Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week—June 2, 2021 (Week 14)

Each week until the high school softball season ends nationwide, we’ll honor top performances nationwide; if you’d like to have a player considered, scroll down to see how to fill in a nomination.

Players below are recognized for play in games Sunday, May 23, 2021 through Saturday, May 29, 2021…

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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week

* Lose one Extra Inning Softball High School All-American shortstop in Bailey Dowling, who is a freshman at Alabama after being ranked #2 in the 2020 Extra Elite 100, and replace her with another in sophomore shortstop Shayne Immke?

No one would have thought that was the case a few months ago, but right now it’s been a pretty darn good substitution for Coach Larry Sparks at St Joseph-Ogden (Illinois) High, which has seen Shayne explode onto the scene this season in a way no one could have anticipated.

Currently, the Illinois team is 26-7 and began Regionals play today as the #2 seed with the hope to win the Regional Championship on Friday.

If opponents continue to pitch to Shayne, odds are high Coach Sparks team will continue to do some serious damage.

Last week, Shayne went 10-for-13 at the plate with two home runs, a pair of triples and doubles, eight runs scored, 10 RBIs and five steals.

And, yes, two intentional walks, which would seem like way too many considering she went 15-for-16 last week with six home runs including a grand slam and knocked in 12 runs while scoring 13 herself.

Coach Sparks agrees that the ball is probably coming in nice and fat, like a…

“Volleyball,” the coach answers. “It probably looks like a volleyball right now!”

The great mystery is why Shayne is allowed by the other team to even be able to do the damage… the reason? She bats leadoff and opposing teams hate to walk her because a free pass can end up a steal-aided triple very quickly.

“Shayne started off in the 2-spot and then moved to fifth in our order when our leadoff hit was out for over two weeks with COVID,” the coach continues.

“We moved Shayne up to the leadoff spot and then she started hammering the ball. She’s aggressive and, though she looks more like a lefty slapper, has pop in the bat and has exploded. Five of her home runs have come in the first couple pitches of the game.”

After a slow start, the sophomore is hitting .609 as of last night and has a .646 on-base percentage with 16 home runs, eight triples and eight doubles.

Sometimes teams have to pitch to her, like a game last weekend where it was tied and Shayne was at the plate with the bases loaded. An understandably cautious pitcher ended up walking her and bringing in the walk-off run.

What could have been, too: last year Bailey would’ve been at shortstop and Shayne at second, which could’ve, perhaps, given St. Joseph the most explosive hitting middle infield in the country in 2020.

The leadoff hitter, admittedly, wasn’t the threat she is now, but you can expect the recruiting to skyrocket this summer for the recently turned 16-year-old who is about 5-foot-9 but has the speed to steal five bases in a game, which she did this week.

“Someone always asked if we’d ever see another Bailey Dowling,” the coach continues, “and Bailey is the player who worked harder than anyone I’ve ever seen, but Shaye works hard too.”

“She gets with her dad and works in their backyard and maybe now is just maturing now that she’s playing a high-level travel ball schedule (she’s with the Peoria Sluggers organization).”

He then laughs and finishes:

“I don’t have an explanation for it, but I’d certainly like to take credit for it!”

Runner-Up National Player of the Week

* Taylor Pannell, ranked in the Top 5 of the 2022 class, continues on her All-American pace as the 2022 shortstop went a perfect 7-for-7 last week including two home runs, two doubles and four RBIs.

On the basepaths, the Tennessee commit had six steals and, to show the respect opponents have for her, was walked four times intentionally.

That gives her an amazing 18 intentional walks so far in this season and, on the other side, she is yet to strike out.

Last week, she was Honorable Mention National Player of the Week when she went 11-for-15 (.733) with 13 RBIs.

Honorable Mention National Players of the Week

* Three weeks ago, Kali Heivilin, the standout hitter from Three Rivers (Michigan) High repeated as a National Player of the Week and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Her team is playing a lot of catchup after losing two weeks to a COVID scare earlier in the season and Kali continues to get warmed up as does the Michigan Springtime.

Last week she played eight games and went 12-for-24 (.542 batting average, which actually reduced her hitting mark to .629 on the season) and had a remarkable nine home runs against good competition, including games against the first and second placed teams in the conference.

Kali broke her own school single season home run mark that was at 19—its now 22 and climbing. With a half dozen games left, she has a shot at the season record with is currently 26.

* Taylor Hess, a junior lefty pitcher for Maple Lake (Minnesota) High and a Kentucky commit, is having a great season and in two games last week showed how she can really take over a game.

In one win, a four-inning run-rule no-hitter, she had seven strikeouts with no walks and also went 4-for-4 at the plate with three doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored.

In the other win, also a run-shortened game, she had 11 K’s in five innings with one walk and no-hits—her second no-hitter of the week. At the plate she went 5-for-8 and had four doubles with four runs scored.

For the season Taylor has 15 wins and in 96 innings pitched has struck out 185 with a 0.72 ERA with one perfect game, three no-hitters and 10 shutouts. She’s also batting .474 with a .494 on-base percentage and has 12 doubles and 39 RBIs.

* Lauren Harris, the junior shortstop for Woodlawn (Illinois) High, played in four games last week and went 9-for-14 (.643) with five home runs, 10 RBIs and had other video numbers like a 1.857 slugging percentage and a 2.545 OPS.

