Rising Stars Of Fall Ball: 2029 Players To Watch

It's never too early to show why you belong among the top softball players in the country. With fall ball in full swing, plenty of young athletes have stepped up for their teams and have taken on leadership roles. From coming through in the clutch at the plate to delivering key strikeouts, the players on this list have shown they are not afraid of the spotlight.   Below, Prep Softball highlights players in the 2029 class to watch who are the rising stars of the fall season this year.    After winning two straight state titles in 2022 and 2023, the Northwest Vikings are well on their way to another deep postseason run this year, and freshman Abby Dinkelman is playing a big role for her team. Not only does she lead the team in batting average, hitting .607 so far for the season, but she also leads it in on-base percentage (.651), stolen bases (11), runs (32), hits (34), and triples (3) as of this writing. In her home state of Nebraska, she currently leads all freshmen in batting average, runs, and on-base percentage. She packs some serious pop in her bat, rarely strikes out, and has tremendous opposite-field power. On the infield, she plays an adept shortstop, and has 22 assists, two double plays turned, and only one error so far this season.     Already used to playing stiff competition as a member of the reputable Colorado Batbusters, MJ Ewen wasted no time making her presence known as a high school freshman. In her first game as a Cheyenne Mountain Red-Tailed Hawk, she went 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in three runs. In the following game, she went 2-for-4 at the plate again, and drove in three more runs. In total, she has 21 RBIs in only 40 at-bats as of this writing. Her .575 batting average leads the team, and she is currently on a 10-game hitting streak. In fact, she has reached base safely in 13 of the 14 games played. She has a good eye at the plate, represented by her 11 walks versus only four strikeouts. She has also contributed defensively for the Red-Tailed Hawks with 25 assists and one double play turned as their shortstop.     To say Elke Martin has energized the Westview Wolverine offense would be an understatement. She brings plenty of power to a lineup, as well as the ability to get on base. She leads the Wolverines in batting average (.554), on-base percentage (.627), hits (31), RBIs (20), slugging percentage (.857), and doubles (8) as of this writing. She is also an elite fielder, having committed only one error so far this season, along with four assists and a double play turned. She has a quick, fluid swing that is ideal for making contact and plugging the gaps. If she doesn't see a pitch to her liking, she will also take a free base; she has 10 walks for the year. Currently, she is on an 11-game hitting streak, which helps a team that is looking to continue its winning ways in the homestretch of its season.     Freshman Bentley Schiller has already broken records this season for the Montrose Red Hawks, and there's still plenty of time left on the schedule. With 106 strikeouts for the season as of this writing, she is the program's leader in single-season strikeouts, smashing the previous record of 93. That's only half of the story, however. She is also 9-2 in the circle with a terrific 1.28 ERA, an opponent batting average of .182, and has only allowed six walks all season. Put simply, a strikeout to walk ratio of that caliber as a freshman is eye-popping. To her credit, she can also swing the bat. She has a .311 batting average for her freshman campaign, including six doubles, a triple, and two long balls. She may only be a freshman, but Schiller has the ability to carry a team. Case in point, on Sept. 17 against the Cedaredge Bruins, she racked up 22 strikeouts over two games.     In the past 10 games for the Gretna East Griffins, offense for their opponents has been hard to come by, and freshman Hadley McDowell and the rest of the Griffin pitching staff have been a big reason why. McDowell has 39 strikeouts in 27 innings over her past five starts as of this writing, and in total, the Griffins have outscored their competitors 54-18 in the 10-game span. The freshman has played an integral role on the team throughout the season, leading it in ERA (1.98), wins (7), and strikeouts (81). During the summer, she took part in the 14U Future Stars Game, playing alongside Nebraska's top young talent. She has plenty of poise in the circle, is not afraid of the big stage, and excels at keeping the ball in the ballpark.

It's never too early to show why you belong among the top softball players in the country. With fall ball in full swing, plenty of young athletes have stepped up for their teams and have taken on leadership roles. From coming through in the clutch at the plate to delivering key strikeouts, the players on this list have shown they are not afraid of the spotlight.