Jake's List | Taking a look at 25 of the top Richland County softball players in 2025

MANSFIELD — Richland County has been a hot bed for high school softball for years.

And 2025 looks to be no different. The talent is off the charts. Let's take a look at 25 of the best players who will take to the diamond this spring.

Others to keep an eye on: Karlie Walp, Shelby; Braylee Sturts, Shelby; Addison Schlosser, Clear Fork; Jada Brokaw, Clear Fork; Hailly Thursh, Clear Fork; Lily Cook, Plymouth.

25. Piper Studer, Ontario

Studer had a nice freshman season hitting .324 with 24 hits, three doubles, a triple, a home run, eight RBIs and 17 runs scored while playing a very good centerfield. With another year under her belt and an offseason where she worked extremely hard, Studer could be a breakout player who earns some very high postseason honors in 2025.

24. Cailynn Bailey, Plymouth

Bailey earned honorable mention All-Firelands Conference last season when she hit .246 with 14 hits, three doubles, eight RBIs and four runs scored while holding things down behind the plate as the defensive leader. With a rebound season expected for the Big Red. Bailey will be at the front of it all.

23. Allison Volz, Crestview

Volz earned honorable mention All-FC honors last season when she hit .403 with 27 hits, 16 RBIs, four doubles, two triples and 30 runs scored. Not bad for a freshman. Now, with three years of varsity softball ahead of her, Volz hopes to lead the Cougars back to the top of the FC standings.

22. Braylee Sturts, Shelby

Sturts had a solid freshman season hitting .375 with 30 hits, two doubles, two triples, six home runs, 29 RBIs and 24 runs scored. She may not have earned any postseason honors last year, but this kid is about to do something special in 2025 and there is no way she can be kept off of any postseason list.

21. Kennedy Studer, Shelby

Studer earned honorable mention All-MOAC honors last year when she hit .431 with 28 hits, three doubles, a triple, 14 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Most of all, her leadership on the field was what helped the Whippets bring him a league championship and it will be what puts Shelby at the front of the MOAC title conversation early on.

20. Brinlee Kreger, Ontairo

Kreger earned honorable mention All-MOAC honors after hitting .313 with 26 hits, three doubles, a home run, 22 RBIs and 22 runs scored. It was her first real full-time varsity action and she was impressive. The Warriors' success this year will hinder on Kreger taking the next step in her progression.

19. Kyra Boyd, Lexington

Boys earned honorable mention All-Ohio Cardinal Conference honors last year after hitting .246 with 14 hits, two doubles, five RBIs and 18 runs scored but where she really shined was in centerfield where she chased down everything that was hit her way. Lex will need to replace some big bats so Boyd will need to fill those shoes and there is a lot of confidence that she will.

18. Miley Shafer, Clear Fork

Shafer dominated the circle during her freshman year going 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 119 ⅔ innings of work leading her team to an MOAC championship. She earned honorable mention All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference honors for her efforts and will surely earn even more over the next three years.

17. Madyson Taylor, Lexington

Taylor was an honorable mention All-OCC player a year ago after hitting .265 with 22 hits, one double, 15 RBIs and seven runs scored. She is another player who will be asked to lead the team offensively as Lady Lex looks to replace some big bats in the lineup. With the experience of winning an OCC and district championship last year, Taylor should step right into any role that is asked of her.

16. Emma Stankovich, Madison

Stankovich earned honorable mention All-OCC honors last year when she hit .296 with 24 hits, one home run, 14 RBIs and one run scored after making the move from first base to catcher. The position chance likely led to a dip in offensive production, but with all of that being second-nature now, expect Stankovich to have a monster senior season to cap off an impressive career.

15. Campbell Kiser, Madison

Kiser rebounded nicely from an ACL injury that robbed her of her freshman year. As a sophomore, she earned honorable mention All-OCC honors after hitting .305 with 29 hits, five doubles, one triple, 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored. She also tossed 10 innings in the circle and collected six strikeouts. With her knee recovery fully in the rearview mirror, Kiser is due for a breakout season and the Rams are about to flourish because of it.

14. Myah Midkiff, Lucas

Midkiff had a stellar 2024 as she earned second team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference honors after hitting .500 with 23 hits, three doubles, two triples, eight RBIs and 16 runs scored. The Cubs are going to be young and inexperienced at spots so it will be on Midkiff to provide that leadership.

13. Kalee Hamman, Crestview

A second team All-FC player a year ago, Hamman hit .343 with 23 hits, 16 RBIs, three doubles, three triples and 17 runs scored. She will be the senior leader for the Cougars in 2025 and they will need her if they hope to win a league championship.

Clear Fork's Mel Blubaugh and Lexington's Makaree Chapman lead Jake Furr's list of Top 25 Richland County softball players in 2025.

12. Quinn Patrick, Lexington

Patrick stepped right in as a freshman and made some big things happen for Lady Lex. A second team All-OCC player a year ago, Patrick hit .274 with 23 hits, two doubles, two home runs, 11 RBIs and 31 runs scored. She gets on base and she scores. It will be exactly what Lady Lex needs from her this season. She could see some time at shortstop on defense after playing second base last year.

11. Kylie Thornton, Lexington

Thornton had a big 2024 for the OCC champs earning second team all-league after hitting .374 with 37 hits, eight doubles, a triple, three home runs, 42 RBIs and 20 runs scored. With Lady Lex losing a lot of offense from last season, Thornton will be the focus of the lineup and be asked to drive in runs at a high pace. She did it last year so she can do it again this year.

