Extra Elite 100 Rankings… How & Why We Do Them in the First Place (As We Update the 2027 Class Beginning This Week)

Starting tomorrow – Monday (March 27, 2023) – we begin the update of the 2027 Extra Elite 100 and this class is loaded with talent!

As we’ve increased our readership and subscriber totals,  we always find it helpful for our new followers to understand the the “method behind the madness” of the player rankings…

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Via emails and social media, we are asked every day about the rankings including the most common one: “How do I get my player (or daughter) considered for your rankings?”

Be sure to access our Rankings Tab to get more info including the reasons we do them.

Extra Inning Softball’s Brentt Eads close to 50 different softball class rankings ranging from the Classes of 2014 through 2028 (15 years).

Below, he talks about the popular player ratings including why they’re done, how players make the list (or don’t) and who wants them done in the first place.

And, certainly, why they are requested by not only college coaches, but also the players themselves as well as their parents and club coaches too.

So, after reading the info below from Brentt, who oversees the player rankings, sit back and enjoy reading about the Class of 2027 standouts over the next three weeks!

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How Do Players Get Recognized?

With hundreds of thousands of fastpitch players competing nationwide (and globally), we’re not going to see every single one, but there is a process in how we do recognize those in the ratings.

To everyone that asks: “How does a player get on the lists?” I always mention one or more of three ways:

1. Our staff sees them at events ranging from Nationals to showcases to individual games,
2. Players are nominated by club and high school coaches,
3. Players are recommended by college scouts and coaches.

That brings up the frequent question we get regarding parents and players sending info:

Can a player or parent send in a nomination or information?

Yes, players and/or parents can send in information and content to back up the case for an athlete being included. And there are two main ways this can be done (as is the case for coach submissions)

1. Nominations can be completed through our Nomination Form found in our Rankings Tab at the top of the home page,
2. Info can be sent via email ([email protected]) and this should have text included in the body of the email or, preferably in a Word doc, while photos should be sent in the email as well with the player’s name on each pic. For example, a photo could be: “Jane Doe.jpg”

Know that we will keep whatever you send to us in our files for current and future use; sometimes the text sent in leads to separate articles on Extra Inning Softball (we’re always looking for great human interest stories!)

When & What Class are the Next Rankings?

We get this one a lot too! You can check our Rankings Schedule on the top of our home page at any time.

Here’s when future classes are scheduled so you know:

Why Do the Rankings?

Let’s now address WHY the rankings are compiled in the first place: it all comes down to one primary reason:

… to honor the players for their hard work (… and, because we’ve learned over time, the softball community wants them, simple enough!)

You wouldn’t believe the number of emails we get on a regular basis saying how people are appreciative that this is done so players have something to look forward to, work towards and continue working hard to improve their individual ranking.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic-led quarantines and self-distancing measures–not to mention the cancellation of events–we would get several emails daily expressing gratitude for the ongoing softball coverage including looking at players for story and ranking purposes.

One softball fan wrote in saying simply,

“Thank you for the rankings and keeping us connected to the sport. It’s been tough not being on the fields, but reading about these amazing players keeps our spirits up knowing that we’ll be playing again soon!”

Here are some points I think are important to consider why the rankings continue to be popular:

1) WE LOVE LISTS

We as Americans love lists (I’m creating one right now!). We want to know where everything stacks up and how it compares. This includes softball players and their teams.

There is a demand for these lists and, contrary to what some may think, this includes players, parents, club coaches, and, yes, even college coaches. A top club coach called one time to say she forgot to nominate a player and a Power 5 coach called to ask why the player wasn’t included in her class rankings.

Someone once posted on our Facebook page something to the effect that, “No college coach even looks at these top 100 rankings.”

Well, not exactly true…

I was talking to someone high-up in the game a while back and it was pointed out that the rankings are used as a resource by college coaches to:

1. start their recruiting at younger age divisions, including inviting to their elite and summer camps, and
2. to validate they haven’t missed out on players (and to see who their rivals are getting).

At the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic a few years ago, I even had several college coaches ask about the lists and make comments about how they use it as a recruiting tool.

And why wouldn’t they?

It doesn’t mean they agree with how players are listed, it just means they use it as a resource—one of many at their disposal.

