Colorado high school softball players making a push for POY honors

The teams that have put themselves in position to contend in the postseason have rosters loaded with talent. But there are a few standout players who give their respective teams a chance to make deep playoff runs.

Here is a list of Player of the Year candidates in every classification across the state:

Class 5A
Katie Dack, Sr., Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) – Rock Canyon has championship ambitions this fall, and Dack is big reason why the Jaguars might live up to them. She's recorded hits in seven of eight games that she's played in and has a .619 batting average in 2020. She's had multi-home run games in wins against Ralston Valley (Arvada), Grand Junction Central and Highlands Ranch. She backs up her offense with solid defensive play. She's responsible for 91 put outs and has committed zero errors this season.

Izzy Giroux, Jr., Smoky Hill (Aurora,) – The Buffaloes were heartbroken when they lost in the first round of the state softball tournament last season. Giroux's ability to drive in runs is almost matched by her ability to score them. She's driven 14 runs in and crossed home plate 11 times. Her .521 average is 22nd in the state for all 5A players and has been a key reason why Smoky Hill remains undefeated.

Destiny Martinez, Jr., Lakewood – Martinez's season started by striking out 18 Conifer batters. She's been nearly unhittable, giving up just four base hits this season. She's yielded no hits in three games in which she has thrown five or more innings. In fact, every run she's given up came in an 8-4 win over Legend (Parker). That game also accounts for three of the four hits she's allowed all season. She's also hitting .643 with a home run and 12 RBI.

Nikki McGaffin, Jr., Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) – McGaffin doesn't quite have as many no-hitters as Martinez, but whenever the ball is in her hands, the Sabercats have a great chance of coming away with a win. She's struck out 88 batters and walked just nine. Perhaps her most impressive performance came in Fossil Ridge's only loss of the season, a 2-0 thriller against Rock Canyon.

Class 4A
Maddie Kuehl, Sr., Silver Creek (Longmont) – The lone returning first-team player from the all-state team, Kuehl is picking up right where she left off in 2019. She's hitting .500 and has blasted three home runs and crossed home 16 times. In 30 at-bats she's struck out just once all year. She's also stolen seven bases and has shouldered the pitching load for the Raptors. In more than 42 innings, she's given up just 21 earned runs.

Aliyah Rothstein, Sr., Wheat Ridge – Good luck getting Rothstein out. The Wheat Ridge senior is batting a staggering .750 and has the Farmers looking like the biggest threat to a hot Mead team. While not getting a lot of extra-base hits, Rothstein is thriving this year by getting on base and getting across the plate. Her 15 runs scored leads the team as does her batting average. She's been solid in the field, too, and has yet to commit an error while playing center.

Joslynn Veltien, So. Mead (Longmont) – The hitters in Mead's lineup are all worthy of mention with this group, but their numbers are so consistent with each other that it's hard to choose just one. But one look at what the Mavericks have done and it's clear that relying on their sophomore pitcher as much as they have has clearly gone in their favor. She has an 8-0 record and has fanned 54 hitters this season. The Mavericks have taken down the past two state champions and she even went the distance in an 11-inning win over Silver Creek.

Abby Edwards, Jr., Holy Family (Broomfield) – Edwards is looking to get the Tigers back to a state championship level after they failed to defend their championship last year. She's batting .654 and has driven in 16 runs this year. But it's lately that she's been truly dominant. In her last five games she's 11-for-13 with a home run and 10 RBI.

Class 3A
Sadie Ross, Fr., Eaton – There's nothing new about someone named Ross being dominant for Eaton. This time, though, it's freshman Sadie who has been a wrecking ball since the start of the season. She's hitting .667 with seven doubles and 10 RBI. Oh, and while pitching she's amassed a 6-0 record and a 1.13 ERA. She even struck out 11 and gave up no earned runs in an 11-5 win over defending 3A champion University.

Delaney Wieneke, Sr., University (Greeley) – If the Bulldogs are going to repeat, Wieneke might have to shoulder the load. She's been steady at the plate, batting .609 and she's reached home 19 times. Simply, she's been one of the best players on one of the best teams in the state this season.

Lexi Fernandez, Sr., Rocky Ford – Fernandez is a big reason why Rocky Ford remains undefeated and an under-the-radar contender to win the 3A state title. She leads the team in RBI (16), doubles (5) and runs scored (10) while maintaining a .526 batting average. She also has a triple and the Meloneers' only home run of the season.