Under-The-Radar Alabama 2028s Poised To Break Out

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High school softball in Alabama commences in February.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kinston (1A), Zion Chapel (2A), Wicksburg (3A), Orange Beach (4A), Moody (5A), Helena (6A), and Thompson (7A) were among the teams that concluded last season with state championships. That also applied to Abbeville Christian Academy and Clarke Prep in the private school ranks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to established veteran names, there were many younger prospects who began establishing statewide profiles as freshmen last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are a few of those under-the-radar 2028s who are poised to break out during their sophomore seasons. </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":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Raina Underwood","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_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":"29","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Boaz","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"Birmingham Bolts","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-6979c3af4c931"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">After beginning her high school career in the 6A ranks with Gadsden City, Raina Underwood has brought her talents to 5A Boaz. The Pirates last season finished with a 34-10-1 record. Underwood is a multi-sport athlete who also plays basketball and flag football in addition to her softball achievements. She can thrive as a catcher or in the infield at first or third base. Underwood also has experience at shortstop. She played in 19 games last season with the Titans and posted a .340 average with two home runs and 14 RBIs. Underwood also contributed 19 runs, five doubles, and two triples to Gadsden City's efforts last season.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["106554"],"_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":156367,"_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-6979c3af4c9c9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">West Limestone is another team that has established itself as one of the teams to beat across Alabama. [player_tooltip player_id='106554' first='Katie' last='Lyn Kyle'] was part of a 4A Wildcats squad that concluded the 2025 season with a 44-7 record. She has more experience than the average sophomore considering she has played at the varsity level since she was a seventh grader. Kyle saw playing time in all 51 games for West Limestone and averaged .433 at the plate. She also slugged four home runs and drove in 38, in addition to scoring 32 of her own. Her 2025 season also included 10 doubles. Kyle can operate as a utility player as well as a right-handed pitcher. </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":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Lexi Kilgore","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_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":"Jasper","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"Southern Force Premier Slack 16U","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-6979c3af4ca7b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lexi Kilgore already has a state championship under her belt with 5A Jasper when the Vikings claimed the 2024 state crown when she was in her eighth grade season. She wore the uniform of Southern Force Premier Slack 16U during her club schedule. An infielder who can play either at first or third base, Kilgore's Vikings were reclassified from 5A to 6A beginning last season. More of a contact hitter than a power hitter, Kilgore played in 33 of Jasper's 36 games last year and posted a .364 average. She plated 29 runs and scored 23 more, in addition to hitting 12 doubles. </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":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Cayden Dorger","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_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":"Spanish Fort","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-6979c3af4cb37"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cayden Dorger is a multi-sport athlete who also competes as a volleyball player in addition to her growing list of softball accomplishments. She contributed heavily to the 40-12 record that 6A Spanish Fort compiled last season. Dorger is already a state champion in the volleyball ranks and has eyes on adding one in softball to her resume. She has played at the varsity level since the eighth grade. The Toros had such a stellar record in large part because of Dorger's work in the circle. Last season, she finished 12-4 with an ERA of 1.81. Dorger also threw over 100 innings. </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":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Preslee Etheridge","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_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":"19","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"James Clemens","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"Fusion 2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"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-6979c3af4cbd5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Preslee Etheridge recently played with the North Alabama Rockets on the club softball circuit and has since moved over to Fusion 2028. She can play the infield at either first or third base, but especially can get a team in the win column with her work as a pitcher. Power hitting is another one of the strengths to Etheridge's game. The nine victories she earned as a pitcher had her among the top 15 arms in the state among last season's freshmen. Etheridge also played in 41 of 45 contests last season for 7A James Clemens. She contributed a .333 average with eight doubles and 37 RBIs to the Jets' cause in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->