A lot of amazing performances this week with batting averages unbelievably high and some pitching performances being absolutely perfect… including one well-known pitcher who started her high school varsity career off with TWO perfect games!
Each Tuesday for the next several months 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, Apr. 4, 2021 through Saturday, Apr. 10, 2021…
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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week
* For Keagan Rothrock, ranked as the #1 overall player in last year’s 2023 Extra Elite 100, the start of her high school varsity career was a long time in coming—two years, in fact.
It was well worth the wait as the sophomore at Roncalli High in Indianapolis, Indiana started off the season—and her high school campaign—with two perfect games.
“They only got through try outs last year and COVID shut it all down,” her mother, Laura Rothrock explains. “It was a bummer.”
But the athlete committed to the Univ. of Florida was rewarded for her wait as she pitched 28.1 innings and had two perfect games in her first three starts with an impressive 74 strikeouts versus no walks, three hits allowed and a 0.00 ERA.
For good measure, had two home runs she hit 72 mph in one game, “a new high speed for her,” according to her mother who is also her pitching coach.
The Indiana state strikeout record is 667 and Keagan will only have three years to achieve it, but don’t put it past her as she had 18 K’s in one game, 15 and 11 in her two others. Another key achievement: she shout out the state’s defending champs last Tuesday 4-0.
The sophomore also went 6-for-13 with two home runs, a pair of doubles and five RBIs at the plate.
Keagan says the key to her early success is not just throwing heat, but keeping the batters off-balance.
“I am mixing in other pitches to stay sharp,” she told Extra Inning Softball on Monday.
And after a long wait to finally play high school ball, she’s naturally excited to finally take the field.
“I am very excited about this high school season!” she added. “We have a very special team that has great chemistry and energy. I think we have all the tools to do big things this season.”
Runner-Up National Players of the Week
* Jayden Heavener, a freshman standout pitcher for Pace (Florida) High is another young pitcher with a very bright future.
Already one of the dominant players in her class, she pitched three full games—21 innings—last week and gave up three hits and just one earned run while recording 51 strikeouts against three tough teams.
“I felt I was in the groove all week,” Jayden said over the weekend after a pair of games on Saturday were rained out.
“I knew we had a tough week coming and I would have to be at my best. I was able to keep my speed with a lot of movement. My multi-level rise ball, change up and corner pitches were really working. I have to give a lot of credit to my catcher, Emma Turner. The things were just clicking for us.”
For the season she has pitched 8 full games (56 innings) and has a 6-2 record with a 0.87 ERA and 127 strikeouts.
* Leah Clark, a standout 2023 infielder at Union County High in Lake Butler, Florida, continues to roll up big numbers this season.
Last week she went 12-for-14 (.857 batting average) with a home run, four doubles, three triples and also had five steals in four games.
For the season Leah is hitting .647 with an on-base percentage of .705 and has 33 hits with six being doubles and four of them triples thanks to her excellent speed.
Leah attributes help from her coach, Jim Godwin, for the big offensive stats.
“Coach Godwin has taught me to relax my eyes before I get in the box,” she explains. “I really think that has helped me focus more and see the ball better! I’m being really patient at the plate, understanding my count, and seeing the ball really well.”
Honorable Mention National Players of the Week
* Maya Johnson, a 6-foot-1 senior LHP with St. Joseph’s (Cleveland, Ohio) who is signed with Pitt, hit several big milestones last week including a perfect game where she struck out 13 batters in five innings and hit her 500th career strikeout (even missing her junior year due to COVID).
Maya pitched four consecutive shutouts including two no-hitters and didn’t give up a walk in the quartet of games.
She was also 6-for-7 (.857) at the plate with two home runs, including her first ever as she normally is just a pitcher only, and had seven RBIs.
For the seasons Maya has 67 Ks in 28.2 innings pitched and her opponents are hitting just .099 off of her.
* Ryann Orange, a 2022 P for Torrance (California) High, pitched three full games and in 20 innings had 35 K’s with just one earned run. Two of her three wins were shutouts and she gave up just four hits in the trio of victories.
For the season Ryann has give up just one earned run total and has compiled a .153 ERA with three shut outs and two no-hitters.
For the 2021 campaign, she’s also batting .400 with four hour runs.
Ryann also has an interesting tie to history: her grandfather is John Wesley Carlos who was an American track and field athlete and professional football player who was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics but is probably most known for his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith that became a demonstration and pivotal moment for civil rights.
Like her grandfather, Ryann has great speed and athleticism.
* Macie Howes, a 2022 C for Christian Academy of Louisville (Kentucky), had another strong week as she hit .750 (12-for-16) with four home runs, five doubles, a triple, five walks, six RBIs and 12 runs scored.
For the season she is hitting .667 with a 2.368 OPS, six home runs, four triples, six doubles, 14 RBIs, 22 runs, seven walks, and three stolen bases.Macie led the team to a 4-1 week with two of the wins coming in the Grayson County (KY) Spring Break Bash to take the Silver Division championship. Another win this week was a first-round win in the Kentucky 2A tournament to advance to the second-round next week.
*** 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: info@extrainningsoftball.com.
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Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week (Past & Present)
2021
- Apr. 13: P Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli, Indianapolis, Indiana)
- Apr. 6: C Jayla Castro (Rocklin, California)
- Mar. 30: SS Brooke Blankenship (River Ridge, New Port Richey, Florida)
- Mar. 23: SS Rylee Cloud (Fairview, Grant, Louisiana)
- Mar. 16: IF Jenna Madison (Curry, Jasper, Alabama)
- Mar. 9: P/IF Annabelle Widra (Spain Park, Hoover, Alabama)
- Mar. 2: C/3B Elizabeth Moffitt (Prosper, Texas)
2020
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
- 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
- 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)
