Top Defensive 2028s On The Summer Circuit

A common refrain in sports is that defense wins championships, and while that may be cliche, the results prove it to be true more often than not. Two players on this list helped bring home state titles to their schools, and all of them have proven to be masterful with their gloves.   Below, Prep Softball highlights five of the top defensive prospects on the summer circuit from the high school class of 2028.    Behind the dish, Khloe Kirby had a perfect fielding percentage for her sophomore season. But that would only be telling a small portion of the story. She also helped guide a pitching staff for the Trenton Tigers that remarkably allowed only 30 runs all season and finished with a 0.70 ERA (and more importantly, a state title). In the postseason alone, the Tigers outscored their opponents by 32 runs, 36 to 4. Kirby had 19 assists on the season, and her excellent framing skills and transformation into a metaphorical wall behind the plate played an integral role in making Trenton's hurlers nearly unhittable. Defense is contagious, and when a catcher sets a high standard, it spreads throughout a team.     There is lockdown defense, and then there's what Khloe Villanueva provides on a daily basis. The sure-handed third baseman and utility player has been nearly perfect in her two seasons for the Antonian Prep Apaches. Overall, she has 228 career putouts, a whopping 10 double plays turned (including nine of them in her sophomore season), seven assists, and only one error committed in 236 total chances for a .936 career fielding percentage. She is quick with her hands and feet, but she does not rush, her crow hop is impeccable, and she is able to cover plenty of ground whether she is at short, third, or anywhere else on the diamond. In short, she is who you want to be making a play in crunch time.     It's difficult to say which is more impressive—Bailey Freeborn's offense or defense? She did, after all, set single-season program records for the Frontier Titans in her sophomore season with 19 doubles and 45 RBIs. Her defense at first base, however, was just as excellent, with nine double plays turned, five assists, and only one error committed for a sparkling .994 fielding percentage. Over her two high school seasons, she has only committed a total of three errors, and holds a .986 career fielding percentage. So far this summer, she has continued swinging for the fences and delivering for her SoCal Athletics squad, while always holding her own in the infield.     Kyndall Johnson is simply a force to be reckoned with both in the field and at the plate. The hard-hitting Bluegrass State resident set career highs on the offensive side during her sophomore season with 13 home runs for the Bracken County Polar Bears, but she was arguably even better with the glove. She completed the season with an astounding 101 assists, 69 putouts, and helped turn twelve double plays. Her on-the-field exploits garnered her First-Team All-State honors, and she has continued her stellar play into the summer. At the Top Gun Invitational in Kansas City, she racked up eight putouts, 13 assists, and one double play. She is an all-around exceptional athlete and will only continue to improve.     It would be wise not to run on catcher Josie Purdy. In her sophomore season with the Goshen Warriors, she threw out 11 runners trying to steal, and picked off one runner for good measure. She only committed one error on the season, and has only committed three in her high school career so far in 407 chances. She has a quick pop time, a strong arm, and her time spent doing extra fielding drills is seen in her accurate throws. With her reliability behind the plate, the Warriors' pitching staff flourished with a 1.82 ERA and a 25-4 overall record. She was named a Second-Team All-Conference selection and was also her team's captain. Heading into her junior season next spring, she will once again be looked to as the leader of her squad.

A common refrain in sports is that defense wins championships, and while that may be cliche, the results prove it to be true more often than not. Two players on this list helped bring home state titles to their schools, and all of them have proven to be masterful with their gloves.