10. Maddie Boyer, Lucas

A first team All-MBC player last year, Boyer is a softball player through and through. She hit .354 with 23 hits, three doubles, two triples, a home run, 13 RBIs and 20 runs scored. She also pitched 68 innings going 6-6 with 65 strikeouts. When she wasn't in the circle, she was playing shortstop or centerfield, two of the most important positions in the game. The Cubs will need her to keep producing at a high rate in 2025.

9. Eden Howard, Ontario

Howard did a lot of the Warriors in 2024. Earning first team All-MOAC honors, Howard hit .360 with 31 hits, seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 25 RBIs and 22 runs scored. She also pitched 65 innings going 5-5 with 77 strikeouts and sported a 3.55 earned run average. Back for her senior year, Howard will be the ace of the pitching staff and at the center of the lineup. It's the perfect place for the senior.

8. Bailee Nelson, Mansfield Christian

Nelson had one heck of a freshman year as she earned honorable mention All-Northwest District and second team All-MBC honors. With a year of varsity experience behind her and three more seasons ahead, Nelson has a chance to do some special things on the diamond and expect that to start in 2025.

7. Natalie Kennard, Shelby

Kennard earned honorable mention All-Northwest District and second team All-MOAC in 2024 after having one of the best quiet seasons of anyone in Richland County. She hit .421 with 40 hits, three doubles, a triple, a home run, 22 RBIs and an amazing 43 runs scored. She also held things down in centerfield on defense and provided some exceptional leadership for a sophomore. Now a junior, the team is hers and the Whippets will be pretty darn good because of it.

6. Izzy Wamsley, Madison

Wamsley burst onto the softball scene last year as a freshman earning honorable mention All-Northwest District and first team All-OCC honors. She hit .436 with 44 hits, two doubles, three triples, 12 RBIs and 30 runs scored as the lead-off batter. She played a great shortstop, a pressure-packed position for a freshman, and brought stability to the Rams defense and offense for the next three seasons. She could be in contention for the MNJ Player of the Year honor in 2025.

5. Katrina Rogers, Clear Fork

Rogers had a big junior softball season earning honorable mention All-Northwest District and first team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference as she led the Colts to a league championship. She hit .386 with 32 hits, eight home runs, 37 RBIs and 29 runs scored which was a monster season for her to build on. She tore her ACL in the summer but should be back in time for her senior softball season where she could be one of the best offensive players in the county.

4. Chesnie Patton, Crestview

The Firelands Conference Pitcher of the Year went 10-3 with a 1.10 earned run average as a junior. She appeared in 16 games, starting 13, and throwing 10 complete games with six shutouts. She struck out 108 batters and only allowed 13 earned runs in 83 innings of work. She walked just eight batters all season long. She earned honorable mention All-Northwest District in Division III and first team All-Firelands Conference honors. Patton also hit .438 with 35 hits, eight doubles, four home runs, 34 RBIs and 25 runs scored. Patton earned Mansfield News Journal co-Pitcher of the Year honors and rightfully so, she is one of the best in Richland County.

3. PJ Endicott, Crestview

It would be hard to find anyone in Richland County who had a better 2024 than Endicott. She hit .519 with 42 hits, 13 doubles, eight home runs, 37 RBIs and 34 runs scored. She earned first team All-Northwest District in Division III and first team All-Firelands Conference. As a junior catcher, she helped the Cougars finish third in the Firelands Conference with an 11-3 record and 17-8 overall. She recorded a hit in all but three games last season and hit home runs in back-to-back games twice and two homers in one game, a win over St. Paul. She is an absolute stud and will have a huge senior season in 2025 after earning the Mansfield News Journal Small School Player of the Year.

T1. Makaree Chapman, Lexington

The Mansfield News Journal Big School Pitcher of the Year in 2024, Chapman went 20-2 with two saves and a 1.67 earned run average. She struck out 238 batters, 62 looking, and allowed just 38 earned runs in 159 innings. She was named the Ohio Cardinal Conference Pitcher of the Year when she piloted Lady Lex to their first OCC championship since 2009 and first outright title since 2005. She also earned first team All-Northwest District and first team All-OCC honors during her junior season. She led Lady Lex to the Division II district championship and a trip to the regional championship game. She was a nice two-way player hitting .485 with 47 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, a home run, 34 RBIs and 35 runs scored. Chapman is an incredible softball player and will put her talent on display this season as she is going to be asked to do even more to help lead Lex back to a league title.

T1. Mel Blubaugh, Clear Fork

Last season, Blubaugh earned first team All-Northwest District and first team All-MOAC honors after she hit .512 with 43 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 25 RBIs and 44 runs scored. How she didn't earn All-Ohio honors with that stat line is pure insanity. She did earn All-Ohio honors when she was a sophomore and after a big senior year, she should have another which could complete three All-Ohio honors in three sports in the same athletic calendar year. To say she is a special athlete would be an understatement. She will be going to college to play basketball so expect her to have as much fun as she possibly can in her final softball season and when Blubaugh is having fun, that is when she is at her best. That is going to be scary for the Colts' opponents this year.

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

X: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Jake's List | Top 25 Richland County softball players for the 2025 season

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