Dual-Threat 2028s Making Noise In The Circle, At The Plate

Having the ability to impact your team on offense and in the circle is a tremendous skill. For many young softball players, the desire is to focus on learning as much as possible to show you can impact your team in myriad ways. For these sophomores, they've done just that.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five players in the class of 2028 who have been making noise as dual-threats in both the circle and at the plate.    Anniston Shelton has thoroughly impressed over the last two years, as she's ascended to being a top dual-threat player in West Virginia. Competing at both Parkersburg South and with the 18U Hotshots team, she's dominated some of the top talent in the Midwest with a strong arsenal and a talented bat. This past spring, she batted .474 with runners in scoring position, adding five home runs and five doubles as well. She also posted a 2.04 ERA with 84 strikeouts through 72 innings in travel ball. Anniston is certainly blossoming into a strong power bat who can also be a reliable starter with strong stuff in the circle.     MaKaylee Gantt can play just about anywhere, and she is such a solid threat in the batter's box that coaches want her in the lineup each day. Not only has she been able to hold things down in the circle, posting a 9-5 record in 17 appearances (six starts) during her freshman campaign at Highland Tech, but her batting statistics are also tremendous. She had a .636 average with 35 RBI, 11 doubles, two triples and four home runs in just 21 games, hoisting herself onto the All-District team. MaKaylee can play catcher, third base and just about anywhere else she's needed on the field, and that versatility makes her a game-changer for her squad.     Kota Copley had just about as good a freshman season as someone can ask for, both as a hitter and in the circle. She's a deceiving pitcher, coming from the left side, who posted a 3.03 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 136.1 innings as the workhorse for South Point High School. Then, once she was done setting down batter after batter, she stepped up to the plate and hit .605 with 15 RBI in 22 games. Kota uses all of her 5-foot-3 frame to carve through opponents as a slapper, and is a great example of not needing overpowering stuff in the circle to be extremely effective.     Haleigh Eason has handled two of the most important positions on the softball field for years, and has continued to improve season after season. She's a tremendous impact player as both a pitcher and shortstop, earning a spot on the NC Stars 16U team as a rising sophomore this summer. Haleigh has mainly worked in relief, but fanned 138 batters through 75.2 innings this spring as she continues to see her opportunities grow. As a hitter, she batted .604 with 23 RBI, nine doubles and five triples, making her a quintessential top-of-the-lineup bat for her teams.     Reagan Peri is a high-level athlete who uses every part of her 5'10" frame to blow past hitters and collect extra-base hits with extreme consistency. She first broke onto the varsity team with The Masters Academy in eighth grade and built on a quality first year with a great freshman season. This spring, she posted a 2.87 ERA in 23 games with 192 strikeouts through 114.2 innings. Her bat still needs some developing, but she's a .391 hitter through two seasons who works counts well and rarely strikes out.

Having the ability to impact your team on offense and in the circle is a tremendous skill. For many young softball players, the desire is to focus on learning as much as possible to show you can impact your team in myriad ways. For these sophomores, they've done just that.