The window is closing—and the Class of 2030 Rankings are taking shape.
As the Class of 2030 nomination period enters its final days, families, coaches, and organizations across the country are making sure their athletes are included in the evaluation process. With nominations officially closing August 24 at midnight, time is running out for athletes who have not yet been submitted.
Participation across the country is already revealing some interesting trends—and certain states and regions are making a major push while others still have ground to make up.
Meet the Class of 2030 Every Wednesday
Want to get to know some of the athletes entering this year’s rankings process? Visit Extra Inning Softball every Wednesday forWatchlist Wednesday, where we spotlight nominated Class of 2030 players from across the country.
Every nominated athlete will receive an EIS Regional Ranking and be considered for the Class of 2030 National Rankings. Make sure to submit a nomination HERE!
Now let’s meet the regions leading the Class of 2030 Nominations! 👇✨
Which Regions Are Leading the Way?
Current nomination totals show clear differences in participation across the country. Here’s how the six regions currently rank based on their share of Class of 2030 nominations:
- Southeast
- Midwest
- Southwest
- Northeast
- West
- Mountain
These numbers do not impact an athlete’s ranking or evaluation. Instead, they show where families, coaches, and organizations have been the most active in getting athletes nominated before the August 24 deadline.
Inside the Northeast Numbers
Pennsylvania leads the Northeast by a wide margin, accounting for nearly one-third of the region’s Class of 2030 nominations. New Jersey and Virginia follow, while several Northeast states remain lightly represented—creating a clear opportunity for coaches and families to get their athletes nominated before the August 24 deadline.
What the Southeast Numbers Reveal
The Southeast is leading the nation in Class of 2030 nominations, with more athletes submitted than any other EIS region. Florida is driving that momentum, followed by Tennessee and Georgia. Even with the Southeast out front, several states remain lightly represented—leaving time for coaches and families to act before nominations close August 24.
Midwest Nomination Snapshot
he Midwest is the second-most represented region in Class of 2030 nominations. Ohio and Indiana lead the way, with Illinois and Michigan also showing strong participation. With several states still lightly represented, there is an opportunity for more Midwest athletes to enter the evaluation process before nominations close August 24.
Where the Southwest Stands
Texas overwhelmingly leads the Southwest, accounting for the vast majority of Class of 2030 nominations in the region. Oklahoma follows, while Arizona remains lightly represented. With nominations closing August 24, there is still an opportunity for more Southwest athletes to enter the rankings process.
Mountain Region at a Glance
The Mountain Region has the fewest Class of 2030 nominations nationwide. Colorado, Nevada and Utah currently lead the region, while Montana, Idaho and North Dakota have only a handful of submissions. With nominations closing August 24, the Mountain Region has significant room for athletes to gain representation before the deadline.
Breaking Down the West
California is driving participation across the West Region, while Oregon and Washington remain much more lightly represented. The contrast highlights an opportunity for coaches and families throughout the region to make sure deserving athletes are included before nominations close August 24.
How Class of 2030 Athletes Will Be Evaluated
Once nominations close, the focus shifts from participation to evaluation.
Every Class of 2030 nomination will be reviewed through Extra Inning Softball’s proprietary SERV™ Methodology, a structured process designed to create greater consistency, transparency and accountability within athlete rankings.
SERV™ stands for Software, Evaluate, Research and Verify. The process combines proprietary technology, human evaluation, research into competition and performance history, and verification through multiple trusted data points. Importantly, software supports the evaluation process—it does not determine an athlete’s ranking.
The goal is simple: evaluate the complete athlete rather than relying on one statistic, one tournament or one opinion.
Why Tournaments Matter in the Rankings Process
Where an athlete competes—and how she performs against that competition—provides important context.
Tournament participation is one of the factors incorporated into SERV™ research. Extra Inning Softball evaluates schedules, competition level, tournament participation, performance history and other information to better understand what an athlete’s numbers represent. That means a stat line is not evaluated in isolation.
Tournament competition provides another opportunity to examine how athletes perform against quality opponents, how consistently they produce and how their performance translates across different environments.
The 5-Star Rating System ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Class of 2030 rankings will also feature Extra Inning Softball’s 5-Star Rating System, giving athletes, families and coaches another way to understand an athlete’s overall evaluation.
The important distinction: numerical rankings are not going away.
Every ranked athlete will still receive an individual national numerical placement, with no tied ranking numbers. The 5-Star Rating System adds another layer of context alongside that ranking, helping communicate an athlete’s overall evaluation and long-term potential.
Each ranked Class of 2030 athlete will also be showcased through EIS’s expanded leaderboard experience with her national ranking, 5-Star Rating, athlete photo and player biography.
One Ranking. No Ties.
Extra Inning Softball believes specificity matters.
Rather than placing multiple athletes at the same ranking number, every nationally ranked athlete receives her own individual placement through the evaluation process. EIS adopted this approach to provide clearer distinctions, greater accountability and more meaningful recognition for the athletes being evaluated.
The 5-Star Rating System provides broader evaluation context, while the numerical ranking answers a different question: Where did this athlete ultimately place within the national evaluation?
Together, the two systems provide families, athletes and college coaches with a more complete picture.
The Final Countdown: August 24
There are only days remaining before the Class of 2030 nomination window closes.
Nominations officially close August 24, if a deserving athlete has not yet been nominated, now is the time to act.
And don’t miss another important rankings date! Request your FREE Extra Inning Softball Rankings & Nominations Schedule Magnet HERE to keep upcoming nomination windows, Watchlist releases, and rankings announcements within reach all year long.
Be Seen. Be Ranked. Be Extra.
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