At an NFCA Convention one year, a top club coach who has won multiple National Championships told me he needed to be more involved in providing information on his players because college coaches were saying they use it as a way to learn more about the prospects on the market.

You know who else likes the rankings?

Sports Information Directors at colleges. How do we know? They’ve told us!

And why do they appreciate the content?

Because it gives them info on players and something they can add to their Signing Releases when they have a player’s info, such as where a signee is listed and also where their recruiting class is ranked overall. Info is good and it can help provide data to showcase a class and honor a hard-working coaching staff for their success efforts.

One example: see how the two-time National Champion Oklahoma Sooners referenced Extra Inning Softball player rankings in the school’s signing release it put out in November of 2022: Softball Signs Four for 2023.

2) DIALOG AROUND SOFTBALL

Time has proven that the rankings create a discussion around the sport.

Like the Extra Elite 100 player inclusions or not—especially if you have a vested interest in a club or college team, are a parent to an athlete that age, or simply just care about softball and follow the age level—you’ll probably have a strong opinion one way or another.

And you probably have a passionate reaction such as “Yes, we played against that athlete and she is legit!” or “Wow, she’s so overrated, we lit her up! or the very common question we’re asked: “Why isn’t our player on the list?”

The recognition athletes receive by being in the rankings is frequently used by local media to spotlight a top-rated player.

For example, shortly after current Florida Gator sophomore Sam Roe was announced as the #1 player in the 2022 Extra Elite 100 on April 10, 2020, she was honored by WEAR-TV, ABC 3 — the ABC affiliate for Northwest Florida and South Alabama.

Sports anchor Steve Nissim of WEAR produced a very nice segment on Sam outlining her accomplishments over the last few years.

Here’s the 45-second piece…

Another example from the Sunshine State that occurred two years ago and mentioned the Extra Elite 100 rankings was a news segment by WMBB-TV (ABC) in Panama City, Florida which honored outfielder Kaylee Goodpaster, a Top 30 player in the 2026 Extra Elite 100:

North Bay Haven's @goodpaster_88 is playing her second season with the @NBHBucsSoftball varsity squad.

Oh, and she's only in seventh-grade. Check out why she's a big deal here: https://t.co/dzFXN7GBgO

— Courtney Mims (@MimsCourtney) February 18, 2021

3) HONORING THE PLAYERS

The ranking’s primary reason for existence is that it honors athletes who work their tails off. Why shouldn’t softball players be recognized for all that they do?

At one time in my career, I worked at ESPN back in Bristol, Connecticut and as a Senior Director of Digital Operation had access to online metrics for all recruiting, particularly football and basketball analytics.

I was surprised to see that 97 percent of the traffic for recruiting at that time came from the ESPN recruiting database where athletes were ranked. That gave me the idea to do it in softball and why not?

These fastpitch athletes put a bazillion hours practicing to hone their skills, taking lessons, traveling to games and tournaments and playing—all practically 52 weeks a year now–so why is it a bad thing to honor them by saying, “You’re one of the top players in the country at what you do?” and we’re happy to honor you in our Extra Elite 100 ratings?

Who wouldn’t want to be considered one of the best at anything, especially for something they love?

Some, including media folks I like, have complained that it’s too young to rank these players, that it puts pressure on them… and my response to that is: really?

These amazing athletes thrive on pressure and are more and more prepared to jump into college and contribute earlier and earlier. And, by the time they start junior high, they’re already focused on their softball careers and are playing club travel ball all around the country!

Why, when it gives these softball athletes the recognition they deserve for their dedication and hard work, should we not recognize their efforts? They play in national tournaments, some of which are televised, and most now are live streamed and all of this helps get them ready for the spotlight that comes with playing college ball!

One other thing: boys basketball players are ranked at events such at the Nike Basketball Camps when they are in the 6th grade… are we saying that girls softball players aren’t worth being honored and recognized like their male counterparts? Yea… NO!

4) MORE FASTPITCH COVERAGE

Yes, I’ll admit it: the Extra Elite 100 adds to our coverage at Extra Inning Softball and, frankly, adds “authenticity and legitimacy” to what we do, according to experts in the sport I’ve talked to.

The main reason why is because we get this information from the key influencers in the sport and the process allows us to create relationships with people who know the sport–and upcoming prospects–best.

