Who's the best? Vote now for the top Arkansas high school softball stars of 2025

Check out stats, standout moments, and vote for the top-performing high school softball athletes from Across Arkansas this 2025 season

Levi Payton | May 13, 2025

Kendall Watson has been on a tear for Malvern. She’s batting .754 (52-for-69) in 23 games this season, crushing 16 home runs, nine doubles, four triples and racking up a staggering 63 RBI. / Justin Manning

As the home stretch of the high school softball season in Arkansas is winding down, we decided to take a look at some of the state's best performers so far from the 2025 season. We have 25 of them here. We've included captions on each player and we're asking you to read up on each of them and then cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page to let us know who you think deserves to be considered the best.

From players who are batting over .750 nearly 30 games into the season to a pitcher who has 250 strikeouts and hasn't allowed an earned run all season, The Natural State is brimming with talent. The future remains bright, too, as our list below features 18 underclassmen and seven seniors.

Please note this is not a ranking of our overall top 25 players for Arkansas. You may vote as many times as you like, and you are encouraged to share this poll. Voting ends Sunday, May 25 at 11:59 p.m. Central time.

Disclaimer: Voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You may vote as many times as you'd like and are encouraged to share our polls with others.

Arkansas high school softball candidates for top performer in 2025

Emmarie Blackwell, soph., Little Rock Central

In 21 games this season, Blackwell leads the Lady Tigers with a .556 batting average (30-for-54) with six doubles, three triples, three home runs and 27 RBI. Blackwell gets on base at a .684 clip with 13 walks and only four strikeouts on her resume. She is also tied for the team lead with 26 stolen bases.

Ashtyn Bradley, soph., Walnut Ridge

Bradley has literally had her hand involved in all 15 of the Lady Bobcats’ wins. The star pitcher for Walnut Ridge (15-5), Bradley is 15-1 on the mound with a sparkling 1.15 ERA. A two-sport standout who also plays basketball, Bradley isn’t just slick with a crossover on the court. She has also crossed up batters by the bushel, racking up 195 strikeouts through 122 innings in the pitcher’s circle while holding opponents to a .135 average.

Rylee Brown, fr., Sloan-Hendrix (Imboden)

The Natural State has some talented freshmen showing out this year and Brown has been one of the best. A two-sport star who also plays guard for the Lady Greyhounds basketball team, Brown’s athleticism shines on the diamond where she already has 55 stolen bases in 24 games. Batting leadoff and playing third, she’s hitting .589 (43-for-73) with six home runs, five doubles, two triples, 22 RBI and has scored 38 runs.

Emma Buckner, soph., Des Arc

She bats leadoff but don’t let it fool you; Buckner has plenty of pop in her bat. She’s also a fine defender (.982 fielding) who contributes at multiple positions, racking up 38 putouts, 16 assists, two double plays and only one error while splitting time on the infield, in the outfield and at pitcher. At the dish Buckner has four home runs, 12 doubles and a triple with 16 RBI while slashing .534/.620/.983/1.603.

Linly Chapman, jr., Fayetteville

Chapman packs the power in Fayetteville’s potent lineup. Among the state’s leaders in home runs, Chapman has hit nine in 26 games so far this season while helping the Lady Bulldogs to a 16-11-2 record. She carries a .442 batting average with six doubles, 35 RBI and has scored 31 runs.

Mya Foster, jr., Heber Springs

A versatile athlete who can play a variety of positions while swinging an impact bat, Foster has been a force in the middle of Heber Springs’ lineup all year. Through 26 games, Foster is batting .500 (40-for-80) with 12 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 40 RBI. The Lady Panthers are 19-7.

Makenzie Freeman, sr., Hackett

Freeman is a two-way impact star for the Lady Hornets. She’s handled the pitching duties for Hackett this season, going 23-3 inside the pitcher’s circle with a sparkling 1.99 ERA in 126 innings, scattering 74 hits and 27 earned runs with 187 strikeouts and only 21 walks. Batting in the middle of Hackett’s potent offense, Freeman has helped herself to a .613 batting average (46-for-75) in 26 games with 15 doubles, two triples and 42 RBI.

