Photo by Clara Sandoval
Top 30 middle infielders in Texas high school softball: A closer look at the Lone Star State's best players
With the 2022 Texas high school softball playoffs underway, SBLive is taking a closer look at the top softball players across the Lone Star State.
We’ll be analyzing many of the state’s biggest statistical outliers and most sought-after recruits to determine the top players at each position throughout Texas.
We started by examining the Top 30 right-handed pitchers across the state.
Now, it’s time for us to turn our attention to the middle of the diamond and assess shortstops and second basemen to break down the top 30 middle infielders in Texas high school softball.
There are hundreds of outstanding middle infielders in Texas, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. Tag us on Twitter or Instagram @SBLiveTX and let us know about other right-handed pitchers worthy of fans’ attention.
TOP 30 MIDDLE INFIELDERS IN TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
(The list is in alphabetical order)
Ayden Allen, Sr., Prosper
Allen has been a steady presence in the Eagles’ lineup with appearances in at least 22 games per season throughout her four-year varsity tenure. The Houston Cougars signee has accumulated a .357 career batting average, 114 runs, 84 RBI, 55 extra-base hits and 41 steals in 125 games at Prosper.
Taylor Anderson, Jr., Dripping Springs
Anderson, an Oklahoma State commit, has built a reputation as one of Central Texas’ top contact hitters and baserunners. She has hit above .500 in each of her three seasons of varsity ball, and has tallied a .562 cumulative batting average, 127 stolen bases, 46 RBI and 26 extra-base knocks.
Maya Bland, Jr., Argyle
Bland transferred to Argyle after playing the first two seasons of her high school career in Southern California. That hardly slowed the Oklahoma Sooners commit down from making a name for herself in the Lone Star State, as she has posted a .528 batting average with 40 RBI and a team-leading 14 home runs.
Gabrielle Briones, Jr., North Mesquite
Briones, who is verbally committed to Stephen F. Austin, has served as the Stallions’ defensive anchor at shortstop and a steady presence at the top of her team’s batting order. She was voted District 10-6A’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and led North Mesquite in batting average (.421), extra-base hits (18) and runs scored (28).
Aubrey Brown, Jr., Abilene Wylie
Brown has become one of the most reliable, speedy slappers throughout North Texas this year, as she helped the Bulldogs finish the season at 24-8 overall. The Lamar verbal commit tallied a .524 batting average with 20 steals and 17 extra-base hits to earn first team all-district recognition for the 2022 season.
Kassidy Chance, Soph., Mansfield Lake Ridge
Chance has staked out a place as one of the youngest key contributors on one of the DFW’s top-tier softball squads. The sophomore shortstop has helped fuel Lake Ridge’s run to the Region II-6A championship game this season by leading the team with a .514 batting average with runners in scoring position and ranking second in RBI (49), doubles (15) and triples (six).
Leighann Goode, Sr., San Antonio O’Connor
Goode has been a major contributor for both offensively and defensively up the middle for one of the Alamo City’s top teams throughout her four-year career. The future Texas Longhorn has racked up 128 hits, 121 runs, 95 RBI, 50 steals, 32 doubles, 20 home runs and 15 triples during her time at O’Connor.
Macy Graf, Sr., Aledo
Graf, a Mississippi State signee, has helped her team win consistently by powering the Ladycats to the 5A state championship game in 2019 and 2021 and back to the Region I-5A title game in 2022. She earned first team all-state recognition from the Texas Sports Writers Association and all-tournament team honors after batting .372 with 13 steals, seven doubles and seven home runs last year as a junior.
Kylei Griffin, Sr., Tyler Chapel Hill
Griffin initially committed to Nebraska when she was still in 8th grade, but decided to sign with Louisiana-Lafayette after garnering interest on the recruiting trail from a number of DI programs. The Bulldogs’ shortstop has topped the 20-RBI and .500-average marks in each of her four varsity seasons, and ended her senior year with a .642 batting average, 43 hits, 32 RBI, 22 steals and eight home runs which were all team highs.
Dominique Guerra, Sr., San Antonio McCollum
Guerra thrived at the top of the lineup during a historic 2022 season at McCollum. The senior shortstop, who will stay close to home and play collegiately at Incarnate Word, recorded a .535 batting average with 54 hits, 37 runs scored, 18 RBI and eight stolen bases to help lead the Cowboys to a 20-10 overall mark and clinch a regional semifinals berth in the 5A playoffs.
Avery Hodge, Sr., Fort Bend Christian
In addition to being one of the most talented private school softball standouts across Texas, Hodge has also developed into one of the country’s best Class of 2022 prospects. The Oklahoma Sooners signee helped the USA Softball U-18 national team win a World Cup title and also hit .778 with 25 runs and 25 RBI to lead FBCA to the TAPPS state semifinals in 2021.
Morgan Holliday, Sr., Grandview
Holliday set a new high-water mark for DFW high school softball players with 21 home runs in a single season as a junior in 2021. The Sam Houston State signee was named the District 9-3A Defensive Player of the Year last season, recorded a .452 batting average and broke her own program record (31 steals) with 54 stolen bases during the Zebras run to the Region II-3A championship series.
Sammie Hood, Sr., Allen
Hood, a Wichita State signee, carries one of the biggest bats in North Texas and dramatically elevated her game in her second full season as a varsity starter. The Eagles’ shortstop broke the single-season DFW home run record (20) while also batting .463 with 64 RBI, 56 runs scored and 33 stolen bases in 38 games during the 2022 campaign.
