Under-The-Radar California 2028s Poised To Break Out

There may not be a state in the entire country with more softball talent bubbling over than California. From Los Angeles to the Bay Area, plenty of college coaches make the Golden State a priority stop in search of talent. However, there are still plenty of players who fly under the radar. The players on this list most likely won't be under the radar for long.   Below, Prep Softball highlights under-the-radar 2028s poised for big high school seasons in California.    In only 44 at-bats last spring, Zaylee Gutierrez racked up an entire season's worth of stats with 24 hits, 17 RBIs, four doubles, three home runs, and a .583 on-base percentage. If that's not impressive enough, despite only playing in just over half of Castro Valley's games for the season, she finished first on the team in batting average (.545), second in slugging percentage (0.866), second in home runs, third in on-base percentage, third in hits, third in RBIs, and tied for second in triples. She is as dependable a hitter as you can find, having struck out a grand total of two times for the season along with recording four walks. Behind the plate, she is just as reliable with a pop time of 1.86, and solid throwing accuracy. Case in point, she made only one error in 85 total chances. With her sophomore season approaching and an incredible freshman campaign already under her belt, she is poised for a breakout year.     In her first 12 games as a Blue Devil, [player_tooltip player_id='102705' first='Molly' last='Roseen'] was an unstoppable force, smacking 25 hits, along with a .581 batting average, 15 RBIs, 18 runs scored, nine doubles, and a .600 on-base percentage. She reached base safely in 11 of her first 12 games, and in that time struck out only once in 43 at-bats. More importantly, the Blue Devils won 10 of those 12 games and outscored their opponents by 78 runs. Her contributions to the team didn't just come from the batter's box, either. In addition to pitching a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts on March 1 against the Churchill County Green Wave, she finished her campaign with a 2-0 record, a 1.08 ERA, and 36 strikeouts. In total, she appeared in 13 games as a freshman and had a definite impact on the team's winning ways. The program is looking for its third straight postseason appearance, and with Roseen leading the way, they have a good shot.     You would be hard pressed to find anyone with a better eye at the plate than Leila Rhoads. The Golden State product walked 21 times this past spring for the Berean Christian Eagles, compared to only recording three strikeouts. As a freshman, she scored a run in over half (54% to be exact) of her appearances on base. She finished first on the team in on-base percentage (.651), runs scored (47), and triples (4). Her .540 batting average, 34 hits, and two home runs for the season were nothing to sneeze at either. Defensively, she had a perfect fielding percentage on the year with 28 putouts and one assist. Her production and vital role on the team helped the Eagles complete two straight winning seasons for the first time in eight years and pile up their most runs scored as a team in 10 years. After a successful fall season with Universal Bay Area-Tatro, in which she hit .446 at the plate, the sky is the limit for her sophomore campaign.     Charlotte Shelton engineered her first win in the circle on March 8 against the Otay Ranch Mustangs with a complete-game performance, and then kept right on winning. The righthander delivered two more complete games in the month of March and won four out of her next five starts. In total, she led the San Marcos Knights with eight wins and also led the team with a 2.97 ERA. In only her freshman year, she was in the circle for half of her squad's victories for the season. She is adept at keeping hitters in the ballpark and prides herself on her changeup. During the summer with the Firecrackers, she had an excellent weekend at the TC Brashear Invitational, during which she pitched 11 innings with eight strikeouts and only allowed one earned run. She knows how to win, and will be an exciting player to watch this spring.     Presley Sloniker did a little bit of everything for the Linfield Christian Lions in her freshman season. At the plate, she had an impressive .458 batting average with 22 hits, 20 runs scored, 16 RBIs, six doubles, two home runs, and finished tied for first on the team with five stolen bases. In the circle, she was even better with a 7-2 record, 54 strikeouts, and a 2.54 ERA to lead the team. When she wasn't at the plate or in the circle, she patrolled the infield and committed only one error for the season, along with posting eight assists and a .941 fielding percentage. She continued her hot hitting into the summer with Athletics Mercado, posting a .571 batting average and .714 slugging percentage at PGF Premier Nationals. She is a player who can contribute to a team in a myriad of ways, making her a must-watch prospect this season.

There may not be a state in the entire country with more softball talent bubbling over than California. From Los Angeles to the Bay Area, plenty of college coaches make the Golden State a priority stop in search of talent. However, there are still plenty of players who fly under the radar. The players on this list most likely won't be under the radar for long.