FloSoftball continues our look at the Class of 2021 as we update the Hot 100 over the next two weeks, spotlighting 10 or more outstanding players each day on the way to the unveiling of No. 1.

We'll announce the Top 10 of the class on Friday, May 19, and shortly after will profile the No. 1 player and then the "Next In" classes comprising prospects Nos. 101-200, 201-300, 301-400, and 401-500!

FloSoftball has ranked the Hot 100 beginning with the 2014 Class and has done every year since: 2015, '16, '17, '18, '19 and '20. We've also updated most of those years several times, the 2019 Hot 100 being the most recent (updated in February).







And as for the 2021s -- who are just in the eighth grade, even though many are playing up at the varsity high school level already -- we'll update the Hot 100 list several times too over the next five years so know this is just the starting point!

These honorees were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches as well as our own FloSoftball event and in-person observations.

Criteria for choosing and ranking the players includes performances at the club and high school levels and projecting how they will play at the collegiate level.

Today, we feature players Nos. 80 to 71, who come from California (three), Florida, Georgia (two), Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas (two), and Virginia.


***

T-80--Olivia Cook 1B/P… East Cobb Bullets -- Heath (uncommitted)
Cook is a dual-threat player in that she can pitch but is also known as one of the top power hitters in the South. One coach noted that "Livie," as she also goes by, "is the strongest 2021 player I've seen." Last year, Cook not only showed she can mash the ball, but she also showcased her ability to hit for a high average as she batted .443 with an on-base percentage of .507. A patient hitter who is a solid run-producer for J.D. Heath's Bullets team, she is beginning to show promise on the rubber as she pitches for her JV team at East Coweta High (Georgia), a 7A school that has produced excellent pitchers in the past, including 2019 Hot 100 hurler Kelley Lynch, who is committed to Auburn. Cook's prolific bat, however, has her already taking trips, and her recruiting stock is expected to explode over the next few months.

T-80--Samantha Graeter OF/C… Texas Sudden Impact -- Falterman (uncommitted)
Graeter is the prototypical five-tool player who hits for a high average but is also a consistent threat to hit the ball out of the ballpark as well. She led the Sudden Impact with a .500-plus average at PGF Nationals in 2016 as Troy Falterman's team won the PGF 12U National Championship. Her outstanding arm and athleticism allowed her to flourish as a catcher last summer, but she also made highlight catches in the outfield. Graeter won an ASA Nationals title in 2015 and received first-team Select 30 All-American honors last year at the first-time event. Impressively, from 2012 to 2016, the Texan helped lead her club teams to top 10 finishes every year at Nationals. She's also a standout in basketball and volleyball, where she's earned team MVP honors.

79--Drew Riddle IF/P… Tulsa Elite (uncommitted)
Riddle has been a catalyst on the Elite 14U Prospects team, one of the top squads in its age division, and has been competing and winning against 16U and even 18U talent for the last year or two. She's a big home run threat from the left side and started getting a lot of Power Five conference attention for her ability to crush the ball in showcases last fall. As well as being a promising hitter and corner infield prospect, Riddle is also getting attention as an upcoming pitcher who consistently throws in the upper 50s and is one of the fastest-rising prospects in Jeff Filali's Tulsa Elite organization. Said one scout, "Her versatility and ability to play at a high level in the circle and at the plate will make her one of the top prospects to watch this summer at key events like Top Gun, Boulder, USA Elite Select, and PGF Nationals."

78--Kendra Falby OF/MIF… Tampa Mustangs -- TJ (uncommitted)
The Tampa Mustangs coached by T.J. Goelz are one of the favored teams at the 14U division to win it all this summer, and the fact Falby could come over from the strong Georgia Impact-Guseauf team and even make the Mustangs roster -- which lost practically no one -- is a testament to how talented she is. Her forte is her speed, which one coach labels as "can't miss." Falby is a lefty slapper/bunter/hitter who could be one of the top triple threats in the 2021 class. She is a noted track standout, as the Floridian competes in the 100 and 200 meters, runs the anchor for her 400m relay team, and even long jumps and frequently wins the events she enters. Falby roams the outfield with her great speed and ability to cover a lot of ground. When she gets to the ball, Falby has an above-average arm and is very accurate on her throws. She has been offered visits by Florida State, Tennessee, Central Florida, and South Florida and has most of the SEC schools also following her heading into the summer.

