Meet 20 sophomore high school softball stars who excelled on a national level in 2022-23

The spring high school softball season is over in some states and nearing the finish line in others, and SBLive Sports is identifying some of the brightest emerging stars at the plate and in the circle.

We started last week by spotlighting some of the best freshman softball players in the country, and now it's the top sophomores' turn.

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Here are 20 of the best sophomores in high school softball in 2022-23, including players who finished their season in the fall. 

Melody Acevedo, Riverside Hillcrest (California)

Acevedo burst onto the softball scene as a freshman, hitting .495 with 11 home runs, 20 doubles and 43 RBIs, and there’s been no sophomore slump. She’s raised her average to .507 this season with nine home runs, 13 doubles and 39 RBIs.

Sophia Bordi, Haddon Heights (New Jersey)

Bordi was one of the most dominant pitchers in the country last year as a freshman, striking out 307 batters in 135 innings. She's back for more as a sophomore, registering double-digit Ks in every one of her starts so far this season. She has 166 strikeouts in 76.1 innings with a 0.64 ERA, and she's helped herself out on offense with nine home runs.

Lisabella Dimitrijevic, Lincoln-Way Central (Illinois)

Dimitrijevic is hitting .371 with five home runs, but pitching is her forte. She led her team to an undefeated season in conference and has a 13-2 record overall, piling up 222 strikeouts against only 12 walks in 104.2 innings and holding a 1.07 ERA.

Addy Frye, Neshannock (Pennsylvania)

Frye has been around pitching since she was born, and as her second year of high school softball wraps up, she still doesn’t know what it feels like to take a loss in the circle. After finishing her freshman year with a 21-0 record, 0.76 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 110 innings, she’s 13-0 this season with a 0.58 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 72 innings.

Presley Harrison, Appling County (Georgia)

Harrison enjoyed a dominant sophomore season in the circle, striking out 255 batters against just 14 walks in 150.1 innings. She went 20-3 and held an ERA of 0.32 to earn first-team All-State honors.

Anna Hinde, Charlotte Christian (North Carolina)

Hinde is in her third year of varsity softball as a sophomore, and she’s keeping her streak of .500-plus seasons at the plate this season. She’s hitting .519 with seven home runs and 11 doubles to maintain her status as one of the top-ranked sophomore recruits in the country.

Jolyna Lamar, Panther Creek (North Carolina)

From hitting for average to power to running the bases, Lamar can do it all. After an eye-popping freshman campaign, Lamar has put up bigger numbers across the board as a sophomore, hitting .591 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles, three triples and stealing 24 bases.

Karly Meredith, Kaukauna (Wisconsin)

Meredith is 13-0 this season for undefeated Kaukauna, which set a state record this season with a 68-game winning streak. She holds a 0.33 ERA and has struck out 117 batters in 64.1 innings while also hitting .575. Karly and older sister Kally form one of the top sibling one-two punches in the country. 

Kai Minor, Orange Lutheran (California)

It takes a special player to earn first-team All-State honors as a freshman in talent-rich Southern California, and Minor fits the bill. The outstanding defensive center fielder hit .532 with seven homers while stealing 20 bases and scoring 40 runs. She’s been pitched around quite a bit as a sophomore, drawing 21 walks and turning them into 24 stolen bases.

Brinkley Moreton, Lincoln (Arkansas)

Moreton has the chance to be the best to ever play in Arkansas, as she continues to thrive as a sophomore after a sensational freshman season. She’s already exceeded 500 career strikeouts in the circle, and at the plate she hits for average and power.

Elsa Morrison, Farragut (Tennessee)

After seeing Morrison hit .633 with 22 home runs and 62 RBIs, teams have started pitching around the slugging catcher. She’s walked 19 times in her past six games, giving her 44 this season against just one strikeout.

Allyssa Parker, Pocola (Oklahoma)

One of the best two-way players in the country, Parker hit .557 with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs while also serving as Pocola's ace in the circle. She went 16-1 with a 0.26 ERA in leading her team to a state runner-up finish in the fall.

Mac Pavese, Cherokee (Georgia)

Pavese broke the Cherokee single-season record with a .529 batting average from the top of the order, earning first-team All-State honors.

Gracie Ream, College Station (Texas)

Washington’s loss was Texas’ gain, as Ream showed the same two-way talent in the Southwest as she did in the Pacific Northwest. She finished the season hitting .471 with seven home runs and struck out 301 batters in 174.2 innings in the circle.

Ana Roman, Hagerty (Florida)

Roman’s early-season grand slam suggested a power surge was coming this year, and that rang true. The two-sport star (basketball) has hit 15 home runs this season and stolen 10 bases, carrying an on-base percentage of .552 heading into Friday’s region final.

Alisa Sneed, Conroe (Texas)

Sneed did it all this season in leading Conroe to the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and to its first-ever district championship. The slick-fielding shortstop was named district offensive player of the year and co-defensive player in the year, and she slugged her 100th career homer (between high school and travel ball) in the Tigers' playoff loss to Bridgeland.

Sydney Vitangcol, Wisconsin Lutheran (Wisconsin)

Vitangcol emerged as a hitting and pitching star as a freshman, and she’s been even better as a sophomore. She’s hitting .660 with a .719 on-base percentage with eight doubles, and in the circle she has a 0.57 ERA, striking out 191 batters in 85.2 innings while walking only 12.

Sydnie Watts, Austintown Fitch (Ohio)

Yes, Watts is hitting .532 with five home runs, but in the circle is where she’s stamped herself as one of the most dominant softball players in the country regardless of class. She’s 16-0 with a 0.37 ERA, striking out 207 batters in 95 innings. Watts has the same number of no-hitters (5) as earned runs allowed this year, and two of those no-hitters were perfect games.

Kinzey Woody, Fatima (Missouri)

Woody was an on-base machine for state champion Fatima in the fall, hitting .533 and drawing 32 walks. She hit two home runs in the high-octane Class 3 state championship game, which Fatima won 16-14 after trailing by nine runs.

Berkley Zache, South Bend St. Joseph (Indiana)

Zache has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the country regardless of class, giving up just one earned run all season in 81.2 innings, good for a 0.09 ERA. She's gone 13-0 and struck out 195 batters in leading St. Joseph to its first Northern Indiana Conference title since 2014 as the Indians seek back-to-back state championships.