Diamonds and pearls: Who are top softball players in Southwest Ohio ahead of this season?

The 2025 Ohio High School Athletic Association softball season sure was a memorable one for Southwest Ohio teams. Fairfield advanced to the Division I state tournament for the first time since 1991. Bethel-Tate won its first district title in a decade.

None of that would have been possible without the players who have a love for the game. After the season, 15 Cincinnati-area players were named to All-Ohio teams; four of those girls return this year hoping to once again lead their teams to postseason success.

Here are the top softball players in Southwest Ohio ahead of the season, which starts March 22.

Kylie Bailey, Waynesville

One of two Akron commits on this list, she hit .556 as a junior with five doubles, 33 RBIs and 39 runs scored. Her 10 homers led the Southwestern Buckeye League. She is a three-time SWBL first-team member and was the player of the year as a freshman and sophomore. She can also step into the circle at a moment’s notice; she threw 16.1 innings with 15 strikeouts last year.

Paige Baker, Ross

She stepped into the circle as a freshman and made an instant impact, racking up a 9-3 record, a 2.72 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 83 innings. At the plate, she hit .333 with eight doubles, one triple and 7 RBIs.

Olivia Basil, St. Ursula

She is a three-time Girls Greater Catholic League first-team honoree and was the player of the year as a sophomore in 2023. She has a career .352 average and will look to rebound from a junior season in which she had three doubles and a triple, but a career-best 23 RBIs.

On the mound, her stats have gotten better every year. As a junior, she finished with a 15-4 record, a 2.42 ERA and 148 strikeouts while allowing just 36 earned runs in 104 innings.

Natalia Brignoni-Marcano, Kings

Brignoni-Marcano was one of five Knights on the Eastern Cincinnati Conference first team in 2024. Last year, she hit .551 with nine doubles, three triples and 12 RBIs. She stole 16 bases and scored 33 runs. In the field, she only made two errors and had a .938 fielding percentage.

Alisha Fox, Mason

Mason's Alisha Fox (19) and Anna Polca are a formidable duo in the pitching circle.

The Greater Miami Conference will once again be a fight to the finish. The Comets may have the edge thanks to an overwhelming amount of talent. Fox leads the way in the circle, coming back after posting a 14-2 record with a 2.49 ERA, 109 strikeouts and three shutouts in 2024.

Quinn Frieden, Talawanda

As a freshman, she helped the Braves claim their first Southwest Ohio Conference title. In the circle, she pitched 52 innings, finishing the season with a 6-3 record and a 2.42 ERA. She was also one of seven players to hit .400 or better, helping Talawanda to a .409 team average. Frieden also had seven doubles, 17 RBIs, and is one of the top returning base stealers, swiping 13 last season.

Annabelle Geiser, Mason

She was named to the All-Ohio first team after hitting .620 with three doubles and 18 RBIs. She is also a two-time GMC first-teamer. Her best tool is her clutch factor as she led the Comets with 45 RBIs and 29 stolen bases. She needs 54 hits to reach 200 for her career, which is an attainable milestone.

Ava Hensley, Fairfield

Fairfield's Ava Hensley is a University of Akron commit.

The Akron commit is a three-time GMC first team honoree and was named an All-Ohio honorable mention as a junior. She hit .455 with 14 doubles, five homers and 26 RBIs last year. She also scored the winning run as the Indians walked off to win a district title, then went 3-for-7 in two regional tournament games.

Khloe Legner, Harrison

The Wildcats have been at the top of the SWOC for a while now. Even after dropping two games to Talawanda in the 2024 regular season, they got revenge with a win in the postseason. Legner, a junior center fielder, is one reason they could reclaim the league crown this season. She has a career .444 batting average and drew 17 walks last year while only striking out nine times. She also scored a team-high 40 runs.

Meghan McClellan, Milford

A second-team All-Ohio honoree, McClellan put together an 18-4 record with a 1.17 ERA and 203 strikeouts in 131 innings last year. She had five shutouts, including a five-inning perfect game against Winton Woods, and shutouts against Lebanon and Kings to help the Eagles win their ninth Eastern Cincinnati Conference title in the last 10 years. She was also the ECC Defensive Player of the Year.

