Hot 100 2018: Players 50-41
Hot 100 2018: Players 50-41
Class of 2018 FloSoftball ranks Hot 100 players 41 to 50
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We continue our look at the updated Hot 100 as enter Week 2 and rank the top players in the 2018 class… we're spotlighting 10 each day as we count down from 100 to No. 1.
We'll announce the Top 10 of the class this Friday, December 23, then profile the No. 1 player on Saturday, December 24 and on December 26--the day after Christmas--we will reveal the "Next In (101-200)."
Finally, on Tuesday, December 27, FloSoftball will unveil our Top College Rankings for the '18 class.
Since we first released the 2018 Hot 100, there has been a lot of changes as players have emerged as nationally prominent recruits. In fact, 43 of the players in this second version are new!
These junior standouts were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches who've seen them play 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. 50 to 41 with standouts from Arizona, California (2), Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee (2), Texas (3) and Virginia.
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Pacini played 18 Gold since she was a freshman with the So Cal Athletics organization. She has the versatility to start in right field and was also a back-up catcher to current Stanford freshman Montana Dixon. She came clutch with walk-off home runs in several big events and has shined on major stages like PGF Nationals, which she played the last four year, and Boulder IDT. At the prep level, she hit .384 as a sophomore for her San Diego area high school and threw out 84% of base runners attempting to steal. One of the first 2018 recruits to pull the trigger, she committed to the Vols on her 14th birthday, Pacini also plays varsity basketball and volleyball.
Jatzlau batted .466 for the Blaze this year and averaged one run scored per game also stealing 37 of 39 bases as the lead-off. She played primarily second base and was flawless on defense. She has the athletic skills to play short and the outfield as well. Speed is her strength that makes her a threat to score every time she gets on and is very skilled at manufacturing runs. She scored on average 73% of the time when she got on base. Jatzlau has also been a force at the high school level as well, making a splash as a freshman when she was named the District 21-4A Newcomer of the Year. During the 2016 high school season, she finished with a batting average of .412 with 27 steals and 32 runs in 28 games played to again earn All-District honors.
Bunker is a strong player in every aspect of the game and, according to one coach, "is right on schedule developing physically and mentally." The Huntington Beach, California junior is a line drive hitter who hits to all fields and can place the ball line to line. She has good speed and uses it to get on base and have above-average range on defense. What makes her a PAC 12 caliber player is her consistent play, always coming ready to contribute in every way possible. As a sophomore she batted .419 after batting .433 as a freshman. Bunker also has a good eye for the ball, striking out only four times this year in 90 plate appearances in high school ball.
Mataya is the true leadoff hitter capable of carving up any defense both at the plate and on the bases. She is a deadly hitter in any pitch count and has the eye and bat discipline to lay off waste pitches and foul off others she doesn't feel she can drive. One coach said the Virginia junior, "She is the hardest out in the line-up." Teams are on high alert when Mataya is on base. She played elite competition and excelling for several years as she helped her teams finish 3rd at ASA "B" 10U East Coast Nationals in 2010, 5th at the USSSA 12U Fastpitch East Coast World Series in 2012 and 2nd at the Team NJ Futures Elite Showcase in 2014. She committed to BC in January of 2016.
Whitley is the prototypical speedy outfielder who sparks the offense as a legitimate triple threat. This Texan is a deadly bunter who can slap the ball with power and swing away with pop. One coach described her as "electric and makes the game look easy." A natural left-hander, she hit .508 as a sophomore with 61 hits including 11 triples. Her on-base percentage was .577 and her OPS was 1.302 to help her earn All-State honors. She also had only one error in 64 chances for a .984 fielding percentage. Tate had a stellar fall leading the Bombers in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Osbron has one of the strongest arms in the country with pop times verified at two SEC camps at 1.50 and 1.53. She also has an overhand throw that has been measured at 72 mph. She is a well-rounded athlete who moves well (2.9 home-to-first), has a good frame, is intelligent behind the plate and a great decision maker. Osbron developed into a power hitter hitting a 250-foot home runs with most dingers being line drives. She's versatile enough to play shortstop at the next level too. Last travel season, Osbrong batted .448 with 39 RBI and six home runs while behind the plate she picked off seven base runners and caught 13 of the 20 runners attempting to steal against her. In high school, she batted .564 with 18 doubles and eight home runs as a sophomore to receive 1st team All-State honors. She is also the starting point guard on her high school basketball team.