Harley Grammer, soph., DeWitt

In her first game this season Grammer went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and 7 RBI, and she hasn’t stopped raking since. The starter at second base who hits third in the Dragonettes’ lineup, the sophomore also turned a 9-RBI performance in another blowout win this season and is batting .574 (39-for-68) with 11 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 45 RBI and has scored 45 runs in 23 games. She is coming off a 3-for-4 performance with two doubles an RBI and three runs scored in a blowout win over Drew Central on May 2.

Kirsten Holt, jr., Lonoke

One of two Lady Jackrabbits on this list, Holt is off to a fantastic start. She’s batting .569 through her first 25 games and is slashing .684/1.155/1.839. She has collected 13 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 37 RBI and scored 31 runs. Opponents don’t like pitching to her, as she’s drawn 26 walks and only struck out once in 90 plate appearances. Defensively, the first baseman carries a .966 fielding percentage with 132 putouts, 10 assists and seven double plays with five errors.

Shaniya Jackson, fr., Lonoke

Starting at shortstop and batting leadoff for 17-7 Lonoke, it’s safe to say the Lady Jackrabbits like what they see from the young freshman. Setting the table for the team’s offense, Jackson’s average sits at .566 (47-for-83) through her first 25 games with 11 doubles, five triples and one home run with 19 RBI. With only two strikeouts on her resume, Jackson has drawn 16 walks, swiped 13 bases and scored 39 runs.

Madison Kellar, soph., Pottsville

Who needs doubles and triples when you can just hit dingers? That seems to be the stance Kellar has taken at the plate this season. She has 13 extra-base hits in 22 games and 11 of them are home runs. She is currently batting .500 (30-for-60) with two doubles, 11 home runs and 34 RBI. She’s drawn 25 walks, including 11 in her last three games, and has struck out only twice all year.

Emma King, sr., Bauxite

The Lady Miners are off to an 18-11 start and King has packed quite a punch in the middle of their lineup. Batting third and playing third most days, King has played in 30 games in 2025, batting .488 (42-for-86) with 12 home runs, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 40 RBI and she has scored 33 runs.

Abi Koppein, sr., Mena

The Ladycats are off to a 16-4 start thanks in large part to Koppein’s dominance in the circle this year. It takes some tough luck to have three losses pinned on you despite a sub-1.00 ERA, but Koppein is 12-3 with a 0.84 ERA in 18 appearances this season. She piles up the strikeouts, punching out 164 batters so far with 40 walks in 97.1 innings. She has surrendered 54 hits and 35 runs, but only nine of those runs have been earned.

Kaylee McDonald, jr., Des Arc

It’s hard to quantify how dominant Kaylee McDonald is in the pitching circle. Coming off a year in which she struck out 346 and walked only 21 in 150.2 innings, McDonald is on pace to strike out 354 this year. She already leads the state with 229 strikeouts and has walked only 18 in 97.1 innings across 18 appearances while helping the Lady Eagles to a 16-7 record. McDonald has surrendered only 43 hits and 26 runs (nine earned) and opponents are batting .123 against her. At the plate she’s batting .482 with three home runs and three doubles.

Gracee McGuire, sr., Tuckerman

Splitting time at catcher and third base, McGuire has helped guide the Lady Bulldogs to a 24-5 start this season. She’s tops on the team with a .538 average while also slashing .589/1.677/1.088. With 49 hits in 91 at-bats, she’s clubbed 11 home runs, 12 doubles and one triple with 52 RBI and has stolen eight bases. Despite moving around, her defense hasn’t suffered any. She’s got a .987 fielding percentage with two errors in 149 chances. In 83 innings behind the plate, she’s caught 8-of-18 runners who have attempted to steal a base on her.

Myah McNutt, fr., Cotter

The ace of Cotter’s staff, McNutt has helped the Lady Warriors get out to a 15-5 start in her maiden voyage into varsity softball. Seemingly getting better as the season wears on, McNutt is 10-3 with a 1.88 ERA in 15 appearances (13 starts). In 67 innings she has struck out 138 of the 293 batters she’s faced while allowing only 37 hits and 18 earned runs. She has stranded 64 runners, sports a 1.224 WHIP and opponents are batting just .170 against her.

