Breakthrough players in Oregon high school softball: Meet the new stars of 2025

Who are some of the breakthrough players that softball coaches throughout the state praised for their performance this spring?

Sherwood freshman Presley Sarono-Ramos has quickly established herself as a dual-threat player for the Bowmen, posting an 0.99 ERA and striking out 100 in 56⅔ innings and batting .473 with five home runs. / Dan Brood

Earlier this season, we highlighted some of the top senior softball players in Oregon.

This week, we asked coaches from throughout the state to highlight the breakthrough player on their team who has emerged to become a critical part of the team's success.

P Harlee Agee, Douglas, sophomore

With Agee in the circle the past two seasons, the Trojans posted a school-record 22 wins last season and are off to a 15-2 start this year. She has struck out 129 in her starts and is batting .565 (.623 OBP) with 25 RBIs. “Harlee is the strength of our team,” Douglas coach Taylor Davis said. “She brings unmatched focus, resilience and leadership to every game. Whether she’s shutting down batters or lifting up her teammates, her dedication and competitive spirit set the tone for everything we do on the field.”

1B Makya Alsup, Cottage Grove, junior

The Lions already have more wins (nine) than a year ago, and Alsup has played a huge role, hitting .367 (18 for 49) with 10 RBIs and committing just three errors in 14 games. “Makya’s defense has been huge for our team,” said first-year coach Sarah Keefauver. “She makes it happen — no matter what ball is hit or thrown to her, we know that if we can field it, the out at first is going to happen. Additionally, her bat is hot. I am so proud of the confidence that I have seen from her this season.”

C Marti Anderson, La Grande, senior

Anderson is a four-year starter and was a second-team 4A all-state selection a year ago. She has put up even bigger numbers in her final high school season. She is batting .460 (29 of 63) with eight home runs, 33 RBIs and a 1.514 OBP, and behind the plate, she’s allowed just one stolen base in 114 innings, recording 64 blocks with runners in scoring position.

RF Kendall Atwood, West Linn, junior

The Lions won a school-record 23 games last year and are now well-positioned for their first Three Rivers League title since 2014 with Atwood playing a critical role, batting .522 (1.250 OPS) with two home runs, 18 RBIs, 31 runs and 23 stolen bases in 23 attempts. “She is our first batter every game, is faster than anyone else, scores in most games and gets the games going for us,” West Linn coach Gina Garvey said.

P/3B Destiny Christlieb, Phoenix, junior

Christlieb splits time between the circle (30 innings) and the hot corner, but she’s done the most damage for the Pirates in the batter’s box as their cleanup hitter, batting .526 (.620 OBP) with six home runs and 21 RBIs. “Destiny has been a tremendous asset to our team,” Phoenix coach Luis Lerma said. “She has been reliable all season long. We’re currently 11-3, and Destiny has definitely played a huge part in that.”

P/SS Keana Cooper, Sunset, junior

The Apollos have matched their win total (18) of a year ago and are poised to win their first Metro League title since 2019, and Cooper “has been an integral part of our team’s success this season with being a consistent hitter in the leadoff spot, providing a solid mix of speed and power at the plate,” according to Sunset coach Montana Evens. Cooper is batting .417 (.694 slugging) with three home runs and 10 stolen bases, and she has a .930 fielding percentage in 57 chances in her first full season at shortstop. “She’s been really solid and able to cover a lot of ground with her range,” Evens said.

SS Cassidy Crabtree, Cascade, junior

Crabtree missed last season with a torn ACL but is making up for lost time this spring, batting leadoff for the Cougars and hitting .531 (.595 OBP) with a triple, a home run, 16 RBIs and 37 runs, striking out only twice in nearly 70 plate appearances. She has stolen 21 bases (just four off the school record) on 22 attempts. “Having Cassidy back in the leadoff spot for us has been a great blessing,” Cascade coach Marty Jeppsen said. “She sets the tone each game and allows our power hitters to see better pitches because the defense is so worried about her speed. It also allows us to be more versatile with how we attack teams with bunts and hit-and-runs.”

