On Friday, we finished unveiling the 2017 Hot 100 list as we listed the players ranked No’s 10 through 1.

Heading the class is a pitcher who had a phenomenal summer and fall and keeps getting better and better: she led her team to a Nationals championship game, pitching a no-hitter during the week while compiling a 0.93 ERA and averaging more than one strikeout per inning against the very best players in the 16U division.

Then, this fall she came out and was practically untouchable, pitching 15 games and allowing only one earned run in all of them!

What’s more intriguing is she barely pitched for her high school team as a freshman because, as good as she is, she backed up the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year!

Know who it is?

We’ll tell you right now if you don’t: it’s…

… Alexis Holloway, the sophomore pitcher from Crown Point, Ind. who pitches for the Beverly Bandits and has committed to Notre Dame!

We spoke to Alexis this week about her getting tabbed the top prospect in her class and here’s what she had to say…

***

FullCountSoftball.com: So what your thoughts… surprised?
Alexis Holloway: Yes, my family and I were very shocked when we found out, but it’s definitely cool though! I was really surprised.

FCS.com: How did you find out?
AH: We got a phone message from Bill Conroy (Head Coach of the Beverly Bandits Premier team) who was in Las Vegas at the NFCA Convention and he said you had told him. He called and left a voice mail saying I was No. 1. I don’t remember exactly what he said, it was pretty much like, “We have from the organization several players on the Full Count Softball 2017 Hot 100 and you have ended up being No. 1.” We listened to the message a couple times to make sure we heard it correctly!

FCS.com: Does it add pressure to you or do you find it rewarding for all your hard work?
AH: A little bit of both. I’ve worked hard to earn some things but also to support my team and getting individual awards was never the end goal. It’s like shooting for an A in school and getting an 100 percent… it’s a nice bonus! It’s also pressure because I know there’s a target on my back now and I have to work harder. There’s always someone better and working harder so it’s good for me and will motivate me to keep pushing.

FCS.com Interesting what you say individual awards isn’t something you seek after…
AH: Absolutely not. In some sports, like tennis or bowling, it’s a single sport, but in softball it’s all about supporting each other. Softball is a team sport and I have seven awesome girls behind me and one in front of me and all through my career I have been blessed with great coaches and teammates.

It’s been an awesome experience playing softball and I’m really looking forward to this season in high school and travel ball. I love the support of the players, coaches, parents and even the people back home when we’re traveling. They all drive me to do better, especially my parents, and I’m grateful for all my past coaches, teammates and current coaches and teammates—particularly Bill— for giving me this opportunity.

FCS.com: Your game has seemed to really elevate over the last year… to what do you attribute that?
AH: That’s a good question. I’ve continued to work hard, including off-season training, but think I’ve just become more confident and started to trust all my pitches and not just lean on some. I also like calling my own games and I think that has helped too, but overall I think it’s just being more confident in using all my pitches.

FCS.com: What pitches do you throw that makes you so dominant?
AH: That’s classified! (laughs) My favorite pitches are Strike Three or a groundout to my infielders! I’m not a power pitcher and I’m not really tall, so I have to use what I’ve been given and work with that.

FCS.com: What’s it like being on the same teams—both high school and club–with Miranda Elish, who’s a year older than you and was the starter at your high school ahead of you?
AH: It’s always been competition with us growing up in Crown Point (Ind.) as we’ve been on the same club teams, but it’s all for the good. We’re friends and healthy competitors and now we’ll be on the same travel team and, though she’s older than me, we have some of the friends in high school too.

FCS.com: How does it work having two of the top pitchers in the country on one high school staff? Will you get more innings this year?
AH: She did throw the majority of the time last year and I haven’t been informed how it will go down this year, but it will be adventure to see how it goes. I just want to help the team win—we got to the semi-finals last year and lost—so we have something to prove this year. We’ll definitely be blessed this year with talent, we have some good players besides Miranda and myself., but we work hard too, it’s a lot of practice and open gyms.

FCS.com: What’s your Christmas going to be like?
AH: It hasn’t snowed here yet, it’s actually been raining here in lovely Crown Point, so I don’t know about a white Christmas. We’ll be at my grandma’s Christmas Eve and at our house for Christmas Day. Pretty quiet.

FCS.com What head your Christmas list for this year?
AH: Any softball gear or Notre Dame gear, that’s always at the top of my list! My sister, Anna, she’s in sixth grade and says she has a great gift for me so I’m excited for that. She always comes up with great ideas.