As we continue on the journey to identify the top sophomore prospects in the country, we spotlight here an Arizona player who emerged as a national prospect at the 2012 and ’13 West Coast National Elite Camps where she wowed coaches with her hitting and defensive play…

Name: SHAYE BOWDEN
High School: Sunnyslope
City: Phoenix
State: Ariz.
Grad Year: 2017
Club Team: Firecrackers AZ – Ewing
Positions: C/3B/SS
GPA: 3.85
Pop Time: 1.6 seconds
College: Oregon

 ***

Recruiting: Shaye attended the West Coast National Elite Camps produced by OnDeck Softball at Mt. SAC (Walnut, Calif.) in 2012 and 2013. The camps opened a lot of doors for her to start talking to college coaches and paved the road for visits.  After visiting nine campuses and receiving offers from programs such as Arizona State, UCLA and Oregon State, she ended up committing to Oregon because, “The coaching staff, players and overall feeling of the school just felt right.”

High School Stats: .525 batting average, on-base percentage of .600, .733 slugging percentage with an OPS of 1.333. Had 15 walkouts and no strikeouts all season.
High School Honors: 2014 – All-District Offensive Player of the Year;Arizona D1-11 All Academic Honorable Mention
Coach’s Comments: “Shaye is the prototype for softball players.  At every practice and every game, she will out work all others players from our team and any of our opponents.  She is a leader and model, even for our older players.  Shaye is competitive yet plays with integrity which makes her a great teammate.”
– Michael Fenton, Sunnyslope H.S. Head Coach

Club Stats: 2014 (fall) – .424 batting average, .752 slugging percentage, OPS of 1.202 with 36 RBI and eight home runs; hit .571 with a home run at 2014 PGF Nationals
Coach’s Comments: “Shaye has been and will continue to be a game changer. She commands the field behind the plate and redefines a ‘catcher.’ Her knowledge of the game, pitch calling, defensive skills and most importantly the trust she has built with all the pitchers on our staff has been very impressive. She is the leader on team but also the voice of reason as a sophomore. On the offensive side of the game she’s just as impressive. Hitting for power, high average and always willing to move runners when needed. The Ducks will be very happy when they get her on campus!
— Stef Ewing, Firecrackers AZ – Ewing 18 Gold Head Coach

Off the Field: Shaye tutors a 5^th grader in math every week and also works with younger softball players teaching them at clinics and camps.

Video: (interview with Shaye at the 2013 West Coast National Elite Camp in Oct. 2013)