Ohio's top high school softball players: Meet the state’s best outfielders
Over the past few weeks, we've been featuring some of the top softball players in Ohio.
We started with the top first basemen, then second basemen, shortstops, third basemen and catchers, and now we move on to the outfielders.
There are hundreds of outstanding outfielders in Ohio, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive! Tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @SBLiveOH and let us know about other athletes worthy of fans’ attention.
Note: Many high school softball players excel at multiple positions. Don't be alarmed to see a starting shortstop or ace pitcher listed here as an outfielder, for example.
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Ava Ash, Revere, junior
Ash hit .415 with 27 runs scored and 17 RBIs last season in earning second-team all-Suburban League American Conference honors in center field. Defensively, she was perfect, committing zero errors on the season.
Alexis Book, Unioto, sophomore
Earned an honorable mention all-Ohio nod as a freshman, hitting .517 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs. She can hit with power or beat you with her speed by laying down a bunt and beating it out for a hit. Defensively, she can track a ball down anywhere from center field.
Addie DeLong, Mechanicsburg, sophomore
The first-team all-Ohio selection in Division IV was also named the Ohio Heritage Conference Player of the Year as a freshman. She hit .641 and had 55 stolen bases. She is a triple threat at the plate with incredible speed on the base paths. DeLong covers a ton of ground, and her arm strength is top-notch. After playing the outfield as a freshman, she will begin to transition to shortstop this year.
Fallon Donley, Norton, junior
She hit .488 with 16 doubles, four triples and a homer last season to earn a selection to the all-Metro Conference first-team. Defensively in left field, she had a .985 fielding percentage.
Kaylie Duskey, Green, junior
The left fielder gives Green some pop in the middle of the lineup, and she showed it in the important games last season, hitting a home run in the district semifinals and the district final. She shows great speed in the outfield and on the bases.
Brenna Farmer, Riverdale, junior
Was named honorable mention all-Ohio and first-team all-Blanchard Valley Conference last season as a sophomore. She helped lead the Falcons to a 22-5 record and can play all three outfield spots plus first base. She has committed to play college softball at Ohio University.
Macaira Fox, Tuslaw, senior
Fox was named honorable mention all-Ohio a season ago, hitting .440 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBIs. She makes things happen at the plate and gets on base with her line-drive hitting style. She also plays a strong center field and runs down a lot of balls. An all-around leader, Fox leads by example on and off the field.
Laurel Gomersal, Hudson, senior
The team leader for the Explorers with a .426 batting average, 40 hits, 35 runs scored, 11 doubles, five home runs and 27 RBIs, she was named second-team all-district in Division I. Gomersal helped Hudson win the Suburban League National Conference crown.
Alyssa Hochstetler, Akron Springfield, sophomore
Began her high school softball career with a season that saw her hit .597 with six extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. She scored 39 runs while playing a solid center field defensively.
Belle Hummel, Lakota West, senior
She paced the Greater Miami Conference with a .611 batting average, 58 runs scored and 38 stolen bases last season. She had 58 hits with 13 doubles and four triples to earn first-team all-Ohio honors.
Kate Kujawski, St. Vincent-St. Mary, junior
Last year, Kujawski hit .623 with three home runs, six doubles, three triples, 16 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. She moved to the third spot in the lineup as a junior after hitting leadoff last year. She patrolled center field with ease last season, committing zero errors. Her coach says Kujawski is a tremendous all-around player who hasn’t stopped working since last season to get better in all aspects of her game.
Chelsea Mack, Brecksville, senior
The Division I first-team all-Ohio outfielder hit .570 with 61 hits last season. She led the state in stolen bases with 73, which was the second-most in a single season in OHSAA history. The Suburban League and Cuyahoga County Player of the Year has signed to play at the University of Kentucky.
Sam Pennington, Mason, junior
Named first-team all-Greater Miami Conference as a sophomore in her first year of high school softball. She hit .506 with 45 hits, which were both top 10 in the conference, and she also drove in 16 runs.
Taylor Poeppelman, Anna, junior
She earned honorable mention all-Ohio accolades by hitting .552 with 56 stolen bases. She comes ready to play at practice and games, according to her coach, and is a great teammate. She holds a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and also plays soccer and basketball.
Kayla Roberts, Hillsboro, junior
The Frontier Athletic Conference Player of the Year hit .518 with eight homers and 49 RBIs. She plays the outfield and pitches for Hillsboro and finished with a 12-5 record and 150 strikeouts as a sophomore. Her play earned her a nod as a second-team all-Ohio selection.
Kylie Rohr, Tuscarawas Valley, senior
Rohr hit .574 with 54 hits, 17 doubles, eight homers, 42 RBIs, 43 runs scored and 19 stolen bases to earn second-team all-Ohio honors as a junior. She also takes her turn in the pitching circle, where she was 4-2. She has been named a team captain, and her coach says no moment is too big for her, as she performs better when the stakes are highest. She did so last year by helping Tuscarawas Valley win its first district title in 27 years.
Alyssa Sheely, Ursuline, senior
She hit .550 last season in landing a second-team all-Ohio nod. As a leadoff hitter, she gets on base and is an instinctual baserunner with great quickness. She has an aggressive swing at the plate and uses her speed and quickness in center field.
Alivia Studer, Colonel Crawford, senior
Studer broke the school record last year with 17 home runs and came just one homer short of tying the state record. More than half of her hits went for home runs, and she drove in 45 on the season. She hit .378 with 37 runs scored and 21 stolen bases.
Cara Taylor, Waterford, senior
Her .660 batting average, 58 RBIs and 29 stolen bases were all single-season school records last year. She was named first-team all-Ohio in Division IV after helping to lead Waterford to one of its best seasons in program history.
Emily Yacapraro, Triway, senior
Earned honorable mention all-Ohio honors last season, hitting .492 with 58 hits, 22 RBIs and 59 runs scored. Her 59 runs and 54 singles last year were both tops on the team. She is a lefty slap hitter who puts pressure on defenses with her quickness and ability to hit, slap, drag and run the base paths. She has committed to Cleveland State.