Top 2029 Prospects To Watch In Northern California

With its mild year-round climate and many major population centers, California is home to a greater concentration of top young softball talent than perhaps any other state in the country. And while Southern California frequently gets most of the attention, the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley produce a whole host of elite players every year as well.   And the class of 2029 is no different. Below, Prep Softball takes a look at five top 2029 prospects in Northern California.    [player_tooltip player_id='109156' first='Kendall' last='Hom'] has already written an impressive story for herself. She recovered from a broken ankle to receive the top score at the San Francisco Pitch, Hit & Run competition, and then went on to win the national competition in Los Angeles. Hom plays two premium defensive positions and is especially alert behind the plate, catching runners straying too far off their bases and throwing behind them to steal outs. At shortstop, she can range deep in the hole to her backhand side and make off-balance throws, and she is also a solid contact hitter. Hom was invited to the USA Softball High Performance Program event in Florida last December, and then competed in the All-American Games at Devon Park in Oklahoma City in August.     [player_tooltip player_id='104896' first='Olive' last='Burke'] is a two-way player who imparts all kinds of spin on her pitches, throwing a rise ball, fastball, curveball and changeup. She can generate whiffs and leave batters frozen by dotting the edges of the strike zone. At the plate, Burke stays within herself, going with the pitch rather than trying to do too much. At a tournament in Modesto on Sept. 7, Burke had a 13-strikeout game in six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and no walks. She has a smooth and easy delivery with good mechanics and also takes her academics seriously, carrying a 4.0 GPA.     [player_tooltip player_id='145067' first='Kylie' last='Byrd'] is a versatile left-handed hitter who occupies the leadoff spot in her team's lineup and holds a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. She can do it all at the plate, even driving the ball over the fence on a slap hit. Her speed is among the best around, as she is already standing on first base by the time infielders even pick up some of her slaps and can turn a single into a triple if an outfielder misplays the ball even slightly. Byrd is not afraid to put her body on the line in the field, selling out to catch pop flies in foul territory on the dead run. She is a maniac on the basepaths, with the ability to stay in a rundown long enough to allow another runner to score and still take an extra base herself. Byrd has attended camps at Washington, UCLA and Arkansas.     Carlie DeMello is coming off an excellent summer season, highlighted by her performance at the Colorado Sparkler, where she batted .469 with a .609 on-base percentage, .969 slugging percentage, 16 stolen bases and 13 runs batted in. She bats with an exaggerated crouch and takes a nice, full swing, making her power look effortless. DeMello is a heads-up baserunner as well, moving up when an outfielder mishandles a ball or a throw back to the infield gets away. She has power to all fields and can play shortstop, third base and in the outfield. At third, she will field bunts with her bare hand and throw to first in time, and also snags hot line drives with ease.     [player_tooltip player_id='121597' first='Piper' last='Nulick'] had an outstanding summer season, going 10-for-16 in Colorado and hitting .430 overall with a 1.077 OPS in 90 plate appearances with six doubles, a triple, two home runs, 27 RBI, five walks and just one strikeout. Batting from the left side, she is a complete offensive player with impressive bat speed, power and the wheels to turn drives in the gap into triples. Most of her club teammates are a year older, but Nulick more than holds her own, just as she does with the Ireland U18 national team. She primarily plays third base but can fill in anywhere on the infield. Nulick has a 4.0 GPA while taking advanced courses, and has visited Cal, Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara and more for camps.

With its mild year-round climate and many major population centers, California is home to a greater concentration of top young softball talent than perhaps any other state in the country. And while Southern California frequently gets most of the attention, the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley produce a whole host of elite players every year as well.