P Maddie Dalberti, Oakland, junior

Oakers coach Anna Held praised Dalberti’s work in the offseason refining her technique, saying it has paid off big for her team. Through April 30, she was 11-6 with a 3.25 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 71 innings and led the team in batting average (.432), RBIs (22), triples (two) and walks (12). “Not only has she been solid in the circle, but as our No. 3 spot in the lineup, she’s leading our team offensively,” Held said.

U Kaylee Dinger, McMinnville, senior

Dinger has played outfield, third base and shortstop and toed the rubber for the Grizzlies this spring, leading the team with eight home runs and 44 RBIs and posting a .468 batting average (1.507 OPS) to go with eight doubles, two triples and 23 runs. “Defensively, her ability and willingness to play multiple positions has helped the team weather multiple injuries,” McMinnville coach Josh Terry said. “Kaylee’s hard work and selfless approach have been a huge part of the team's success.”

C Maddy Ehrens, Silverton, sophomore

Ehrens was a standout for the Foxes last season in the infield, making the 5A all-state first team, but after they lost all-state catcher Braezen Henderson to graduation, coach Ralph Cortez moved Ehrens behind the plate, and she hasn’t missed a beat. She’s batting .458 (.559 OBP) with six doubles, four home runs, 17 RBIs and 24 runs. “She has stepped in for us this year and is doing a great job back there,” Cortez said. “She gets the whole team going. Our pitchers like throwing to her, and that’s important to a pitcher. She makes them better.”

SS Addy Ellis, St. Helens, junior

Lions coach Natasha Sharp praised Ellis not only for her fielding prowess but her improved play at the plate. She is batting .491 (1.476 OPS) with four home runs and a team-high 30 RBIs. “Her bat has been on fire this season,” Sharp said. “Addy only gets better and better every year, and that’s because she puts in the work in her off-time. It shows in every aspect of her game.”

P Ashlynne Franssen, Gladstone, sophomore

Franssen has built off a strong freshman season to lead Oregon with 236 strikeouts in 106 innings — she ranks No. 50 in the nation according to MaxPreps, with only one pitcher (Mallory Reed of North Carolina) having more strikeouts in fewer innings. She has a 1.85 ERA and is batting a team-high .370 with eight doubles, two triples, 18 runs and 12 stolen bases to help the Gladiators lead the Tri-Valley Conference and match their 2024 win total (10).

P Scarlett Gordon, Hidden Valley, senior

Gordon transferred across town from Grants Pass to join the Mustangs, and she has gone 11-1 with 131 strikeouts and 24 walks in 78 innings to help them increase their win total from a year ago. She leads the team with a .553 batting average, including nine doubles, two triples and four home runs. She has driven in 28 runs. “Having her on the team this year has sparked a whole lot of confidence and drive in this team,” Hidden Valley coach Trisha Wall said. “She is a fantastic leader and helps with our JV program whenever possible. We’re very blessed and honored to have her on our team.” 

SS Dylan Hayworth, Harrisburg/Monroe, sophomore

The Eagles are on their way to an 11th consecutive winning season, and Hayworth — an emerging leader in the middle of the diamond — has helped lead the way. She is hitting .580 with 12 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 43 RBIs for the 3A Mountain Valley Conference leaders.

C/SS Cadence Kennedy, Mountain View, sophomore

Kennedy has split time between two key defensive positions and leads the Cougars in almost every offensive category, batting .468 (1.464 OPS) with five home runs, 27 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. “She has been a leader on and off the field,” Mountain View coach EJ Aponte said. “Her command on defense has helped set our team up for success, and her excellent character has captured the attention of a lot of our youth players.”

