Hot 100 2015's (#20-11)
Hot 100 2015's (#20-11)
We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2015 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1. The juniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches. Criteria for choosing and ranking the playe
Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!
Already a subscriber? Log In
We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2015 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1. The juniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches. 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. 20 to 11 with standout players from California, Delaware, Kansas and Texas.
Check out more of Round 1 of 2015's HOT 100: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31, 30-21
| #20... Kaitlyn Alderink (IF/OF, Team Mizuno Impulse--Texas A&M A great study in perseverance, Kaitlyn tore an ACL in one knee in the seventh grade and then the other in the eighth grade and many felt she should pack it in. But working through a painful rehab and putting in six extra hours of work each week, she powered through her freshman year to help her team win a 4A state title in Texas and last year did even better to earn 5A All-State honors. A strong middle infielder with soft hands and great range, she has a strong arm and great bat control with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. From a family of Aggies, it was no surprise that she choose A&M and staying within the Lone Star State borders. |
|---|
| #19... Lindsay Rood (SS, KG Hitters)--Cal Lindsay is one of the best overall athletes in the 2015 class and not just in softball--she has also played soccer at the highest club level in the nation. But softball is her future as she's a versatile, five-tool player with 2.7 speed home-to-first. Lindsay can bunt, slap and hit the ball out of the park giving defense and pitchers fits on how to defend her. She hit over .475 at the 2013 PGF National Championships and anchored the KG defense at shortstop all year long, helping the Hitters finish first at the Champions Cup, fifth at ASA Nationals and 13th at PGF Nationals. |
| #18... Brittany Finney (P, Explosion)--Oklahoma Brittany may get the "long distance award" for her extensive travels from Kansas to Southern California to practice and play in tournaments with her club ball team. The reason? She wants to face the best hitters in the country and that desire to face good line-ups has fine-tuned her game so she's not just a thrower now, but a true pitcher. Her progress and improvement over the last year has been noticeable and she's grown in confidence as she's developed a drop ball and drop curve to complement her power pitch which is consistent at 63-64 mph and can top out at 67. As a sophomore at the high school level, she limited opponents to a .198 batting average to earn All-State honors for the second year in a row. |
| #17... Brianne Tautalafua (IF/OF, Firecrackers-Rico)--UCLA Brianne is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Darian, who's now at Long Beach State and was the 2011 Player of the Year in the South Bay (Southern Calif.) area. Brianne is a pure power hitter who has played the left side of the infield but is also getting experience in the outfield. She was the Daily Breeze All-Area player of the Year after batting .587 in 2013 with 15 home runs, 59 RBI and 50 runs scored and also was honored as a CalHi Sports 1st Team All-State Underclass pick. What makes her an elite player is her mental toughness combined with tremendous physical gifts like strength and speed. She's developing at a higher plane of maturity to compete early at the collegiate level. |
| #16... Faith Canfield (IF/OF, So Cal Athletics)--Michigan You could make a case for Faith being the MVP of the 2013 PGF Nationals as her clutch home run in the 18U title game was the deciding blow that gave the A's a fourth consecutive national title. One of the best hitters in the country, Faith can hit any pitch for power and can turn on inside pitches as she keeps her hands inside the ball very well. Her greatest strength could be her versatility as she can play any spot in the infield and outfield and is getting heavy play at first base right now. Faith hit .345 with 21 RBI, 28 runs scored and seven doubles for her high school team and also stole nine bases. |
| #15... Kaley Winegarner (P, OC Batbusters-Haning)--Stanford Kaley was taken down by a torn ACL that ended her high school season prematurely last year but she's throwing now and is being brought along slowly by her club and high school coaches, including Mark Campbell who works with her on both fronts as he's an assistant with the Batbusters and the head man over the always-competitive Pacifica High team (not only does he have Kaley, but also senor Kalee Carlson, the No 17 prospect in the 2014 Hot 100 list). Look for Kaley to be back sometime during the high school season and bringing the heat in the mid to upper 60's. She throws down hard and has a change-up that she pitches for strikes. She's also won at the highest levels and has that extra push to get over the top that inspires her teammates as well. |
| #14... Cherish Burks (OF, All American Sports Academy)--Oregon Cherish is a playmaker who leads by example and can be an agitator to the opposition as she can beat you in multiple ways. She hit .477 last year with 23 RBI, 30 runs scored and had a .526 on-base percentage. Aggressive and almost unstoppable on the base paths, she's gone 45-for-46 in steals over the last two years of high school ball. Cherish swings the bat with power and is an exciting player to watch and have on your team as she can hit anywhere in the line-up, one through nine. She's deceptively good but it won't be far into a game when she'll draw attention because of her play and athletic talents that make her the type of player you can't take your eye off of. |
| #13... Natalie Peters (OF, OC Batbusters-Haning)--Michigan Natalie is the ideal lead-off batter because she has excellent bat control and can put the ball where she wants it--bounce it on the ground and beat it out with her lightning speed or drive it to the gaps for an extra base hit. A converted righty hitter, the San Diego native is now a prolific slapper who has a great work ethic and has a high ceiling as she's improving every practice and tournament. Defensively, she gets to balls most outfielders can't because of her great first-step quickness and has an above-average arm. She can hit .400 falling out of bed and was 1st Team All-League as a freshman when she hit .390. |
| #12... Samantha Show (P, Aces Express)--Texas A&M Samantha may be the most honored player in the 2015 class. She was the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year in 2013, the Gatorade Texas Softball Player of the Year, the District 22-5A MVP and 1st Team All-State to name a few. Last year as a sophomore, Samantha she put up video game-like numbers: 30-3 record in the circle with a 0.65 ERA and 357 K's in 183 innings pitched. She was dominant from start to finish, throwing three no-hitters, five one-hitters and seven two-hitters. She also did her share of damage on offense, hitting for a .436 average with 70 RBI to boot. As classy off the field as she is talented on it, Samantha puts in a lot of service hours helping out locally on behalf of the Special Olympics and as a youth softball coach. |
| #11... Regan Green (P, NC Lady Lightning)--Mississippi State Our first Delaware prospect in the Hot 100's, Regan may come from a small state, but she's got big-time talent. She ended last year's high school season with a bang, throwing a perfect game in the state championship to give her team its first-ever state title. Regan was definitely on in that game, striking out 15 of the 21 batters she faced. She was also part of a another championship in 2011 as she helped her team win the Senior League World Series. Regan is a pure power pitcher able to throw the more simple pitches with great movement. What makes her one of the best pitchers in the country is the explosiveness on the ball on the back end as it comes in to hitters. She can throw the heat too, hitting 64-66 mph, and is aggressive attacking the opposition with a myriad of pitches including a very good screwball, rise ball, drop ball and a heavy curve. |