Vote: Who was the Top North Carolina High School Softball Player in 2024?
The spring season for high school sports is coming to a close and that means summer for students is coming out. Softball is one of the top sports when it comes to the spring season and there are plenty of good players down in the Tar Heel State.
Some of the best high school softball talent around the country comes from the Carolinas region and we went ahead and compiled a list of who we think are the top players in the state. We ask you the fan to take a look at our list and give us your vote on who you think the top high school softball player in North Carolina is.
Voting concludes July 15th, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Editor’s Note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other athlete that may not be mentioned in our poll.
Here are the nominations:
Emma Clarke, West Rowan: The Tennessee signee had herself a huge 2024 season for West Rowan. Clarke ended up belting 15 home runs, six doubles, 52 RBIs and batted .542.
Olivia Melvin, Cape Fear: The Colts’ senior was stellar at the plate all season long and was always a threat to take a pitcher deep. Melvin batted .467 with 14 homers, seven doubles, three triples and 50 RBIs.
Anna Dickinson, Southern Nash: No one could shut down an opposing lineup like Dickinson did this past spring. The junior hurler went 15-1 with a 0.42 earned run average and struck out 185 batters along the way.
Bel Varadi, Northwest Guilford: Another pitcher that was extremely difficult to score runs against was Varadi. The 5-foot-9 senior went 24-4 with a 0.89 ERA, three no-hitters and fanned 233 batters.
Rylan Miller, Freedom Christian Academy: Whether it was at the plate or on the mound, Miller was sensational. The 5-foot-6 junior went 13-0 on the plate with a 0.63 ERA with six no-hitters and fanned 180 batters. At the plate, Miller belted eight home runs, drove in 38 runs and batted .532.
Kina Davis, South Brunswick: Davis was another pitcher who got it done on the mound and with her bat. The 5-foot-6 dynamo batted .419 with nine home runs, seven doubles and 39 RBIs. On the mound, she went 18-4 with a 0.51 ERA with 301 strikeouts.
Dakota Redmon, McMichael: One of the most feared hitters in the state was Redmon this past spring. The 5-foot-10 senior belted 13 home runs, six doubles with 40 RBIs and batted .527 at the plate.
Gabriella Czuczuk, Garner: Though Czuczuk didn’t have as many strikeouts as others on this list, she certainly was right there with anyone in the win department. The pitcher went 22-1 with a 1.40 ERA and struck out 91 batters.
Mallory Lane, Eastern Wayne: Lane’s record isn’t indicative of the kind of season the pitcher really had. The sophomore right hander finished going 11-6 with a 0.52 earned run average and fanned 267 batters.
Peyton Lane, Martin County: The senior pitcher was tremendous in the mound for the Knights this past season. Lane finished the spring going 21-3 with a 1.04 ERA with five no-hitters and 252 strikeouts.
Angel Purcell, St. Pauls: Purcell came through with a monster season at the plate for St. Pauls. The sophomore hitter batted .600 with 13 home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 45 RBIs and scored 43 runs.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivenc
ANDY VILLAMARZO