2030 Sluggers Who Can Change The Score In A Hurry

Power can change the complexion of a game with just one swing, and the 2030 class is already packed with hitters who know how to do exactly that. Whether it's driving balls into the gaps, launching home runs over the fence, or delivering clutch extra-base hits with runners on base, these young sluggers bring a level of impact that forces opponents to stay on alert every inning.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five sluggers from the high school graduating class of 2030 who can change the score in a hurry.    Madison Haught recently finished her middle school softball career in style. With a runner on third, she smacked an opposite-field shot over the right field wall. It was an impressive piece of hitting from the Keystone State native who took an outside pitch and, instead of trying to pull it, went with it and found the barrel. The month of April overall was full of success at the plate for Haught. At the Ohio Storm Spring Kickoff, she hit .421 with five singles, one double, one triple, one home run, and seven RBIs. She followed that up with an even better weekend, which included a .750 batting average and a 1.875 OPS. She already has all the looks of a professional hitter, and recently hit a personal best in overhand velocity, clocking in at 64.2 mph.     In her first game with her new squad last fall, Izzie Robb took a pitch that was down and in and blasted it over the left field fence. Robb has a good approach at the plate: she waits for her pitch, doesn't chase, and doesn't try to over-swing. If you need any more proof, last spring in only two games, she hit two triples, two home runs, had nine RBIs, and a .667 batting average. She brings a positive attitude to the game, is a hitter you would want up in the clutch, and she never stops working hard.     Preparation for hitting home runs happens long before a player takes the field. It happens in the weight room, in the batting cage, and often simply in a player's backyard. In Jasy Schwab's case, she hit the weight room, and the results are plain to see on the field. The Georgia native squats 140 pounds, benches 110 pounds, and power cleans 125 pounds. Take all of that into consideration and you'll understand why Schwab hit her 7th home run of the season recently. The pitch was a hanging changeup, and the ball was in the air for roughly one and a half seconds before it bounced off the top of the scoreboard, well beyond the left field wall. Schwab's enormous power is generated through both her arms and legs, and she makes any pitch in the strike zone an immediate target for launch.     Danni Benson brings to the plate an excellent capability to make contact, have solid bat control, demonstrate good mechanics, and most of all, show her speed. She is an ideal example of why slappers can be so difficult to retire. Any ball on the ground is immediate danger for an infielder, and she can easily leg out a triple if she pokes the ball in the gap. Her bat control gives her the option for a soft slap or a swinging bunt, as well as a hard slap, which can be anything from a single up the middle to a double down the line. She spends plenty of time in the batting cages working on her craft, and it shows on the field. She is an ideal teammate to have from the havoc she brings to the bases to the energy she brings to the dugout on a daily basis.     Kennedy Kemp's bat was scorching in April. The righthander hit two home runs last month alone, both of them towering moonshots. On both long balls, she was able to get full extension, and the ball simply took off. In March, she hit a frozen rope instead, and was able to round the bases after the relay from the outfield got away from the third baseman. As an 8th grader, she is already playing varsity ball at Bob Jones High School, and has racked up 10 doubles, along with 21 hits and 19 RBIs this year. She currently leads her team in doubles, is tied for first in RBIs and triples, and ranks second in slugging percentage (.506). She is full of confidence at the plate, and for good reason.

Power can change the complexion of a game with just one swing, and the 2030 class is already packed with hitters who know how to do exactly that. Whether it's driving balls into the gaps, launching home runs over the fence, or delivering clutch extra-base hits with runners on base, these young sluggers bring a level of impact that forces opponents to stay on alert every inning.