Miley McKernan, Harrison

McKernan had a breakout junior year to earn SWOC co-Player of the Year, and be named to the league's first team for a second straight season. She was second on the team with a .500 batting average and led the Wildcats with 13 doubles, four home runs and 34 RBIs.

Amber Munoz, Lakota East

Munoz earned her first GMC first-team honor as a junior after hitting .389 with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 31 RBIs and 41 runs scored. She also led the Thunderhawks with 11 stolen bases.

Grace Pitzer, Mount Notre Dame

Pitzer is a two-way star, getting it done on the basketball court and the diamond. She is a three-time GGCL first-team selection and was the 2024 co-athlete of the year. She hit .556 with six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 18 RBIs last year. At shortstop, she had a .898 fielding percentage.

Grace Richardson, Talawanda

As a sophomore, she was the SWOC co-Player of the Year after hitting .476 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 30 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

Emili Schappacher, Hamilton

Hamilton's Emili Schappacher was the 2024 Greater Miami Conference Pitcher of the Year.

She was one of two sophomores at the forefront of the Big Blue's revival in 2024 (Reese Thieken was the other). Schappacher was the GMC pitcher of the year thanks to a 12-8 record, a 2.36 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 121.2 innings. At the plate, she hit .375 with nine doubles, a triple, two homers, 23 RBIs and 23 runs scored.

Megan Spence, Fairfield

Megan Spence pitched Fairfield all the way to the 2024 Division I state tournament.

Fairfield had the luxury of two dominant pitchers in the circle last season. With Jillian Huey graduating, Spence will bear the majority of that load. As a junior, she piled up a 14-4 record, a 1.65 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 119 innings. She had eight shutouts last year, including a 1-0 win over Centerville in the regional finals.

Ellie Stafford, Taylor

Taylor sophomore Ellie Stafford will take over the pitching duties this season.

As a freshman pitcher, Stafford learned from one of the best in the city in Camrynn Linneman. It paid off as she was named to the Cincinnati Hills League first team. In 54.2 innings, she had a 9-0 record with a 0.26 ERA and 101 strikeouts. She also hit .545 with nine doubles and 34 RBIs.

Ella Teubner, Lebanon

Lebanon outfielder Ella Teubner is a two-time All-Ohio honoree.

The Iowa commit was second-team All-Ohio as a sophomore and a first-teamer last year. She was also the ECC Player of the year in 2024. The Warriors made it to the state tournament in 2023 and are looking to get back.

Teubner hit .532 with 12 doubles, three triples, nine homers and 46 RBIs last year. She also patrolled the outfield, making three assists with no errors for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Amanda Tudela, Waynesville

Tudela has a big senior season on deck. As a junior, she pitched 106.2 innings and finished the year with a 15-4 record, a 2.30 ERA and 85 strikeouts. She also hit .386, one of six Spartans to hit .350 or better last year, tied for the team lead with 10 doubles and hit four homers. With 27 hits, she produced 30 RBIs.

Ginny Theobald, Wyoming

The Cowgirls have gotten closer to the top of the CHL over the last couple years, and closer to beating Taylor. If they can topple the Yellowjackets this season, Theobald will be a big reason why. As a sophomore, she was named to the CHL first team after hitting .547 with five doubles, three triples, four homers and 34 RBIs. She also stole a team-high 11 bases and scored 22 runs.

Alyssa Vearil, Williamsburg

The Wildcats have a bright future as a team; three underclassmen were named to the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference-National first team. Vearil is one of the most promising players in the SBAAC. She hit .277 last year but had a .446 slugging percentage and .460 on-base percentage

She can also pitch on a moment's notice. Last year, she accrued a 5-4 record with a 2.83 ERA in 57 innings. As a freshman, she threw a complete game no-hitter against East Clinton.

Piper Willis, New Richmond

The Lions have a powerful one-two punch in the circle with Willis and Izzie Carroll. Willis is more of a power pitcher, finishing 2024 with a 12-2 record, a 2.42 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 78 innings. She also hit .447 with six doubles, a triple, two home runs and 28 RBIs. She was also named the SBAAC-American co-Player of the Year.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Southwest Ohio high school softball: Top players ahead of 2025

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