Crosslin is a lefty slapper with pop and has 2.7 home-to-first speed (clocked at an SEC camp) but she's also explosive with her first step. One coach said, "Madison is like a halfback hitting an open gap in football." She was a big part of the Aces finishing in the Top 10 at PGF Nationals as she hit .350 with eight steals. Madison has the speed to slap, but the power to hit doubles and triples. She's also a skilled bunter and one coach said she's "one of the best bunting kids I've seen, she feels like it's a lost art." Along with her speed, the centerfielder is a standout on defense and has overhand speed at 60 plus mph. After taking visits to Michigan and UCLA, she visited Syracuse and fell in love with the Northeast, the softball program and the academics at the ACC school.
Sheffield is one of top all-around athletes in the 2018 class and has the physical tools to play most infield and outfield spots, especially shortstop and centerfield. The Tennessee junior has great speed and stole 31 bases at the high school level and led the Fury in steals. She also hits for a high average .538 at the prep level--and finds other ways to get on bases (her OBP was .538 in high school and .429 at club). Sheffield bats in the 3-hole for the Fury and is enough of a power threat that defenses can't cheat in on her. She had SEC interest before committing to the Boilermakers in large part because of the Big Ten competition and Purdue's academic strengths.
Stewart has been in the Impact program for three years and each year has made incremental and impressive improvement. The Georgia junior is a lefty slapper with power and has earned the nickname "Rocket" because of her skills at playing small ball with her 2.7 home-to-first speed but the ability to power slap and also drive the ball to the gaps and over the fence. Savannah covers a ton of ground in the outfield and at the plate finds ways to get on base; her on-base percentage at the prestigious So Cal A's Invitational in June, for example, was .500. She earned 1st Team All-State honors this fall after hitting .429 in Region 3AAAAAAA and leading her team to the playoffs.
Flynn came onto the national scene three years ago as a top-flight recruit because of her great speed and passion for the game. The Arizona junior goes all out every play and is aggressive in laying out to make plays in the infield or outfield and isn't afraid to swing for the fences, even with two strikes. But Flynn's not reckless--her smooth stroke and bat speed allows her to turn on pitches most hitters can't get to. Flynn is also adept at turning mistake pitches into home runs. Her great speed and pop with her bat gives coaches the versatility to bat her anywhere from second in the line-up to the 5-spot. As a sophomore this spring, she hit .465 with 33 RBI and had a .531 on-base percentage. Flynn also went 22 for 22 in steals and helped her Arizona high school team go 32-6. She was recognized as an Arizona 1st Team All-Division II selection. She committed to the Bruins in January of 2015.
Edwards can play anywhere on the field except pitcher. She's primarily a third baseman, catcher and middle infielder right now. The Texas junior is a heady, "softball smart" player who has a great eye at the plate and doesn't strike out much. On defense, Lindsay has a good arm and makes all the plays. She's a fierce competitor and coaches say they love her leadership abilities and how she builds up teammates around her. Lindsay has been a two-time 1st Team All-District (6-6A) honoree and as a sophomore was selected as the Catcher of the Year for the district. She's also a standout volleyball player.
We'll announce the Top 10 of the class this Friday, December 23, then profile the No. 1 player on Saturday, December 24 and on December 26--the day after Christmas--we will reveal the "Next In (101-200)."
Finally, on Tuesday, December 27, FloSoftball will unveil our Top College Rankings for the '18 class.
