Rising Star: Infielder Jaliya Sullivan… Could She Be the Top Hitter in the 2028 Class?

One of the best parts of our jobs here at Extra Inning Softball is the discovery of young talent and then seeing these players continue to grow and develop over time.

Today’s spotlight in our Rising Star series is a corner infielder from the South who plays on Chase Belk’s MS Thunderbolts 2027 team which is part of the Birmingham Thunderbolts organization and, even before she’s started high school, has big-time college potential written all over her.

Jaliya Sullivan (pronounced “Ja-LEE-ya”) is a 2028 grad who is already drawing praise from those who have watched her play.

Coach Belk begins:

“I believe Jaliya is the best hitter in the country in the country. She batted .636 with two home runs at Scenic City and hit .525 overall with a home run every 6.7 at-bats (for reference, Barry Bonds was every 6.52 his single-season home run record year).

Recently the 14U coach worked with the corner infielder who recorded a 79 mph exit velo with a 62-mph overhand… check out these clips of her and you quickly get an idea of how Jaliya can absolutely crush a pitch :

Jaliya attends Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.) Middle School and her club head coach sees great things for the power hitter who also shines defensively.

“She is a special player,” Coach Belk believes. “Jaliya has an absolute rocket arm and an amazing glove. When she doesn’t make highlight reel plays, you are surprised. Just this past weekend she went to a camp and played three scrimmage games and was awarded MVP honors in all three games. She was playing in the Junior and Senior scrimmages as an 8th grader!”

As good as she is with the glove, Jaliya is also a huge threat at the plate and can change a game with one swing of the bat.

“Her bat makes her, in my opinion, absolutely elite,” Belk states. “Every showcase we go to, I have coaches asking about Jaliya.”

Here are some clips of her working out… just listen to the sound made when she connects:

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• Note: nominations for the 2028 Extra Elite 100 open on Feb. 12, 2024.
• Next up: the 2029 Extra Elite 100 with nominations opening this Friday (Dec. 8, 2023).
• Click HERE and scroll down the page to see the complete Extra Elite 100 schedule for 2024.

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Here’s more on the promising player including whom she lists as her favorite softball player (hint: she’s a power hitter too!)…

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