Lillie-Faye McWhorter, sr., Woodlawn

McWhorter is having a whopper of a season for Woodlawn. It’s no surprise the Lady Bears are 28-4 with a player like her in tow. A two-way star, McWhorter has pitched in 23 games this season and is 20-0 inside the pitcher’s circle with a perfect 0.00 ERA. Yes, that’s correct. In 108 innings this season, McWhorter has not given up a single earned run while notching 250 strikeouts and just 30 walks. McWhorter has given up only 14 hits and nine unearned runs all year. She’s also been strong at the plate, where she’s batting .474 with five home runs, 10 doubles, one triple and 32 RBI while drawing 21 walks, striking out only six times and scoring 16 runs in 32 games.

Sarena Myers, fr., Hector

While most players need a little time to adjust to the varsity level, Myers has hit the ground running in her first 15 varsity games. The freshman has handled all of Hector’s pitching duties and has helped her own cause in a big way. The young star is batting .630, with six home runs, nine doubles, four triples and 27 RBI while scoring 33 runs. She’s reached base safely 70.7% of the time and is a perfect 24-for-24 on stolen-base attempts. Her OPS is 2.098 and she’s slugging 1.391. In the circle she’s 10-3 with a 4.40 ERA, already racking up 150 strikeouts with only 28 walks on 73 hits in 76.1 innings.

Violet Nguyen, jr., Bentonville

Bentonville has a pair of sluggers helping pace its potent offense this season in Nguyen and Anniston Reith. In 26 games so far, Nguyen is batting .456 (31-for-68) with six home runs, 11 doubles, three triples and 33 RBI. Nguyen has a knack for getting on base, as she has also drawn 13 walks and scored 31 runs.

Anniston Reith, sr., Bentonville

The thunder to Violet Nguyen’s lightning in Bentonville’s lineup, Reith is also having a tremendous season at the plate. Like Nguyen, Reith has also played in 26 games so far this season where she’s batting .418 (28-for-67) with 11 home runs, seven doubles, 39 RBI and has scored 19 runs.

Bethany Roper, jr., White Hall

The Lady Bulldogs are off to a 20-10-1 start this season and Roper has been the straw that stirs the offense’s drink. She leads the team with a .548 average through 28 games (40-for-73) with 12 doubles, two triples and five home runs. She’s driven in 27 runs and scored 21 times while slashing .642/973/1.615. She’s also made 16 appearances on the mound and is 0-0 with a 1.68 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 19 walks in 79 innings.

Ainsley Tippen, sr., Perryville

Tippen is having a strong senior campaign for the Lady Mustangs. Through 21 starts she is 14-4 with three no-decisions and a 2.23 ERA. Tippen is holding opponents to a .155 average while surrendering 35 earned runs on 62 hits while racking up 202 strikeouts with 53 walks in 109.2 innings. The veteran is also third on the team in batting with a .453 average, seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 23 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Kallie Thornton, jr., Melbourne

It can’t be fun standing in the box against Kallie Thornton. She’s tough on opposing hitters, holding them to a .154 average this year. In 21 starts she’s gone 17-4 with a 1.18 ERA, striking out 195 batters and walking 33 while surrendering 64 hits and 19 earned runs in 112.1 innings. She’s been credited with 19 complete games, six shutouts, four no-hitters and one perfect game. She’s also batting .339 (21-for-62) at the plate.

Kendall Watson, jr., Malvern

Watson has been a one-woman wrecking crew for Malvern. She’s batting .742 (49-for-66) in 23 games this season. She has crushed 14 home runs and has eight doubles, four triples and 57 RBI. Watson has drawn 18 walks and struck out only twice in 86 plate appearances. She gets on base at a .774 clip, slugs 1.609 and carries a 2.383 OPS. She’s stolen 11 bases and on defense has 22 putouts, 23 assists and two double plays without an error. She can pitch, too. She’s 13-3 in the circle in 22 appearances with a 3.72 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 87 innings.

Bristen Wheeler, soph., Tuckerman

Tuckerman is 25-5 to start the season and Wheeler is having a monster year. Batting cleanup and playing the hot corner for the Lady Bulldogs this season, Wheeler has played in 30 games so far and is batting .500 (46-for-92) with 16 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 54 RBI this season. She has scored 42 runs and stole 11 bases with an OPS of 1.615 while slugging 1.076.