Hot 100 2017’s… #30-21
Hot 100 2017’s… #30-21
Today, 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 players were
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Today, 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 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.
Today we feature players No. 30 to 21 with standout players from California (6), Georgia, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas. Pictured above: Sydney Sherrill
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30—Shelbi Sunseri P/UT… Texas Bombers Gold (LSU)
Shelbi is a strikeout pitcher and power hitter who is similar to last year’s Texas Bombers ace Sam Show, now at Texas A&M, in that she can impact a game offensively and defensively. In the circle, she throws in the mid-60’s with excellent control on her screwball and rise. A Texas Gatorade Player of the Year candidate, Shelbi also hits for power and average and currently has a 27-4 pitching record with a 0.82 ERA and 284 K’s in 154 1/3 innings. With the stick, she’s batting .468 with five homers and 37 RBI. Shelbi committed to LSU last March and should see early time on the field because of her versatility, super competitiveness and willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
29—Alyssa Kumiyama 1B/C… So Cal Athletics-Richardson (South Carolina)
Alyssa is one of the top power hitters in the country and hits the ball to the opposite field as well as anyone. She has an inside out swing that generates power and she can hit the ball 300 feet when she hits it squarely. Alyssa also is a winner, having be part of two club National Championships: ASA (10U in 2010) and PGF (12U in 2012). She made the jump from 14U to 18U to the powerhouse A’s and no less of an authority than Crystal Bustos says, “After working with (Alyssa) for the past year, I feel like she is one of the strongest hitters I have seen in a long time when it comes to power. She also has a great understanding of hitting and her swing. Not many hitters can explain what it is they are feeling and that is why she is able to keep growing and learning this art of hitting. She is also able to control her swing to place balls for moving runners.”
28—Jordan Matthews SS… Ohana Tigers (Florida)
Jordan leads off for the Tigers and helped the 16U team finish in the Top 5 at last summer’s PGF Nationals where she hit .300 and played shortstop. One of the top athletes in the class, Jordan is big, strong, fast and hits the ball hard. She has the all-around physical package and one Top 25 college coach said of her, “I love to come and watch her play more than anyone else because of all the remarkable things she can do on the field.” Jordan is a consistent hitter who leads off for the Tigers but has the power, due to her physical size and strength, to hit in the 4-hole. On defense, the So Cal standout, who also plays varsity volleyball, makes the field look smaller and with her crazy upside could be an elite college player if everything comes together. She committed to Florida in July of 2015.
27—Sydney Sherrill 3B/SS… Gametime Stars (Florida State)
Sydney is a standout athlete who can play anywhere on the field and is naturally a shortstop but plays third for her travel club and high school teams. She a great overall athlete with incredibly quick feet and soft hands and her instincts for the game are beyond her years. At the plate she is disciplined and hits for power as well as average. One coach says she’s the best athlete to have come out of the Gametime Stars which has produced three collegians currently playing in the Big 12. The Oklahoma standout hit .495 as a junior with a .556 on-base percentage and had 39 RBI to earn 1st Team All- Conference and All-District honors. As a sophomore, she was the Conference Player of the Year after batting .543 with a .607 on-base percentage and a 1.388 OPS. Sydney also helped her high school team win the 6A State Championship as a freshman. She committed to FSU after receiving several SEC offers.
26—Natalie Lugo P… OC Batbusters-Stith (Florida)
Natalie has slowly and steadily improved as a right-hander with a riseball that is her out pitch. Fluid in her pitching movements, she throws with ease and has solid mechanics. Add to that a strong workout regiment and you can see why she and Mariah Lopez (2016) will be counted on heavily as the one-two punch for the Batbusters, who are looking for a three-peat at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals. Natalie is primarily an up-and-down pitcher but is continually developing the rest of her game. There are high expectations on her as her ceiling is unlimited. Natalie was the San Gabriel Valley (California) Player of the Year in 2015 when she led her team to the CIF-Southern Section Div. 2 semis as she went 15-6 with a 0.73 ERA and 263 K’s in 143 innings. She also threw three-no hitters including one where she struck out 19 in an eight inning battle. Natalie had 10 or more strikeouts in 17 of her 21 games pitched. She committed to Florida during her freshman year.
