Base Stealers Who Make Lives Miserable For Catchers

They say that speed kills, and few plays in softball are more exciting than a stolen base. Beyond firing up the dugout and the crowd, great base stealers can will their way into scoring position, take away the double play, and sometimes create runs seemingly out of thin air.   The high school ranks are chock-full of great baserunners who are a threat to steal any time they reach safely.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five of these outstanding players who catchers never want to see on base.    A UNLV commit, Taylor Tollestrup was one of the most prolific base stealers in the country last spring, swiping 74 bags in 43 games for her high school team. You don't steal that many bases without getting on base a lot, and Tollestrup slashed .647/.707/1.022 with 80 runs scored, 18 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. She also walked 27 times with just 10 strikeouts and had a stolen base in every game, with at least two steals in all but four. Tollestrup complements her blazing speed with impressive power, using a quick, explosive swing to drive the ball over the fence to the pull side. In addition, she is a fine defender at shortstop, covering third on bunts, handling high hops with ease and ranging to her backhand side to snag line drives with funky spin.     A slap-hitting center fielder, Adriana Layne had a breakout freshman high school season in talent-rich South Florida, batting .434 with a .522 on-base percentage, more walks than strikeouts, 29 runs scored and 27 stolen bases in 25 games. Her line drives in the gap can become inside-the-park home runs if the defense does not make a perfect play. Layne's speed also serves her well in the outfield, and she has a quick first step and the range to run down fly balls over her head. Runners should think twice about taking an extra base on Layne, who has a cannon of an arm and can gun down opponents at home plate with ease. Offensively, Layne can bunt, slap and hit away, and when she reaches, she is a good bet to steal both second and third if those bases are open.     Bella Montesano is coming off a huge junior year in which she did a whole bunch of everything, slashing .610/.712/1.203 with 21 walks and just three strikeouts in 19 games. She also hit nine doubles and eight homers, and she stole 61 bases without being caught once. That included an 11-steal game in late April and an eight-steal performance in late March. Montesano wastes no movement with her swing and has big-time pull-side power, but can also go with a pitch on the outer half and hit line drives the opposite way. She is primarily a shortstop for her high school team but also plays the outfield in travel ball, frequently taking charge on fly balls in the gaps. In addition to her raw speed, Montesano is also a smart baserunner, even catching the defense unaware on one occasion and taking third base on a throw back to the pitcher.     One of the top slappers in the rising junior class, Kira Bailey batted .538 as both a freshman and sophomore, scoring 45 runs this past spring in 31 games and striking out just three times. She shined on the basepaths, swiping 60 bags after stealing 43 the previous year. Bailey has been just as prolific with her club team, hitting .482 and stealing 57 bases on 60 attempts between fall 2024 and summer 2025. Not even a dribbler back to the pitcher's circle is a sure out when Bailey is busting it down the line, as she makes every play close and is excellent at legging out infield hits. She can bunt, slap and hit, and plays an outstanding defensive shortstop, getting the ball out of her glove quickly to make strong, accurate throws to first. Bailey has been to camps at South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others.     A slapper who can also hit for power, Akyra Traver accomplished more in just 17 games as a junior than many players will over their entire high school careers. She stole 54 bases, after stealing 57 in 2024, and hit .783 with eight doubles, six triples, seven home runs and zero strikeouts. Traver closed the season with 12 straight multi-hit games. Even when she gets a running start, Traver can still blast the ball deep into the outfield, which is a perfect recipe for triples. Like many slappers, she is adept at hitting to the opposite field, but when she stands in there and hits away, she can clear the fence in straightaway center. Traver also has an elite arm from the outfield and will set her feet and throw runners out even after making difficult catches.

They say that speed kills, and few plays in softball are more exciting than a stolen base. Beyond firing up the dugout and the crowd, great base stealers can will their way into scoring position, take away the double play, and sometimes create runs seemingly out of thin air.