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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week – April 22, 2019

Kali Heivilin from Three Rivers, Michigan, holds three of the six balls she hit for home runs last week.

This week we have some great offensive performances and shut-down pitching outings, but a huge all-around week by a four-sport athlete from Michigan tips the scale to this All-State player…

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

It’s not like Kali Heivilin hasn’t had success before.

The sophomore from Three Rivers (Michigan) High is a four-sport athlete who was 1st team All-State last year when she broke her school home run and RBI records with 18 and 72, respectively.

An intense look for Kali as she looks to repeat on her All-State freshman year.

Kali has also been a two-time All-Conference honoree in basketball and a two-time regional champ in powerlifting as she got 5th in state at the 145-pound weight class. Also a volleyball player, the Michigan standout was a starter in all three team sports as a freshman.

If that isn’t enough, she has a 3.89 GPA and for her on-field softball talents has had interest from ACC, Big Ten and SEC schools among others.

This past week, however, she was especially impressive as she played in five games, homered in each one, and went 11-for-14 (.785 average) with six homers, three doubles and five walks to earn our Extra Inning Softball National Player of the Week.

What’s been the key to her success? Being prepared to jump on mistakes, she says.

“I don’t see a lot of good pitches,” Kalie told Extra Inning Softball today, “so I have to be ready for when they mess up. I have to take advantage of the opportunity and hit it as hard as I can. I have been very lucky to make good contact.”

The shortstop, who was ranked in the top 150 of the Extra Elite ratings and plays for the Indiana Magic Gold-Lamar team, also made a pair of outstanding diving backhand from deep in the 6-hole to throw out runners and, overall, had a 1.000 fielding percentage.

She says a key to her increasing success this week has been working hard individually and with her teams.

Lifting weights, Kali says, has helped her softball game including her confidence at the plate.

“I workout a lot,” she explains. “I usually hit my Crossfit box three days a week at 6am before school and more as I have time. It helps me strengthen my game and elevate my play. I work super hard at practice and off the field on my own time, hitting and working on my fundamentals. Since I have joined Indiana Magic, they have really helped improve my game as well. I couldn’t be more thankful of the help and support they have given me.”

For the season, Kali is hitting .675 in 13 games with 10 home runs, 28 RBI, seven steals, nine walks versus zero strikeouts and she has an impressive .720 on-base percentage.

Another reason, she believes, her power numbers have gone up is the attention she’s given to weightlifting both as a sport and for her softball skills.

“Lifting helps me execute as a softball player up at the plate and helps me attack the ball,” the athlete explains. “Lifting helps me become faster and way more efficient on the field. I feel faster and I can miss on a ball and sometimes still take it deep. Being so much stronger than I was a couple years ago really helps me feel confident at the plate and in the field.”

Runner-Up Players of the Week
Alyna Torres

*Alynah Torres, the sr. shortstop for Cactus (Glendale, Arizona) High, continues to show why she’s an Extra Inning Softball All-American as she drove in 10 runs last week including six in one game alone. The Arizona State signee hit her 19th home run and now has 59 for her career.

Kyra Pittman

* Kyra Pittman, a sophomore pitcher for her Allegany (Maryland) High Campers team, is building on her Area Player of the Year honors from 2018. She’s now 9-1 with three more wins last week as she gave up just five hits in 19 innings while striking out 33.  In her most recent victory, she had 15Ks and also hit the game-winning double.

Megan Schumacker

* Megan Schumacher, the Missouri-bound sr. pitcher/first baseman from John Jay High in East Fishkill, New York who we profiled last November continues to impress in the circle and at the plate. Megan went 3-0 with two shutouts and a no-hitter versus ranked teams as she hit 6-for-12 with six RBs while striking out 48 batters in 26 innings pitched.

* A repeat performer to our list is sr. pitcher/utility Angela Zedak of Marist (Chicago, Illinois) High. The Northwestern signee went 2-0 in the circle with a 0.00 ERA and six K’s in six innings while going 8-for-10 at the plate with four home runs, 11 RBIs, six runs.

Shannon Becker

* Another name we’re getting familiar with on this page due to her repeat standout weeks is soph. pitcher Shannon Becker of Mahopac High in New York. She went 2-0 for the week with a no-hitter and only one run allowed in 12 innings. Shannon hit the 500 career strikeout mark this week and has compiled an 8-0 record with zero earned runs allowed in her starts.

Jazmine Hill

* Jazmine Hill, a sr. third baseman/pitcher out of Gahr (Cerritos, California) High, had a perfect week at the plate going 8-for-8 with three home runs—including a grand slam—and seven RBI in addition to intentional walks. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the Arizona State signee picked up pitching again (due to her injuries to the school’s pitching staff) and after a seven-year hiatus has been impressive facing several top So Cal powerful programs. She has struck out 15 opponents in 21 innings and has a 1.33 ERA for the year.

MaKayla Marbury

* MaKayla Marbury, a freshman second baseman for Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Maryland) High and a Univ. of Maryland commit, has been on fire the last several weeks. Two weeks ago she went 8-for-8 with two home runs, three doubles, seven RBIs and eight runs scored and this week she was also in a groove as she went 9-for-11 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and seven runs scored.

Ellie Garcia

* Ellie Garcia, a soph. pitcher/first baseman for Don Lugo High in Chino, California, hit her first career grand slam last week and added two three-run homers and a pair of doubles to rack up 10 RBIs for the week. The 6-foot athlete also had 11 K’s in the circle. Ellie is a top volleyball player too and has been voted the All-Southern California Girls Athlete of the Week her freshman and sophomore seasons for volleyball.

Karina Faasisila

* Karina Faasisila, a sr. pitcher/utility player for Tracy (California) High, is her league’s leading pitcher in strikeouts and ERA and had another great week as she had 12 K’s in one game in which she also hit a solo home run and in other contests struck out 6-of-8 she faced and had seven more the next day. Overall for the season the San Diego State-bound athlete has a 0.76 ERA and 97 K’s in 15 games and a 0.76 ERA.

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Previous 2019 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week
  • 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)

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

The honoree will be announced every Monday night/Tuesday morning; cutoff for submitting the nominations is each Sunday at 11 pm EST/8 pm 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 2018 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 your info and photos (1-4 as available) by the cutoff of Sunday 11 pm EST/ 8 pm PST to: [email protected].

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