Top 2029 Prospects To Watch In South Carolina

South Carolina is among the majority of states where softball is competed in the spring semester. Even though we are still several months shy from first pitch of the 2026 season, it is never too early to look ahead.    And to look ahead, one must look back as well. There are many teams across the Palmetto State whose varsity rosters include a fair share of eighth and seventh graders.    A good number of those eighth and seventh graders will put themselves on the statewide map with exceptional play either in the field, at the plate or in the circle. We spotlight a few of those 2029s here.     After running with SC Stars Fastpitch Tumbleston on the grassroots circuit, Alexis Klaffka is preparing for her freshman campaign with one of the state's newest schools—2A American Leadership Academy in the Midlands. Klaffka plays not only at second base, but also in the outfield. She competed in 22 games in 2025 for the Patriots and finished the season with a batting average of .333. Klaffka had 24 hits and managed to score 23 runs. Her eighth-grade season even included one triple. Her .333 average had her third on the team, and she was also third in on-base percentage at .377.      In terms of what she does at 5A Division 2 Conway, McKenzie Rabon puts her focus on volleyball during the fall season before shifting her focus to the softball diamond in the spring. For travel ball, she wears the uniform of Carolina Elite National RWZ/Drotar. Even though Rabon is advancing into her freshman season, she already has two years of varsity experience under belt, including her eighth-grade season in which she played 28 games with a batting average of .301. Rabon also hit five home runs with 21 RBIs. She also crossed home plate on 24 occasions. The 12 doubles Rabon hit were also a massive help to her Tigers.      Even in her eighth-grade season, Maci Collins was given the ball on many occasions—19 to be exact—in the circle for 1A Green Sea Floyds. As evidenced by the 2.21 ERA she posted, it was a sound decision for the Trojans. Collins was one of two 2029s who played on the TN Mojo Hyatt/Grice 16U team. She also finished the 2025 season having allowed only 36 earned runs and 23 walks to 140 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched. Collins' strikeout number had her tied for 13th in the state. If that was what we saw from Collins as an eighth grader, one can only imagine what she will show once she obtains more varsity experience.      Olivia Lister is another player who will be entering her third season of varsity play despite that third season being her freshman campaign. During the months of club ball, Lister wears the Firecrackers SC 16U uniform. Lister competed in 18 games last season for 5A Division 1 Spartanburg, and her .431 batting average certainly raised plenty of statewide eyebrows. Contributing to that performance were her 10 doubles and three triples. An on-base percentage of .515 will help a team more often than not as well, as will the 23 runs she scored and the 14 she plated. Lister particularly places plenty of emphasis on defense.      How does one follow up a seventh-grade season in which one finished with a .385 batting average in 21 games? By finishing with even bigger numbers as an eighth grader. When Jazelyn Robinson is not competing with Carolina Thunder 14U on the club circuit, she is competing for 4A Westside. Robinson was part of 22 games in 2025 with a .426 batting average that included 29 singles, 11 doubles and three triples, along with a pair of home runs. Robinson also boosted her Rams with the 38 runs she scored. Robinson is just getting started.     Even though Reginae Porterfield plays for a Palmetto State high school team in 5A Division 2 White Knoll, she runs with Atlanta Vipers 09 Gonce 16U during the club softball months. During the 2025 summer season, Porterfield's travel team finished with a record of 28-7-4, including winning the PGF Cashionals. With the Timberwolves, Porterfield proudly sported their burgundy, silver and navy blue colors on 23 occasions. She scored 26 runs and drove in 12 more. Porterfield was part of a Timberwolves team that concluded last season with a 14-9-1 record, and they should improve their fortunes with even more stellar play from her in the near future.

South Carolina is among the majority of states where softball is competed in the spring semester. Even though we are still several months shy from first pitch of the 2026 season, it is never too early to look ahead.