The Arizona Republic's top 50 high school softball players for 2024 season
Arizona is no stranger to high school sports talent. The state produces professionals annually in football, basketball and baseball. But the softball scene might be the deepest, most talented of any sport. The state is packed with elite players, many of whom will go on to play at top colleges.
So as the season kicks into gear, here are The Republic’s top 50 high school softball players in Arizona (note, player stats were as of March 13):
Lilly Goodwin, So., P, Scottsdale Desert Mountain
Goodwin instantly transformed Desert Mountain into the best team in 5A after her arrival last year. She finished her title-winning freshman year with a 0.26 ERA and 261 strikeouts in 133 2/3 innings. So far this year, she’s been just as good, with a 0.25 ERA. She’s no slouch at the plate either, hitting .390 with six extra-base hits as a freshman.
2. Lauren Putz, Sr., UTL, Phoenix Xavier Prep
Putz is an unstoppable force at the plate. As a junior, she hit .592 with 13 home runs. So far this year, she’s on pace to be even better, hitting .710 with nine homers in 12 games. Her success should come as no surprise considering her family history. Her mom, Kelsey Putz, was a softball All-American at Michigan and her dad, J.J. Putz, pitched for 12 years in the majors, including four with the Diamondbacks. Lauren followed in both of their footsteps with her commitment to the Wolverines.
3. Madison Sauni, Jr., UTL, Chandler
Sauni committed to Texas A&M in October and it’s easy to see why. She’s a true impact hitter, with a .576 average and 13 homers as a sophomore. Her stats this year have taken a minuscule step back, but that’s all relative: She still has a remarkable 14 extra-base hits in just 11 games, helping make Chandler a 6A championship contender.
4. Gabriella Garcia, Sr., INF, Chandler Basha
Speaking of title contenders, don’t rule out a repeat for Basha. Garcia hit .591 with 12 homers in last year’s championship campaign and is on a nearly identical pace this season. Her performances earned her a scholarship at Oklahoma, the three-time reigning national champion.
5. Jenae Berry, Sr., P, Queen Creek
Berry’s 1.02 ERA as a junior was the second best in 6A, helping lead Queen Creek to a 29-3-1 record. Over one five-week stretch, the Indiana commit went 10 straight appearances without allowing a run. Her brother, Jacob, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and her sister, Jade, plays softball at Stanford.
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6. Kate Vance, Sr., SS, Chandler Hamilton
Vance might be the best pure slugger in the state. She burst onto the scene as an offensive force as a freshman and hasn’t stopped since, hitting 46 homers over her first three seasons — more than one every two games. The Arizona commit is still getting out of the starting blocks in 2024, but her track record leaves little doubt that will happen sooner rather than later.
7. Sydnee Williams, So., OF, Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor
Williams is ranked No. 17 in the Class of 2026 by Extra Innings Softball. She hit .606 with 19 doubles and 11 homers as a freshman, immediately establishing herself as O’Connor’s best player and leading the Eagles to a 19-12 record.
8. Rachel Connors, Sr., C, Gilbert Perry
2023 was a breakout campaign for Connors, who doubled many of her key offensive stats, transforming from a solid hitter into one with a .419 average and nine home runs. Connors is committed to play collegiately at Ole Miss.
9. Anyssa Wild, Sr., 1B/3B, Tucson Salpointe Catholic
Next year, Wild will realize a lifelong dream, playing collegiately at Arizona, her hometown school. In the meantime, she’s the best high school player in Tucson, as she showed during a junior campaign in which she hit .485 with 16 extra-base hits. She’s been an elite hitter since stepping on campus as a freshman.
10. Harmony Andrade, Sr., UTL, Surprise Willow Canyon
Andrade, an Oregon State commit, rounds out the top 10. She’s been an instrumental piece for Willow Canyon over the past three years, leading the Wildcats to 5A titles in 2021 and 2022, and to the championship game last spring. As a junior, she hit .469 with 23 extra-base hits, including nine home runs.
