2027s Making An Impact In Fall High School Softball

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Across the country this fall, juniors are stepping onto varsity fields and delivering big hits, smooth defense, and poise that changes games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below, Prep Softball highlights some 2027 standouts who are making their presence felt early on in their high school careers.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":143538,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Tia Homedew","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"21","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Cedaredge (CO)","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Montrose Warhawks 16U","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68c9b6dc51e15"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Even though Tia Homedew attends North Fork High School, she proudly sports the signature blue and white hues of 3A Cedaredge given the fact that North Fork does not have a softball team. The Bruins, as of this writing, are 9-3 in large part to Homedew's mighty bat. Through 11 games, Homedew posted an average of .719, leading all Centennial State juniors. Included in that batting average are three home runs, 10 doubles and two triples, plus 21 RBIs. Homedew's cleats have also touched home plate on 22 occasions. She has also come through for her team in the circle, as she is 8-2 with a 2.47 ERA so far this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":144667,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Londyn Bond","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"29","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Dewey (OK)","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"OK Athletics Madden/Brown ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68c9b6dc51f09"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">With most of the 2025 season in the books, the Bulldoggers of 3A Dewey have posted a record of 21-7 in large part thanks to Londyn Bond's bat. The 12 home runs Bond has slugged this season have played a major role in Dewey's success. Not only does that mark lead Oklahoma juniors in that category, but it also leads the entire state. Bond's slugging percentage of 1.492 also leads the state. She also ranks second statewide in batting average with a .627 mark. She has also driven in 35 runs for her team, while hitting seven doubles and four triples. Bond is a multi-sport athlete who also competes in the shot put, for which she won a 3A state championship.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":144659,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Abby Beard","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"22","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Millard North (NE)","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Nebraska Gold","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68c9b6dc51fdc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Millard North has been one of the programs in Nebraska we have spotlighted on plenty of occasions here at Prep Softball. When a team like the Mustangs has an 18-3 record and several players putting up impressive numbers like Abby Beard, it will earn a team plenty of coverage. Beard's 35 RBIs leads all Nebraska juniors in that category, and, in fact, it leads the state regardless of class. She also currently has 11 home runs and a .592 average. The 31 runs she has scored this year have also contributed to what has become another winning season for Millard North. Beard plays club ball for Nebraska Gold. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":144665,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Megan Schmidt ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"19","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"North Calloway (MO)","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"St. Louis Chaos 16U National Perone/Beatty","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68c9b6dc520aa"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">When Megan Schmidt's North Callaway team has been in the win column this season, more often than not, it has been in dominating fashion. One of those wins occurred on Sept. 4, as the Thunderbirds began their Eastern Missouri Conference slate. North Callaway not only routed Van-Far by a final score of 14-1, but Schmidt also hurled a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts. The lone Van-Far run was unearned. Schmidt is 5-1 in the circle so far this season with an ERA of 1.00. She has thrown 28 innings, while allowing only six walks and four earned runs to 44 strikeouts. Six complete games and three shutouts have also been part of Schmidt's 2025 campaign stats. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":144660,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Leyla Rigby","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"19","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Laurel Christian (MS)","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"MS Sparks 27/28","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68c9b6dc52184"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The softball program at Laurel Christian is another one that has received plenty of ink. The Lions recently repeated as district champions by running the table through their eight-game MAIS 2A District 4 slate. In a recent Lions 10-0 win over Lamar Christian, Leyla Rigby retired nine Lamar Christian batters via the strikeout in five innings. She currently leads all of Mississippi in strikeouts with 92 along with going 5-2 with an ERA of 0.52. Rigby has also only allowed 10 walks and four earned runs in 54 innings pitched. She is one of two team captains for Laurel Christian and is a two-sport athlete who also plays basketball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["108804"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":144663,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68c9b6dc521fd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Zoie Shiflett is another multi-sport athlete who turns her attention to the basketball court once the fall high school softball slate concludes. At 17-2, her 4A Cartersville squad is already well on its way to surpassing the 24 wins the Hurricanes posted last season. With eight wins in the circle, she is tied for the most victories among Peach State 2027s. Shiflett is also closing in on her third consecutive season during which she will have struck out at least 100 batters. She also boasts an ERA of 1.19. In one of Shiflett's eight victories this season, she fanned eight batters and tossed a one-hitter, as Cartersville earned a 2-1 victory over region rival Cedartown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->