​Pictured: Cayla Kessinger of the So Cal Choppers - Fausett team.

We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2016 class; we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1.

The current seniors 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. 60 to 51 with standout players from Alabama, California (4), Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and Texas (2).

Check out more of 2016's HOT 100: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, ​70-61

No	Player	Position	Club	College
60	Cayla Kessinger	IF/OF	So Cal Choppers - Fausett	Missouri
		Cayla has elevated her game, especially on defense over the last year, to go with her “A game” offensive skills. She’s a lefty hitter who has all the tools including power and hit .407 last season with 28 RBI at the high school level.  A 3 hole hitter who’s tall and can hit the inside and outside pitch, she has a cage at home and has utilized it to become one of the best hitters in the country.  Coaches privately say she has as high of a ceiling as any prospect and there’s no telling how great she can become.
59	Ashlee Swindle	P/1B	Birmingham Thunderbolts	Auburn
		Ashlee utilized her effective drop and chanup to lead her high school to a state championship and earn herself Class 4A Pitcher of the Year honors.  She pitched lights out all year, recording a 0.22 ERA with 327 K’s.  She also hit .354 with 45 RBI to help her own cause.  A developed pitcher who throws in the low 60’s but mixes up speeds and buckles knees with her Taryne Mowatt-like change which will likely help her play early in the SEC.
58	Rebecca Prairie	C	EC Bullets - Schnute	Georgia Tech
		In a class full of strong defensive catchers, “Becca” is one of the best.  Coaches remark on how she controls a game behind the plate and keeps pitchers under control and in the game.  She’s no slouch offensively, either, hitting .424 at the high school level and has always had high batting averages and on-base percentages.  A gym rat who loves to workout, she gets up at 5 am to get extra training in. She had originally committed to Georgia but will stay instate to play in Atlanta for her future ACC school.
57	Malia Martinez	3B/SS	OC Batbusters - Haning/Stith	Arizona
		Malia was a 1st Team All-San Diego Section pick this year for her hitting prowess as well as her defense on the left side of the infield.  Scouts use the words “strong” and “smart” to describe her game.  Malia is a power hitter who generates power because of her natural strength.  With the Batbusters losing a dozen major D1 players, Malia’s offensive skills will be needed for Mike Stith’s team to make a run at a third straight PGF Nationals title. Photo: SanDiegoTribune.com
56	Vanessa Taukeiaho	OF	Explosion	Oklahoma
		Vanessa has benefited from watching her sister, Cal State Fullerton All-American Missy Taukeiaho, play and she also has a smooth power swing with the ability to drive the ball deep to all fields.  Vanessa hit .423 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI this year for her So Cal high school team.  On defense she gets good jumps in the outfield and has a strong arm to keep base runners honest and thinking twice about taking the extra base.  She and fellow senior Sooner commit Mariah Lopez helped her Team Mizuno-Campbell team win the PGF 14U title two years ago in Huntington Beach.
55	Alex Martens	IF	Illinois Chill	Kentucky
		Alex is a 6-foot middle infielder who can make all the plays and drill the ball to all three fields.  She had a knee injury and missed the bulk of the summer, but she’s come back with a vengeance this fall, hitting .548 for the Chill against major competition.  On defense she has great range and is a rally-killer with her ability to make the impossible play.  Alex hit .546 with 51 RBI and eight homers in high school ball and has earned All-State honors and All-Area recognition by the Chicago Sun-Times.
54	Katie Marino	2B	Jersey Intensity	Notre Dame
		Katie is a five-tool player who has only played second base for three years but several coaches feel she’s one of the premier players in the nation at that position. She has great natural instincts and athletic ability, but it’s her offensive skills that put her in rarified air.  A contact hitter with a high on-base percentage (.741 in 2015) because she earns a ton of walks, Katie hit .640 this year in New Jersey high school ball after hitting .670 as a sophomore and .556 as a freshman.
53	Odicci Alexander	P/UT	Beverly Bandits	James Madison
		Odicci is the biggest sleeper in the 2016 Hot 100 and comes from the same area of Virginia that produced pitcher Megan Good, the USA Softball Player of the Year candidate this year as a freshman at Odicci’s future school, James Madison.  Odicci is a three-sport star (softball, volleyball and basketball) who plays for the Lake Country Crushers during the school year and the Beverly Bandits in the summer.  She is an unbelievable athlete, throwing 68 mph from the circle more in the “closer” role, but can play any position. Those close to the Bandit program say she’s probably the best athlete to ever play for the prestigious organization.
52	Hannah Howell	OF	Explosion	Arizona State
		Hannah is the ideal lefty slapper and leadoff hitter who can do it all: bunt, slap and power slap and she’s even improving her power game.  Playing in competitive Inland Empire area of So Cal, she hit .434 as a junior utilizing her 2.7 home-to-first speed to bounce the ball and put it in play efficiently. Hannah is tall and projects to be 5-foot-9 but maintains the athleticism to get quick jumps on the ball from the outfield and close on the ball well.
51	Tuesday Dermargosian	OF	Firecrackers - Rico	Texas
		Tuesday is a tremendous athlete with accelerated skills as a lefty slapper with power.  She was an All-Area honoree after hitting .614 with 20 steals in just 19 games.  Tuesday is also a standout volleyball and basketball player, but on the softball field earned 2nd Team All-American honors because she is the total package as a hitter: average, power, speed and a discerning eye (very few strikeouts).