11. Natalie Fritz, Sr., P, Basha
Fritz had a standout junior season, finishing with a 14-1 record and a 1.55 ERA as Basha claimed the 6A crown. The New Mexico commit has improved each year and is off to a strong start as a senior, with a 0.82 ERA in her first 10 appearances.
12. Amelia Streuber, Jr., P, Tucson Canyon del Oro
Another Oregon State commit, Streuber has opened eyes in the first month of her junior season. She has a 0.23 ERA in seven appearances, though her strikeout rate is down from last season when she finished with a 1.74 ERA. She is crucial for Canyon del Oro’s hopes of ending Salpointe Catholic’s five-season streak of 4A titles.
13. Cian Noli, Jr., 1B/P, Chandler
Alongside Sauni, Noli gives Chandler a formidable pair of bats at the top of its lineup. She hit .408 last year and looks even better as a junior, with a .657 average and 12 extra-base hits in 11 games. She’s committed to Utah.
14. Charleigh Schuettler, Jr., C/3B, O’Connor
Schuettler hit .409 with five homers as a sophomore and is committed to Rutgers. With her and Williams teaming up, O’Connor has a bright present and future.
15. McKinsey Beyer, Jr., OF/1B, Desert Mountain
Beyer, a Grand Canyon commit, broke out as Desert Mountain’s best hitter last spring, providing the offensive thump to pair with Goodwin’s dominance in the circle. She hit .425 with seven doubles, six triples and six homers, while also stealing 25 bases.
16. Kira Day, Sr., INF, Cave Creek Cactus Shadows
Day has been one of the best hitters in 5A since her freshman year, hitting above .450 with at least 10 extra-base hits each season. She already has nine doubles and eight homers this year, with a .581 batting average. She’s committed to play college ball at Idaho State.
17. Kendall Cochran, Jr., P, Mesa Red Mountain
Cochran has struggled a bit with her walk rate over the past few seasons, but her ability to dominate hitters is rare. Last season, she struck out 140 in 113 innings, posting a 1.92 ERA. In seven appearances this year, that number is down to 1.54. Cochran is among a quartet of Arizona talents committed to Utah State.
18. Jazmin Ramirez, Jr., INF/P, Hamilton
Ramirez — another Utah State commit — is a two-way standout. She hit .395 with 11 extra-base hits last season while also working to a 2.18 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 99⅔ innings pitched. She’s had troubles in the circle this year with a propensity to give up home runs, but the rest of her numbers are in line with where they were a year ago.
19. Sadie Groshong, Sr., INF, Waddell Canyon View
Groshong was part of the Canyon View team that lost back-to-back 5A championship games in 2021 and 2022. Based on her performances so far this year, the Jaguars might just be back on that stage. The Weber State commit is hitting .692 in five games after hitting .525 with nine homers last season.
20. Faith Kroening, Sr., UTL, Phoenix Pinnacle
After finishing under .500 last season, Pinnacle is off to a 7-2 start this year. Kroening has hit .545 with 10 RBI in those games, building off a junior season in which she hit .467 with 28 stolen bases. She is also committed to Utah State.
21. Angie Falls, Fr., P, Xavier Prep
Falls slots in as the top freshman on this list, a sign of how dominant she’s been so far this season. She’s hitting .610 with a 1.59 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 44 innings. Xavier Prep struggled to a 12-15 record last season after their 2022 6A title, but things are looking up again for the Gators after Falls’ arrival.
22. Rylee Turlington, Sr., UTL, Surprise Willow Canyon
Turlington powered Willow Canyon to the 5A title as a sophomore, hitting .400 with seven home runs. She then one-upped that campaign last year, hitting .438 with 17 doubles and 12 homers. The Utah State commit’s senior season has gotten off to a slow start, but she has every chance to be the best hitter in 5A this year when it’s all said and done.
23. Jaelyn Castillo, Sr., C, Salpointe Catholic
Castillo is committed to BYU after a junior season in which she hit .400 with 11 extra-base hits, making her one of the most potent offensive catchers in the state. She has been a crucial piece of Salpointe Catholic’s past two 4A championship-winning teams.
