Texas high school softball: Meet the top outfielders in 2023
The 2023 Texas high school softball playoffs have been completed and SBLive is unveiling the most impactful outfielders across the state in 2023.
>>2023 Texas (UIL) state softball championship: What happened in 4A, 5A, 6A titles
Through the spring, many outfielders in Texas, one of the deepest states in the country in terms of softball talent, have separated themselves from the crowd.
Editor's note: There are hundreds of outstanding outfielders in Texas, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. Tag us on Twitter or Instagram @SBLiveTX and let us know about other outfielders worthy of fans’ attention.
After taking an inside look at the Top 40 right-handed pitchers in Texas, we've moved to the top outfielders in the Lone Star State:
TOP OUTFIELDERS IN TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL (2023)
This list is in alphabetical order
Payton Bauer, Montgomery Lake Creek (5A), sr.
Bauer was an integral part of the Lions’ run to back-to-back state championships and was also named to the 5A All-Tournament team. In the 5A title game win, she went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs. A LeTourneau University signee, Bauer hit .407 with an on-base percentage of .493. She scored 26 runs and drove in 23 more. Bauer had seven sacrifice bunts as well.
Maya Bland, Argyle (5A), sr.
Bland will be heading to play for the University of Oklahoma, which recently won its third consecutive national championship. As a junior, Bland hit 16 home runs — a school record — and drove in 66 runs while stealing 22 bases.
Amiah Burgess, League City Clear Creek (6A), sr.
The Duke University signee drove in seven runs and scored four in her second game of the season when Clear Creek defeated Beckville. She also had multiple hits in three of her senior season's first four games.
Tori Edwards, Flower Mound Marcus (6A), sr.
The LSU signee drew a total of 24 intentional walks on the season, demonstrating the opposition’s reluctance at times to pitch to her. But when she did see her pitches, she took full advantage. Edwards batted .464 with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs.
Hailey Fannin, Franklin (3A), sr.
Fannin, a four-year starter playing primarily center field, helped lead the Lions to the state tournament as a junior. As the team’s lone senior, she was part of a Franklin squad that reached the regional finals. The Texas-Tyler signee batted .435 with an on-base percentage of .520 and stole 42 bases as she was named the district’s offensive MVP.
Chayse Freeman, Decatur (4A), sr.
Freeman is another Texas-Tyler signee. She batted .442 with two home runs and 13 doubles in helping lead Decatur to the 4A semifinals. Freeman also scored the game-winning run in the third and deciding game of the 4A regional semifinals against Dumas.
Hailey Golden, Pearland (6A), sr.
Golden was named the MVP of the recent Class 6A championship game, as she was 3-for-4 with two RBIs as the Oilers defeated Denton Guyer for the program’s first state title since 2010. She will go on to play at Texas A&M.
Logan Halleman, Flower Mound (6A), sr.
Halleman is headed to play at Texas Tech. In her senior season with the Lady Jaguars, Halleman was named the co-MVP of District 6-6A as she batted .605 primarily from the leadoff spot. She also recorded 114 base hits and stole 56 bases.
Kayden Henry, Dickinson (6A), sr.
Another University of Texas signee, Henry batted. 616 with four home runs, part of her 45 hits. She had six two-hit games in her team’s first nine ball games. On Feb. 28, Henry went 4-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored in a win against Clear Springs.
Alannah Leach, The Woodlands (6A), sr.
A Tennessee signee, Leach was named co-MVP of District 13-6A as she batted .538 with an on-base percentage of .614. She also drove in 43 runs and scored 45 more to help the Highlanders surge from a slow start to a 12-game win streak late in the regular season to earn a share of the district championship.
Gabby Leach, The Woodlands (6A), sr.
Leach will join her sister, Alannah, at Tennessee next season. Gabby Leach was selected the District 13-6A Defensive Player of the Year. But she also provided some solid numbers at the plate, hitting .444 with an on-base percentage of .514. She scored 48 runs and had 37 RBIs.
Sydney Linn, Holliday (3A), sr.
Linn was part of a Lady Eagle squad that won their first 16 ballgames this past season. She received first-team All-District honors and was also Academic All-District. Linn will play at the next level after signing with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Mia Liscano, Buda Hays (5A), sr.
