Top 2028 Prospects To Watch In Montana

It's high school softball season in Montana, which means a new crop of talented players is making its way to the varsity level for the first time. In some cases, the top players in Montana got their first taste of varsity softball last year as eighth graders.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five of the top softball players from Montana in the high school graduating class of 2028.    Emily Baenziger joined an 18U travel team this February and is likely in line for significant playing time with Lockwood High School's varsity squad this season. It's a tremendous beginning to her four years in high school that can set Emily up early for a really busy recruiting cycle when the time comes. As a catcher-first fielder, Emily has already demonstrated strong abilities behind the dish and has commanded pitching staffs full of players much older than she is. She's also shown an incredible capability to drive the ball all across the field and, with continued growth over the next four years, she could lock down a middle-of-the-order spot at the next level.     It's not often that an eighth grader makes her way onto a varsity softball team. It's even more rare when that player gets significant playing time and contributes to a strong run in the state tournament. But Charlotte White's ability in the circle blew away coaches at Shepherd and led to her becoming a staple of the rotation last season, before she even walked into the high school. She finished a tremendous inaugural season with a 4-0 record and 2.23 ERA on a talented staff that was led by Paige Goodell, now a freshman at Black Hills State University. Charlotte did that all while batting over .400 en route to a long run in the Class B-C state tournament. At 5-foot-8, Charlotte gets on batters quickly with a deceptive arm angle, and has the chance, as a freshman, to overtake the ace spot in 2025.     Logan McCrea began playing with top-end travel softball programs last year as an eighth grader after a strong season playing up with the varsity team at Polson High School. After watching her highlight reel, it makes sense why Logan played her way into significant time for a top-end high school program last season. In the box, she possesses a fluid swing with incredible pop. She also explodes out of the box with tremendous speed that she takes with her in the field at nearly every position she plays. Logan already demonstrates the raw skills and frame that could lead to her becoming one of the top softball prospects from Montana.     Hailey Nicoson has an absolute cannon of an arm, and she's used it throughout her playing career to gun down runners across the diamond from behind home plate. She moves well behind the plate to boot, and can corral nearly any pitch to prevent runners from advancing. She's used her strong arm in the outfield as well, and can lock down all three positions out there when she needs a break from catching. Hailey's versatility in the field will undoubtedly make her appealing to college coaches during her recruiting process, especially as her already strong bat continues to develop in the coming seasons.     Zoe Bassham has been well on her way to lists like this since 2022 when she was first recognized as a top prospect in her class. Since then, she has quickly advanced through the travel ball ranks and collected multiple accolades at every turn. She's already been named a starter at Gallatin High School for the 2025 season, and will continue her strong play on the travel circuit with a top-tier team. Her numbers jump off the page, and the ball explodes off of her bat. In the field, she is a smooth defender who has the range to play all three positions in the outfield.

It's high school softball season in Montana, which means a new crop of talented players is making its way to the varsity level for the first time. In some cases, the top players in Montana got their first taste of varsity softball last year as eighth graders.