Today, we conclude our look at the top 100 players in the 2019 class… we spotlighted 10 each day and finish the list with the Top 10!

These players 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.

Wrapping up the list, we feature players No. 10 to 1 with standout players from Arizona, California (4), Georgia (2), Kansas, Texas and Wisconsin.

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10—Macy Simmons, C/UT… So Cal Athletics – Briggs (Auburn)
Macy is a 5-foot-11 catcher who shows her passion for the game by commuting from Arizona to Southern California to play for Ken Brigg’s 16U A’s team. A prospect with unlimited potential, Macy has an exceptional arm and controls the game like a college player already. Her pop times have consistently been timed at 1.65 glove-to-glove from home to second and in the 1.5 second range in private workouts. And she has a lot of expertise to draw upon: former Arizona State head coach Craig Nicholson to improve her hitting with Briggs, Kaylyn Castillo and Jen Broderick providing catching instruction. Nicholson says of Macy, “She keeps getting better offensively every day. Macy has raw power and already has the ability to hit for a high average. I think she projects as a catcher but is athletic enough to play outfield and possibly third base. Macy is also one of the hardest workers I've ever seen.” The Arizona standout was being heavily recruited by SEC, Big Ten and Pac-12 schools before she committed to Auburn on January 2.

9—Val Pero, C/IF/OF… OC Batbusters – Campbell (uncommitted)
Val is another elite catcher in what is a super strong year for the backstop specialists. The Southern California freshman is freakishly athletic in how she can move and what she can do and it hasn’t escaped the attention of major colleges—she already has offers from Top 25 DI programs. One of the best defensive players in the nation, Val is also a clutch hitter shown by her having a big offensive championship game at the PGF 14U Nationals as the Batbusters won 7-4 over Georgia Impact-Lewis. In the title win, the catcher had a double and an RBI single and scored a run herself. For the Nationals run, Pero hit .438 with a team-leading three doubles and four RBI in seven games, all wins for Mark Campbell’s juggernaut team.

8—Chandler Dennis, P/UT… Georgia Impact – Stewart (Michigan)
Chandler can take over and dominate a game as shown by two games this fall where, in one, she struck out all nine batters she faced and in another went into the 5th inning and was pulled with 12 K’s. She throws consistently in the mid 60’s and her curve is her best pitch although her rise is also excellent though not used as much. The Georgia standout also hits with power and batted in the 4-hole for the Impact last year. She had four SEC offers but Michigan flew in to watch her pitch against 16U and 14U competition and were sold by her performances. Chandler went to the Wolverines’ elite camp held in January and pulled the trigger this week (first week of February 2016).

7—Rylee Trlicek, P/UT… Texas Blaze (Florida)
Rylee is a multi-position, multi-sport standout from Texas who is an exceptional pitcher and hitter while participating in high school volleyball, basketball and even cheer. A lefty pitcher who throws in the 62-64 mph range, her best pitch is a drop ball but she can also close out an inning with her rise, curve, screwball, off-speed curve and change-up. For the Blaze last summer, Rylee had a 1.05 ERA and 89 K’s. At the plate, she can stroke the ball as shown by her slugging 12 home runs last season with 14 doubles, eight triples and more than 50 RBI. She has has the “soft skills” coaches love including an advanced work ethic, competitive fire and team leadership as she’s noted for keeping the dugout loose and having fun. She committed to the Gators in December over interest from ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC programs.

6—Alyssa Garcia, C/IF… Firecrackers - Brashear/Thornburg (UCLA)
Alyssa has benefited from having her father, Tony, coach her as he was a former pro baseball player and has worked with numerous MLB players in clinics across the country. That in-house expertise has helped Alyssa have a high game IQ and maturity level for her age. As one coach said, “She plays like she’s years older.” Alyssa is a big, strong lefty hitting catcher who another coach said, “I would put her up against anyone her age as the most feared hitter in the country.” The numbers back up her excellence: She played 89 games for the 14U Firecrackers-Brashear team in 2015 including PGF Nationals in August and hit close to .500 for the year. At the TC/USA Nationals in Reno she hit over .700 and this fall, she batted .543 with five homers, 25 RBI and zero strikeouts in 81 bats. She was heavily recruited by major programs across the country but decided to stay close to home when she committed to UCLA in October 2015.

5—Farrah Steffany, P… OC Batbusters – Campbell (uncommitted)
Farrah pops the ball in the mid 60’s consistently and at the SurfCity Showcase in the fall was clocked as high as 68 mph. If her velocity isn’t enough, she’s developed a good off-speed pitch with good movement in and out. Her out pitch, however, is her drop curve; she also throws a screwball and rise. Farrah is also not afraid to throw in; stand on the plate and she’ll come in on the hands. The San Diego product works out several times per week in Anaheim with head coach Mark Campbell and will try to help the Batbusters repeat on their 2015 PGF 14U National championship where Farrah was all but untouchable. In two pool play games she went 2-0 and only gave up one hit in 12 1/3rd innings. In bracket play, Farrah went 4-0 with only two earned runs (0.32 ERA) in 21 2/3rd innings with 24 strikeouts. She’s received offers from Pac-12 and Big 12 schools and has already visited Arizona with planned visits set to Washington, Oklahoma and Cal at this time.