Liscano will be continuing her career at the next level after signing with Northwestern (La.) State University. She finished her season batting .500 with an on-base percentage of .516. Liscano also had three hits in four of her first eight games.
Taryn Madlock, Boerne (4A), sr.
Madlock is going to be playing next season at Texas-San Antonio. She was named first-team All-District 27-4A and was also an All-State Academic selection. Madlock also had a big performance at the recent Austin Area All-Star Game as she went 2-for-2 with a double, a triple and four RBIs.
Sydney McReynolds, Langham Creek (6A), sr.
Also headed to Texas-San Antonio is McReynolds, a District 16-6A first-team selection. She had two RBIs in the Lobos’ 3-2 win against Klein Collins, allowing them to sweep the regional quarterfinal playoffs and advance to the regional semifinals. As a senior, she batted .331 with three home runs, 30 RBIs and 36 runs scored.
London Minnix, Crawford (2A), jr.
Minnix helped lead Crawford to the 2A state semifinals, doing her part for a team that went undefeated in district play and went 8-0 in the postseason leading up to state. A Louisiana-Monroe commit, Minnix batted a robust .670, remarking on her Twitter page that she improved her average after “making a major adjustment with my footwork at the plate.”
Samantha Mundine, Geronimo Navarro (4A), sr.
In her senior season, Mundine was selected as the District 28-4A Offensive MVP as she batted a sterling .610. Another impressive stat was that she did not strike out in any of her plate appearances. In a 9-8 win against Gonzales on March 28, Mundine went 5-for-5 and drove in three runs, including an RBI walk-off double in extra innings.
Layla Oliver, Riesel (2A), jr.
Arkansas-Rich Mountain commit had a statistically tremendous season for Mart — and finished out the season at Riesel. The junior batted a state-best .750 on the season and was only struck out three times in 56 at-bats on a season that lasted into the 2A regional finals.
Kasidi Pickering, Humble Atascocita (6A), sr.
Another Oklahoma signee, Pickering barely bested her batting average of .608 her junior year by hitting .610. She hit 10 homers and 13 doubles while scoring 53 runs and driving in 54 more as Pickering was selected the District 21-6A MVP.
Moriah Polar, Alvin Shadow Creek (6A), sr.
A Purdue University signee, Polar hit .605 in her team’s first 34 games along with an on-base percentage of .654. In that span, she scored 44 runs and accumulated 31 RBIs.
Lainie Schaefer, Friendswood (5A), sr.
Schaefer opened her senior season by driving in three runs and scoring twice as the Lady Mustangs prevailed. The Lamar University signee also had back-to-back two-hit games in her team’s wins against Ball and Angleton.
Avery Songer, Emory Rains (3A), sr.
A Tarleton State signee, Songer was instrumental in helping get the Wildcats to the Class 3A state semifinals. The team made it to the semifinals after winning 18 straight ball games. The senior center fielder batted .487 en route to the UIL state tournament.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson, Colleyville Heritage (5A), sr.
A University of New Mexico signee, Vasquez-Dickson was part of a Lady Panther team that won 36 games this past season. They also won their area championship and made it to the third game of the 5A Region I finals. She also made the first team of the 2023 Dallas-Fort Worth Fastpitch All-Metroplex squad.
Adayah Wallace, Plano West (6A), sr.
Wallace is headed to the University of Texas next season. She finished her senior season at Plano West by being named the co-MVP in District 6-6A. Through 32 games, Wallace batted .402. In a Feb. 18 win against Brock, she went 3-for-3 and scored four times. She also was 3-for-3 with three runs scored in a late March win against Coppell.
Tia Warsop, Mansfield Lake Ridge (6A), sr.
Warsop, an Oklahoma State signee, was named last year’s SBLive North Texas MVP after batting .583 with 81 hits, 11 of those for extra bases. She also scored 66 runs and drove in 23 more. This past season, Warsop hit .519 and had 40 hits, 13 going for extra bases. She had 22 RBIs and scored 43 runs.
Jordee Wilkins, Crosby (5A), sr.
Wilkins will stay in the area and play next season at the University of Houston. In three straight games early in her senior season, she had two hits apiece. Also, despite a loss to Foster in the second game of the Region III area playoffs, Wilkins hit a pair of home runs.