T-77--Jasmine Sofowora MIF/P… So Cal Choppers -- Fausett (uncommitted)
Sofowora will make it to the next level because of her great athleticism, which one esteemed club coach calls "unusually special." She was a star shortstop at the USA Elite Select 30 in Alabama last August, where she earned first-team All-American honors. She moves from one great organization -- the OC Batbusters -- to another, as she'll now be playing for one of the top five teams at the 14U level in Gary Fausett's Choppers. The book on the So Cal talent is she has a strong arm and is fluid and smooth in her actions, both getting to the ball and transitioning to a quick release. Her quick hands translate well into her getting off throws and, at the plate, to driving the bat head through the strike zone. She has interest from Pac-12 programs and many other schools in the West so far.

T-77--Abby Dunning P/UT… Illinois Chill (uncommitted)
Dunning will be one of the aces on Gerry Quinn's young team that saw most top players move up to 16U, but he is counting on her and another 2021, Britney Lewinski, to lead on the field and off of it. Though not very tall, Dunning has exceptional strength and agility which helps her be a top or middle of the lineup hitter able to get on base or drive in runs. However, what has Big Ten-level schools interested in her already is the heat when she throws: Dunning is able to bring it at 64 mph, and colleges privately say she could be a great pitcher who eats up innings or also could be a fixture in the lineup for years at the Division I level. Said Quinn, "Her recruiting attention figures to expand nationally as she gets more exposure this summer."

76--Hayley Mihut MIF… Athletics -- Mercado (uncommitted)
David Mercado's Athletics' teams are on a roll. His 14U team won PGF Nationals last summer and has moved up to 16U -- but the younger teams are being replaced by excellent talent like Mihut, who had an impressive summer in 2016. The middle infielder helped the OC Batbusters-Mascarenas team finish fifth at PGF Nationals and win championships at USSSA Elite Select, Boulder IDT (Louisville Slugger), and several others. She is a gym rat and workout warrior who can't get enough in her efforts to improve her skills. She works out regularly in hitting and fielding with the OC Batbusters organizational lead and head coach Mike Stith and also trains in fielding and throwing with former NPF star Bianca Mejia. Mihut has attended several prospect camps, including ones at Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, and LSU, where she won the award for "Best Standout Player" among the 329 participants at the SEC school's camp. Since January, she's been on a hitting tear, batting .612 with 42 RBIs and seven home runs in 80 at-bats.

75--Maddie Gordon P/IF… Virginia Glory - Mertz/Myers (uncommitted)
Gordon has quickly emerged as one of the most promising pitcher/hitters in the 2021 class and is following in the footsteps of her older sibling, Kate, who is a freshman currently batting .364 for the top 15-ranked Dukes of James Madison. Maddie is a five-tool player who throws in the low 60s and has a change and a riseball that's her out pitch. She can throw her rise on different planes for swings and misses and her cut fastball runs effectively garnering her a lot of strikeouts. Gordon was one of the stars at the December Faster2First national event held in Myrtle Beach, where she pitched in the all-star game and also showed she is an excellent shortstop/third baseman with good footwork. Offensively, Gordon has developed power gap-to-gap and has above average speed on the bases. Earlier in her career, she won the 12U Babe Ruth World Series and has played volleyball and basketball which has also enhanced her athleticism. Programs she's interested in include James Madison, Duke, Virginia, and Florida State.

