10 2029 SoCal Firecrackers Prospects To Watch

There's coast-to-coast muscle in the world of club softball and thousands of intriguing stories that shine a light on which names will demand notice in the years to come. One club that has earned its reputation as a developmental workhorse is the SoCal Firecrackers, founded by Tony Rico, who is in his 36th year as the driving force of the organization.   For the younger players in the organization, Rico emphasizes preparation and creating a mental approach to situations that holds up in duress, much like a first responder would embrace.   “A trained mindset — that is the key. If I'm not aware that I'm trained for this fire, for this crisis, for this pressure … that's how I can go out and just get a good pitch to hit, or I throw the next pitch two balls lower because the other pitch was too high,” Rico said. “That's my training, If I don't realize that, then my emotions are like … if I screw up, this patient is going to die. That's not a training mindset. The kids have to be aware they have the tools to get through the pressure that comes with the game.”   Below, Prep Softball takes a look at 10 2029 prospects from the SoCal Firecrackers organization who are making early waves.    Already seen as a top pitcher in this class, Madison Annett has a lot of natural movement on her pitches. She's been leaned on in big-game situations in the circle and adds impact as a key middle-of-the-order bat. She comes from an athletic background; her father played DI baseball and her mom played collegiate soccer. Her older sister is currently playing DI softball at Cal Baptist.     Abigail Denton has been considered one of the top 2029 catchers for the past few years. She is a feared hitter with one of the best bats in the country, hitting for both power and average with an exit velocity consistently in the mid 60s. Abby had a big fall, hitting .410 with 27 RBI. She also has a cannon for an arm and is on short lists with the Power conferences.     Whitney Joe is an elite athlete who tore it up this past fall for Firecrackers Brashear 14U. She led her team in hitting (.521) and stolen bases (25). Whitney has also been at or near the top of all Alliance leader boards in both hitting and stolen bases, while also being name the Pacific Coast Fastpitch League Player of the Month in October 2025.     Brooklyn Falls is a pure hitter with a great swing that delivers both power and average. She is a strong, athletic first baseman who has good speed for her size. She led her team in home runs and hit .372 with 21 RBI in the fall. Brooklyn is the granddaughter of Mike Smith, who coaches 18U and 16U teams in the Firecrackers Brashear organization.     Ellie Lomeli is one of the best pure hitters in the class of 2029, helping lead Firecrackers Brashear this past fall by coming up clutch in several big games. Ellie hit .417 with 24 RBI; her father played college baseball, and her mother was an elite swimmer. She is an impact athlete who is on the radar of multiple Power schools.     Roselyn Salmeron has been a big-time performer in the FC Brashear program for the past few years, and when the game is on the line, there is no more reliable bat in the lineup. She is a versatile athlete who is great both behind the plate as well as at third base or in the outfield. Last fall, she hit .473 with 29 RBI.     Mackenzie Miletic brings a strong arm to the circle as well as a power bat to the plate. Only a freshman and already a key pitcher on the varsity staff at Bishop Amat High School, last fall her ERA sat below 1.50 in the circle. She's a strong defensive asset as a pitcher or outfielder on this team, and she hits at the top of the lineup and rang up a .414 average last fall.     Payton Schilz is one of the most skilled players in her class. She is an outfielder with a plus/plus arm and has a unique mental awareness of where runners are and what to do with the ball that is well beyond her years. She has a cannon for an arm and is not afraid to show it off. She hits lefty at the plate but is not a slapper in the least, just pure power.     Aubrie Naranjo is a true middle infielder, featuring tremendous range from side to side, and she refuses to get beat in front. At the plate, she is a triple threat. While batting from the left side, she can lay down some of the best bunts, she slaps, bounces balls over the infield, and can also sit back and swing away. In the fall, she hit .470 with a stellar on-base percentage (.587).     Hayden Leathers is a strong catcher with a great arm. In the fall, she had 11 putouts on the bases to go along with three pickoffs on the corners. Her receiving skills are top notch, stealing many strikes for her pitchers. At the plate, the righthander is all power, with a fall average of .427 and six home runs.    Kyle Koso is a graduate of the University of Missouri journalism school and worked as a sportswriter for 20 years, mostly covering a wide variety prep and college sports in Northern Colorado. After running baseball events at Triple Crown Sports for a few years, he spent 11 more years in the media/marketing department of the company, tracking the best stories in club softball and volleyball as well as in college softball, basketball, and volleyball.

There's coast-to-coast muscle in the world of club softball and thousands of intriguing stories that shine a light on which names will demand notice in the years to come. One club that has earned its reputation as a developmental workhorse is the SoCal Firecrackers, founded by Tony Rico, who is in his 36^th year as the driving force of the organization.