24. Quinn Salazar-Stewart, Sr., C, Hamilton
Salazar-Stewart has been a standout contact hitter since her sophomore year when she hit .407. Over the past two years, she’s added more power to her arsenal, slugging nine home runs last year and four in the first 12 games of this season. An academic standout as well, Salazar-Stewart is committed to Harvard.
25. Raegan Holtorf, Jr., INF, O’Connor
Holtorf hit .444 last year with 15 extra-base hits, though just one home run. Adding that power would elevate her game to another level, but in the meantime, she’s an excellent hitter with gap power who plays strong defense up the middle. She’s committed to Grand Canyon.
26. Payton Westra, So., OF/1B, Red Mountain
Westra just wrapped up a basketball season in which she was named the East Valley Region Defensive Player of the Year. Now, she turns her attention to softball, where she’s aiming to build off a freshman season in which she hit .469 with 21 extra-base hits. At 5-foot-11, she has the frame to add even more power and is already halfway to her home run total (six) from a year ago.
27. Kyndal Williams, Sr., CF/P, Gilbert Higley
Williams is at her best in the pitchers’ circle, where she has a career 2.15 ERA, including 1.51 last year, when she struck out 214 batters in 148-1/3 innings. She’s also a strong hitter, though, batting .354 with 10 doubles last year. She’s committed to Sacramento State.
28. MiaLani Ocampo, Jr., OF, Basha
Ocampo committed to New Mexico after an impressive junior campaign in which she hit .471. She’s not a big-time power hitter, with no home runs last year, but she did rack up 13 doubles.
29. Jordan Goedel, Sr., 1B, Salpointe Catholic
Goedel hit .476 with seven extra-base hits during a breakout junior season and has already taken the next step as a senior, with four home runs in 10 games. The Holy Cross commit has also shown potential as a pitcher, although Salpointe Catholic does not use her much in that role. She has struck out 46 batters with a 0.35 ERA in 20 career innings.
30. Payton Crank, Jr., CF, Pinnacle
Crank hit .393 with eight homers as a sophomore while playing one of the state’s most difficult schedules. She’s off to a strong start this year as well, hitting .312 in the early going.
31. Kimberly Westover, Jr., C/INF, San Tan Poston Butte
Across her three seasons of high school, Westover has been a machine at the plate, hitting .582 with 32 doubles, eight triples and 11 home runs in 60 games. She’s currently uncommitted, but with another strong season this year, should have her share of college options.
32. Megan VanDenburgh, Jr., 1B/3B, Scottsdale Horizon
VanDenburgh hit .444 with nine homers as a sophomore. It was a tricky year overall for Horizon, but this year is looking better for the Huskies, who have started 6-4 thanks in large part to VanDenburgh’s .438 batting average. She is committed to Weber State.
33. Cailin Quinney, Sr., C, Basha
Another Weber State commit, Quinney raised her batting average from .286 to .400 as a junior, hitting eight homers to go with it. Her presence behind the plate is also a key part of Basha’s recipe for success.
34. Avery Nielson, Jr., P, Tucson Sabino
Nielson is the top-ranked player from the small-school ranks — a testament to the work she’s done in her first two years at Sabino, which has won four straight 3A titles. The Southern Utah commit had a 1.23 ERA with 160 strikeouts in 113⅔ innings and has been even better to start her junior year.
35. Katie Hendrickson, Sr., UTL, Phoenix Country Day School
Hendrickson is another elite player dominating small-school opposition. She hit .714 with nine doubles and eight homers for PCDS last year and is committed to George Washington.
36. Brooklyn Bassett, Jr., UTL, Hamilton
Bassett exploded onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting .410 with 10 home runs and finishing the year as the Huskies’ second-most productive player. She’s continued that form early this season and could be much higher on this list a year from now. Bassett is committed to Cal Baptist.
37. Taylor Hampton, So., 3B/OF, Mesa Red Mountain
Hampton had a nice freshman year, hitting .375 with six home runs, but she’s really exploded onto the scene early this spring. Through 10 games, she holds a .457 batting average and has nearly matched her home run total from a year ago with five.