The Louisiana commit is currently the home run leader in her class (1A) with five home runs, one a grand slam, and she already owns the school record in career dingers after smacking 15 in 2019 and 11 this year.

Lauren is also a standout in volleyball and was honored as the Conference Player of the Year for the third straight year and earned 3^rd Team All-State recognition as well.

* Sydney Simpson, a sophomore pitcher for Etowah (Atalla, Alabama) High was only able to get one game in last week because of weather, but it was an impressive one as the 6-foot-1 hurler struck out 18 while giving up just two hits.

She now has 210 K’s on the season in 101 innings pitched and has compiled a miniscule 0.84 ERA.

* Lauren Sackett, a senior pitcher from Northview (Brazil, Indiana) High, earned MaxPreps / NFCA National High School Player of the Week for the North Region after she won both her starts and pitched shutouts to help her team go 2-0 and score 24 runs.

The hurler struck out nine in a three inning no-hitter and then punched out 16 more in a two-hitter. Lauren also batted .500 for the week with two RBIs.

*** Scroll down to read about more outstanding performances across the nation in high school softball last week!

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Nomination Process

Each week during the spring and summer high school seasons, Extra Inning Softball honors a National High School Player of the Week.

Honoree are announced every Tuesday ; cutoff for submitting the nominations is each Monday at noon EST/9 am PST.

We’re looking for standouts who excelled in the circle, at the plate or in the field so be sure to nominate your favorite performance(s) by submitting the following:

• Player Name
• Grad Year (example: Class of 2021 or Senior)
• Position(s)
• High school team name with city/state
• Stats for the week (be as detailed as possible!)
• Up-to-date season stats if possible
• Recruiting information if applicable
• Any interesting background on the player
• Action and/or head shots
• If possible, contact info if we’d like more info or quotes

Email info and photos (1-4 as available) by the cutoff of Monday at noon EST/9 am PST to: [email protected].

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Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week (Historically)

• May 25: OF Cassidy McLellan (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Florida)
• May 18: IF Abby Ota (Joel Barlow (Redding, Connecticut)
• May 11: IF Kali Heivilin (Three Rivers, Michigan)
• May 4: P Maya Johnson (St. Joseph Academy, Cleveland, Ohio)
• 27: P/UT Karlyn Pickens (North Buncombe, Weaverville, North Carolina)
• 20: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
• 13: P Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli, Indianapolis, Indiana)
• 6: C Jayla Castro (Rocklin, California)
• 30: SS Brooke Blankenship (River Ridge, New Port Richey, Florida)
• 23: SS Rylee Cloud (Fairview, Grant, Louisiana)
• 16: IF Jenna Madison (Curry, Jasper, Alabama)
• 9: P/IF Annabelle Widra (Spain Park, Hoover, Alabama)
• 2: C/3B Elizabeth Moffitt (Prosper, Texas)

2020 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• Season cancelled in March due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Mar. 17: P  Kenzi Lyall (Alleghany, Sparta, North Carolina)
• Mar. 10: C Maci Bergeron (Notre Dame, Crowley, Louisiana)
• Mar. 3: IF Jayda Coleman (The Colony, Texas)
• Feb. 26: IF/P Micaela Wark (Reedy, Frisco, Texas)

2019 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• Jun. 10: P/1B Sydney Supple (North, Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• May 27: P Aynslie Furbush (Winter Springs, Florida)
• May 20: SS Bailey Dowling (St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Joseph, Illinois)
• May 13: P Britton Rogers (Cypress Ranch, Cypress, Texas)
• May 6: C Neely Peterson (Cypress Creek Middle, Wesley Chapel, Florida)
• Apr. 29: OF/IF/P Angela Zedak (Marist, Chicago, Illinois)
• Apr. 22: SS Kali Heivilin (Three Rivers, Michigan)
• Apr. 15: 3B Trinity Cannon (Forney, Texas)
• Apr. 8: P/1B Sydney Supple (North, Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• Apr. 1: OF Leea Hanks (Eustis, Florida)
• Mar. 25: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
• Mar. 18: 1B/OF Avery Goelz (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Florida)
• Mar. 11: OF/2B Tanya Windle (Cactus, Glendale, Arizona)
• Mar. 4: SS Hallie Wacaser (Bentonville West, Centerton, Arkansas)
• Feb. 25: P Stevie Hansen (Norco, California)

2018 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• May 27: P Lexi Kilfoyl (Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, Florida)
• May 20: P Ashley Rogers (Meigs County, Decatur, Tennessee)
• May 13 (tie): P Sydney Supple (Oshkosh North, Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• May 13 (tie): OF Lexi Voss (Marist, Chicago, Illinois)
• May 6: P Danielle Williams (Amador Valley, Pleasanton, California)
• April 29: P Montana Fouts (East Carter, Grayson, Kentucky)
• April 22: IF Kasey Simpson (Keller, Texas)
• April 15: SS Jayda Coleman (The Colony, Texas)
• April 8: P Megan Faraimo (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, California)
• April 1: C Macy Simmons (Hamilton, Chandler, Arizona)
• March 25: C Paige Pfent (Springstead, Spring Hill, Florida)
• March 18: SS/OF Deja Westbrook (Arcadia, California)
• March 11: P Megan Faraimo (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, California)