LF Millie MacKenzie, Lakeridge, senior

MacKenzie has stepped up for a young Pacers squad this season, batting .404 — including .455 in Three Rivers League play — and teaming with returning all-TRL first-team shortstop Maddie Moehl (.381 average) to provide a rock-solid spine in the lineup.

3B/DP Allison Martin, Eagle Point, sophomore

Eagles coach John White said Martin “suddenly got locked in as a hitter” this spring. She was batting .529 (27 of 51) through April with seven doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs. Her game-tying home run last Saturday against Thurston helped Eagle Point pull out a critical win that moved the Eagles to first place in the Midwestern League standings as they vie for their first league title since 2011.

C Olivia Nunez, West Salem, junior

When all-league catcher Courtney Gillis broke a foot in December and required surgery, Titans coach Ty Nicholson didn’t know where he’d turn for a replacement. Enter Nunez, a transfer from Hawaii whom Nicholson called a godsend, as she has capably stepped into Gillis’ shoes, hitting .361 with two home runs and 21 RBIs in their first 20 games. “Olivia has caught every inning of every game and is an outstanding person, teammate, player, and is tough as nails,” Nicholson said.

CF Sydney Phillips, Banks, sophomore

Phillips is in only her second year in the program, but her teammates unanimously voted her a team captain, and she has been “a driving force behind our very young team’s success,” coach Karla Colton said. She is batting .500 (.566 OBP) with 17 RBIs to help position Banks for its first league title since 2019. “Her consistent positivity and focus are something to be admired,” Colton said. “She’s an unstoppable wall in the outfield, ensuring anything hit in the air is caught and any runners trying to go home get thrown out.”

OF Alyvia Pietsch, Nelson, freshman

First-year Hawks coach Aaron Hazel planned to swing Pietsch between JV and varsity this spring, but she got a start in their first game “and basically has said with her play that she ain’t leaving,” Hazel said. Pietsch is batting .400 (1.020 OPS) with a team-high three triples, as she is in the team’s top three in every offensive category. “Alyvia has been a tremendous addition to our program,” Hazel said.

2B Mady Pratt, South Umpqua, senior

Pratt is a four-year starter for the Lancers who has taken her game to another level this spring, batting .564 with a .653 OBP in the No. 2 spot in their batting order, including 13 doubles, two home runs, 39 RBIs, 39 runs and 16 stolen bases.

P Presley Sarono-Ramos, Sherwood, freshman

Sarono-Ramos has quickly established herself as a dual-threat player for the Bowmen, posting an 0.99 ERA and striking out 100 in 56⅔ innings and batting .473 with five home runs, 31 RBIs and 18 runs as they close in on a fourth consecutive 20-win season. “She is dominant as a pitcher and equally threatening as a batter,” Sherwood coach Kris Moore said. “Her presence has played a key role in our team's success thus far.”

P/IF Mackenzie Schacher, Stayton, junior

Schacher has contributed in the circle (3.87 ERA, 31 strikeouts in nine appearances) and at both corner infield positions, batting .543 with two home runs, 18 RBIs and 19 runs. Eagles coach Madison Wyllie called her “a huge contributor to our team. She consistently leads the team with her play as well as her command in the circle. She has proven time and time again to be a key contributor to our lineup and has been a spark to our team’s energy this season.”

P Hailey Smith, Philomath, freshman

The Warriors are a year removed from a 1-23 finish, but with Smith taking over in the circle, they’ve already won 10 games this spring. She has struck out 59 in 52 innings with a 3.64 ERA. She is batting .600 (1.443 OPS).

1B Chloe Stromme, Oregon City, senior

Stromme missed most of last season because of injury, and Pioneers coach Mackenzie Washington has seen a difference in her senior leader this spring. “Chloe has been playing with more heart and desire than ever before,” Washington said of Stromme, who is batting .373 with six doubles and eight RBIs to go with a 1.000 fielding percentage. “She has taken her senior season by storm. She has a hustle and determination that is unmatched … and when you are on the field with her, you can’t help but match her energy and effort.”

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