Colorado high school softball teams and individuals hitting stride midway through softball season

Class 5A
Team outlook
It has been nearly a full calendar year since Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) (12-0) has suffered a loss. The Sabercats have to be considered the top team in 5A, and they've proven it with their play on the field. Nikki McGaffin has been terrific as she is hitting .531 with three home runs and 18 RBIs, both the best marks on the team. They have big wins over Legend (Parker) and Legacy (Broomfield), also considered top-five teams in the state, so they're also battled-tested. It's going to take a lot to slow down the defending state champions at this point in the season.

Legend (10-3) has dropped games to Chatfield (Littleton) and Cherokee Trail (Aurora) as well as its 1-0 loss to Fossil Ridge early in the season. But the Titans have looked strong in every other contest. Senior Hannah Coates is batting .410 and shares the team lead in RBIs with 12. She's also hit three home runs, second to junior Emma Harrington, who has five. Cameron Ponich has picked up the bulk of the pitching duties and has struck out 92 batters in 63.1 innings pitched.

After making a deep playoff run a year ago, Grand Junction Central hopes to get back to the state tournament in Aurora. Kennedy Vis picked up right where she left off, as she's hitting .410 with 10 RBIs. She has yet to commit a defensive error and holds a 1.37 ERA through 51 innings pitched. The Warriors are trying to see as many Front Range teams as possible this fall and have losses against Holy Family (Broomfield) and Legacy.

While Columbine (Littleton) (9-3) has suffered some tough losses, the Rebels have played some solid softball this season. They've picked up big wins over Cherokee Trail and Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) to show they can hang with top teams. Their losses have come against the likes of Holy Family, Horizon (Thornton) and Legend, all of which are playing well this season. Emma Todd and Savannah Waldrop have had similar campaigns with each batting better than .400 and each hitting three home runs. Junior Araya Ogden has been steady in the circle, going 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA.

Notable stats
Hannah Bailey of Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) and Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) standout Amanda Licht are mashing the ball and share the state lead with seven home runs. Both are tied for fourth in 5A RBIs with 22, as Lakewood's Reagan Medina, Arvada West's Kendall Mulvaney and Loveland's Bri Eslinger each have 25.

Loveland's Laynee Case has a knack for getting around the bases as she leads the classification with 29 runs scored.

Eaglecrest (Centennial) ace Lindsey Troftgruben has been difficult to score runs against as she maintains a 0.86 ERA. That's certainly tops in the classification and among the top three in the state, regardless of classification. In 24.1 innings pitched, she's given up just three earned runs, and, perhaps more impressively, walked just two batters.

Class 4A

Erie has jumped to an 11-1 start with the only loss coming against 5A's Legend. Sophomore Addie Osborne is a big reason for that start as she's hitting .512 and has a team-high four home runs. Seniors Ashlee Lovett and Emma Osborne are both hitting well over .500 and have combined for 33 RBIs. The sophomore pitching combination of Matix Hull and Gracie Sackett are 10-1 in the circle with a combined ERA of 1.81.

Ponderosa (Parker) (12-1) started the season with a 12-game winning streak before suffering its first loss, a 5-1 contest to defending state champion Holy Family. The Tigers kept the Mustangs in check offensively as Ponderosa batted .241 as a team in the loss when they have been hitting over .360 as a team during the season. Lauren Stucky has been the catalyst behind the Ponderosa offense, batting .545 with five home runs. Senior Madisyn Smith has four home runs and is also hitting .350.

Another team to keep a consistent eye on this fall is Pueblo South (12-1). The Colts' only blemish on their record is a 6-5 loss to last year's 5A runner-up, Cherokee Trail. They have won tight contests, such as their 4-3 win over Air Academy and have won games handily like their 11-0 win over Liberty (Colorado Springs). Junior Emily Abraham has been a big reason for that as she's built a 12-1 record and struck out 94 batters. Sophomore Albanie Cordova has been outstanding at the plate, hitting .541 with three home runs.

The only two losses for Air Academy (US Air Force Academy) (8-2) are to the aforementioned Pueblo South Colts and a tournament loss to Mead. But the Kadets have looked strong in every other contest. Abigail Litchfield is a big piece of the Kadets offense as she has a team-high 11 RBIs and two home runs. Brina Baysinger has kept opposing hitters at bay. Opposing hitters are batting just .223 and of the 240 batters she has faced, she has struck out 87 and walked just 10. In her nine games, she has allowed only 15 earned runs.

Notable stats
Longmont junior Courtney Wood has proven to be a tough out as she has a .778 batting average through 11 games.

Holy Family's Annika Manzanares leads the classification with six home runs and likely won't slow down a bit for the remainder of the season. She also has the state lead across all classifications in RBIs with 30.

Denver South's Ava Brouillette has been a nightmare for opposing catchers on the basepaths as she has racked up 24 stolen bases. It helps that she has an on-base percentage of .606, so she gets on base regularly and is almost guaranteed to swipe a few bags in the process.

Class 3A
Team outlook
Among the teams that have been solid this season, a few are expected while others appear on the verge of a breakout season. Lutheran (Parker) (13-0) remains the last undefeated team in the classification and has blown out some teams and battled to tight wins. The team overall is batting .499 and has seven players with at least 24 plate appearance who are batting better than .400. Freshman Meredith Barnhart leads the way with a .619 average and a team-high three home runs.

Strasburg hopes to get back in the state title picture, and, for the most part, has taken care of business, save for two losses. They got beaten by Lutheran and dropped a 5-2 game to University (Greeley). Other than that, the Indians have played sound softball. Sophomore Graecyn Graf is batting .436 and leads the team in RBIs with 25. She also has the team's only home run.

It feels like every year that La Junta (11-3) is on the verge of becoming a genuine threat in the 3A ranks, and it might just be there this season. The only 3A team that has gotten the better of the Tigers this year is defending champion Eaton. The other three losses for the Tigers are all to solid 4A teams. What's even better news is that the best part of the lineup doesn't have a senior in the ranks. Junior Alizeh Fraizer is hitting .500 and has scored 27 runs. Fellow junior Madison Wiley has also been consistent in the circle, going 9-3 and striking out 43 batters.

The 3A Patriot League might have the deepest group of teams in the state. Among the squads playing well is University (9-3). After starting 0-2, the Bulldogs have won 9 of their last 10 games, the only loss coming to Eaton. Freshman Addison Harding has certainly made a name for herself by hitting .419 and leading the team in RBIs (21) and doubles (six). Senior Ashlyn Knapp has settled into a prime leadership role and has shown solid power with four home runs.

Notable stats
Although the sample size is small, Cedaredge sophomore Elizabeth Galley has put on a show at the plate, batting .778 with three home runs. She also leads the classification in slugging percentage with 1.611.

Arvada junior Azahnae Whipple has been better than anyone at getting on base frequently. Her .828 on-base percentage is tops across all classifications.

Lutheran sophomore Hailey Maestretti has been far and away the best pitcher in 3A this year. She has surrendered one earned run to amass an ERA of 0.12. She leads the classifications in wins with 12 and also has tossed four no-hitters.