The incredible four-year run for
Jordyn Bahl wrapped up Oct. 16 as
Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.) beat North Platte 13-0 to win the Class A Nebraska softball state championship. It was the third title in four years for Bahl and the Monarchs, who finished the season 36-0 for the second consecutive year.
Roughly four months later,
Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas) began regular season play. Texas commit
Sophia Simpson
struck out 14, allowed one hit and no earned runs in her debut. Simpson and the Eagles didn't look back, finishing
42-2, winning the Class 5A title and finishing No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball rankings.
Bahl and Simpson are this year's MaxPreps Co-National Players of the Year.
The Papillion-LaVista South standout was once again her remarkable self in 2020. She
finished with 20 home runs, 55 RBI and a .510 batting average. But the Oklahoma commit made the most noise in the circle. Bahl allowed
two earned runs in 140 innings of work, posting a 28-0 mark with 320 strikeouts. She finished 96-3 overall during her four years, making her one the best to come from the Cornhusker State.
Similarly, Simpson was nearly flawless in the circle. Through 119 innings, she posted an 0.18 ERA, went 21-0 and struck out 271. She finished the season like she started, tossing zeros while fanning 14 in the state title game.
Bahl and Simpson headline the MaxPreps All-America Softball Team. The MaxPreps Underclass All-America Team will be released next week. Email steve.montoya@cbsi.com with nominations.
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year2020 — No selection due to COVID
2019 — Sydney Supple, Oshkosh North (Oshkosh, Wis.)
2018 — Montana Fouts, East Carter (Grayson, Ky.)
2017 — Taylor Dockins, Norco (Calif.)
2016 — Caroline Hedgecock, Downers Grove South (Ill.)
2015 — Tannon Snow, Chino Hills (Calif.)
2014 — Johanna Grauer, Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.)
2013 — Casey Stangel, Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
2012 — Kenzie Conrad, Keystone (La Grange, Ohio)
2011 — Paige McDuffee, The Woodlands (Texas)
2010 — Kasey Fagan, Dunnellon (Fla.)
First team
P — Shannon Becker, Mahopac (N.Y.), Sr.The Notre Dame commit didn't allow an earned run in 139 innings pitched. She capped an incredible career with 18 strikeouts in the Class AA sectional title game.
P — Hannah Benavides, Deer Park (Texas), Sr.Led her squad to a 6A state title and was named championship MVP after tossing a complete game in a 1-0 win over Judson.
P — Sydney Berzon, Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Jr.The LSU commit went 17-0 in the circle and led the Raiders to a sixth-straight title beating Girls Prep 10-0 in the Division II Class AA finals.
P — Briana Bower, Huntley (Ill.), Sr.Headed to Mississippi State, struck out 10 or more batters in 25 games this season. She finished the spring second in the country with 460 total strikeouts.
P — Abby Dunning, Marist (Chicago), Sr.Struck out 338 batters and allowed 36 hits in over 162 innings of work. The Boston College commit finished with a 0.25 ERA.
P — Samantha Landry, Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas), Sr.Struck out 252 batters in 121 innings of work. The Louisiana-Lafayette signee mowed down 12 batters and threw a one-hit complete game shutout in the 5A semifinals.
P — Skipp Miller, Bradford (Ohio), Sr. Allowed four earned runs in 182 innings pitched. She struck out 393 batters and led the Railroaders to a Division IV state championship.
P — Keagan Rothrock, Roncalli (Indianapolis), So.The top player in the Class of 2023, she finished with seven no hitters and a 0.13 ERA for one of the top teams in the country.
P — Mady Volpe, North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.), Sr.Finished the season without allowing a run in 42-straight innings. The Coastal Carolina commit finished 2021 with 335 strikeouts and an 0.68 ERA.
P — Annabelle Widra, Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.), Sr.The Michigan commit has been named ASWA All-State five times. As a starter since seventh grade, she finished with over 100 wins and 1,000 strikeouts.
C — Maci Bergeron, Notre Dame (Crowley, La.), Jr. Future LSU Tiger led the country in the spring with 30 home runs. She batted .557 with 70 RBI.
C — Jayla Castro, Rocklin (Calif.), Sr.UCLA commit batted .500 with eight home runs and helped her team to a Sierra Foothill League championship.
C — Karissa Hamilton, Shelbyville (Ind.), Jr. Already committed to Kentucky, batted .604 in 108 plate appearances with 22 home runs.
IF — Megan Bloodworth, Crisp County (Cordele, Ga.), Sr.The Class 3A Player of the Year batted .621 with 15 home runs. Alabama shortstop commit also drove in 60 runs and scored 56.
IF — Hailey Cripe, Pioneer (Royal Center, Ind.), Sr.A three-sport standout for the Panthers, hit .581 with 23 home runs.
IF — Tenly Grisham, Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), Jr.Batted .583 for the Rockets and will be back next season seeking a ninth-straight state title for the school.
IF — Kali Heiviln, Three Rivers (Mich.), Sr.There's a good reason Alabama wanted her – she can flat out hit. She blasted 29 home runs and batted .600 playing both shortstop and catcher.
IF — Easton Lotus, Marist (Chicago), Sr.Had a .957 fielding percentage for the 38-1 RedHawks. Finished with a .520 batting average, 17 stolen bases and had at least one hit in all but six games.
IF — Jenna Lord, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.), Sr. Racked up 83 hits, 12 home runs, 83 RBI and had a .522 on-base percentage. The Alabama commit helped her team to a 7A state title.
IF — Madison McClarity, Sachse (Texas), Jr.A hitter nobody wanted to face, she had a .724 OBP. When she saw pitches, she hit .677 with 12 home runs and 78 RBI.
