2032 Stars Beginning To Separate Themselves Early

Though college softball prospects in the 2032 class are still in the early stages of their skill development, some players in the class are already standing out above the rest.   Below, Prep Softball highlights budding stars from the high school class of 2032 who are beginning to separate themselves early.    Broadcasters often comment on hitters "putting a charge into" a ball. When Lexi Bravo is at the plate, that tends to be the case. She is a patient hitter with a powerful swing. She has the disposition of a player who has constantly worked on her timing, stance, and follow-through. In action, it translates to wicked line drives in the outfield gaps and over the wall. Unfortunately, for pitchers, she will take advantage of any mistake thrown in the strike zone. When in the circle, her one-two punch includes a rise ball that successfully tails away from hitters, and a drop ball that elicits everything from check swings to pitiful whiffs. She is also impactful over at third base with impressive hustle and arm strength.     Halle Kinnison summed up her final week of the travel ball season with Select Fastpitch Forsythe by saying she "had a fun week at the plate." That might be a bit of an understatement. At the TCS Fastpitch Midwest Nationals, she led all competitors with a .667 batting average at the plate, 11 RBIs, and a .700 on-base percentage. That's not all, however. She also finished tied for first in the circle with nine strikeouts and had a perfect fielding percentage. It was a fitting ending to a spectacular season for Kinnison, which included a 13-strikeout performance over 10 innings at the Top Gun Invite in June and an even better 15-strikeout performance at the Colorado 4th of July tournament. She has all the tools she needs to be successful in the game now and in the future.     The first stat that jumps out about Naomi Shaw is that she can already throw a 64-mph fastball. But as hitters can tell you, speed is one thing, spin is another. In Shaw's case, she excels at both. Her rise ball comes in like a freight train, and is nearly impossible to hit above the letters. Her drop ball at first appears to be a hittable pitch right down Broadway, but then takes a dive at the last second and ends at the knees for a harmless swing and miss or a called strike. She bamboozled hitters all summer long to the tune of over 300 strikeouts in 151 innings. At the plate, she was just as good with 110 hits, including 21 doubles, nine triples, and four home runs.     In a tight game with a runner on first base, the last thing a defense wants is to see them in scoring position. Enter Brooklyn Coons to take care of business. At the Heat Premier Showdown last October, Coons threw out five attempted base-stealers. She then threw out four more baserunners this April, and two more the month before that. It goes without saying that she has an electric arm, and she can also handle the bat. She takes a disciplined approach at the plate and goes with pitches instead of always trying to pull them. The results speak for themselves, and at a tournament this spring, she had a .444 batting average for the weekend.     It's all about the work for Francesca Bazil. Work in the batting cage, work in the weight room, work behind the plate, etc. This summer, all of that work paid off in a big way. She began the travel ball season in Kentucky and hit .400 at the plate that weekend. The following month, she upped her average to .600, then in June to .800. Finally, in July, her team went 7-1 at a tournament where she had four doubles. With her power across all fields and impressive bat-to-ball skills, she casts an imposing figure in the batter's box. Her nickname, Frank the Tank, might stick.

Though college softball prospects in the 2032 class are still in the early stages of their skill development, some players in the class are already standing out above the rest.

Below, Prep Softball highlights budding stars from the high school class of 2032 who are beginning to separate themselves early.