25—Makenna Dowell IF… Georgia Elite – Hoover (Auburn)
Makenna Dowell got the highest compliment possible when an opposing club coach said of her, “She is the best shortstop I’ve ever seen, she’s flatout unbelievable.” The Georgia athlete makes plays defensively that other players beyond her years can’t make. She has instincts, hands and footwork that are extremely smooth and efficient and a super quick release. One thing Makenna credits for her fielding prowess is playing “wall ball tennis” every day when younger which helped her track the movement of the ball, how it hops and spins. Nicknamed “Kenna,” she hit .412 last fall for her Georgia high school team and can bat in the 2-hole because she can lay down a bunt, drag it up the line or hard slap. She’s batting .350 this spring for club play (Georgia plays high school in the fall and club in the spring) and is developing a power game to make her a complete all-around talent.
24—Alexis Allan 1B… Firecrackers-Rico (Michigan)
Alexis has stellar bloodlines as her grandmother is Sheila Cornell-Douty who played on the first USA Olympic softball team in 1996, captured a pair of Olympic Gold medals and was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame. Alexis, who is nicknamed “Lou,” is carrying on the family’s softball excellence as she has already adapted the mentality necessary to be a professional hitter. Alexis has become one of the top players in the country and a difference maker, especially in her hitting for average and power to all fields, because she’s become skilled at keeping it calm and simple on the field by not trying to do to much and letting the game come to her. The Riverside (California) junior has an even-keel personality that balances well with her physical tools and athleticism, which includes playing varsity basketball. She’s a two-time All-Area pick and made a big varsity splash as a freshman when she hit .471 with 11 homers including the game-winner that helped her team win the league title.
23—Shaye Bowden C/SS/3B… Birmingham Thunderbolts (Oregon)
Like T Statman (Univ. of Arizona) and Morgan Nelson (Northwestern) last year, Shaye is an elite player from Arizona who travels to Alabama to play for the strong Thunderbolts program. She is multi-faceted because of her cannon arm and is skilled behind the plate with a 1.6 pop time and the softball IQ to call her own games. Offensively, she usually bats in the 3 or 4-hole because she hits for power and average. The most amazing stat for Shaye is that in 259 high school plate appearances during her three-year varsity career, she’s only struck out one time. This year she hit .595 to set a school record and smacked eight home runs, 11 doubles and six triples to earn All-State honors and District Offensive Player of the Year. Shaye also holds school records with 56 RBI and 14 home runs. Her slugging percentage this year was 1.229, second best in Arizona’s Div. 2.
22—Camryn Ybarra 2B/OF… Corona Angels (Oregon State)
Camryn is a consistent, highly productive power hitter who has dominated at the club level in tournaments like Boulder IDT and at the high school level where her Mission Viejo (California) team won the 2014 FloSoftball H.S. National Championship and has been ranked No. 1 nationally this spring. Camryn plays for her father, Troy, in high school and he also helps with the Angels so the infielder has grown up around the sport. She combines a hard-working attitude with an accelerated knowledge of the game which has also come from following behind her talented sister, Shianne, who is currently a sophomore playing at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Camryn is a tough infielder who bats left-handed and has the physical tools to put the ball in play and come up with the clutch hit when needed.
21—Julie Rodriguez P/OF… Jersey Intensity (UCLA)
Julie is a five-tool player who typically bats in the 3-hole and exploded as a hitter over the last year, hitting close to .500 for her Intensity-KOD club team during the fall and elevated her power game, too, including slugging three home runs in five games at Team NJ. At the high school level, Julie has rewritten her New Jersey high school’s softball record book. She hit .658 this spring in 13 games although a finger injury may cause her to miss the final 10 games. Still, she was all but unstoppable this year when on the field with a .730 on-base percentage and, amazingly, had 20 walks with most being intentional. For her prep career of three years, the Jersey native has a .620 batting average highlighted by earning 1st Team FloSoftball All-American honors in 2015. Julie can even pitch effectively too, but her all-round great play will likely have her in the everyday line-up in Westwood. She committed to UCLA the fall of her freshman year after attend a Bruins camp and smashing several home runs, one of which stuck in the fence beyond the outfield wall.