Since we first released the 2018 Hot 100, there has been a lot of changes as players have emerged as nationally prominent recruits. In fact, 43 of the players in this second version are new!
These junior standouts were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches who've seen them play 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. 50 to 41 with standouts from Arizona, California (2), Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee (2), Texas (3) and Virginia.
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50--Madison Pacini OF/C… So Cal Choppers-Fausett (Tennessee)
Pacini played 18 Gold since she was a freshman with the So Cal Athletics organization. She has the versatility to start in right field and was also a back-up catcher to current Stanford freshman Montana Dixon. She came clutch with walk-off home runs in several big events and has shined on major stages like PGF Nationals, which she played the last four year, and Boulder IDT. At the prep level, she hit .384 as a sophomore for her San Diego area high school and threw out 84% of base runners attempting to steal. One of the first 2018 recruits to pull the trigger, she committed to the Vols on her 14th birthday, Pacini also plays varsity basketball and volleyball.49--Madison Jatzlau MIF/OF… Texas Blaze (Texas A&M)
Jatzlau batted .466 for the Blaze this year and averaged one run scored per game also stealing 37 of 39 bases as the lead-off. She played primarily second base and was flawless on defense. She has the athletic skills to play short and the outfield as well. Speed is her strength that makes her a threat to score every time she gets on and is very skilled at manufacturing runs. She scored on average 73% of the time when she got on base. Jatzlau has also been a force at the high school level as well, making a splash as a freshman when she was named the District 21-4A Newcomer of the Year. During the 2016 high school season, she finished with a batting average of .412 with 27 steals and 32 runs in 28 games played to again earn All-District honors.48--Allee Bunker SS… Firecrackers-Rico (Oregon)
Bunker is a strong player in every aspect of the game and, according to one coach, "is right on schedule developing physically and mentally." The Huntington Beach, California junior is a line drive hitter who hits to all fields and can place the ball line to line. She has good speed and uses it to get on base and have above-average range on defense. What makes her a PAC 12 caliber player is her consistent play, always coming ready to contribute in every way possible. As a sophomore she batted .419 after batting .433 as a freshman. Bunker also has a good eye for the ball, striking out only four times this year in 90 plate appearances in high school ball.47--Ellie Mataya OF… Lady Lightning (Boston College)
Mataya is the true leadoff hitter capable of carving up any defense both at the plate and on the bases. She is a deadly hitter in any pitch count and has the eye and bat discipline to lay off waste pitches and foul off others she doesn't feel she can drive. One coach said the Virginia junior, "She is the hardest out in the line-up." Teams are on high alert when Mataya is on base. She played elite competition and excelling for several years as she helped her teams finish 3rd at ASA "B" 10U East Coast Nationals in 2010, 5th at the USSSA 12U Fastpitch East Coast World Series in 2012 and 2nd at the Team NJ Futures Elite Showcase in 2014. She committed to BC in January of 2016.46--Tate Whitley OF… Texas Bombers (Ole Miss)
Whitley is the prototypical speedy outfielder who sparks the offense as a legitimate triple threat. This Texan is a deadly bunter who can slap the ball with power and swing away with pop. One coach described her as "electric and makes the game look easy." A natural left-hander, she hit .508 as a sophomore with 61 hits including 11 triples. Her on-base percentage was .577 and her OPS was 1.302 to help her earn All-State honors. She also had only one error in 64 chances for a .984 fielding percentage. Tate had a stellar fall leading the Bombers in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.45--Gracie Osbron C/MIF… East Cobb Bullets-Biele (Tennessee)
