Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week—May 25, 2021 (Week 13)

Each Tuesday until the high school softball season ends, 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, May 16, 2021 through Saturday, May 22, 2021…

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

* Sometimes earning the National Player of the Week is about putting up big personal stats but sometimes it’s the context of the stage that it comes on.

For this week’s honoree, it was both.

Cassidy McLellan, a sophomore centerfielder for Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Florida) High, sparked her team to a Florida Class 7A state championship last week as she hit a bases loaded walk-off triple that pushed the Mustangs to the title.

The triple knocked in the winning run in the 14-4 run rule victory against previously undefeated Park Vista (Lake Worth, Florida) High, which had a 48-game winning streak in the state’s highest class.

Cassidy went 2-for-3 in the state semi’s as she smacked two home runs and had three RBIs. In the championship game, the outfielder’s triple was part of a 3-for-4 performance that saw her hit two triples and drive in three runs.

For the season, Cassidy—who is being heavily recruited by SEC, ACC and Big 12 schools—batted .542 with 58 hits, 59 runs scored, 15 doubles, six triples, nine home runs, 42 RBIs and stole 23 bases.

An awesome season with an amazing final play… here’s a video of the sophomore’s big at-bat:

Interestingly, Cassidy plays for Coach T.J. Goelz’s high school team as well as his Tampa Mustangs 18U travel ball team.

What was she thinking as she walked to the plate knowing her at-bat could bring her team the trophy?

“Coach TJ told me right before my final atbat with the bases loaded to ‘Barrel it up, hit a gap, and end this,’” Cassidy recalls. “My plan was to go with the pitch and hit it solid. The pitch came on the inside part of the plate, I got my hands through and drove it to the right field wall. With bases loaded and Grace Hogie on first, who is super fast and would for sure score, I knew we had just won!”

It was a magical year and the athlete-who was ranked in the Top 20 of the 2023 Extra Elite 100 released earlier this month—says she will long savor the entire experience that was this 2021 season.

“I think I will remember all of it,” she told Extra Inning Softball today. “The bus ride to and from Clermont, staying with my team in the hotel, team meals together, playing charades, and much more. But I’d say my favorite moment was at the end of the game getting swarmed by my teammates because we had just won.”

Runner-Up National Player of the Week

* Graceyn Frost, a 2021 LHP for the Delaware Military Academy Seahawks (Wilmington, Delaware), continues to tear up the playoffs in the state playoffs.

The Delaware signee pitched a perfect-perfect” game on May 20 in a 9-0 seven inning win as she struck out all 21 batters she faced in her team’s win.

Two days later she threw a 5-0 seven inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and giving up just two hits.

Graceyn is in the playoffs for the Delaware State Championship and has been tremendous all year; she has three perfect games this year and twice has had 21-strikeout games, the first being the opening game of the season.

Graceyn has now reached 242 strike outs versus just 22 walks in 112 innings pitched and has give up only 18 hits and three runs (two earned runs) the entire season.  Her ERA is 0.12 and her batting average against is .051 in 19 games this season (17 regular season and two post season).

Of her 17-1 pitching record, 16 of the games were shutouts, 11 were no hitters and three were perfect games (almost a fourth save for an error).

Honorable Mention National Players of the Week

* Dee Dee Hernandez, a 2021 LHP/power hitter for Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, California) High, pitched a 10-inning game in which she had 18 strikeouts with 12 of them coming from the 6^th inning on. She gave up just one earned run and also was 2-for-4 at the plate.

Two days later, the San Diego State commit struck out 13 in a one-hit shutout over five innings.

Dee Dee is a member of the Mexican National Team, for which she started as a 16-year-old.

* Karley Yergler, a 2022 P/IF for Mahomet-Seymour (Mahomet, Illinois) High, tossed a pair of three-hit shutouts against two conference opponents, winning the first game 1-0 in nine innings and had 10 K’s.

In the second game, she threw a 3-0 shutout with 14 K’s and also hit an RBI double and also hit her 13^th home run of the season to lead the state.

For the year Karley is hitting .585 with a strong 2.051 OPS and has 30 RBIs. In the circle, Karley has thrown eight shutouts, one no-hitter and three one-hitters and has 132 K’s in 74 innings and has compiled a 1.01 ERA.

* Sarah Gordon, a 2022 C/IF for Lexington (South Carolina) High, went 10-for-16 (.625 batting average) with four doubles, three home runs and scored 10 runs in the Regional Playoffs.

Along with her four walks she had a .700 on-base percentage and a 2.128 OPS.

In Friday’s championship Game 1, Sarah went 2-4 with a home run in the top of the 7^th inning to tie the game and helped to force a second game.  In Game 2, she went 3-for-4 with a single,  two homeruns  and three RBIs and each home run tied the score.

For the season, Sarah—ranked #63 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100— hit .495 with a .552 on-base percentage and had 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.

* Abby Dowell, a 2023 LHP/UT for Iowa Park (Texas) High, shined in the circle and at the plate as she helped her team in the 4^th round of the playoffs, the Region semi’s.

Ranked #91 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100, she went 3-for-4 in both games (6-for-8 for the week) and knocked in seven runs while striking out 11 in a five inning win in which she gave up just two hits and had eight K’s in a six-inning win in which she gave up just one hit.

* Kali Heivlin, the 2021 IF for Three Rivers (Michigan) and the Extra Inning Softball National Player of the Week from two weeks ago, continues to have an All-American caliber season.

Last week in eight games—playing a lot to catch up because of a two-week COVID pause earlier this season—she had nine home runs and set her school record (which she had previously set at 19) with her 22^nd long ball. With five-to-seven games left in the season, she is chasing the state record which is 26.

For the week, Kali was 13-for-24 (.542) and had home runs in seven of the eight games totaling 18 RBIs and also walking six times.

In 2021, she is batting .621 with a .718 on-base percentage, the 22 home runs, 56 RBIs, 69 runs scored and a 1.575 slugging percentage.

*** 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: [email protected].

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Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week (Historically)

2021 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• May 11: IF Kali Heivilin (Three Rivers, Michigan)
• May 4: P Maya Johnson (St. Joseph Academy, Cleveland, Ohio)
• 27: P/UT Karlyn Pickens (North Buncombe, Weaverville, North Carolina)
• 20: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
• 13: P Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli, Indianapolis, Indiana)
• 6: C Jayla Castro (Rocklin, California)
• 30: SS Brooke Blankenship (River Ridge, New Port Richey, Florida)
• 23: SS Rylee Cloud (Fairview, Grant, Louisiana)
• 16: IF Jenna Madison (Curry, Jasper, Alabama)
• 9: P/IF Annabelle Widra (Spain Park, Hoover, Alabama)
• 2: C/3B Elizabeth Moffitt (Prosper, Texas)

2020 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• 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 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• 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 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• 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)