Hot 100 2016s: #30-21

Hot 100 2016s: #30-21

Pictured: Morgan McCallum from Texas is SEC-bound.We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2016 class, spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown fr

Oct 28, 2015 by Brentt Eads
Hot 100 2016s: #30-21
Pictured: Morgan McCallum from Texas is SEC-bound.

Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!

Sign Up

Already a subscriber? Log In

Pictured: Morgan McCallum from Texas is SEC-bound.

We continue our look at the top 100 players in the 2016 class, spotlighting 10 each day as we countdown from No. 100 to No. 1. In our second week now, we're breaking into the Top 30 today!

The current seniors were chosen based on input and feedback from college and club coaches. Criteria for choosing and ranking the players includes 
performances at the club and high school levels and projecting how they will play at the collegiate level.

Today we feature players No. 30 to 21 with standout players from Alabama, California (3), Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, Texas (2).

Check out more of 2016's HOT 100: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31


No
Player Position Club College
30
Nicky Dawson
MIF
EC Bullets - Schnute LSU


An athletic shortstop with all the tools, Nicky jumps into the Hot 100 after a stellar 2015 year that saw her emerge as one of the top prospects out of the South.  A Louisiana Class 3A All-State pick and the Baton Rouge Area Small Schools Player of the Year, she hit .602 with 74 hits, 14 triples, 76 runs and went 59-for-60 in steals.  Nicky’s high school coach is Ashlee Weems, a former LSU standout, and the future Tiger is a five-year varsity starter as well as a third degree black belt in Taekwondo.
29
Kristina Inouye 2B/OF
Firecrackers - Rico
Stanford


Kristina is a Top 10 talent and drops a bit in this list because of an injury that has forced her to the sidelines for a while, but she is a potential collegiate All-American candidate because she’s so cerebral in her approach to the game and is advanced in her mental approach. Kristina has all the physical tools as well, with quick feet on defense and the ability to spray the ball to all fields. As a sophomore she had one of the highest batting averages in Southern California’s competitive Div. I as she hit .527.
28
Morgan McCallum IF
Firecrackers DFS - Rosales Kentucky


Morgan missed the last few games of her junior season with an injury, but prior to that she had the top batting average of the Dallas 6A players with a .732 average, going an amazing 30-for-41 at the plate with 20 RBI.  As a sophomore she hit 17 home runs and was one of only four in her class to earn 1st Team Texas All-State honors. What makes her special is she has great bat control as a leadoff hitter, and has the pop in the bat to keep defenses back as well.  She destroys mistake pitches and rarely strikes out, thus the reason she is ideal at the top of the line-up and an SEC-caliber recruit.
27 Michal Cunningham C/SS
Beverly Bandits LSU


Michal is a 5-foot-7 defensive standout who has the strength to play catcher and the agility and quickness to play short.  Mentally she’s advanced because of her game knowledge, instincts and ability to work with pitchers well.  She’s a multi-year 1st Team All-State honoree and can hit for average and power.  Michal played on the Beverly Bandits 18U team that won the Boulder IDT this summer as well as on the 16U team that won the PGF National Championship and Canadian Cup in 2013.
26 Caroline Hedgcock P
Illinois Chill Arkansas


Caroline’s stock exploded after a strong showing in the fall of 2014 when she shined at the Diamond9 Fall Classic in Orlando.  She had received little national exposure until then, but when coaches saw she had a mid-60’s fastball combined with a devastating change-up, she became one of the top uncommitted prospects in her class.  She originally committed to Maryland and when there was a coaching change decided to commit to Arkansas. As a junior she had an ERA of 0.92 while hitting .567 with 62 RBI.
25 Cassidy Davis P
Tampa Mustangs - TJ
Florida State


Cassidy is one of the hottest 2016 prospects and just committed in mid-October to Florida State.  Along with fellow Hot 100 pitcher Claire Feldman, Cassidy earned a Florida high school state title and was a star on the Tampa Mustangs 16U team that won PGF Nationals winning 12 straight games after losing the play-in.  Cassidy was lights out going 6-0 record with a 0.79 ERA (only five earned runs in 44 innings) and 38 Ks.  She throws in the mid 60s with a screwball, curve, sinking fastball and change with late movement on all her pitches.  She’s a bulldog competitor who’s not afraid to come right at the hitters.
24 Shelby McGlaun P/1B
Sudden Impact Gold
Baylor


Shelby is a two-way standout who can hit and pitch as well.  One club coach said of her, “She has more power than any player I’ve coached in over 20 years.”   She can also hit for average as the Texan batted .481 with 34 RBI this past spring after batting .430 with 47 RBI and 15 homes as a sophomore.  Shelby was chosen as the District 16-6A MVP and was a 6A 2nd Team All-State pick.  She’s become a more disciplined hitter and has seen her average rise as a result.  As a pitcher she’s hitting the radar gun in the mid 60s and could develop into a promising Big 12 pitcher who’ll be in the line-up always because of her bat.
23 Alyssa Loza
P/1B
Explosion - Denio/Wilson Arizona State


Alyssa has become one of the most promising pitchers in the country and has all the throws to excel in the Pac-12.  She is a fierce competitor and focuses on every pitch as a battle she must win.  Likeable and personable, Alyssa is a leader who rallies her team by example and is always looking to improve herself any way she can.  She’s gotten stronger every game this fall and will be the ace of the Explosion team that had several elite pitchers move on to college including All-American Brittany Finney (Oklahoma).
22 Elissa Brown MIF/OF
Birmingham Thunderbolts Alabama


Elissa has exploded onto the national scene as one of the best table-setters in the nation.  She has speed, excellent bat control and all the tools offensively and defensively to be an All-SEC player in the next few years. A two-time All-State honoree in softball, the Alabama senior also qualified for the state track meet in the 100 and 200 meters but couldn’t run because the events were at the same time as the softball playoffs. As a junior she hit .500 (51-for-102) with 41 steals in 35 games played. Coaches also love her versatility as her athleticism and strong arm allow her to play the middle infield or all three outfield spots.
21 Jenna Holcomb OF
So Cal A's - Richardson Tennessee


Jenna is one of the top lefty slappers in the nation and is the ideal leadoff table-setter as she has the ability to place the ball anywhere and the speed to beat out almost everything that touches the dirt.  She has a well-rounded game and is becoming more of a hitter who makes good contact and isn’t cheating in her at-bats.  Jenna was one of the key cogs for the So Cal A’s-Richardson team that reached the PGF 18U Nationals; she was the 3rd leading hitter on the team hitting .350. As one coach remarked, Jenna is getting better every year and her ceiling is not yet in sight.