IF — Jessica Oakland, Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), Jr. Minnesota commit led California with 19 home runs and batted .612.
OF — Baylea Brandon, Leander (Texas), Sr.Hit 21 bombs, drove in 72 runs, was walked 36 times and finished with a .505 average.
OF — Addy Edgmon, Sequatchie County (Dunlap, Tenn.), Jr.The lefty center fielder had two or more hits in 24 games this season. She also blasted 17 home runs.
OF — Nyjah Fontenot, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.), Jr. Arkansas commit has a powerful bat (11 home runs), speed on the bases (31 stolen bases) and a great glove in the outfield.
UT — Halie Pappion, Barbe, Jr.Left-handed pitcher led Buccaneers to a 5A state title going 19-1 in the circle and smashing nine home runs.
UT — Haylee Whitesides, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.), Sr.Finished 29-1 and struck out 255 batters while hitting .442 with eight home runs en route to the AAAAA state championship.
UT — NiJa Canady, Topeka (Kan.), Jr.Kansas 6A POY led the Trojans to a 25-0 record. Went 21-0 in the circle and also smashed 16 home runs at the plate.
Second teamP — Lily Cassell , Keystone (La Grange, Ohio), Sr. Tossed 176 innings, finished 30-1 with 26 complete games and 255 strikeouts.
P — Riley Flynn, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix), Jr. Led the Gators to the 6A state championship, the first in school history.
P — S.J. Geurin, Leander (Texas), Jr.Oklahoma commit went 23-1 with an 0.93 ERA. She struck out 272 and held opposing hitters to a .150 average.
P — Alea Johnson, Fairhope (Ala.), Jr.LSU pledge has already mowed down 697 batters in her career and threw six no-hitters this spring.
P — Paige Kilgore, Houston (Miss.), Sr.Six-year varsity career ended with 817 strikeouts, 95 wins and 749 innings pitched. Next stop is Southern Mississippi.
P — Madi Ogden, Williamsburg (Ohio), Sr. Southern Buckeye Conference National Division Player of the Year allowed one earned run and finished with 11 no-hitters and three perfect games. She also batted .527.
Post-Tribune POY compiled a 22-1 record, struck out 224 batters, tossed 19 complete games and finished with a 0.45 ERA.
P — Hannah Price, Rogers (Florence, Ala.), Jr. Alabama Class 4A pitcher of the year led the nation in the spring in strikeouts (504) and wins (38).
P — Sydney Somerndike, Villa Park (Calif.), Jr.Orange County pitcher of the year finished 24-3 with 336 strikeouts.
P — Alyssa Zabala, Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.), Jr.Capped junior year with a complete game two-hitter in the 6A state championship, where the Firebirds beat Winter Springs 5-0.
C — Hannah Coor, Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.), Sr. Before heading off to Oklahoma, she hit several key home runs during her team's postseason run to the Southern Section Division 1 championship.
C — Katie Dack-Howell, Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Sr.Texas A&M commit batted .583 en route to first team all-state honors for the third time in her career.
C — Riley Hull, Pulaski County (Somerset, Ky.), Sr. Mississippi State pledge batted over .600 for the Maroons with a hit in all but one game.
IF — Kenleigh Cahalan, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.), So.The Class of 2023 star was one of the top hitters in the country with 17 home runs, 85 RBI and a .517 batting average.
IF — Logan Cole, Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.), Jr.The lefty was a huge reason the Lancers went 24-0, batting .560 with at least one hit in all but four games.
IF — RyLee Crandall, Artesia (N.M.), Jr.Early Baylor commit can do it all, hitting 10 home runs, batting .507, compiling a .958 fielding percentage with a 0.15 ERA in the circle.
IF — Kayden Dunn, Brantley (Ala.) Jr.The Class 1A player of the year drove in 64 runs, hit 21 bombs and helped the Bulldogs to a state title.
IF — Lauren Garcia, Montwood (El Paso, Texas), Sr.The New Mexico commit had 22 home runs in 59 at-bats. She was walked 36 times this season.
IF — Delaney Keith, Skyview (Nampa, Idaho), Jr.Nearly impossible to keep off the bases, she posted a .730 on-base percentage. When she wasn't walked, she hit .670 with 18 home runs.
IF — Madison Knight, Patterson Mill (Bel Air, Md.), Jr.Versatility was on display in the 1A state title game when she had two hits while tossing seven innings and striking out 14.
IF — Alannah Rogers, Willow Canyon (Surprise, Ariz.), Jr.Led the Class 5A state champions with a .573 batting average while also maintaining a .958 fielding percentage.
OF — Avery Sapp, Spanish Fork (Utah), So.The Class of 2023 star can do it all, hitting 10 home runs, batting .512 and pitching 128 innings while leading her team to the Class 5A state title.
OF — Kali Case, Marist (Chicago), Sr.Moving on to Boston College, Case racked up 63 hits and 29 stolen bases.
OF — Dakota Kennedy, Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.), Jr.The Arizona commit finished the season with a .652 on-base percentage, nine home runs and 41 RBI for the Huskies.
UT — Kylie Chung, Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.), Sr.Stanford pledge struck out 212 as a pitcher while maintaining a perfect fielding percentage.
UT — Emmy Guthrie, Lone Grove (Okla.), Sr. Staying in-state to play for the Sooners, Guthrie fanned 310 batters and had a 0.60 ERA while batting .484.
UT — Emiley Kennedy, Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas), Sr. Future Texas A&M Aggie did it all for the Lions. She blasted 13 home runs as a hitter and went 17-2 with a 0.20 ERA in the circle.
