Week 16 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 21, 2023, through Saturday, May 27, 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
Marist High out of Chicago, Illinois, is a softball state power, having won three championships (2012, 2015 and 2021) and three other times, including last year (2022), was state runners-up.
Marist is 32-2 and ranked No. 1 in Illinois and No. 8 in the latest Extra Elite 80 High School Rankings produced by Extra Inning Softball.
As a team, Marist has hit 87 home runs this season breaking the IHSA record of 78 and 2025 third baseman Gabi Novicakas smashed the one that set the new mark:
Marist set a new IHSA record for home runs today with 81 💣!!! pic.twitter.com/YeOU7p3gw9
— 🥎 Marist Softball 🥎 (@RedHawkSB) May 23, 2023
So far this year, the RedHawks have won the Region Championship and, today, will have a a big playoff game against a neighborhood rival, Mother McAuley, for the Sectional semifinal… and don’t be surprised if Marist collects a home run or two.
2023 REGIONAL CHAMPS!!🔥🔥 Our BOMB squad for today includes Cunnea💣, Rogers💣, Novickas 💣💣, & Hanik💣💣 Our lead off hitters keep us hot with O’Brien, Pietrzak, & Cunnea all having multi hits & multi RBIs🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/RsVdHJXl0k
— 🥎 Marist Softball 🥎 (@RedHawkSB) May 27, 2023
Especially Gabi, if she can even close to what she did with the round-trippers last week.
In four games—two in conference and two in the Illinois state playoffs—she had 11 at-bats and had nine hits for an .818 batting average and a .833 on-base percentage but here’s the key stat: SEVEN of her nine hits were home runs!
All told, she had 11 RBIs in her 11 at-bats with an OPS of 3.561, a slugging percentage of 2.727 and an OPS of 3.561—which are video game numbers you hardly ever see.
For the 2023 season, the Marist slugger is batting .464 with a .523 on-base percentage with 17 home runs, 47 RBIs and 38 runs scored. Sure to garner several major awards, Gabi has already been named as an All-Conference honoree.
Here’s a highlight clip of several of Gabi’s big hits last week including several of the home runs:
The student-athlete, who will be a junior next fall, has interest from top programs across the nation including from Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, Penn, and Dartmouth.
And, as the Ivy League interest shows, she’s not just a standout softball player; Gabi is also on the Dean’s List as she has a 4.67 GPA in Honors Classes.
Did she feel like she was in the zone last week at the plate, we asked her?
“Yes!” she told Extra Inning Softball I felt like I was seeing the ball really well whether it was an inside or outside pitch! In the box, I had a confident mindset of swinging hard and looking for my pitch and it seemed like I got it almost every time!
And we had to ask about the academics that are as strong as her power hitting game… which one, Gabi was asked, do you take more pride in: the academic success or the softball accomplishments?
“Honestly, academics and softball are equally as important to me,” she said this week. “I take great pride in my 4.67 GPA because I’ve worked hard and put in a lot of study hours to achieve it. I am very happy to put the work in during softball practice too to get better. Juggling both can sometimes be very demanding, but I feel blessed that I am finding success in both!”
— 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: info@extrainningsoftball.com.
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Previous 2023 Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week
- 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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