Vote: Florida Panhandle High School Softball Player of the Year (5/31/2025)

We have selected 25 individuals as nominees for player of the year

Pace's Hannah DeMarcus (33) throws a pitch during the Pace softball team's Region 1-6A championship game win over Navarre on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Pace High School. / Ben Grieco/bgrieco@gannett.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This high school softball season was an exciting one across Florida, and the Panhandle had some tremendous players. These 25 nominees for the High School on SI Florida Panhandle player of the year showcased tremendous skills, heart and leadership as they helped led their team throughout the season. Like the player of the week polls, we ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think is the Florida Panhandle high school softball player of the year.

Voting ends June 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Here are the player of the year nominations:

Mikayla McAnally, Northview

This season McAnally batted .356 with 31 total hits and two home runs. She also finished with seven doubles, 18 RBIs, four stolen bases and 26 runs scored. in the field, McAnally finished with a 2.28 ERA in 104.1 innings. She allowed 79 hits but just 34 earned runs with 149 strikeouts. Defensively, she finished with a .977 fielding percentage in 44 total chances.

Madelynn Ladner, Escambia

Ladner had an exceptional season from the plate as she finished with a .597 batting average, .644 OBP and an OPS of 1.683. She tallied 46 hits, two home runs, five triples, 18 doubles, 31 RBIs, 35 stolen bases and 39 runs scored. Ladner also won 12 games as a starter with an ERA of 3.88 in 79.1 innings pitched. She allowed 82 hits, 44 earned runs with 97 strikeouts.

Morgan Smith, Pensacola Catholic

This season, Smith batted .646 with an OBP of .723 and an OPS of 2.140. She finished with 31 hits, six home runs, four triples, 11 doubles, 29 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and 35 runs scored. She also appeared in seven games where she pitched 21.2 innings with 15 strikeouts on the season. Defensively, she finished with a .947 fielding percentage in 76 total chances.

Jacey Reed, Gulf Breeze

Reed proved to be one of the most consistent hitters for the Dolphins this season as she batted .322 with an OBP of .398 and an OPS of 1.042. She finished with 28 hits, eight home runs, four doubles, 28 RBIs and 13 runs scored. Reed also pitched 97.1 innings with 78 strikeouts on the year with an ERA of 3.60. Defensively, she finished with a .929 fielding percentage in 84 total chances.

Karsyn Riddle, Navarre

This season, Riddle batted .418 with an OBP of .455 and an OPS of 1.059. She finished with 38 hits, three home runs, one triple, six doubles, 26 RBIs, three stolen bases and 26 runs scored. She also appeared in eight games with 30 innings pitched and recorded 14 strikeouts. Lastly, Riddle finished with a .955 fielding percentage in 44 total chances.

Hannah DeMarcus, Pace

Not only did DeMarcus prove that she is one of the best pitchers in the state, she proved that she was one of the best pitchers in the country this season. She went 23-3 as a starter with 21 complete games and nine no-hitters. DeMarcus pitched 175 total innings with an ERA of 0.32. She allowed 40 hits, 14 runs, eight earned runs, 33 walks and struck out 418 batters.

Gracie Ueberroth, Pace

Ueberroth packed a punch from the plate this season for the Patriots this season. She batted .365 with an OBP of .402 and an OPS of 1.100. She finished with 35 total hits, eight home runs, eight doubles, 30 RBIs, two stolen bases and 26 runs scored. Defensively, she finished with a fielding percentage of .938 in 32 total chances.

Kara Wine, Tate

The senior standout from Tate finished with a .426 batting average, .519 OBP and an 1.486 OPS this season. She tallied 26 hits, nine home runs, six doubles, 26 RBIs, two stolen bases and 23 runs scored. Tate also finished with a fielding percentage of .926 in 108 total chances.

Briana Noles, Niceville

Noles had a breakout sophomore campaign that saw her finish with a .451 batting average with 46 total hits. She finished with an OBP of .496, an OPS of 1.329, seven home runs, five triples, eight doubles, 23 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 32 runs scored.

Chloe Bailey, Niceville

Bailey emerged as one of the top players in the Panhandle after a spectacular sophomore season. Offensively, she finished with a .330 batting average, .360 OBP and an OPS of .887. She tallied 30 hits, five home runs, three doubles, 25 RBIs and nine runs scored. As a pitcher, Bailey finished with an ERA of 0.71 in 158.2 innings pitched. She allowed 85 hits, 16 earned runs and struck out 266 batters.

Anna Beyhl, Fort Walton Beach

This season, Beyhl finished with 36 total hits which was good for a .387 batting average. She had an OBP of .496 and an OPS of 1.087 with two home runs, 13 doubles, 33 RBIs, one stolen bases and 24 runs scored. Beyhl also got 32.2 innings of work as a pitcher with an ERA of 5.36 with 14 strikeouts. You can expect her to take the next step and play a bigger role from the circle next season.

