Each Tuesday this spring we have honored top high school performances nationwide and will do so for another week or two. If you’d like to have a player considered, scroll down to see how to fill out a nomination.
Games are for June 5, 2022 through June 11, 2022…
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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week
* Courtney Layne, a senior left-handed pitcher for Appomattox County (Appomattox, Virginia) High pitched a perfect game in the state championship game as she faced 21 batters and struck out 15 of them in the close 1-0 win.
This, on the heels of the state semi’s where she threw a five-inning perfect game with six strikeouts and a state quarter final win in which she went the full seven inning sand gave up two hits but struck out 19 opposing batters.
The Virginia Cavalier signee finished her stellar senior season with a 23-0 record and compiled 310 strikeouts in 129 innings and a 0.16 ERA. Courtney also helped her own cause by batting .457 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs on the year.
She was also just named as the Virginia All-State Player of the Year and concluded her high school year not with just the two state titles, but by throwing perfect games in each of the 2021 and ’22 championships games.
What was the key to her great playoff run this year? We asked Courtney that question earlier today, and she replied it was all about trust… in herself.
“Looking back on the last couple of games,” the senior reflected, “what was working for me was definitely just hitting my spots and trusting my pitches. More specifically, my change-up I feel was a huge difference maker in some of the strikeouts that I got.”
Not surprisingly, when asked what memory came to mind when looking back upon her illustrious high school career, Courtney pointed to the state titles.
“It would definitely be the two state championships that we won and the process that got us there,” she said. “It was also a lot of fun going through the playoffs and playing in some intense games!”
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Runner-Up National Players of the Week
* Indiana Class 4A state championship finale was delayed a few times because of heavy rains, it would only push back the inevitable: a perfect season for Roncalli High of Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Royals finished the season 33-0 and won its second straight state title behind the pitching arm of Gatorade National Player of the Year Keagan Rothrock, who helped lead Roncalli to a comfortable 16-0 win over Harrison in the championship game.
Keagan gave up just two hits, the first coming in the third inning and the last in the sixth inning, but was able shutdown Harrison with 15 strikeouts in the shutout win and finish junior high school season with a 28-0 record and 381 strikeouts.
“Honestly, I think everything was working,” the pitcher the Indy Star after the game. “I’ve felt really good lately and everything has just been coming together. I definitely feel better now than I did last year at this point… All those extra hours I put in really helped me out.”
The win was the 46th straight for Roncalli and puts the school just one short of the state record set in the 2005 season by Lake Central High. With Keagan and several other underclass standouts returning in 2023, expect the record to be broken and pushed well past its current mark.
*** 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 2022 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 (Historically)
2022
- June 7: SS Graciela Dominguez (James Madison, Vienna, Virginia)
- 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)
