National High School Player of the Week (June 6, 2023)

Week 17 of our 2023 National High School Player of the Week series is drawing towards the end of this season with many states either done or wrapping up playoff action.

Each week until the end of the Spring high school campaign, 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, May 28, 2023, through Saturday, June 3, 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

What a way to cap a career!

Ava Brown, a definite repeat High School All-American and a strong candidate for National Player of the Year, ended her 2023 high school season and prolific career by helping her Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas) High team win back-to-back Class 5A state titles.

And the way she and her teammates did it was jaw-dropping.

After going undefeated last year and losing just once this season (44-1 in 2023 and a perfect 41-0 mark in 2022), the Lions have won 84 of their last 85 games and look to be the No. 1 team in the final Extra Elite 80 National High School Rankings when they are published.

Congratulations to these Class of ‘23 softball players who have a four-year record of 138-4 with TWO State Championships.
Incredible legacy! @LakeCreek_SB @LakeCreekHS pic.twitter.com/gZirTVnnTZ

— Montgomery ISD (@MontgomeryISD) June 3, 2023

Brown–ranked as the No. 3 player in the final 2023 Extra Elite 100 and a Florida Gator signee last fall–tossed a one-hit 8-0 shutout with 15 strikeouts over Canyon (New Braunfels, Texas) High team in the UIL state finals on Saturday after giving up just three hits and a walk with 11 K’s in the team’s semifinal win over Heritage (Frisco, Texas) High.

The pitcher was named as the championship game MVP for the second straight year and also got it done with her bat, hitting an RBI double in the second inning that would be all she would need in her near no-hitter performance.

For the season, the senior went 27-0 with a 0.53 ERA and had 292 strikeouts in 172 innings—about 1.7 K’s per inning. Equally impressive: Ava finished her season reaching double digit strikeout numbers in 17 straight games.

Here’s a great video piece done by VYPE which includes footage and interviews with the team, including Ava, after the emotional title win:

 After the game and during the awards ceremony, Ava—who was also named as the NFCA/Maxpreps South Central Region Player of the Week—was visibly emotional and when asked what made her get that way she replied:

“(I’m) just so proud… so proud,” Ava said, “of all the people in the stands who were there for us. So proud of all the people behind me, everybody in the dugout. You know, our bats came alive and our defense was great, so solid, and I had a full-team effort in that game and that’s all I can ask for, the people behind me and around me.”

“Our offense lit it up today and we haven’t been scoring that many runs recently so the fact we were able to jump out on top, we were able to punch’em in the mouth early and I was able to find the zone. It was a great team win.”

With just the one loss in the last two years, that means that the senior class players end their prolific run with two championship trophies and a remarkable 138-4 record during their playing careers.

More impressive stats: the Lions have won 99 of their past 101 games and, since the softball team started in 2019, has a 157-13 record.

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball

*** 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: [email protected].

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Previous 2023 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week

• May 30: IF Gabi Novicakas (Marist, Chicago, Ill.)
• May 23: P Gianna Mares (Salpointe, Tucson, Ariz.)
• May 16: P/1B Sydney Vitangcol(Wisconsin Lutheran, Milwaukee, Wisc.)
• May 9: C Maggie Daniel (Spain Park, Hoover, Ala.)
• May 2: P Kaitlyn Pallozzi P (Mercy, Farmington Hill, Mich.
• Apr. 25: P Makenzie Freeman P/IF (Hackett, Ark.)
• 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)

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