Rilyn Douglas, Fort Walton Beach

Douglas stepped up to be one of the biggest offensive threats for the Vikings this season. She finished with a .347 batting average, an OBP of .432 and an OPS of 1.095. She recorded 35 hits, seven home runs, 11 doubles, 35 RBIs, two stolen bases and 21 runs scored. From the circle, she finished with an ERA of 2.91 in 168.1 innings with 109 strikeouts.

Alyx Hall, Fort Walton Beach

Hall is the third member of the Vikings to be nominated after she finished the year with a batting average of .422 with 10 home runs. She tallied 35 hits, eight doubles, 23 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Defensively, she recorded a .980 fielding percentage in 150 total chances

Anita Palmer, Destin

This season, Palmer finished with a remarkable batting average of .603 with an OBP of .663 and an OPS of 1.855. She tallied 44 hits, six home runs, three triples, 19 doubles, 31 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and 47 runs scored. Palmer also finished with a fielding percentage of .937 in 111 total chances.

Kayla Stephens, Freeport

Stephens was one of the top hitters for Freeport this season finishing with a batting average of .446, an OBP of .506 and an OPS of 1.303. She recorded 33 total hits, five triples, 16 doubles, 30 RBIs, four stolen bases and 27 runs scored.

Zoey Kreinus, South Walton

Kreinus finished the season batting .466 with an OBP of .518 and an OPS of 1.450. She tallied 34 total hits, nine home runs, seven doubles, 37 RBIs and 20 runs scored. She also finished with a .983 fielding percentage in 120 total chances.

Bri Adams, Holmes County

From the circle, Adams pitched 77.2 innings with an ERA of 0.99 this season. She allowed 40 hits, 11 earned runs and struck out 149 batters. Offensively, she batted .362 with an OBP of .449 and an OPS of 1.018. She tallied 21 total hits, one home run, nine doubles, 12 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 21 runs scored.

Christina Clayton, Port St. Joe

Clayton was part of the two-headed monster that led the Tiger Sharks this season. She batted .515 with an OBP of .566 and an OPS of 1.228. She tallied 35 hits, two home runs, four doubles, 25 RBIs, five stolen bases and 13 runs scored. From the circle, she won eight games with an ERA of 3.96 in 63.2 innings pitched. She allowed 36 earned runs with 68 strikeouts.

Brooklyn Bishop, Port St. Joe

Bishop batted .406 with an OBP of .488 and an OPS of 1.372. She tallied 28 hits, nine home runs, six doubles, 29 RBIs, one stolen base and 20 runs scored. From the circle, she won seven games with an ERA of 2.61 in 59 total innings pitched. She allowed 43 hits, 22 earned runs and struck out 94 batters.

Tarrin McCrone, Altha

McCrone batted .484 with an OBP of .529 and an OPS of 1.654. She tallied 31 total hits, 10 home runs, 11 doubles, 47 RBIs, seven stolen bases and 28 runs scored. McCrone also pitched 57 innings with 78 strikeouts and finished with an ERA of 3.44. Defensively, she finished with a .939 fielding percentage in 49 total chances.

Annelise Skipper, Cottondale

This season Skipper won 10 games from the circle with an ERA of 0.61 in 91.2 innings of work with 189 strikeouts. Offensively, she batted .366 with 26 total hits, three doubles, 16 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

Kaylee Goodpaster, North Bay Haven Academy

This season, Goodpaster batted .600 with an OBP of .670 and an OPS of 1.929. She tallied 51 hits, 12 home runs, four triples, 12 doubles, 61 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 48 runs scored. Defensively, she had a perfect fielding percentage this season in 39 total chances.

Bre Clark, Arnold

Clark proved again this season that she was one of the best pitchers in the Florida Panhandle. She won 17 games with an ERA of 1.44 in 160.2 innings pitched. She allowed 101 hits, 33 runs and struck out 276 batters.

Bailee Gladden, North Bay Haven Academy

Gladden batted .388 this season with an OBP of .495 and an OPS of 1.201. She finished with 33 hits, five home runs, two triples, eight doubles, 31 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 42 runs scored. Defensively, she finished with a .924 fielding percentage in 66 total chances.

Addison Mallon, North Bay Haven Academy

The final nominee for this year's player of the year is the ace for the Buccaneers. Mallon won 22 games as a starter with an ERA of 2.02 this season. She pitched 121 innings with 96 hits and 35 earned runs allowed with 128 strikeouts. She also proved herself as a reliable hitter batting .394 with 37 hits, four triples, eight doubles, 23 RBIs, six stolen bases and 41 runs scored.