Iowa's best high school softball players: Meet the state's top first basemen
By Barry Poe
With the high school softball season underway, SBLive is looking at the best players in Iowa. In our third installment, we feature first basemen across all classifications.
The state is loaded with talented first basemen and many of these excel at other positions as well.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive list as there are numerous outstanding first basemen statewide.
Grace Bailey, Twin Cedars, Sr.
A returning first-team Class 1A all-state pick, Bailey has committed to DMACC. She is hitting .567 with five doubles, three triples, three homers and 14 RBIs with a 1.233 slugging percentage.
Helen Sons, Assumption, Jr.
The Knights captured their fourth Class 3A state title in four seasons in 2021 and have won nine of their first 10 this season. Sons has 13 hits in 26 at-bats for a .500 average.
Sydney Smock, North Linn, Sr.
The Lynx sit atop the Class 1A state rankings with a 16-2 record after winning the 2A state title last season. Smock is hitting .350 and has driven in seven runs.
Ellen Smithson, Johnston, Soph.
Smithson earned all-state accolades from the Iowa Girls Softball Coaches Association as a freshman last season after hitting .467 with three home runs and 48 RBIs. The Dragons (14-1) are No. 1 in Class 5A this season and Smithson has three homers and 22 RBI.
Hannah Gralund, Linn-Mar, Sr.
Gralund has committed to Coe College. She hit .311 with 38 RBIs for the Lions last season. Linn-Mar (15-0) is No. 5 in the latest Class 5A rankings and Gralund leads the team with a .512 average to go along with a couple of homers and 14 RBIs.
Haleigh Smith, Iowa City Liberty, Jr.
Smith is one of the main reasons why Liberty is the No. 10 team in the Class 5A rankings. The Lightning are 17-3, with Smith batting .412 with seven homers and 34 RBIs.
Neela Applegate, Winterset, Fr.
Applegate has a .383 batting average and 19 RBI for Iowa’s second-ranked Class 4A team. She saw considerable action as an eighth grader for a team that won its consolation game in the 4A state tournament.
Lizzy Hamand, Central Springs, Jr.
The Panthers are 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in Iowa Class 2A. Hamand is one of six Central Springs regulars hitting .400 or better, checking in at .406.
Elle Ridgeway, Williamsburg, Sr.
Williamsburg is rated No. 3 in Class 3A and Ridgeway – its slugging first baseman – is batting .400 with five home runs and 24 RBIs.
Maggie Engleby, North Union, Sr.
North Union made the state tournament last season and is No. 2 in Class 2A this season. Engleby drove in 28 runs and hit .318 for the state qualifiers and is at .325 with 14 RBIs in 15 games this season.
Claire Long, W.D.M. Valley, Soph.
Long was an All-CIML pick as a freshman last season and a key catalyst for the No. 7 Tigers this year. Long is hitting .344 with three homers and 13 RBIs.
Leah Mangelsen, Northeast, Fr.
Northeast currently occupies the No. 5 spot in the Class 3A state rankings. Mangelsen, a freshman, leads the Rebels with three home runs and 13 RBIs while batting .439.
Elise Oleson, West Burlington, Jr.
The Falcons are ranked No. 4 in Class 3A after winning 30 games last season. Oleson cracked four homers and drove in 19 last season and is at .422 with a homer and 15 RBIs in 13 games this season.
Emma King, Southeast Warren, Sr.
King was a mainstay for a team that made the state tournament for the first time in 12 years and placed third in Class 1A. She has picked up where she left off, hitting .529 with three doubles, a triple and four home runs in 12 games this season.
Ali Mockenhaupt, Twin Cedars, Sr.
An Elmurst (Ill.) College signee, Mockenhaupt had 50 hits and a .485 batting average for a Sabres team that won 29 games and the Bluegrass Conference title. She had eight pitching wins last season and has posted two already this year, as well as batting .471 for a 10-1 team ranked No. 13 in Class 1A.
Lilly Prickett, Van Meter, Sr.
The Bulldogs are the third-ranked team in Class 2A with a 14-5 record. Prickettis enjoying a strong senior season, batting .457 with 17 RBIs and she has also posted a pitching win.
Jaiden Root, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Sr.
Root is a versatile performer who can play several different positions. Mainly a first baseman, she has a .318 batting average with a home run and 10 RBIs while also posting a pair of pitching victories for the 13th-ranked team in Class 5A.
Laney Schick, Carlisle, Jr.
As a sophomore, Schick drove in a team-high 40 runs for a team that finished third in the Class 4A state tournament. This season, she has a .429 average with a homer and five RBIs for a Wildcat squad ranked fourth in 4A.
Jordyn Gripp, Indianola, Jr.
The junior is the main source of power for a squad ranked No. 7 in Class 4A. Gripp has smacked five home runs and driven in 14 while hitting .353 for the season.
Hannah Simpson, Fairfield, Sr.
The all-state performer has already cast her lot at Indian Hills Community College. A varsity player since her eighth-grade season, Simpson had an outstanding junior campaign with a.458 average, 15 doubles, nine homers and 64 RBIs. She tied for first in Class 4A in RBIs. This season, Simpson has clubbed six homers and driven in 26 with a .524 batting average.
Ashlyn Finarty, Knoxville, Jr.
With one season of high school still in front of her, Finarty has already committed to play softball at Missouri Western State University. She has 19 hits in 30 at-bats for a .633 average and 3-0 pitching record and 1.70 ERA. A first team all-stater last season, Finarty led the Panthers with a .455 batting average with nine doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBIs and also was 8-4 in the pitching circle.
Olivia Mentzer, Sioux City East, Soph.
Mentzer is the leading hitter for a Black Raider squad which cracked the SBLive top 25 last week. The sophomore standout is hitting a robust .603 (35-for-58) with 11 doubles, two homers and 35 RBIs.
Jori Harskamp, Sioux Center, Sr.
The Warriors are No. 10 in the Class 3A state rankings and in the thick of the race for the Siouxland Conference. Harskamp has driven in a team-high 19 runs with a .410 average and a 2-0 pitching record and 0.93 ERA.
Not only does Lake have a .450 batting average with three home runs and 22 RBI, she has also been the pitcher of record in all 13 games for the unbeaten Eagles with 163 strikeouts and an 0.35 ERA.
Macanna Gunitz, Logan-Magnolia, Jr.
The Panthers have a sterling 13-0 record and are ranked 10th in Class 2A. Guritz leads the team with 18 RBIs (two home runs) to go along with a .432 batting average.
