High school softball is getting back onto the fields across the country and we will honor those athletes who have shined on the field!
Moving forward after this initial posting, we will honor top high school performances nationwide each Tuesday for the next several months and, if you’d like to have a player considered, scroll down to see how to fill out a nomination.
Games for this week’s honoree were for Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 through Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023…
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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week
* There are great starts to a high school season and then there are perfect starts and that’s what Jayden Heavener, the dominating junior pitcher from Pace (Fla.) High, pulled off this week as she led the Patriots to a 10-0 win in its first district game of the year.
In the 10-0 win over Navarre, the LSU commit and #2 ranked player in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, faced 15 batters and struck out all 15 in the five inning run-rule victory.
Amazingly, Jayden threw 63 total pitches and 50 of them were strikes.
Pace (Fla.) Assistant Coach Jacq Poling, joking about the infielders and outfielders not having to make one single player, commented: “Everybody else in the field was bored besides Jayden and the catcher!”
Growing serious, the high school coach added:
“Jayden is an elite pitcher but this improvement is insane. She averaged 12.5 pitches per inning as she mixed together a 66-mph fastball and a 64-mph curveball with a 52-mph change up.”
Here are some highlights via Twitter of some of the junior’s untouchable pitching in that game:
Highlights from last nights District win over Navarre. Mixing speeds with spin. @Softball_Pace @unity_json_ross @LSUsoftball @BethTorina @ExtraInningSB @LegacyLegendsS1 @PG_Softball @PGFnetwork @Los_Stuff @CoachOAllZones @FloridaMaxPreps @MaxPreps @FloSoftball @SBLiveFL pic.twitter.com/nQW9FObLur
— Jayden Heavener (@JaydenHeavener) February 22, 2023
So that was in Game 1 for the week… how did Jayden respond in her second game of the week in the circle?
Just a 17-strikeout no-hitter in her team’s 8-0 win against Fort Walton Beach and, though not perfect, Jayden still got the seven-inning shutouts no-hitter giving up just two walks with another reaching base via an error.
In total, the future SEC signee pitched 12 innings with 32 strikeouts of the 40 batters she faced and gave up no hits, no runs and just the two walks as she went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
Offensively, Jayden helped her own cause—not that it needed too much help—as she batted .500 with a .714 on-base percentage with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
Coach Poling says that the star pitcher will be used as sparingly as possible this season, especially early on.
“We are trying to save her for the bigger, tougher games and teams this season,” she explained. “Jayden is key for our post-season and we must keep her healthy.”
And what does the athlete herself think was key to her dominating success last week?
“I have been working really hard on locating my pitches and mixing my speeds,” Jayden told Extra Inning Softball. “I threw four different pitches at four different speeds and was able to keep the batters guessing. I really felt a lot more in control.”
*** 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 2023 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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Previous 2023 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week
- Feb. 21: P/SS Lexie Warncke (East Bernard, Texas)
- Feb. 13: OF Gigi Ganje (Aliso Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week (Prior to 2023)
2022
- June 14: P Courtney Layne (Appomattox County, Appomattox, Virginia)
- June 7: SS Graciela Dominguez (James Madison, Vienna, Virginia)
- May 31: 1B Macee Eaton (Wheelersburg, Ohio)
- May 24: P Karyln Pickens (North Buncombe, Weaverville, North Carolina)
- May 17: P Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli, Indianapolis, Indiana)
- May 10: SS Teagan Thrunk (Point Pleasant Boro, Point Pleasant, New Jersey)
- May 3: SS Abby Hornberger (Regina, Warren, Michigan)
- Apr. 26: OF Cassidy McLellan (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Florida)
- Apr. 19: P/UT Madison Knight (Patterson Mill, Bel Air, Maryland)
- Apr. 12: OF Chelsea Mack (Brecksville, Ohio)
- Apr. 5: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
- Mar. 29: P Rose Malen (Marin Catholic, Kentfield, Calif.)
- Mar 22: P Katie Kutz (Bishop O’Connell, Arlington, Virginia)
- Mar. 15: IF Tanya Windle (Cactus, Glendale, Arizona)
- Mar. 8: P Jayden Nishi (South, Torrance, California)
- Mar. 1: P Marissa McCann (Willow Canyon, Surprise, Arizona)
- Feb. 22: 1B Sydney Lewis (Prosper, Texas)
2021
- June 15: P Eden Bingham(Rustburg, Virginia)
- June 8: P Lauren Derkowski (York, Elmhurst, Illinois)
- June 1: SS Shayne Immke (St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Joseph, Illinois)
- 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)
- Apr. 27: P/UT Karlyn Pickens (North Buncombe, Weaverville, North Carolina)
- Apr. 20: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
- 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)
