Top 2030 Prospects To Watch In Delaware

Delaware may be the second-smallest state in the U.S. by area and in the bottom 10 by population, but the top softball talent from the class of 2030 is beginning to take shape across the state.   This group features a strong mix of elite arms, powerful bats and high-level athleticism. These athletes consistently show advanced skill sets, in-game awareness and competitive toughness beyond their years. Whether they are impacting the game in the circle, at the plate, on the bases, or in the field, each prospect brings the tools and mindset to help lead a team to success.   Below, Prep Softball highlights some of the top 2030 prospects to watch in Delaware.    [player_tooltip player_id='155091' first='Gia' last='Gambino'] is coming off an excellent fall season, batting .400 with a .909 OPS and 26 runs batted in. Eleven of those RBI came at the Nightmare Fastpitch Oktoberfest Showcase. She has the strength to drive the ball to the fence for opposite-field extra-base hits, and she stays with pitches down in the zone and on the outer half of the plate, lining sharp hits up the middle. Gambino is a clutch performer who does not let the moment get the best of her when she comes to bat with runners in scoring position, coming through in key situations to help her team win. She blocks balls in the dirt well from behind the plate, and even when she does not do so completely cleanly, she still keeps the ball in front of her and can recover in time to make a strong throw to catch a runner trying to advance. As a shortstop, Gambino will range deep into the hole to make backhanded plays, then use her arm to get the out at first. Also a field hockey standout, Gambino was her middle school team's MVP last fall.     A versatile defender who plays catcher, second base, and third base, Jaelyn DuPhily has already moved up to the 16U level as an eighth grader, and is currently in her first year with the Delaware Fury organization. She hit her first home run — a three-run blast — over the fence in left-center field at a fall tournament in New Hampshire and has a mechanically smooth swing, waiting for her pitch and looking to hit line drives to the middle of the diamond and ground balls through the holes between the infielders. DuPhily can also surprise the defense by dropping down a well-placed bunt and beating it out for a hit. She will also take an extra base any time a throw back to the infield gets away. Defensively, DuPhily handles routine grounders in the infield with ease and will leap out of her catcher's crouch to make acrobatic plays on popped-up bunts. She slashed .377/.431/.623 last fall with six doubles and two triples, scoring 26 runs and driving in 22 in 21 games. DuPhily is a three-sport athlete, playing basketball and field hockey in addition to softball.     Adalyn Lyon helped lead the Camden-Wyoming Little League team to a state championship and a strong run in the Mid-Atlantic regional tournament last summer. She is all over rise balls that don't get elevated enough, crushing the ball beyond the outfielders and using her speed to leg out a stand-up triple. In a comeback victory over a team from New Jersey, Lyon had two hits, including a clutch go-ahead two-run triple, and crossed home plate twice. Hitting in the leadoff spot for her club team, she has impressive bat speed and a well-developed swing, and she plays great defense at catcher, third base, and in the outfield. Lyon is a good pitch framer and lets hardly anything by her in the dirt behind the plate, cuts off hot ground balls heading for the corner at third, and gets on her horse to chase down long flies.     While Lyon was helping the Camden-Wyoming offense through the Little League playoffs in the summer of 2025, Shaianne Benson was leading the team's pitching staff. With her mother as the team's head coach, Benson threw a four-inning perfect game in the opening round of the regional tournament and hit an RBI double, walked, and scored a run. She hit another run-scoring double in the next game, driving the ball over the center fielder's head and all the way to the wall. Benson fields her position well in the circle, casually snagging sharp liners hit her way, and remains calm, cool, and collected when dealing with traffic on the bases. Her screwball, which ties right-handed batters in knots, may be her most effective pitch, but she will also go to a rise ball to induce weak infield pop-ups. Benson changes speeds well and has good command on all sides of the plate.

Delaware may be the second-smallest state in the U.S. by area and in the bottom 10 by population, but the top softball talent from the class of 2030 is beginning to take shape across the state.