4—Sydney Supple, P/1B… Beverly Bandits 16U Conroy (Northwestern)
Sydney is one of the most passionate, energetic and vocal on-field team leaders you'll find at any level. She loves the game and treats each pitch, each play like it will determine a National Championship. Combine that intensity with great talent and you have an elite player who will be an integral part of the Conroy 16U team even though she’s still 14U eligible. Sydney is a lefty pitcher with great mechanics, but is getting better every day. The Wisconsin native is a great defensive player whose leadership is priceless. She throws in the 62 mph but has the ability to throw 66 mph before she’s done. Sydney has all the pitches and once she combines her rise, drop and change, her game is only going to escalate. Playing at PGF Nationals last summer, she threw six straight games pitching 39 innings with only two earned runs for a 0.35 ERA. Her streak included three straight shutouts and 44 K’s. Sydney even finished the fall season with the Bandits – Conroy 16U team and went undefeated at 17-0 playing a high level of competition. She chose Northwestern last year for its academics and athletics and will be a great ambassador for softball before she hangs up her cleats.

3—Julia Cottrill, C… Gold Coast Hurricanes (uncommitted)
Julia comes from a family of athletes including a grandfather who played golf on the PGA tour and is a college golf coach and her father, Jeff, who was her coach the past few years with the Wichita Mustangs and is now the Director of Operations for Oklahoma State Softball. But it’s not her family background that is remarkable about Julia, it’s her advanced play on the field. She was the 3-hole hitter for the Mustangs 18U team last summer that dominated the TC/USA Nationals and won the USA Softball JO Cup. Julia has a plus, plus arm as a young player already and one coach said she could walk in to 75 percent of the DI schools now and not just start as a catcher but hit in the 3 or 4-spot now. She has soft hands and is a power hitter who hits the ball so hard, it makes a different sound when it comes off the bat. A great all-around athlete, Julia plays basketball and golfs and is surprisingly quick, agile and fast for someone as powerful as she is. She’s been timed at 82 mph throwing a baseball and last year one scout marveled at how she pitched a softball underhand for fun and was clocked at 64 mph. Her work ethic is such that she’ll come home after a basketball practice and take cuts in a cage at 10 pm. One coach remarked, “Julia is just special, special, special.” She has the luxury of being so good that she can take her time to verbal even though every university in the country would take her. She’s down to a select few including Big 12 and SEC schools but those in the hunt will likely have to wait a while as Julia just wants to concentrate on enjoying playing the game for fun right now.

2—Kelley Lynch, P… East Cobb Bullets – Biele (Auburn)
Kelley Lynch is being called “Kelly Barnhill Part II” and it’s not just because they share the same first name and both came through the East Cobb Bullets system. Lynch is being compared to the Florida freshman and newly appointed member of the USA Softball Women’s National Team because both are dominant pitchers who are strikeout artists. Kelley is a strikeout machine, as was Barnhill, shown by her averaging over 1.6 K’s per inning last year with the Bullets. She exploded onto the national scene when she struck out 15 batters in six innings at the Colorado Sparkler tournament to lead the team to a 5th place finish. Kelley is already 5-foot-10 and projected to be 6-foot as her father was 6-foot-6. The Peach State standout throws a riseball that’s hard to lay off of while also throwing a curve, screw and change-up. Last fall, Kelley helped her Georgia high school finish 3rd in the state playoffs as she went 9-1 sharing time with two other hurlers and recorded 113 strikeouts and a 1.02 ERA in 62 innings. She batted .396 with 17 home runs and 40 RBI in her first year of varsity play. Her strong entrance was enough to earn her All-State honors. Right after Christmas, she committed to Auburn over several other SEC programs. Back to the Barnhill comparison, one coach said he believes Kelley is further along at this stage than her fantastic predecessor who was the FloSoftball 2015 National Player of the Year. If that’s even remotely close to being true, then the future is very bright for Kelley Lynch.

1—Kinzie Hansen, C… So Cal Athletics – Mercado (Oklahoma)
Kinzie Hansen has been called by more than one coach—both at the club and college levels—as “Aubree Munro with a better bat.” When you consider that Munro is a member of the USA Softball Women’s National Team and a two-time National Champion at the Univ. of Florida, that compliment is really saying something. Tall and lean like Munro, Kinzie has only been a catcher for about three years so she still has room to develop, which is really scary considering how strong she is now. So what makes her the No. 1 player in a 2019 class that’s loaded with talent, particularly at catcher? It’s this: Kinzie is close to 6-foot tall and is a five-tool player whose athletic ability is off the charts. One coach said simply, “She’s one of the best players, if not the best, I’ve every seen.” A natural leader who leads in the dugout and on the field, the Southern California star is so strong defensively, she is allowed by coaches to do everything on her own. Across the board she does everything well because she works so hard to be the best. Noted catching coach Jen Schroeder, who runs The Package Deal clinic series, says of Kinzie, “She is the hardest working catcher in the country. She takes her weaknesses and does not stop working and tweaking until they’re right. Her knee throws are the best I’ve ever seen for someone her age and I have frequently clocked her at 1.6 (pop time) and below.” To be the top-rated player in your class—and there have been some notable ones in the FloSoftball Hot 100’s including Jenna Lilly (Oregon, 2014) and Amanda Lorenz (Florida, 2015), you have to be a franchise player, one who has it all: athletic and skill talent plus the intangibles of passion, intensity, leadership and a fire to win. Kinzie checks all those boxes in a big way and made Oklahoma fans very happy when she committed in November of 2014. In what is a very strong class—especially with pitchers and catchers—we at FloSoftball extend our congratulations to Kinzie Hansen, the FloSoftball No. 1 rated player in the 2019 Hot 100!



Related:
Macy Simmons: My Recruiting Journey to the SEC
Team Profile: EC Bullets-Biele 16U, Team on the Rise
Sydney Supple’s Blog: Ready for 2016!
Player Profile: Sydney Supple (11/24)
Meet 2019 Gator Commit Rylee Trlicek