Eleven seniors and four juniors highlight the MaxPreps softball midseason Player of the Year Watch List.
The 15 players all have one thing in common — winning. Their teams have combined for a 26-127 won-loss mark, six play on unbeaten teams and two play on one-loss squads.
Eight come from Top 25 ranked team and within the next year or two, all will be playing Division 1 softball. Three are members of the Under-19 Team USA squad.
Video: Top 25 softball rankings Find out where the teams of many of the Player of the Year candidates are ranked.
The list also includes former grade-level Player of the Years, but unlike recent years, however, this year's list of 15 is not dominated by pitchers. Though all are among their team's best hitters, just seven of the 15 are primarily pitchers.
An omission from the midseason Player of the Year Watch List does not mean she will not be the 2019 National Player of the Year. Some players are nearing the end of their seasons, while others are barely at midseason.
Midseason Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Jayda Coleman, The Colony
File photo by Ross James
A four-year
starter playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, Briggs has
saved her best for her final season. She's hitting .589 with 53 hits, 40
runs, a .664 on-base percentage and .933 slugging percentage. She's playing errorless ball for the third time in four seasons and has
signed with LSU.
IF — Jayda Coleman, The Colony (Texas), Jr.Hitting .702, the Oklahoma pledge is carrying a 29-game hit streak and has a base hit in all but one game this season. She has a dozen games with three or more base
hits and has 43 stolen bases. Coleman, the MaxPreps National Freshman
of the Year in 2017, has scored 59 times and has a.733 on-base percentage. Add to those impressive numbers, she has committed one
error in 105 fielding opportunities as the Cougars' left-handed
shortstop. She is a member of the 2019 U-19 Junior Women's National
Training Team.
IF — Bailey Dowling, St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.), Jr.The 2018 National Sophomore
of the Year, Dowling has picked up where she left off with 14
homers and 31 RBI in 20 games. The Alabama commit has 39 hits, scored 36 times and is
batting .650. She's a member of the
2019 U-19 Junior Women's National Training Team.
P — Kristin Fifield, Chapin (El Paso, Texas), Sr.She burst onto the
scene as a freshman and has dominated this season with 20 homers, 72
RBI, a 1.547 slugging percentage and a .674 average. She's
accounted for 143 runs in 34 games. Add to that, the Grand Canyon University commit has been stellar in
the circle with a 16-4 record, 1.62 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 95
innings.
IF — Avery Goelz, Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.), Jr.The Florida commit has a base hit in every one of her team's 24
victories this season and has driven in a run in 18 games. She leads
the No. 1 ranked Mustangs in RBI (36), homers (7), doubles (13),
triples (7), on-base percentage (.609) and slugging percentage (1.144). A
first baseman, she has committed one error in 169 chances.
The Oklahoma signee leads the No. 2-ranked Cougars (27-1) in hitting (.467), homers (5), doubles (9) and is second in RBI (32). She's struck out one time in 95 at bats and has yet to commit an error. Add an on-base percentage of .588 and a slugging percentage of .786.
P — Nicole May, Foothill (Pleasanton, Calif.), Jr.Playing in one of the
toughest conferences in the country, May has recorded 13 shutouts (she
has eight in 11 East Bay League games), and is 17-0 on the season. She
has walked seven in 103 innings, struck out 171 and has a 0.33 ERA.
May is also hitting .500 with seven homers and 16 RBI.
P — Tori McCann, Cedar Ridge (Round Rock, Texas), Sr. A team doesn't get
ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation without pitching and Cedar Ridge
has McCann. The Texas State signee is 21-0, with a 0.81 ERA, 157 strikeouts
and just 17 base on balls in 112 innings. She is hitting .364 and has
drive in 24 runs for the unbeaten Raiders.
P — Kiki Milloy, Redmond (Wash.), Sr.Signed with Tennessee, Milloy is
hitting .433, has accounted for 63 runs for the 20-0 Mustangs and has a dozen home runs. In the circle, she is 14-0 with a 1.48 ERA and
180 strikeouts in 99 innings. She is the daughter of former NFL standout
Lawyer Milloy.
C/3B — Joley Mitchell, Rose Bud (Ark.), Sr.The reigning MaxPreps National Junior
of the Year is hitting .708 with 47 runs for 28-1 Rose Bud . Mitchell, who has signed with Notre Dame, has 16 doubles, six
triples and 10 home runs. She's walked 25 times and has two hits
or more in 26 games. Add 30 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of .774
and a slugging percentage of 1.359. A catcher and third baseman,
Mitchell has committed one error on the season.
P — Sydney Supple, Oshkosh North (Oshkosh, Wis.), Sr.The Northwestern signee has 10 homers, a .520 average and has 33
RBI in 16 games for her unbeaten squadh. She's slugging 1.362. In the
circle, Supple has eight shutouts with a 15-0 mark, a 0.71 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 78 innings.
IF — Alynah Torres, Cactus (Glendale, Ariz.), Sr.Few players, if any,
have as impressive career totals as Torres, but the Arizona State signee
has single season bests in nearly all categories as her prep career
winds down. A shortstop, Torres was the 2016 MaxPreps Freshman of the Year. She is hitting .630, scored 59 times, drive in 61 and has 38
extra base hits, including 19 home runs. Her on-base percentage is .686
and she is slugging 1.410.
P — Rylee Trlicek, Hallettsville (Texas), Sr.A member of the 2019 U-19
Junior Women's National team, Trlicek has signed with Florida. In 29
games, she is hitting .610 with 47 base hits, 22 doubles, five homers
and has driven in 48. She's walked 27 times. In the circle,
she's averaging better than two strikeouts per inning (204 in 95
innings) and is 17-0 with a 0.29 ERA. She's allowed 21 base hits,
four earned runs and walked seven.
IF — Regan Weekly, King's Academy (Seymour, Tenn.), Sr.Signed with Dartmouth, she's hitting .647 with runners
in scoring position, has 42 RBI. She has 10 doubles, four triples
and 15 home runs to go along with a 1.467 slugging percentage. She is
the granddaughter of Tennessee coach Ralph Weekly.
Owner of seven varsity softball letters, Wesley (Mississippi State signee) has eight no-hitters and 308 strikeouts in 131 innings, to go with a 20-2 won-loss record and an 0.27 ERA. Opponents are batting 0.79 against Wesley, who is hitting .419 with 34 RBI. She has played on five state title teams.
Alynah Torres, Cactus
Photo by Steve Paynter