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.
Today we feature players No. 30 to 21 with standout players from California (6), Georgia, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas. Pictured above: Sydney Sherrill
***
30—Shelbi Sunseri P/UT… Texas Bombers Gold (LSU)Shelbi is a strikeout pitcher and power hitter who is similar to last year’s Texas Bombers ace Sam Show, now at Texas A&M, in that she can impact a game offensively and defensively. In the circle, she throws in the mid-60’s with excellent control on her screwball and rise. A Texas Gatorade Player of the Year candidate, Shelbi also hits for power and average and currently has a 27-4 pitching record with a 0.82 ERA and 284 K’s in 154 1/3 innings. With the stick, she’s batting .468 with five homers and 37 RBI. Shelbi committed to LSU last March and should see early time on the field because of her versatility, super competitiveness and willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
29—Alyssa Kumiyama 1B/C… So Cal Athletics-Richardson (South Carolina)Alyssa is one of the top power hitters in the country and hits the ball to the opposite field as well as anyone. She has an inside out swing that generates power and she can hit the ball 300 feet when she hits it squarely. Alyssa also is a winner, having be part of two club National Championships: ASA (10U in 2010) and PGF (12U in 2012). She made the jump from 14U to 18U to the powerhouse A’s and no less of an authority than Crystal Bustos says, “After working with (Alyssa) for the past year, I feel like she is one of the strongest hitters I have seen in a long time when it comes to power. She also has a great understanding of hitting and her swing. Not many hitters can explain what it is they are feeling and that is why she is able to keep growing and learning this art of hitting. She is also able to control her swing to place balls for moving runners.”
28—Jordan Matthews SS… Ohana Tigers (Florida)Jordan leads off for the Tigers and helped the 16U team finish in the Top 5 at last summer’s PGF Nationals where she hit .300 and played shortstop. One of the top athletes in the class, Jordan is big, strong, fast and hits the ball hard. She has the all-around physical package and one Top 25 college coach said of her, “I love to come and watch her play more than anyone else because of all the remarkable things she can do on the field.” Jordan is a consistent hitter who leads off for the Tigers but has the power, due to her physical size and strength, to hit in the 4-hole. On defense, the So Cal standout, who also plays varsity volleyball, makes the field look smaller and with her crazy upside could be an elite college player if everything comes together. She committed to Florida in July of 2015.
27—Sydney Sherrill 3B/SS… Gametime Stars (Florida State)Sydney is a standout athlete who can play anywhere on the field and is naturally a shortstop but plays third for her travel club and high school teams. She a great overall athlete with incredibly quick feet and soft hands and her instincts for the game are beyond her years. At the plate she is disciplined and hits for power as well as average. One coach says she’s the best athlete to have come out of the Gametime Stars which has produced three collegians currently playing in the Big 12. The Oklahoma standout hit .495 as a junior with a .556 on-base percentage and had 39 RBI to earn 1st Team All- Conference and All-District honors. As a sophomore, she was the Conference Player of the Year after batting .543 with a .607 on-base percentage and a 1.388 OPS. Sydney also helped her high school team win the 6A State Championship as a freshman. She committed to FSU after receiving several SEC offers.
26—Natalie Lugo P… OC Batbusters-Stith (Florida)Natalie has slowly and steadily improved as a right-hander with a riseball that is her out pitch. Fluid in her pitching movements, she throws with ease and has solid mechanics. Add to that a strong workout regiment and you can see why she and Mariah Lopez (2016) will be counted on heavily as the one-two punch for the Batbusters, who are looking for a three-peat at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals. Natalie is primarily an up-and-down pitcher but is continually developing the rest of her game. There are high expectations on her as her ceiling is unlimited. Natalie was the San Gabriel Valley (California) Player of the Year in 2015 when she led her team to the CIF-Southern Section Div. 2 semis as she went 15-6 with a 0.73 ERA and 263 K’s in 143 innings. She also threw three-no hitters including one where she struck out 19 in an eight inning battle. Natalie had 10 or more strikeouts in 17 of her 21 games pitched. She committed to Florida during her freshman year.
