Top 2029 Prospects To Watch In Kentucky

The Bluegrass State is becoming more and more of a softball powerhouse every year. From Nicholasville to Louisville to Corbin and beyond, there are plenty of players eagerly awaiting spring to show off their talent. For the freshmen, it's a chance to jump into the fray and make a name for themselves. The athletes on this list are poised to do just that.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five of the top players from Kentucky in the high school graduating class of 2029.    Hailing from Central Kentucky, Kinley Hobgood has been shutting hitters down throughout the travel ball season. At the River City Showcase in October, she pitched 7.2 scoreless innings for the Fusion with five strikeouts. She followed up that performance at Scenic City in November where she pitched eight scoreless innings with four strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .200. In total, she had three separate tournaments in three months in which she allowed zero runs. Her offspeed pitches are where she really shines, with plenty of movement in her changeup, curve, and drop. She works in the strike zone, challenges hitters, and rarely allows a walk. With the bat, she recently finished off the season strong, hitting .667 for the weekend at the PGF Show Me The Money tournament.     It says a lot about a player's determination when, immediately after the travel season ends, the first thing they do is post on social media the areas they need to work on. Especially considering the fact that [player_tooltip player_id='149232' first='Madison' last='Wood'] did a whole lot right this fall season. The Louisville product threw 40.1 innings for the Fusion with 65 strikeouts. She has an absolutely electric rise ball that hitters often fail to touch, and she successfully works the corners, not giving hitters any chances to drive the ball. Case in point, at the River City Showcase in October, she had an inning during which she threw 10 pitches, with nine of them coming as strikes. When she is locked in, the strikeouts can quickly pile up, and she can carry a team. Assumption High School is well known for having excellent pitching, and the Rockets just picked up another ace in Wood.     Averi Croley rarely seems to take a day off. When the freshman is not completing her pitching drills, she's in the batting cage. And when she's not hitting or pitching, she's doing conditioning and lifting weights to prepare for the spring season. Croley has a terrific drop ball that leads to a lot of whiffs, a sharp change, and good tailing action that makes hitters look silly. She manages to keep the ball in the ballpark, has good composure in the circle, and can field her position well. As she enters her freshman season, the experience she gained while playing tough competition with Fury Platinum will pay off. This is an athlete who loves to compete.     Loralye Blakeman prides herself on both her offense and defense, and the results on the field prove that she's put in the work. This summer with her Fury squad, she had a .348 batting average, and a .949 fielding percentage. At the Great Lakes Firecrackers Showcase in July, she batted .500 for the week, and was perfect in the field. She continued her momentum into the first tournament of the fall season at the KGF Showcase, where she had a .462 batting average and was again perfect in the field, converting 10 chances. She has good range in the infield, is alert, and is dependable and versatile. At the plate, she doesn't try to do too much and is focused on putting the ball in play. She does all the fundamentals well, which, when added up, can lead to success on the field.     Perhaps the best attribute of Aleigha Newby's game is that she simply puts the ball in play. And when a clutch hit is needed, having a hitter who doesn't strike out much is paramount. Newby finished her fall season with only four strikeouts. In addition, she had a .261 batting average, 12 RBIs, 12 hits, and one home run. She has a quick, short swing and good line-drive power from the pull side. In the field, she is not afraid to dive for the ball and keeps her head on a swivel. She is also a supportive teammate, always congratulating others on their achievements.

The Bluegrass State is becoming more and more of a softball powerhouse every year. From Nicholasville to Louisville to Corbin and beyond, there are plenty of players eagerly awaiting spring to show off their talent. For the freshmen, it's a chance to jump into the fray and make a name for themselves. The athletes on this list are poised to do just that.