The best reason I’ve ever heard for doing rankings comes from the person who’s been voted the No. 1 Most Influential Person in Softball: legendary Hall of Famer Sue Enquist, who as a player and coach at UCLA won 11 National Championships.

Sue told me long ago:

“Brentt, you’re either in the tribe (of softball) or you’re not—you’re in the tribe because of your rankings. Don’t ever give those up.”

Good enough feedback for me.

5) USE AS A MOTIVATING TOOL

I’ve come to learn that the rankings are a strong motivating tool for players. I’ve worried that it creates undue pressure on players and I’ve found it’s quite the opposite.

A quick story: concerned that I was “feeding the beast” of adding stress to athletes’ live, I was talking to a Top 25 college head coach a while back and asked if the rankings were a bad thing in this way, in his opinion.

He laughed and said:

“Pressure? I’ll tell you what pressure is: when a player sees me leaning over the fence watching her and knowing a scholarship is on the line involving thousands and thousands of dollars… THAT’S pressure!”

I’ve been sensitive to this from the very first list I did—the Class of 2014 Hot 100 up through this upcoming new list of 2024’s.

I’ve asked the top players in practically every list—from Jenna Lilley (2014) and Amanda Lorenz (2015) to Megan Fariamo (2018) and Kenzie Hansen (2019, Oklahoma commit) to many others including more recent ones—if being No. 1 in their respective classes put a target on their backs.

Each one gave pretty much the same answer (and I’m paraphrasing):

“I already push myself hard enough, to be No. 1 in my class is an honor and it forces me to work harder to justify the ranking and the confidence in me. But ultimately I know it’s what I do on the field that will validate my performance.”

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In conclusion, I’ve overseen 15 years of classes with more updates coming this year–most of them have been updated two, three and even four times. I’ve gone through the process of nearly 50 top 100 lists, which now go as deep as 500 players in most cases.

I once stopped to count the hours it takes to produce a list and it ranges to between 70 and 80. There’s the hours and hours of research contacting coaches, watching players in person, compiling the data and info, assembling the list and whittling it down to the final ranking order, writing and editing the bios, securing photos and finally, putting it all together and posting on the website.

And that isn’t counting the years of relationship building and trust it took to develop the lists in the first place. That is the aspect I’m most proud of–knowing who to trust the most when it comes to shooting straight to recognize the deserving prospects.

We take these lists very seriously and don’t just throw them together—a lot of time, energy, and effort goes into making them as accurate as possible.

It’s important to say that this isn’t an exact science: there’s no scientific way to compare a shortstop from California to a pitcher in Oklahoma to a power hitter in Illinois. But it’s fun and as mentioned above, it’s something that the market has enjoyed since they were first compiled many years ago.

And it’s important to note as well that one benefit of starting young is we can update the lists over the next several years and see it evolve as players get closer to entering college.

It’s typical that each list will change 25 percent or more from the list before it as new players emerge.

So why do some players make quantum leaps or some drop? It’s because some emerge and show they deserve to be on the list based on performance, perhaps as late-bloomers or because they were overlooked, and others drop perhaps because they’ve peaked, haven’t worked as hard or simply got passed up for reasons outside their control such as injury.

A positive example: pitcher Maggie Balint, who had a dominating summer performance at Boulder IDT one year and took her PA Chaos to the title game one year, went from not being ranked in an early version of a top 100 list to being ranked #4 in the next version.

She eventually would sign with Oregon and then finish at San Diego State with a 43-19 record with the Aztecs and 10 saves. It shows that the lists evolve as players emerge, improve or, sometimes, go the other way: sometimes they don’t progress.

A while back, I talked to a club coach who, when asked about one of his players in the 2020 rankings who had been very high said basically, “She’s not improved and shouldn’t be in the top 100 right now.”

And this player is going to a Top 25 national program!

I’ve been told many, many times by players that—when knowing that an updated list is coming out—it fires them up to work hard and perform well so they either move up the top 100 or enter it if not in already.

Will everyone like them?

Of course not, but as long as the softball market finds it of value we will continue to do them and, hopefully, help grow the sport and honor the athletes.

That, to me, is what it’s ultimately all about.

— Brentt Eads, President/Executive Editor

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Thoughts? Feel free to write us and let us know what you think! Email: [email protected]