National Softball Player of the Year Watch List

The list of players on the MaxPreps National Softball Player of the Year Watch List is as impressive and diverse as talents of the players on it.

One player has hit as many home runs as she has made outs.

One player is averaging two stolen bases per game.

One player has combined to score and drive in 130 runs in 37 games.

Four of the pitchers have yet to lose this season.

And another has batted over .600 for her high school career.

Of the 18, 13 are seniors and all will be playing Division 1 softball next year. Several will be college teammates in just a few months.

The top three teams in MaxPrepSports Excellent Softball rankings are well represented as well.


Johanna Grauer - Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.)
Grauer is hitting 383, but pitching is where the senior shines – she's 23-0 with a 0.38 ERA and has 253 strikeouts in 163 innings with 13 shutouts. Foes are hitting .083 against her. She has allowed just 43 hits and has signed with UCLA.

Vanessa Shippy - Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
Shippy is hitting .733 with 43 runs, 34 RBIs, 23 doubles, 1.366 slugging percentage, 2.156 OPS and 26 steals. The senior has signed with Oklahoma State University.

Alyssa Angel - La Grange (Texas)
Angel leads her 36-2 team with 63 runs, 69 hits, 64 RBIs, 39 extra base hits (21 doubles, 12 homers), a .600 batting average and is 34-for-34 in stolen base attempts. She has signed with Texas.

Avery Geehr - Ponte Vedra (Fla.)
Geehr led her team to the state finals and a 29-1 record by going 27-1 with 266 strikeouts in 165 innings. She compiled a 0.30 ERA with 15 shutouts. The senior has signed with Georgetown.

Jenna Lilley - Hoover (North Canton, Ohio)
Lilley has 26 hits, 27 runs, 23 RBIs, eight doubles, three homers and has walked 15 times as Hoover is 16-2. Her on base percentage is .651 and she is hitting .542 with one strikeout this season. She has signed with Oregon.

Gwen Svekis - St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Svekis led her team to Florida's 7A state title for the second year in a row by hitting .479 with 12 homers, 35 RBIs, 20 extra base hits and a 1.230 slugging percentage. She has signed with Oregon.

Jazmyn Jackson - Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Jackson has led Mitty to a 25-1 record by hitting .539, scoring 38 runs, accounting for 24 RBIs, 25 extra base hits (six homers) and 17 steals. She has signed with California.

Steph Thomas - Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.)
Thomas is batting .526, but her thing is pitching – 23-0 with 0.31 ERA, 215 strikeouts in 134 innings. Foes are hitting .125 against her and she has 12 shutouts. She is 104-5 with 61 career shutouts in high school. She has signed with Lafayette.

Kayli Kvistad - Columbia (Lake City, Fla.)
Kvistad batted .600 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs in leading her team to a 28-2 record. She has a career batting average of more than .600. She has signed with Florida.

Kayla Ober - Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas)
Ober is hitting .479 with 38 RBIs, but stands out even more in the pitching circle – 28-1, 0.93 ERA, 215 strikeouts in 181 innings with a dozen shutouts. She has signed with Texas A&M.

Jess Cummings - Northern (Owings, Md.)
Cummings is 17-2 with 209 strikeouts (113 innings), and a 0.43 ERA. Opponents are batting .072 against her. She has allowed just 28 hits and is batting .300. She has signed with Penn State.

Victoria Vidales - La Porte (Texas)
Vidales has hit as many home runs as she made outs: 16. She batted .738 (45-for-61) with 56 RBIs in 25 games and scored 49 times. She had an on-base percentage of .795, a 1.902 slugging percentage, 23 walks and totaled 116 bases. Vidales hit four home runs in one game this season. She has signed with Texas A&M.

Allyson Frei - High Point (Sussex, N.J.)
Frei is 18-2 and has allowed six earned runs in 129 innings with 295 strikeouts. She is also averaging an RBI per game. Three times this season she has fanned 21 or more in a game. She has signed with Boston College.

Taylor McQuillin - Mission Viejo (Calif.)
McQuillin threw a perfect game in her most recent start and is the key to No. 1 ranked Mission Viejo's dream season. In 126 innings, she has allowed just 54 hits, 16 walks and has 231 strikeouts. She has a 0.90 ERA and three no-hitters this season. The junior is also batting .319. She has committed to Arizona.

Taran Alvelo - Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio)
Alvelo is hitting .405, has a pitching record of 18-2 with a 0.51 ERA, 250 strikeouts in 123 innings and has allowed just 35 hits. The junior has committed to Washington.

Brianna Tautalafua - Carson (Calif.)
Tautalafua has led her team to a 24-6 record with 59 RBIs, 18 homers, .587 batting average, 1.265 slugging and 2.264 OPS. The junior has committed to UCLA.

Vada Sherrill - Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.)
Sherrill leads her unbeaten team in hits (52), runs (52), and stolen bases (42). She's hitting .569 and has walked 19 times for a .680 on base percentage. She has 19 extra base hits. The junior is uncommitted.

Andrea Kindrick - Russellville (Ark.)
Kindrick has 262 strikeouts in 125 innings and 19 wins with a 0.28 ERA. She is also hitting .617, with seven home runs and 31 RBIs. The junior has committed to Alabama.