High school softball's best hitters in the nation entering the 2024 season

Expect these 20 batters to showcase their elite skills this spring

Author:
Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Feb 21, 2024 6:37 PM EST
Original:
Feb 20, 2024

Several states have already begun the spring high school softball season, while winter basketball playoffs go on across the country indoors.

A handful of other states, such as Georgia and Oklahoma, finished their softball seasons in the fall.

In honor of the upcoming thaw in some states and continuing sunshine in others, over the next few days SBLive Sports will feature the top hitters and pitchers in the country competing this spring in high school softball.

First up are the hitters (and many are also excellent pitchers).

Kaylynn Jones set multiple school records in her first year playing for Guyer in 2023.

Gabi Comia, sr., Hanover Central (Indiana)

Comia hit .642 last season with seven triples, nine doubles, 32 RBIs, 42 runs and 22 stolen bases while playing excellent defense at shortstop. It was the Florida commit’s second consecutive season hitting over .640.

Amayah Doyle, sr., Carterville (Illinois)

Doyle flexed with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs as a sophomore, then outdid herself as a junior. The Tennessee commit broke the single-season Carterville home run record with 23 home runs, plus swiped 24 bases. The corner infielder also broke a school record on the hardwood this winter, becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer and first to eclipse 2,000 career points.

Taylor Faga, so., Hollister (California)

Cal-Hi Sports' Freshman of the Year, Faga burst onto the scene quickly and never stopped getting better for the No. 1 team in California. She hit .511 with three home runs, 29 RBIs, 28 runs and a team-high 1.423 OPS. Faga finished on a 12-game hitting streak, which included going 6 for 8 with two walks during the Haybalers' Northern Region Division I title run.

Anna Hinde, jr., Charlotte Christian (North Carolina)

Hinde has been playing varsity softball since eighth grade, and she’s hit at least .500 in all three high school seasons thus far. Perfect Game ranks the catcher/infielder, who’s committed to Florida State, as the top junior prospect in the country.

Kaylynn Jones, sr., Guyer (Texas)

Jones set Guyer's record for batting average (.540), runs (65) and triples (12) as a junior, earning first-team SBLive Texas All-State honors and leading her team to the state title game in Class 6A. It was her first year with the program after the infielder and future Oregon Duck led Eastvale Roosevelt (California) to a Division 1 title as a sophomore.

Sa’Mya Jones, sr., Pearland Dawson (Texas)

One good Jones in Texas deserves another. Sa'Mya Jones showed increased power as a junior, hitting eight home runs compared with two her sophomore year, while batting .475 and stealing 15 bases. She'll be playing for LSU next year.

Jolyna Lamar, jr., Panther Creek (North Carolina)

Lamar is the younger half of a dynamic sibling duo at Panther Creek. She hit .591 as a sophomore with an otherworldly on-base percentage of .686. She boasts speed and power, as the UCLA commit slugged 12 home runs and stole 24 bases last year.

Layla Lamar, sr., Panther Creek (North Carolina)

The elder Lamar had a shockingly similar batting average and on-base percentage to her sister last season (.585, .682). She hit .680 with 13 home runs as a sophomore and will look to bring those power numbers back up in her final year of high school softball before joining the Florida Gators.

Jordan Lynch, sr., Rising Sun (Maryland)

Lynch hit .600 as a sophomore and got even better as a junior, batting .650 and leading Rising Sun to a state championship. A superior athlete, the Virginia Tech signee has also averaged a double-double on the basketball court each of the past two seasons.

Shelby McKenzie, sr., Pace (Florida)

McKenzie was a long-ball threat every time she stepped up to the plate as a junior. The first baseman, a Florida State commit, hit .577 with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs along with 13 doubles and 45 runs scored. Her three-run homer sent Pace to the state championship game last season.

Tia Milloy, sr., Redmond (Washington)

Milloy is coming off an injury-plagued junior year, but the middle infielder hit .629 in 35 at-bats and signed with Oklahoma in November. The daughter of former NFL star Lawyer Milloy helped lead Redmond to the 4A state championship in 2022, hitting .589 on the season.

Kai Minor, jr., Orange Lutheran (California)

Minor hit .423 and drew 21 walks for a top-10 team in California last year. The Oklahoma commit also stole 24 bases in 25 tries on her way to scoring 30 runs. She’s also one of the best defensive center fielders in the country. Minor hit .532 with seven homers as a freshman.

Elsa Morrison, jr. Farragut (Tennessee)

Morrison earned Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a sophomore after breaking the school record with 23 home runs. The catcher/shortstop, who’s committed to Tennessee, hit .617 with an unreal .757 on-base percentage and drove in 71 runs.

Sofia Mujica, sr., El Cajon Granite Hills (California)

Mujica has been a powerful picture of consistency in her high school career, slugging 17 home runs as a freshman, 15 as a sophomore and then 15 more as a junior. The future UCLA catcher enters her senior year with a career batting average of .481.

Amira Rodriguez, jr., San Benito (Texas)

Amira Rodriguez hit two grand slams in one playoff series for San Benito in 2023.
Photo courtesy of San Benito softball

Rodriguez was an impact player at the plate and in the circle as a sophomore for a San Benito team that reached the 6A semifinals. The Washington commit hit .504 with 16 home runs (including two grand slams in one playoff series) and 67 RBIs, while striking out 118 batters in 117 innings pitched, holding an ERA of 1.01.

Ana Roman, jr., Hagerty (Florida)

Roman played center field for the Huskies and committed just one error, and she showed off prodigious power at the plate as a sophomore. The Alabama commit hit .408 with 16 home runs, 32 RBIs, 31 hits, five doubles and 35 runs.

Taylor Troutman, sr., Henderson County (Kentucky)

Troutman holds the school record for career home runs and RBIs, reaching double digits in HRs in each of her three high school softball seasons (12, 11, 12). The lefty posted a career-high 1.488 OPS as a junior and will be taking her talents to Mississippi State next year.

Kate Vance, sr., Hamilton (Arizona)

Vance hit 18 home runs in 104 at-bats last season, slugging two more round-trippers in 23 fewer at-bats compared with her sophomore season. The shortstop is staying close to home for college, signing with the Arizona Wildcats.

Sydney Vitangcol, jr., Wisconsin Lutheran (Wisconsin)

Vitangcol has been a beast in the circle as well the past two seasons, but has also been an incredibly tough out at the plate. The lefty, who’s committed to Wisconsin, followed up a freshman season hitting .575 with a .632 batting average as a sophomore. She had a 0.43 ERA and 272 strikeouts in the circle last year.

Jordyn Wycuff, sr., Watkins Memorial (Ohio)

Wycuff has been a hitting star at catcher since her freshman year, batting .420 in her first year of high school softball. And she keeps getting better. She hit .506 with 10 home runs as a sophomore and .570 with 11 homers as a junior. She’s in line for a huge senior year playing for one of the best teams in the state.