We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2017 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we count down from 100 to No. 1. These current sophomores were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches who’ve seen them play all across the nation.

Criteria for choosing and ranking the players including performances at the club and high school levels and projecting how they will play at the collegiate level.

Today we feature players No. 40 to 31 with standout players from Alabama (2), Arizona, California (3), Hawaii, Kentucky and Texas (2).

Check out more of 2017's HOT 100: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41

No.	Player	Position	Club	College
40	Dakota Morrow	SS	Birmingham Thunderbolts	Mississippi State
		Dakota is a 5-foot-10 power-hitting shortstop with great range and a cannon for an arm. She helped her Alabama team make it to the Class 6A championship game where she hit a three-run home run (though her team would lose in eight innings). Dakota drove in 32 runs this fall for the Thunderbolts and continues to play her best ball on the biggest stage. At PGF Nationals she hit .489 with three home runs and six doubles and made several highlight plays at shortstop. She left the So Cal event with three SEC offers after her standout performance and committed to Mississippi State shortly after returning home.
39	Dani Elder	C	Impact Gold - Jackson	Texas A&M
		Dani was offered and committed to Texas A&M before her freshman year because she has great defensive skills, a power bat on offense and a passion for the game. The Texan has benefited from playing for her father, Danny Elder, from age five to 14 (up until she joined Impact Gold) and in that time the father and daughter won the 2013 14U ASA National Championship together. Behind the plate Dani excels at framing and blocking and she should compete right away for the catcher position when she makes it to the SEC. Dani is also a standout track athlete in the shot and discus and carries a 4.1 GPA. She started every game as a freshman for the Impact Gold, one of the top club teams in Texas.
38	Jocelyn Alo	C	OC Batbusters - Haning/Stith	Cal
		It's not often we get a Hawaii player in the Hot 100's--Jocelyn may be the first!--but there's no denying she is one of the elite sophomore players in the country. Jocelyn was the Oahu Interscholastic Assoc. Co-Player of the Year as a freshman after dominating the Islands with her crazy power hitting including five homers in a five game stretch. She knows what to do in the batter's box and hits the ball well to all fields. As a catcher Jocelyn has good hands and feet and can move well out of the box. Right now, she's participating in the Hawaii boys high school wrestling season. The sophomore commutes to California to play with the Batbusters and hit .429 with three homers and seven RBI at PGF Nationals this summer.
37	Bailey Currey	C	Tennessee Illusion	uncommitted
		Bailey may be the biggest sleeper in her class, but once you see her play you'll know why she's a big-time prospect. She's big and strong and looks effortless in her swings until you see the ball travel a mile. Bailey has unbelievable hand speed and hits for average as well. On defense she's a vocal catcher with top-notch defensive skills, is surprisingly fluid for her size and a very strong arm. Bailey has been All-Region on her Kentucky varsity team since the seventh grade and hit over .400 each year. In 2014, she was 2nd Team All-State. For the Illusion, her slugging percentage has been near 1.000 this year and she's batted .490. Expect her recruiting to skyrocket in the next six months.
36	Kinsley Washington	SS/OF	Corona Angels	UCLA
		Kinsley is a dual threat at the plate as she can slap or swing away, spray the ball to get on base or go yard to bring in runs. The Pasadena, Calif. sophomore understands the game and is advanced at her young age: as a freshman she played on the powerful Angels team that finished 2nd at PGF 18U Nationals and was a key figure in the team's winning the TCS/USA Championship in Atlanta. Kinsley has the versatility that coaches love in that she can play the infield and outfield equally well. She'll be the leadoff hitter for the Angels and has big shoes to fill in replacing Jazmyn Jackson, now at Cal. Kinsley was also a 1st Team All-State (Small Schools) pick by CalHiSports.com for her infield play.
35	Hannah Bowen	P	OC Batbusters - Smith	Arizona
		Hanah is hard to pin down right now at what position she'll play at the next level, but coaches just see her and know that they want her on their team. She went to a Univ. of Arizona prospect camp and impressed as a utility player/pitcher and she got an offer shortly after her performance there. At pitcher, she had a 0.00 ERA in league and staggers the velocity on her pitches with great movement. Hanah has a screwball, rise, drop, change (45 mph), and offspeed drop (52) that makes her hard to time and hit. The So Cal star is an excellent all-around student-athlete who runs well, has played libero on her high school volleyball team and carries a 3.8 GPA.
34	Bella Loomis	IF	Firecrackers - Arizona	Arizona State
		As one coach said about Bella, you watch her and immediately "something about her jumps off the dirt." She may have the best hands in the class as she's soft in receiving the ball and super quick in her transfers. Bella is small in stature, but has the wheels (2.7 home-to-first) to play the short game or power slap. Her mechanics are such that the ball jumps off her bat comparable to much bigger players. She's a gap hitter who batted .407 last year with 46 hits and went 23-for-23 in steal attempts in 34 games. Bella can play either middle infield position and is capable at leadoff or the 2-hole. She also has a 4.17 GPA and wants to study Kinesiology.
33	Brittany Jackson	OF/SS	Texas Glory	Kansas
		Brittany is a dynamic athlete who's just over 5-foot tall and is a dynamo on the field offensively and defensively. She hits from the left side (throws right) and is a prototypical leadoff hitter. Brittany has outstanding foot speed and bat control, making her a master of the short game while her compact but athletic build helps her drive the ball well. The Texas sophomore was a MaxPreps Freshman All-American and, playing in the competitive 4A division, hit .553 with 41 runs, 25 steals and a slugging percentage of .776. A fearless player who's a tough out, she's also a star in the dugout and is a catalyst to drive any team with her talent and personality.
32	Kendall Sides	OF	Birmingham Thunderbolts	Alabama
		Some coaches would argue that Kendall is the top leadoff hitter in the 2017 class. Her great speed certainly adds to that argument and she is the type of offensive threat who adds two runs a game to any team she plays on. Kendall has the electric speed that can't be coached, but she can do some many things to help a team win. Playing for the Bolts-Roberson squad this fall, she had an eye-opening .814 on-base percentage because when defenses try to pull up she can drive a triple in the gap. Kendall was an Alabama All-State pick in 2013 as an eighth grader and earned the honor again this past year as a Utility Player. She was also a Class 1A All-State Tournament honoree.
31	Natalie Lugo	P	OC Batbusters - Haning/Stith	Florida
		Natalie throws with ease and has smooth mechanics, which is allowing her to improve and get better each year. Her ceiling is hard to predict because her tremendous upside keeps getting pushed higher. Natalie doesn't overwear her body because she's so fluid in her pitching form and, as she works hard in the weight room and in practice, she continues to improve. Her emotional make-up is great also as she's steady and doesn't get upset or wound up; she remains calm and handles pressure well, which will suit her very well in the competitive SEC. Natalie was a MaxPreps Freshman All-American last year as she went 16-6 with a 0.98 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 150 innings in the competitive Sierra League in Southern Calif. She's now one of the core pitchers along with Taylor McQuillin and Mariah Lopez for the defending PGF 18U Premier National Champion Batbusters.