38. Kendall Freidinger, Jr., P/1B, Tucson Empire
Few pitchers have dominated their competition quite like Freidinger has for the past two seasons at 3A Empire. Last year, she went 21-1 with a 0.71 ERA while striking out more than two batters per innings. Her most impressive feat came that March, when she pitched back-to-back perfect games. She’s followed that up with a strong start to her junior year, with a 0.81 ERA in 10 appearances.
39. Emily Davis, So., P, Canyon View
Davis had a solid sophomore year, finishing with a 2.38 ERA, but she’s had a breakout campaign early this season. In six appearances, she’s allowed just two earned runs while striking out 51 across 29-1/3 innings. Her 0.48 ERA ranks fifth among big-school pitchers.
40. Sienna Kunze, Sr., SS, Gilbert Perry
In a show of her talent, Kunze hit a second-inning grand slam off Cochran — the No. 6 pitcher in these rankings — last week. She already has four home runs this year, building off a junior season in which she hit .375 with six homers. She is committed to Marist.
41. Cecelia Marquez, Sr., UTL, Queen Creek
Marquez is committed to UTEP. She has hit .385 with seven homers in 40 games over the past two seasons and is the most potent returning bat on a Queen Creek team that will need to replace a star-studded senior class to replicate last year’s run to the 6A semifinals.
42. Mackenzie Durr, Sr., P/OF, Desert Mountain
If it weren’t for Goodwin, Durr might be much higher in these rankings. She had a 1.19 ERA last year and a 1.08 ERA in six appearances this year, but is blocked from more playing time by the state’s best pitcher. Still, Durr has made an impact at the plate, hitting .382 in the early going.
43. Amiya Hernandez, Sr., OF, Basha
Hernandez earned her commitment to BYU during a sophomore season in which she was one of the state’s best contact hitters, batting .458 to earn All-Region honors. She took a step back last year, hitting .269, and transferred from Perry to Basha ahead of her senior year. Once she becomes eligible, she’ll be looking to rediscover the form that she showed two years ago.
44. Sofia Zielinski, Sr., UTL, Xavier Prep
Zielinski has been a solid contributor throughout her Xavier Prep career, but the Saint Francis (PA) commit has taken a major leap forward this spring. After hitting between .300 and .400 each of the past two seasons, her average is sitting at .564 through the first 12 games of her senior year.
45. Bella Clapp, Sr., UTL, Hamilton
Clapp, a New Mexico State commit, is another player who has elevated her game to another level as a senior. She hit .313 with no home runs as a junior. As a senior, she’s hitting .471 with six homers in just 12 games, ranking third in the state in that category.
46. Morgan Bragg, So, C/1B, Basha
Bragg is the prototype for a player who could rank 30 spots higher on this list next spring. She had a nice freshman year, hitting .305 and showing serious pop with 10 homers, but had already elevated her game as a sophomore, hitting .469 in 12 games.
47. Avery Gehrke, So, UTL, Desert Mountain
It’s a testament to the talent in Arizona that a player like Gehrke is not higher in these rankings. She is a future high-level Division I player who is excelling in her first year of high school ball, hitting .516 in her first 12 games.
48. Lilly Mann, So., C, Sabino
With Nielson in the circle and Mann behind the plate, it’s hard to imagine anyone knocking Sabino off its perch atop 3A. As a freshman, Mann hit .526 and led 3A with 14 homers.
49. Macee Jackson, So, P, Salpointe Catholic
Jackson missed her freshman season with a knee injury and has wasted no time showing Salpointe Catholic what it was missing. In her first five appearances of high school, she’s allowed just one earned run and struck out 31 in 24 innings.
50. Natalie Figueroa, Jr., 1B/3B, Phoenix North
Figueroa was one of the best hitters in 6A last year, batting .536 with 23 extra-base hits in 21 games. The Metro Region is not laden with as much talent as the rest of 6A, but Figueroa was named as the region’s Offensive Player of the Year and earned All-6A second team honors.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Republic's top 50 high school softball players for 2024 season
