Despite record-setting rainstorms and floods on the West Coast and flight and school-cancelling snow in the Northeast, high school softball continues to be played across the country—weather permitting, for sure!
In Week 5 of our Spring of ’23 National High School Player of the Week series, we once again honor those athletes who have shined on the field.
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 out a nomination.
Games for this week’s honorees were for Sunday, Mar. 5, 2023 through Saturday, Mar. 11, 2023.
Note also that these players having great weeks will also be in consideration for our Extra Inning Softball All-American Teams to be released later this year!
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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player(s) of the Week
* Aniya Merritt, a 2024 outfielder at Lumberton High in North Carolina, could be swinging with a wet spaghetti noodle and still be able to get on base.
Ranked in the 2024 Extra Elite 100 thanks to 2.5 home-to-first speed and – following in the footsteps of her father, Frank, who played baseball at St. Augustine University – the junior star softball player has started the first couple of weeks of the young season putting up video-game like numbers.
After games last Friday (stats as of Sunday, March 12, 2023), Aniya has exploded early out to a .826 batting average in her first half dozen games over the opening two weeks as she’s gone 19-for-23 (let us repeat: 19 hits versus just four outs) with nine RBIs, nine steals and 14 runs scored.
In one game alone last week, she went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. In a pair of other contests, she went 3-for-3 in each and started the year off with no strikeouts in the first half dozen games.
Making her softball stats even more impressive is the fact that the speedster is also running track for Lumberton Senior while simultaneously playing softball!
So what’s helped her get off to such a tremendous year so far?
“This season I have really been focusing on my footwork and seeing the ball through before taking off from my slap,” Aniya told Extra Inning Softball today.
“I have also been doing a lot of hitting drills in practice to work on my technique,” she added. “This season me and my team have been doing good both defensively and offensively.”
And, not surprisingly, college coaches are watching closely.
“My recruiting process is still ongoing, and I plan to go on visits in the future,” the junior concluded.
To read more on “Niya” and how her Fall went playing for Team NC – Britt, click HERE.
*** 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
- Mar. 7 (tie): P Jazzy Francik (Melbourne, Fla.) & P Julie Kelley (Spruce Creek, Port Orange, Fla.)
- Feb. 28: P Jayden Heavener (Pace, Fla.)
- 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)
