Five Underrated Infielders To Watch This Spring

With high school softball in full swing in most parts of the United States, some players are playing their final prep seasons before heading off to college, while others are just getting their recruiting journeys started.   From seniors who are already committed to underclassmen just starting to make names for themselves, here are five underrated infielders to watch this spring from all across the country.    A senior committed to Middle Tennessee, Lilly Bethune has the potential to become a star at the mid-major level and make power conference teams regret missing out on her. After hitting 22 home runs last year in 47 games, she already has 21 homers through 29 games in her final high school season. And it's not just her raw power that stands out—she is also batting .554 this year and has far more walks than strikeouts in her high school career. Bethune can play catcher, third base and first base, and her long swing keeps the barrel of the bat in the zone for a long time. Her homers to the opposite field are just as prodigious as the ones she pulls, making her a complete power hitter who can drive the ball anywhere.     Ally Compton, from northwest Indiana not far outside Chicago, is a star at the plate and in the circle, but she's a third baseman when not pitching and is at her best with a bat in her hands. Through nine games as a sophomore at the time of this writing, Compton is hitting .517 with six homers and 16 RBI after setting a single-season school record with 15 blasts in her freshman season. She was named one of 25 players to watch for the 2025 campaign by the Chicago Tribune, and so far she is more than living up to that hype. Compton uses a leg kick that allows her to generate power, and her bat speed is also impressive. So far, she has attended camps at Wisconsin, Louisville, Minnesota and Indiana, among others.     A Northwestern commit from talent-rich Northern California, Macosky's stock continues to rise as a junior, particularly with her defense at shortstop. And it's not that her offense has been lacking—she is batting .458 at the time of this writing through eight games this year with three doubles, two triples and a home run. But Macosky's glove is already elite. She can dive to her backhand side to stop hard-hit ground balls, then make a strong, accurate throw to first base from her knees. Macosky can also drive the ball in the air with authority to both the pull side and the opposite field. She was named to the East Bay Athletic League first team last spring, helping Livermore win the league title and reach the North Coast Section Division II championship game.     To say the ball explodes off of Aaliyah Betancourt's bat is not doing it justice. When the Texas-El Paso commit turns on a ball and is on time, it rarely stays in the park. Through 11 games as a senior at the time of this writing, Betancourt is batting .568 with nine home runs, 25 RBI and 16 runs scored for a 2.076 OPS. Her glove is nearly as impressive—Betancourt has great range at shortstop and the presence of mind to tag runners going past her before getting off a throw to first. She won a New Mexico state championship last spring and could be on her way to another, as her team was a perfect 11-0 through the end of March.     Palyn Marker is already making waves as a sophomore from rural southern Virginia, with a .526 batting average, nine walks and just five strikeouts through 13 games at the time of this writing. She has power, but it's her bat-to-ball and on-base skills that stand out the most. Marker can line the ball to the pull side and get her bat around to bad pitches, slapping them the other way. She also has the speed to beat out infield hits and leg out stand-up triples. Defensively, she has all the tools to play shortstop at a high level, with great range and a strong, accurate arm. She has already attended camps at Drexel and James Madison, and will surely be on more college coaches' radars soon.

With high school softball in full swing in most parts of the United States, some players are playing their final prep seasons before heading off to college, while others are just getting their recruiting journeys started.