Jenna Joyce, Sr., Royse City
Joyce has helped push the Bulldogs into uncharted territory in her first season since transferring from California to Royse City. The senior shortstop leads her squad in batting average (.519), hits (40), home runs (12) and doubles (10), and was a major factor in the Bulldogs seizing a spot in the Region II-5A championship series.
Caton Letbetter, Sr., Troy
Letbetter led her squad in home runs and batting average as a sophomore, and paced Troy in HRs again last year. The UTSA signee boasted a .356 batting average, 35 RBI and 10 home runs during her junior season.
Scout Lovell, Jr., Lovelady
Lovell has verbally committed to play her college softball at Arizona State and was voted the District 21-2A MVP as a freshman in 2020 and again last year as a sophomore. She boasts a .431 career batting average and helped lead the Lions to a combined 62-9-3 record as the team’s starting shortstop in the past two seasons.
Alexis Lusk, Jr., Lubbock Monterey
Lusk, a South Dakota Coyotes verbal commit, has helped Monterey repeat as District 4-5A champions as a sophomore and junior. Last year she tallied a .484 batting average, 37 RBI, 36 runs scored and 29 extra-base hits, and more recently belted a deep home run to seal a playoff victory over Burleson Centennial and send Lubbock Monterey to its first regional championship series in program history.
Maddie McKee, Jr., Montgomery Lake Creek
Although she still has a full year of high school softball to play, McKee has already demonstrated that she’s one of the fastest active players throughout the Lone Star State. The LSU commit has racked up a .564 career average, 1.478 OPS, 160 stolen bases, 147 runs scored, 92 RBI and 52 extra-base knocks in three seasons atop Lake Creek’s lineup.
Jada Munoz, Sr., San Antonio O’Connor
Photo by Clara Sandoval
McKelvey-Munoz, who signed to play collegiately at McNeese State, might be one of the state’s most well-rounded and polished hitters. The Panthers’ shortstop has eclipsed a .400 batting average in each of her four varsity seasons, and finished her junior year with a .562 average, 53 extra-base hits and 48 steals.
Brooke Otto, Sr., Smithville
Otto might be one of the most versatile softball standouts throughout Central Texas. In addition to being an enormous asset in the circle, the McNeese State signee has also made a name for herself at shortstop as one of the state’s most dangerous hitters with a .711 batting average, .783 on-base percentage, 59 runs scored, 65 steals and 20 triples through 29 games during the 2022 season.
Braylin Pannill, Sr., Georgetown
Pannill, a verbal commit to Texas State, has been pushing for Georgetown’s career home run record ever since making a splash as a freshman starter. She became the all-time program leader in home runs (27) and RBI (92) last year as a junior and helped power the Eagles’ postseason push to the 5A state tournament with a .417 batting average.
Savanna Pogue, Soph., Crawford
Pogue burst onto the scene last year as a high-impact freshman bat for the Pirates. She tallied a .548 batting average, 69 RBI and 49 runs scored in her first varsity season to help lead Crawford to the 2A state championship game.
Kennedy Powell, Sr., Conroe
Powell, who will play her college softball at UCLA, dominated during her time at Conroe and was named the back-to-back District 13-6A Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior. She finished the 2021 campaign with a .583 batting average, 45 runs scored, 35 steals, 20 RBI and 15 extra-base hits compared to just two strikeouts.
Madison Runyan, Sr., West
Runyan, a Maryland Terrapins signee, has hit above .580 at the plate in each of her four varsity seasons at West. The Trojans’ prolific middle infielder garnered 3A all-state honors from the Texas Girls Coaches Association in 2019 and again in 2021, and she also boasts a .607 batting average with 133 runs, 84 RBI, 67 extra-base hits and 56 steals in 93 career games.
Kaitlyn Sailor, Jr., Celina
Sailor has played several positions defensively during her time at Celina and won the District 9-4A Defensive Player of the Year award as a sophomore in 2021. She verbally committed to New Mexico after batting .556 during district play last year and also finished her sophomore campaign with 29 RBI, 19 runs scored and 14 extra-base hits.
Raegan Tennill, Sr., Corpus Christi Calallen
Tennill has improved her pop at the plate in each of her four seasons of varsity ball as Calallen’s shortstop. She owns a .425 career batting average and has also recorded 149 runs, 146 RBI, 76 extra-base hits, 33 steals and 29 home runs in 118 career appearances for the Wildcats.
Grace Thompson, Sr., Beaumont West Brook
Thompson, an Ole Miss signee, has been recognized as a first team all-district selection three times during a decorated high school career at West Brook. She has posted a batting average above .550 in every season she’s played for the Bruins and had reached 110 career RBI and 26 home runs by the end of her junior year.
Isabella Torres, Jr., Georgetown
Torres, who recently reopened her recruitment after previously verbally committing to play college softball at Texas A&M, made a lasting impression after a sensational sophomore season in 2021. She helped propel Georgetown to the 5A state tournament by hitting .536 with 52 runs, 28 RBI, 26 extra-base hits and 10 steals last year.
Cecilia Vasquez, Sr., New Waverly
Vasquez, another Louisiana-Lafayette signee, has been one of the most disciplined hitters throughout Texas high school softball during her four-year tenure at New Waverly. The future Ragin’ Cajun batted .600 and added 42 runs scored, 26 steals, 23 extra-base knocks and 21 RBI as a junior, and struck out just twice combined during her first three seasons playing for the Bulldogs.
Kayla Zaid, Sr., Deer Park
Zaid was a major reason why Deer Park was able to capture the 6A state title in 2021. Last year as a junior, the Houston Cougars signee hit .375 for the season and preserved the Deer’s 2022 season with a walkoff two-run triple in their area round series of the 6A playoffs.
