Hot 100 UPDATED 2015’s… #20-11 (10/30)

Hot 100 UPDATED 2015’s… #20-11 (10/30)

We continue our look at the UPDATED top 100 players in the 2015 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1. These seniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches in the spring and summer following

Oct 30, 2014 by Brentt Eads
Hot 100 UPDATED 2015’s… #20-11 (10/30)
We continue our look at the UPDATED top 100 players in the 2015 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1. These seniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches in the spring and summer following our initial 2015 Hot 100 posted in January, 2014.

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We continue our look at the UPDATED top 100 players in the 2015 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1. These seniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches in the spring and summer following our initial 2015 Hot 100 posted in January, 2014.

Criteria for choosing and ranking the players including performances at the club and high school levels and projecting how they will play at the collegiate level.

Today we feature players No. 20 to 11 with standout players from California (5), Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota and Texas (2).

Check out more of 2015's HOT 100: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31, 30-21

No. Player Position Club College
20 Kaitlyn Alderink
#20 - Kaitlyn Alderink
IF/OF Impact Gold Texas A&M
Kaitlyn was a 1st Team Full Count Softball All-American after batting .487 with 54 runs scored last spring. A great student with a 101.74 GPA and 32 ACT score, she is a lefty triple-threat hitter who overcame torn ACLS in each knee in junior high to become one of the top players in her class. Kaitlyn is a tremendous team player, as shown by her taking pitching lessons to try and help her high school team out next year. She is excellent as a middle infielder and has soft hands and range to go deep after ground balls. Kaitlyn comes from a family of Aggies so Texas A&M was no surprise. The senior is dangerous at the plate and on the base paths as shown by her .600 batting average at PGF Nationals to go along with five steals.
19 Faith Canfield
#19 - Faith Canfield
IF/OF So Cal Athletics Gold Michigan
Faith can play the middle infield, first base or the outfield and her versatility is one reason she should hit the field early in the Big Ten. A great all-around hitter who can turn on pitches and hit for power, Faith hit .402 last spring with 35 RBI to help lead her high school to a CIF Southern Section championship. The So Cal standout also was the star of the 2013 club season when she hit a key home run at PGF Nationals to power the Athletics to a National Championship. She is a clutch player when it matters most and that helped her earn 2nd Team Full Count Softball All-American honors in 2014.
18 Cherish Burks
#18 - Cherish Burks
OF All American Sports Academy Oregon
Cherish is a difference maker on offense and defense and can beat you with her speed -- which includes going 71-for-72 in steals in high school so far -- and her bat. She hit .533 for her Northern California high school team last year with a .615 on-base percentage. Cherish also hit .428 at PGF Nationals for her AASA club team. Defensively, she makes the hard plays look easy and so athletic she draws your attention quickly wherever she's on the field. The outfielder was a 1st Team All-State (Medium Schools) pick by CalHiSports.com last spring as well.
17 Sydney Smith
#17 - Sydney Smith
P Wichita Mustangs LSU
Sydney was named the Gatorade Softball Player of the Year in Minnesota last year after going 19-1 in the circle with a 0.59 ERA. She also struck out 232 hitters in 130 innings and allowed only 30 walks. Also a standout at the plate, she hit .578 and won All-State honors for the second straight year. A great teammate as well as a standout player, she earned 2nd Team All-American honors too. Coaches point out that they also love her infectious smile and personality on the field, making the game fun for those around her.
16 Lindsay Rood
#16 - Lindsay Rood
SS Sorcerer Gold Cal
Lindsay is one of just four high school players invited to tryout for a spot on the USA Softball Junior Women's team which will be finalized in January. A great athlete, she also played on her high school soccer team that ended the season ranked No. 1 in the country. A true disruptor at the plate because of her 2.7 home-to-first speed and ability to bunt, slap and hit for power, Lindsay hit .425 with an OBP of .500 in a very competitive league that included National Player of the Year Johanna Grauer. Lindsay also went 19-for-19 in steals at the high school level and added three more at PGF Nationals where she led her team with a .529 hitting average and on-base percentage of .600.
15 Samatha Show
#15 - Samatha Show
P Texas Bombers Gold Texas A&M
Samantha missed much of the 2014 high school season because of a school transfer issue but she was eventually allowed to return and led her Class 2A team to the state title game. She earned 1st Team All-State honors and was a member of the All-Tournament team because of her standout hitting and pitching. Sam was the Gatorade Texas Softball Player of the Year in 2013 when she went 30-3 on the mound with a 0.65 ERA and compiled three no-hitters and five one-hitters. She hadn't allowed an earned run all year in 2014 and only 10 hits heading into the state championship game. Sam also shined at PGF Nationals where she hit .444 and went 1-1 with a 2.71 ERA and seven K's in 10 innings.
14 Regan Green
#14 - Regan Green
P Lady Lightning Gold Team Miken Miss State
Regan has continued to improve over the spring and summer and increased her velocity to 66-67 mph and added a deadly rise and drop ball. The senior has great movement on her pitches and the ball explodes as it comes in to hitters. She has learned to attack batters and put them away early and this was evident at the PGF Nationals where she went 3-1 with 37 strikeouts and only five walks in 29.2 innings. Regan is a big talent from a small state, but she could pitch and win anywhere in the country. She led her high school team to a second straight state title after going 16-2 with two saves, a 0.50 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 139 innings pitched.
13 Brittany Finney
#13 - Brittany Finney
P Explosion - Denio Oklahoma
Brittany has improved exponentially over the last year as a pitcher and earned 1st Team Full Count Softball All-American honors after leading her Kansas high school to a fourth Class 5A state title, going 12-0 with a 0.46 ERA. She allowed only three runs all year and also hit .553 with 47 RBI including 12 home runs. Brittany throws in the mid 60's and has topped out at 67 mph. She went 3-0 at PGF Nationals with 19 strikeouts in 25 innings against elite competition and helped Explosion finish tied for 7th. Her confidence and field presence has blossomed and allowed her to throw her drop ball and drop curve at any point in the count.
12 Rachel Garcia
#12 - Rachel Garcia
P Corona Angels UCLA
Rachel had a strong summer and was the winner in the circle when the Corona Angels won the championship at the Triple Crown/USA Nationals in Georgia and also led the team to a championship Boulder where she shined as a pitcher and hitter. A year ago she was the Gatorade State Player of the Year as a sophomore when she went 22-2 with a 0.50 ERA and hit .709 with 13 home runs and 1.380 slugging percentage. Rachel throws in the mid 60's and is a pure heat pitcher who is one of the rare players who can be a franchise pitcher and hitter. She was honored as a 2nd Team Full Count Softball All-American in 2014.
11 Alyssa Palomino
#11 - Alyssa Palomino
OF OC Batbusters - Haning/Stith Arizona
Alyssa was a 1st Team Full Count Softball and a 1st Team MaxPreps All-American after she followed up a 18-home run sophomore year with a junior season that included 17 more home runs, a .506 average and 34 RBI. Alyssa has power and strength that few can match; when she hits a ball with full contact it canÕt be found--she has hit balls over 300 feet before. She and pitcher Taylor McQuillin led their team to a CIF Southern Section Div. 2 championship and No. 1 ranking in the Full Count FAB 50 national rankings. Five of her home runs came in the playoffs. The Orange County Player of the Year has good athletic DNA as her grandfather, Carlos Palomino, was a boxing legend in California.