Osbron has one of the strongest arms in the country with pop times verified at two SEC camps at 1.50 and 1.53. She also has an overhand throw that has been measured at 72 mph. She is a well-rounded athlete who moves well (2.9 home-to-first), has a good frame, is intelligent behind the plate and a great decision maker. Osbron developed into a power hitter hitting a 250-foot home runs with most dingers being line drives. She's versatile enough to play shortstop at the next level too. Last travel season, Osbrong batted .448 with 39 RBI and six home runs while behind the plate she picked off seven base runners and caught 13 of the 20 runners attempting to steal against her. In high school, she batted .564 with 18 doubles and eight home runs as a sophomore to receive 1st team All-State honors. She is also the starting point guard on her high school basketball team. 44--Madison Crosslin OF… DeMarini Aces (Syracuse)
Crosslin is a lefty slapper with pop and has 2.7 home-to-first speed (clocked at an SEC camp) but she's also explosive with her first step. One coach said, "Madison is like a halfback hitting an open gap in football." She was a big part of the Aces finishing in the Top 10 at PGF Nationals as she hit .350 with eight steals. Madison has the speed to slap, but the power to hit doubles and triples. She's also a skilled bunter and one coach said she's "one of the best bunting kids I've seen, she feels like it's a lost art." Along with her speed, the centerfielder is a standout on defense and has overhand speed at 60 plus mph. After taking visits to Michigan and UCLA, she visited Syracuse and fell in love with the Northeast, the softball program and the academics at the ACC school.T-43--Shyanne Sheffield IF/OF… Tennessee Fury Platinum (Purdue)
Sheffield is one of top all-around athletes in the 2018 class and has the physical tools to play most infield and outfield spots, especially shortstop and centerfield. The Tennessee junior has great speed and stole 31 bases at the high school level and led the Fury in steals. She also hits for a high average .538 at the prep level--and finds other ways to get on bases (her OBP was .538 in high school and .429 at club). Sheffield bats in the 3-hole for the Fury and is enough of a power threat that defenses can't cheat in on her. She had SEC interest before committing to the Boilermakers in large part because of the Big Ten competition and Purdue's academic strengths.T-43--Savannah Stewart OF… Georgia Impact-Lewis (LSU)
Stewart has been in the Impact program for three years and each year has made incremental and impressive improvement. The Georgia junior is a lefty slapper with power and has earned the nickname "Rocket" because of her skills at playing small ball with her 2.7 home-to-first speed but the ability to power slap and also drive the ball to the gaps and over the fence. Savannah covers a ton of ground in the outfield and at the plate finds ways to get on base; her on-base percentage at the prestigious So Cal A's Invitational in June, for example, was .500. She earned 1st Team All-State honors this fall after hitting .429 in Region 3AAAAAAA and leading her team to the playoffs.42--Kelly Flynn MIF/OF… Corona Angels (UCLA)
Flynn came onto the national scene three years ago as a top-flight recruit because of her great speed and passion for the game. The Arizona junior goes all out every play and is aggressive in laying out to make plays in the infield or outfield and isn't afraid to swing for the fences, even with two strikes. But Flynn's not reckless--her smooth stroke and bat speed allows her to turn on pitches most hitters can't get to. Flynn is also adept at turning mistake pitches into home runs. Her great speed and pop with her bat gives coaches the versatility to bat her anywhere from second in the line-up to the 5-spot. As a sophomore this spring, she hit .465 with 33 RBI and had a .531 on-base percentage. Flynn also went 22 for 22 in steals and helped her Arizona high school team go 32-6. She was recognized as an Arizona 1st Team All-Division II selection. She committed to the Bruins in January of 2015.41--Lindsay Edwards C/3B… Texas Glory (Louisiana Tech)
Edwards can play anywhere on the field except pitcher. She's primarily a third baseman, catcher and middle infielder right now. The Texas junior is a heady, "softball smart" player who has a great eye at the plate and doesn't strike out much. On defense, Lindsay has a good arm and makes all the plays. She's a fierce competitor and coaches say they love her leadership abilities and how she builds up teammates around her. Lindsay has been a two-time 1st Team All-District (6-6A) honoree and as a sophomore was selected as the Catcher of the Year for the district. She's also a standout volleyball player.