74--Erna Carlin P/UT… Texas Sudden Impact -- Falterman (uncommitted)
You know you must be good when at least 10 club coaches in your state sing your praises as one of the best hurlers in the Southwest if not the country. That was the case for Carlin as Lone Star State coaches raved about her 2016 campaign after she pitched the Impact to a PGF 12U Nationals title. The pitcher had a dominating week in Southern California last summer as she tossed 36 innings with 36 Ks and only six walks to go along with a 0.38 ERA. She has consistent 59-61 mph speed with great movement and continued her hot streak in the fall as she struck out 82 in 51 innings. Said one rival club coach, "Erna won PGF and is still smoking." She's also a consistent home run threat at the plate with her plus power and has received interest from Big 12, SEC, and Pac-12 programs.

T-73--Rebecca Muh P… Atlanta Premier 02 -- Ryman (uncommitted)
Muh, or "Rex" as she's also known as, is a 5-foot-10 pitcher who is beginning to get a big name in the recruiting circles. She throws up to 62-63 mph but also complements the hard stuff with a drop, change, curve, and a tough screwball. Rebecca is also working on perfecting a riseball with famed pitching coach Dan Wallace. Muh has excellent command and can spot her pitches on the corners as well as hit her spots high or low (where she's especially effective in getting as many as a dozen ground outs per game). Since October, she's gone 12-2 with 79 Ks and a 1.67 ERA in 19 games pitched with wins over three top teams in the FloSoftball 14U FAB 50. The Peach State native has good pitching DNA too: Her father, Steve, pitched at the University of Georgia for four years and is still among the Dawgs' leaders in career strikeouts. Muh is receiving increasing interest from top schools in the SEC and ACC.

T-73--Lydia Spalding P/OF… Ohio Outlaws -- Schmieser (Penn State)
The Youngstown, Ohio, lefty pitcher, who tops out about 60 mph, will cross state lines as she was one of the first verbals in the East when she committed to Penn State. Spalding is a standout athlete with the skills and tools to excel in any sport and at any position that she tries on the softball field. A five-tool player, she throws hard but also has above-average natural movement on her pitches. Offensively, she used her 2.8 home-to-first speed to lead the team in steals. The Ohio athlete will be the ace on Tom Schmeiser's Outlaws team that should be one of the best in the Midwest, if not the country, at the 14U level and, as one coach says, "Lydia is a leader who can do it all offensively and defensively. By the time she finishes her club career, she should be one of the top all-around athletes in the Midwest."

72--Raelin Chaffin P… Impact Gold -- Mata (uncommitted)
Chaffin is a power pitcher who hits the gun at speeds up to 64 mph. She not only throws hard for strikeouts but also mixes in a curve -- which some scouts feel is her best pitch -- with movement up and down complemented with a variety of speed changes. She is battle tested, having beaten several elite teams last summer in the PGF 14U Nationals Premier bracket. Many club and college coaches feel she's the best pitcher in her class in the Gulf Coast and even throughout the Southwest. She's benefitted significantly from taking pitching lessons from former LSU great Brittany Mack, who in 2012 was the No. 1 overall pick in the NPF Draft by the USSSA Pride. Chaffin already has Big 12-level offers and has been on visits to Texas Tech, Houston, LSU, Baylor, and Texas A&M.

71--Lexi Miramontes P/OF… Firecrackers - Brashear/Oakes (uncommitted)
Miramontes is called by some coaches as the best spin pitcher in the country. One coach was even so bold as to say, "You could probably ask any hitter or coach in the (age) division and they will tell you that her spins are the best and it's on both sides of the plate." The So Cal hurler has a strong array of pitches including a curve, rise, screw, change and perhaps her best pitch, a backdoor curve. One scout relayed, "Umpires have stated that it's hard to call her games because they haven't seen that much movement before." Miramontes is a workhorse and warrior who wants the ball when it counts. In December, she pitched four games on a Sunday to lead Sean Brashear and Robert Oakes' team to the Triple Crown Toy Drive title in San Diego. Miramontes hasn't gone unnoticed by top scouts either. Last year, she was invited to the prestigious OnDeck Jamboree and was also chosen for the Junior Sparkler All-Star Game in Colorado. She is also a solid hitter with good gap power, but it's her pitching that has ACC, Pac-12, and Big Ten schools interested and watching closely.