Hot 100 2015's (#30-21)

We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2015 class… we’re spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from 100 to No. 1. The juniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches. Criteria for choosing and ranking the playe

Jan 15, 2014 by Brentt Eads

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

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Today we feature players No. 30 to 21 with standout players from California, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.

Check out more of Round 1 of 2015's HOT 100: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31

#30... Taylor Pack (C, Lady Magic)--UCLA Taylor is the ultimate student-athlete who is intelligent and always analyzing the game. Her leadership abilities are off the charts in part because she's very even keel--you can't tell if she's having a great game or a bad one. Her greatest asset is her slugging ability. At one field she hit a 320 foot blast that had college coaches standing on their feet. Taylor hit .547 last season to help her high school team win the section championship. She added 37 RBI, 15 doubles and a .602 onbase percentage to earn CalHi Sports All-State Small Schools honors. At the club level, she led the Magic at ASA 16U Nationals in hitting (.500) and home runs en route to a second place finish.
#29... Caitlyn Brooks (P, SoCal Choppers)--Notre Dame Caitlyn throws in the 62-64 mph range and has all the pitches. She keeps the ball down and keeps opposing batters off-balance as well. From the same Burbank, Calif. high school as former Univ. of Arizona All-American pitcher Debby Day, many feel Caitlyn is going to be in the same stratosphere when all's said and done. As a sophomore she earned CalHi Sports 2nd Team All-State honors after putting up a 25-3 record with a 0.78 ERA and 309 strikeouts compared to only 25 walks. A strikeout artist, she totaled 10 or more K's in 24 of the 28 games she pitched. Caitlyn is also an outstanding hitter, going .526 at the plate with 35 RBI and an impressive 12 home runs
#28... Toni Polk (SS, Gold Coast Hurricanes)--Penn State Toni is one of the top prospects in New York and is an amazing athlete, earning All-Niagara Frontier League honors in three sports: softball, volleyball and basketball and has been a varsity starter in all three since the eighth grade. A versatile player who can line up anywhere in the infield or outfield, the lefty hitter combines a slapper's speed lefty with surprising power. She hit .611 with 29 runs scored and 28 RBI last season to earn 1st Team All-Western New York honors. A 4.0 student with five adopted brothers and one adopted sister, she has overcome severe OCD to emerge as one of the elite recruits on the East Coast.
#27... Rylee Pierce (C, Fresno Force)--Missouri Rylee is an excellent hitter who is expected to be an immediate impact player the moment she steps foot on the Mizzou campus. The 5-foot-9 athlete, who also has played varsity basketball and JV water polo, hits for power and average and was virtually unstoppable on her Visalia, Calif. high school team as she hit .511 with 51 RBI, 39 runs scored, 14 home runs and eight doubles. Rylee also put up a .602 onbase percentage and a 1.076 slugging percentage to lead her team to a 28-2-1 record and is a coach's dream in filling out a lineup card as she can play catcher, third, shortstop and the outfield.
#26... Gia Rodoni (P, California Grapettes)--Baylor Gia has been a force at several of the OnDeck Elite Camps including the last two NorCal Jamborees. She's been followed by the Baylor coaches since she was in the eighth grade and had schools all over the nation after her because she throws in the 63-64 mph range and keeps the ball down. Gia was a force at the high school level in 2013 as she went 9-3 in the circle with a dominating 0.34 ERA and eight complete games and three shutouts in those 12 contests. She's also a threat at the plate as she hit .507 with 22 RBI and 11 doubles. A mature, responsible and spiritual athlete with a 4.0 GPA, Gia is a joy in the dugout and one of the most personable players in the Hot 100.
#25... Lauren Lewis (OF, Tennessee Fury)--Kentucky Lauren is the daughter of Fury head coach Kirk Lewis and plays like she's been around the game all her life. The Chattanooga, Tenn. outfielder has a strong arm and is a power hitter who has dominated at every level. Lauren started on her varsity high school softball team as an eighth grader and has won three consecutive state championships. As a freshman, she set the school record for home runs and was a MaxPreps All-American when she hit .386 with 11 home runs and an impressive 63 RBI. Lauren is a two-time All-State selection as well and also set the state tournament record for home runs and RBI in a game. Lauren has led the Fury to four Top 10 finishes at the ASA Nationals including second and third place finishes.
#24... Kiana Sherlund (IF/OF, NC Lady Lightning)--North Carolina Kiana's calling card is her speed. She holds her high school's indoor track record in the 55-meter dash and was part of a 4x200 relay team that also established a new school record. Kiana is a converted lefty slapper and power hitter who has been clocked at a verified 2.60 home-to-first time. Last year, she led her team in every offensive category including average (.580), RBI (24), steals (26) and slugging percentage (1.000) to earn 2nd Team All-State honors in Virginia. She closes the gap very quickly on shots hit to the outfield and along with a strong arm has a high softball IQ and makes the players around her better.
#23... Taylor Lynch (IF/OF, Texas Glory)--Oklahoma State Taylor is one of the top hitters on an excellent hitting club team that finished tied for third last year at PGF Nationals. She hit an awesome .626 with seven home runs, 33 RBI and 48 runs scored to earn Greater-Dallas 1st Team honors. Taylor typically works out of the leadoff spot and is a spark plug on her teams. She has tremendous hands and good speed and is a triple threat, able to drag, slap and hit for power equally well. On defense, Taylor has all the throws and is tenacious about improving. The naturally bubbly and energetic Texan has overcome two serious knee injuries to excel and become one of the top players in the Lone Star State.
#22... Cali Harrod (IF, Atlanta Vipers-Jennings)--Florida State Cali is a big, strong girl who fits the college profile of a successful middle infielder. She's a power hitter with huge potential and was one of the leading home run hitters on the Vipers last year including six home runs in Colorado. Cali is an excellent baserunner with the ability to steal bags as well. She can play third and shortstop, but might end up at second in college. She was named as an honorable mention All-State pick as a freshman and then exploded her sophomore year with a .561 average, nine homers, 37 RBI and a team record 33-for-34 in steals. Last summer at the PGF Nationals she was again on fire, hitting .480 with eight RBI.
#21... Paige Halstead (UT/C/SS, Explosion)--UCLA Paige's strength is her versatility as she can play catcher, shortstop and the outfield and is so good that she can be plugged in anywhere and not miss a beat. A pure athlete who is 6-foot and well conditioned--not a surprise as her father, Ed, started the prestigious EM Speed and Power Training workout chain in Southern California--Paige hit .471 with 21 RBI, 18 runs scored, 14 doubles and five home runs last season. She only struck out twice in 79 high school plate appearances and also added a .513 onbase percentage and a .971 slugging percentage. A quiet leader, she has a cannon for an arm and is a great hitter who continues to improve yearly.