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<p>Big Sky Country is a ripe softball recruiting ground just waiting to be tapped into. Montana is home to the University of Montana, the sole Division 1 institution in the state with a softball team. However, because it is so overlooked on the softball recruiting scene, Montana is rich with talent each year, as players across the state dominate their high school and travel programs.</p>
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<p>Below are five of the top uncommitted softball players from Montana in the class of 2026.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">It's a pretty good indication of your softball prowess when you've been playing up at least two years in travel ball since before you got to high school. That's exactly what Kylie has done throughout her career, and her numbers are still staggering. From the get-go, this powerful lefty arm was on the varsity team as a freshman, mowing down Montana's best at Billings West. She's attended recruiting camps at Notre Dame and Washington, using her 63 mph fastball and 52 mph changeup to meticulously work her way through lineups. Kylie is a hopeful Division 1 talent who can anchor a college pitching staff in the coming seasons.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Something must be in the water near Billings West High School. Ryane—who is teammates with Kylie King—is also quickly separating herself as a top player in Montana. She finished up a dominating high school season, during which she batted .422 with 22 RBI and an on-base percentage of .506. Montana has over 350 high schools, and ranking 33rd in the state in batting average among all those softball players as a junior is a pretty good indication that Ryane has a bright future ahead of her. Ryane has developed into a strong leadoff hitter with a smooth glove in the infield that can also translate to shortstop and third base with practice.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Maggie is not only a standout middle infielder for Florence-Carlton High School, but she's also a top volleyball recruit and a Second-Team All-Conference setter. But on the softball diamond, Maggie is a two-time All-State selection as a middle infielder and outfielder who can play nearly all nine positions on the field. Find any news clippings from a game she played in and they usually read something like, "Maggie went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI," like when she knocked in a combined four runners on five hits in a critical doubleheader sweep for her high school team this past season. Should she choose to take the softball route in college, Maggie projects to be a consistent bat that you can put anywhere in the lineup, knowing she'll lock down wherever she plays in the field.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">As a sophomore, Nova made her first All-Conference team, bringing home second-team honors for the Southwest B-C Conference after a dominating season at Three Forks. Her high school statistics immediately jump off the page and sat atop most of Montana's rankings this past season. Through 23 regular-season games, Nova batted .500 with a .544 on-base percentage, collecting 47 RBI and scoring 35 runs. Once she works on shrinking her zone at the plate, Nova can become a reliable bat in any college lineup. She has the arm for third base that can easily translate to the outfield on a more crowded college roster. She'll also likely continue to pester opposing pitchers by jumping on pitches early in the count during her at-bats.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">One of the best high school programs in Montana right now is St. Ignatuis-Charlo-Arlee, and one of its top players is Alecia Steele. Alecia rose to the top of a strong high school softball team that produced two All-State selections and three All-Conference picks in the Northwest B-C region. She didn't need to put the team on her back, as she operated behind some incredibly talented upperclassmen this past year to help produce strong results for her team. In 36 at-bats tracked by 406 MT Sports, she batted .444 with 16 hits, nine RBI, five doubles and a pair of home runs. Like many corner infielders, it's safe to say Alecia will project to turn many of those doubles into home runs in the coming seasons as she continues to get stronger and more confident at the plate.</p>
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Big Sky Country is a ripe softball recruiting ground just waiting to be tapped into. Montana is home to the University of Montana, the sole Division 1 institution in the state with a softball team. However, because it is so overlooked on the softball recruiting scene, Montana is rich with talent each year, as players across the state dominate their high school and travel programs.
HEIGHT
5'8"
POS
LHP
CLASS
2026
School:
Billings West
Club:
406 Playmakers 18U
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HEIGHT
5'6"
POS
2B
CLASS
2026
School:
Billings West
Club:
406 Playmakers 18U
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HEIGHT
5'6"
POS
SS
CLASS
2026
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HEIGHT
5'7"
POS
3B
CLASS
2026
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HEIGHT
5'8"
POS
3B
CLASS
2026
School:
St. Ignatius-Charlo-Arlee
Subscribe below to view this player's evaluation
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