2031 Prospects Showing Tremendous Growth

Travel ball in the summer provides not only a chance to display talent on the big stage, but it also includes the opportunity for growth. From the Midwest to New England, athletes are setting new personal records, honing their skills, and improving in all facets of the game.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five prospects from the high school graduating class of 2031 who are showing tremendous growth.    To the dismay of hitters everywhere. Chloe Grams just keeps getting better in the circle. The tall right-hander effectively uses the corners and keeps hitters guessing. It is difficult to square up anything she throws (you're not going to get any pitches down the middle), and her control is already on par with high school hurlers. She completed her 7th grade season with a 21-6 record, a 2.98 ERA, and 125 strikeouts. This summer against stiff competition, she was nearly perfect. At the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series last month, she threw five hitless innings with only one walk and eight strikeouts. To top it all off, she recently set a new personal record by hitting 64 mph in pitching velocity.     Let's just say Aubree Dunigan really likes hitting doubles. In her summer ball season with Select Fastpitch Forsythe, she hit a whopping 39 doubles to go along with seven triples and eight home runs for good measure. Perhaps even more impressive, she had 106 RBIs, 122 runs scored, 41 stolen bases, a .506 on-base percentage, and a .459 batting average. Don't count her out defensively, either. She covers plenty of ground in the outfield, and proved that at the Triple Crown Midwest Summer Nationals, where she made an incredible diving play in shallow center field and threw back to first to double off a speedy baserunner. She has all the tools needed for a bright future in the sport.     It's hard to say which has been hotter this summer: the weather or Ellie Jezowski's bat. The Golden State resident was absolutely unstoppable at the plate playing for the OC Batbusters. She recently finished the travel ball season with a .496 batting average, 111 hits, 39 extra-base hits, 89 RBIs, 89 runs scored, and a microscopic six strikeouts. She also has a habit of coming through in the clutch. In the semifinal of the Triple Crown Fastpitch CO Sparkler National Power Pool, she blasted a go-ahead two-run home run in the 4th inning. She generates massive power with her swing, and transfers that strength to her defense at shortstop. The velocity she can provide on throws even when she's off-balance is something to see. She is a star in the making.     In order to be a good catcher you have to have plenty of stamina, determination, and agility. Reese Evans brings all three to the table, and has put her skills on full display on the softball field. At the New Jersey 12A USSSA state tournament in June, she was behind the plate for all six games and crushed two home runs in the championship to help her team clinch the title. Her arm strength stood out in a game against a talented Unity squad in July, during which she caught an inside pitch off the plate and, without hesitation, threw a bullet to second base to beat the runner by four feet. And finally, during the PGF Premier Nationals this month, a runner on third thought she had caught Evans sleeping and attempted to steal home. She smartly played along for two seconds, but then ran the runner back and caught her in a pickle. She is confident in her abilities and it shows.     A good rapport between a pitcher and catcher means everything for a team, and Ellie Dobbins goes above and beyond to be supportive of and reliable for her pitchers. It also doesn't hurt that she is active but quiet behind the plate, is an excellent framer, and completely controls the base-running game. Her pop time and arm strength are elite, and the plays at second for potential base-stealers are not particularly close. Her blocking skills are also noteworthy, as she can block with her whole body, but she also has the ability to backhand the ball if that is her only option. Passed balls simply do not happen on her watch. When it comes to the fundamentals, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who does it better.

Travel ball in the summer provides not only a chance to display talent on the big stage, but it also includes the opportunity for growth. From the Midwest to New England, athletes are setting new personal records, honing their skills, and improving in all facets of the game.