Top 2027 Prospects To Watch In Iowa

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iowa is home to some of the best collegiate talent across the divisions, and it's largely because those programs get the unique opportunity of having a backyard full of budding youth talent. The Hawkeye State's class of 2027 is no different, with players across the board putting up big numbers at the high school and club levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below, Prep Softball highlights five of the top softball players in Iowa from the high school graduating class of 2027.</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":101953,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='101701' first='Lively' last='Hanawalt']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_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":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Dowling Catholic","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Iowa Premiere Gold","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"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-6785c8339a587"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lively is already getting some significant attention from Division I college coaches, which is a good sign for the Dowling Catholic catcher and third baseman. Her statistics behind and at the plate demonstrate exactly why Lively is quickly becoming a household name among Iowa high school softball players within the varsity and travel ball circuits. After the Patriots Games this summer, she was named the player who made the biggest impact in the tournament. Lively also batted .467 as the three-hole hitter for her team, which included posting a .400 batting average in Alliance Tournaments last year. Behind the plate, Lively made just four errors in 114 chances as well. She's done plenty in her high school career so far to garner onlookers' attention, so the sky is the limit for Lively.</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":101954,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Lauren Sandholm","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_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":"Ankeny Centennial","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Select Fastpitch 15U","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"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-6785c8339a62c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lauren took Ankeny Centennial by storm in 2024 and is looking to build on an incredible season this summer. Last season, Lauren made the most starts of any pitcher on her team, pitching in a total of 26 games. During that time, she posted a microscopic 1.58 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP, striking out 150 batters, while walking just 30 through 132.2 innings. What's even more impressive is that she did all of that while also batting .302 through 33 games. Lauren's dual-threat capabilities made her stardom soar last year, as she also dominated in travel softball. Her pitches show incredible zip and allow her to open up her arsenal in the circle later in counts.</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":101957,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Grace Rood","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"30","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Ankeny","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Iowa Premier 18U National","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"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-6785c8339a6c7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Grace, much like her counterparts on this list, has already enjoyed interest from college programs early in her varsity softball career. She is the truest definition of a utility player, possessing the capability to start at every position but pitcher for both her high school and travel softball teams. She does make her home up the middle of the field, using a swift glove and solid arm to become a vacuum. Grace spent her freshman season earning a Select 30 Invite and a 2024 All-State Honorable Mention honor, while also ramping up her exit velocity to a whopping 74 mph. If Grace can build on an incredible 2024 season and ramp up her hitting, she will have college coaches calling her come September 1.</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":101959,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Avery Scieszinski","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_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":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Ankeny Centennial","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Iowa Premier 16U","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"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-6785c8339a75a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">For the past three years, Avery has meticulously worked her way up the ranks of Iowa's top travel softball teams. Since then, she has been invited to showcases, championship series and prospect watch games throughout the country to showcase her talent to prospective recruiters. And she has done nothing but deliver for her teams when the lights seem to shine the brightest. Standing at 5-foot-10, Avery has a powerful swing and mashes opposing pitchers everywhere she goes. As she continues to fill out and get stronger in the next couple years, expect Avery to shoot up the list of nearly all prospect reports for Iowa and the Midwest.</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":101965,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Allison Haag","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"21","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Muscatine","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Iowa Premier Fastpitch","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"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-6785c8339a7e1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Allison is a slap-hitting nightmare for opposing teams. She has one of the most consistent and fluid swings that you will ever come across—one that allows her to maintain a strong barrel presence through the zone for a prolonged period of time. She has also successfully demonstrated the ability to spray the ball to all fields without losing much power, which is a true sign that her slapping can translate well to the next level. For the last two years, she has played in some of the best showcases in the country, and has carved out a name for herself in the Midwest. With continued growth at the plate and a more consistent glove over at first base, Allison can become one of the top first basemen in the entire class of 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->