Week 11 of our 2023 National High School Player of the Week series for the Spring fastpitch season takes us coast to coast with some amazing performances in all areas of the game.
But this week, we have to honor perfection as we recognize the underclass pitcher who set a state record last year with five perfect games and has already matched that this season including back-to-back perfectos last week!
Each week 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 are for Sunday, April 16, 2023, through Saturday, April 22, 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 of the Week
* Makenzie Freeman, a 6-foot-1 sophomore pitcher/infielder for Hackett (Ark.) High pitched back-to-back perfect games last week to help her team secure the conference championship.
Amazing, she had five perfect games on the season entering this week and also pitched five last year as a freshman, which set an Arkansas State Record for most in a season.
For last week, Makenzie pitched 10 innings giving up no hits, walks or runs while striking out 24 opposing batters.
Offensively, she recorded a .571 batting average with triple, double, and two singles which helped her team secure undefeated back-to-back conference championships.
For the year, Makenzie has pitched 103.1 innings, produced a 16-3 record with 180 strikeouts and only has issued 15 walks. The super soph is only allowing a .175 batting average by her opponents and has a WHIP of .794.
She’s also getting done with the bat as she’s hitting .541 this Spring with a .603 on-base percentage, a 1.488 OPS, 17 extra base hits and 28 RBIs for the Hanover Hornets.
Her high school head coach, Jeff Oxford, says that his star pitcher is equally impressive off the field as much as she is between the lines.
“Makenzie is first and foremost a great kid!” he told Extra Inning Softball earlier today. “She’s from an awesome Christian family that does things the right way. Kenzie has command of four pitches that I can call at any time and in any count without hesitation: a fastball, curve, rise, and drop… and all she throws well.”
And what has helped her accumulate 10 high school perfect games in less than two full prep season?
“Makenzie works her fastball at 64-to-65 mph with good movement,” the Hackett High head coach continues. “She works as hard as any kid I know in the game and has a very workmanlike attitude all the time on the mound. Makenzie will take the ball anytime given the opportunity; I’ve watched her grow up playing the game since she was eight years old and she has always been a great teammate and friend.”
Makenzie was named to the 2025 Extra Elite 100 last year and showed her toughness in the Fall of 2021 when she broke a finger but pitched two straight weekends at Top Club and the Fall HFL Championships.
And what does the athlete herself think about today’s honor?
“This is beyond exciting!” she began. “This is a huge honor and I would not have been able to do it without my amazing team. I also have a great coach who pushes me and my teammates every day to be our best!”
*** 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
- Apr. 18: P/UT Mallie West (New Waverly, Texas)
- Apr. 11: OF Cassidy McLellan (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Fla.)
- Apr. 4: P/UT Julia Shearer (North Penn, Lansdale, Pa.)
- Mar. 28: SS Ashlynn Campbell (Wetumpka, Ala.)
- Mar. 21: 1B Madilynn George (Rouse, Leander, Texas)
- Mar. 14: OF Aniya Merritt (Lumberton, N.C.)
- 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)
