Five Lineup Anchors Who Are Tough To Pitch Around

Every strong softball team, whether it's a summer travel program or a high-end high school team, has an anchor to its lineup. It has someone the team can rely on to consistently get on base, move runners over and in, and deliver in the biggest moments of a game. Within that group of players are a select few who not only strike fear in opposing pitchers, but are also almost impossible to pitch around.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five players who have acted as lineup anchors and are nearly impossible to pitch around.    [player_tooltip player_id='143966' first='Cali' last='Leichliter'] is an extremely versatile hitter who can beat pitchers in multiple ways. She boasted a .606 batting average this year with Connellsville Area High School, but she doesn't just get on base. Cali finished the season with a 1.183 slugging percentage, one of the best marks in the Great Lakes region, compiling 10 home runs on her way to being named a First-Team All-State shortstop. She has an incredibly powerful swing, combined with tremendous command of the plate, which has allowed her to be a dynamic hitter as she starts her junior year.     Emily Bogoski burst onto the high school scene this year with an award-winning season at Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK). The two-way player brought home All-District, All-Region and All-State honors, while also earning a spot on the 5Star Prep All-Star First Team as both a hitter and pitcher. It was hard to leave her off that list after Emily slashed .636/.643/1.470 with 10 home runs, nine doubles, eight triples and 50 RBIs. This summer, she competed up with the 2025 Fury National Team and also earned a spot on Unity's 27/28 team.     Entering her senior year, Addilyn Foley has showed some promising attributes at the plate, walking quite a bit while also showing some power. Thus far this fall, the infielder and catcher has put everything together and started to show how powerful a hitter she is. Though she had played just eight games this fall at the time of this writing, Addilyn is slashing an insane .650/.708/1.300 with a double, four home runs and 10 RBIs, all while striking out just one time. If that hot streak can continue the rest of the fall and carry into the 2026 season, Addilyn will have set herself up extremely well for a strong senior campaign.     Much like her counterparts on this list, Elina Gutierrez has gotten off to a scorching-hot start this fall. The Denver North junior had a tremendous sophomore season and is rapidly improving. This fall, she's batting .792 thus far with seven doubles, a pair of triples and four RBIs. She was a doubles machine this spring and rarely, if ever, strikes out. Elina has all the tools to be a can't-miss, top-of-the-lineup batter who will be nearly impossible for pitchers to get by. She looks primed for a breakout junior year and could turn some of those extra-base hits into home runs as she continues to develop.     [player_tooltip player_id='107352' first='Parker' last='Malone']'s college commitment is likely just around the corner. She spent the end of August traveling between the University of Alabama and South Carolina for camps, and has seen interest from other high-level Division I programs. That's because in just two varsity years with CCVM, she's compiled 36 doubles, eight triples, 27 home runs and 124 RBIs, and has struck out just 14 times in her varsity career. Parker is playing up with the Texas Blaze United 18U team and still carrying her weight at the plate. She's a budding prospect with an exciting 2026 season on the horizon.

Every strong softball team, whether it's a summer travel program or a high-end high school team, has an anchor to its lineup. It has someone the team can rely on to consistently get on base, move runners over and in, and deliver in the biggest moments of a game. Within that group of players are a select few who not only strike fear in opposing pitchers, but are also almost impossible to pitch around.