clovis North (Fresno, Calif.)
The Arizona pledge finished with a 62-5 mark, 0.66 ERA and 772 strikeouts during her time with the Broncos. As a senior she went 21-1, mowed down 281 and held opponents to a .119 average.

Maddie Mckee, Sr., Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas)
The LSU commit was one of the toughest outs in all of the country. She had 78 total hits, scored 74 runs and swiped 65 bags.

Samantha Lincoln Jr., Taunton (Mass.)
Headed to Texas Tech, the powerful lefty struck out 53 and allowed two earned runs during a playoff run that helped the Tigers win their third straight state championship.

Shelby McKenzie, Jr., Pace (Fla.)
She had at least one hit in all but two games this spring. The Florida State commit finished the season batting .577 with 13 home runs.



Karlee Meredith, So., Kaukauna (Wis.)
Finished with a flawless record in the circle, under a 1.00 ERA and over 200ks. The youngster can swing it too, as she batted .542 for the Galloping Ghosts who have won 81 straight.

Jamari Moss, Sr., Warren County (Warrenton, N.C.)
The NC A&T commit put up absolute monster numbers this season. She batted a whopping .844, hit 18 home runs and had 15 games with at least three hits.

Brynne Nally, Jr., Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.)
Clutch when it mattered most, the Long Beach State commit went 5-0 during the Mariners run to a Division 1 Southern Section title.
Finished 13-3 in the circle with 175 strikeouts in nearly 100 innings of work. At the dish, the Stanford commit hit .442 with 10 home runs.

Avery Sapp, Sr., Spanish Fork (Utah)
Had 660 career strikeouts and a 53-5 total record. The Utah Valley commit can hit too, batting .464 with 11 home runs during her senior year. She won three consecutive state championships.
The Weber State commit finished with a .604 batting average, 11 home runs and 54 RBI. She also led the way in the circle with 231 strikeouts.

Jessa Snippes, Sr., Rosemount (Minn.)
Dominant in the batter's box and in the circle for the Irish, the Minnesota pledge batted above .600 and was flawless as a hurler guiding her team to a second title in three years.



Kylie Swierkos, Sr., Hartland (Mich.)
The Grand Valley State University commit was a massive reason the Eagles won their first state title since 1996. She finished the season with over 260 strikeouts, a sub-1 ERA and was in the circle in the biggest moments during the team's Division 1 playoff run.

Abby Robakowski, Sr., New Prairie (New Carlisle, Ind.)
The Indiana State commit broke a state record with 23 home runs. She finished the season batting .579 and drove in 73 runs.

Anne Wallace, So., Ridgeline (Millville, Utah)
Made a name for herself this season batting .458 and hitting a state-record 27 home runs.

Sydnie Watts, So., Austintown-Fitch (Youngstown, Ohio)
Threw a perfect game in the district semifinals, a no-hitter in the regional semis, a no-hitter in the state semis and  capped it off with a 13-strikeout performance to help the Falcons win their first state championship.

Brianne Weiss, Jr., Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
The lefty ace brought it all year for the Lancers. Facing some of the toughest competition in the country, the Notre Dame commit finished 13-3 with a 0.79 ERA and 185 strikeouts.

Berkley Zache, So.,  South Bend St. Joseph (South Bend, Ind.)
The powerful hitter and pitcher went 16-1 with a 0.13 ERA including two no-hitters and a perfect game. She gave up two earned runs all season and finished with 251 strikeouts. At the plate, she batted .531 with nine jacks.