25—Makenna Dowell IF… Georgia Elite – Hoover (Auburn)Makenna Dowell got the highest compliment possible when an opposing club coach said of her, “She is the best shortstop I’ve ever seen, she’s flatout unbelievable.” The Georgia athlete makes plays defensively that other players beyond her years can’t make. She has instincts, hands and footwork that are extremely smooth and efficient and a super quick release. One thing Makenna credits for her fielding prowess is playing “wall ball tennis” every day when younger which helped her track the movement of the ball, how it hops and spins. Nicknamed “Kenna,” she hit .412 last fall for her Georgia high school team and can bat in the 2-hole because she can lay down a bunt, drag it up the line or hard slap. She’s batting .350 this spring for club play (Georgia plays high school in the fall and club in the spring) and is developing a power game to make her a complete all-around talent.
24—Alexis Allan 1B… Firecrackers-Rico (Michigan)Alexis has stellar bloodlines as her grandmother is Sheila Cornell-Douty who played on the first USA Olympic softball team in 1996, captured a pair of Olympic Gold medals and was inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame. Alexis, who is nicknamed “Lou,” is carrying on the family’s softball excellence as she has already adapted the mentality necessary to be a professional hitter. Alexis has become one of the top players in the country and a difference maker, especially in her hitting for average and power to all fields, because she’s become skilled at keeping it calm and simple on the field by not trying to do to much and letting the game come to her. The Riverside (California) junior has an even-keel personality that balances well with her physical tools and athleticism, which includes playing varsity basketball. She’s a two-time All-Area pick and made a big varsity splash as a freshman when she hit .471 with 11 homers including the game-winner that helped her team win the league title.
23—Shaye Bowden C/SS/3B… Birmingham Thunderbolts (Oregon)Like T Statman (Univ. of Arizona) and Morgan Nelson (Northwestern) last year, Shaye is an elite player from Arizona who travels to Alabama to play for the strong Thunderbolts program. She is multi-faceted because of her cannon arm and is skilled behind the plate with a 1.6 pop time and the softball IQ to call her own games. Offensively, she usually bats in the 3 or 4-hole because she hits for power and average. The most amazing stat for Shaye is that in 259 high school plate appearances during her three-year varsity career, she’s only struck out one time. This year she hit .595 to set a school record and smacked eight home runs, 11 doubles and six triples to earn All-State honors and District Offensive Player of the Year. Shaye also holds school records with 56 RBI and 14 home runs. Her slugging percentage this year was 1.229, second best in Arizona’s Div. 2.
22—Camryn Ybarra 2B/OF… Corona Angels (Oregon State)Camryn is a consistent, highly productive power hitter who has dominated at the club level in tournaments like Boulder IDT and at the high school level where her Mission Viejo (California) team won the 2014 FloSoftball H.S. National Championship and has been ranked No. 1 nationally this spring. Camryn plays for her father, Troy, in high school and he also helps with the Angels so the infielder has grown up around the sport. She combines a hard-working attitude with an accelerated knowledge of the game which has also come from following behind her talented sister, Shianne, who is currently a sophomore playing at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Camryn is a tough infielder who bats left-handed and has the physical tools to put the ball in play and come up with the clutch hit when needed.
21—Julie Rodriguez P/OF… Jersey Intensity (UCLA)Julie is a five-tool player who typically bats in the 3-hole and exploded as a hitter over the last year, hitting close to .500 for her Intensity-KOD club team during the fall and elevated her power game, too, including slugging three home runs in five games at Team NJ. At the high school level, Julie has rewritten her New Jersey high school’s softball record book. She hit .658 this spring in 13 games although a finger injury may cause her to miss the final 10 games. Still, she was all but unstoppable this year when on the field with a .730 on-base percentage and, amazingly, had 20 walks with most being intentional. For her prep career of three years, the Jersey native has a .620 batting average highlighted by earning 1st Team FloSoftball All-American honors in 2015. Julie can even pitch effectively too, but her all-round great play will likely have her in the everyday line-up in Westwood. She committed to UCLA the fall of her freshman year after attend a Bruins camp and smashing several home runs, one of which stuck in the fence beyond the outfield wall.