In April, we profiled the 2029 class for the first time and one of the obvious stars at that young age group is Devaeh Crawford, who was ranked in the Top 5 in the Line Drive HOT 100.

This summer, top programs like Texas, Duke, Florida State, Oklahoma and Florida were in attendance at her 14U games where she would ball out and show her skillset and athleticism combo of speed and power. 

*** Click HERE to read more about her amazing backstory.

In her ranking bio, part of what we wrote about the Las Vegas resident was raving about her physical gifts, which help make her one of the top club players in the game at any age :

Devaeh is the most electrifying athlete in the 2029 class. Her skillset shows she’s an-around athlete who can change the game in the blink of an eye. The right-hand dynamo may not be the biggest player on the field, but she certainly makes her impact quickly known…

The athlete’s combination of speed and power is unique and even when hitting from the right side she has been clocked ranging from a high 2.5 second home to first to the 2.7 range.

So how did her summer go?

Her father, Demetrius Crawford, a former NFL and CFL player, proudly and accurately points out to line Line Drive:

“Devaeh has had a monster year and, including both the spring and summer seasons, she played in 85 games, had 117 hits with a .466 batting average and a .552 on-base percentage while driving in 74 runs and scoring 123 herself.”

Here’s the kicker, though: although the California native is just 13 years old and just starting her eighth-grade year of school, Devaeh has been informed she’s moving up to Mike Stith’s powerhouse OC Batbusters 18U team starting this fall after playing over the summer for the OC Batbusters – Stith/Garcia 14U squad.

“It’s a great and unbelievable feeling knowing that I made Coach Mike’s 18U team at 13 years old,” the athlete explains. “I’ve got butterflies but I’m ready for the challenge!”

The athlete appreciates the significance of the confidence played in her at such a young age by her coaches.

“The goal is to play for Coach Mike when you play for the Batbusters and it’s a great opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the country,” Devaeh adds.

“It will make me step my game up to the next level as I get to play with and learn from girls like Kai Minor the 2025 standout outfielder committed to Oklahoma) which is exciting to me. Our team is loaded with talented softball players.”

The Batbusters 18U team has won back-to-back Alliance Nationals 18U titles and the standout 2029 outfielder looks poised to slide into the outfield and become a contributor right away.

“I’m proud to be in a winning environment,” Devaeh answers after being asked what she was most proud of accomplishing this summer.

“I learned a lot during the fall and spring seasons and continued to work hard at my craft and lock in on being the best leadoff hitter that I could be.”

“I’m proud of my consistency and hard work and set so many personal goals for myself that I reached and passed. I hit more home runs with 16 than the goal I set and on defense I’ve prided myself on playing a lock down centerfield when balls were hit my way. I worked hard to make sure I attacked everything and to make plays that looked like I had no chance to make.”

Here’s a compilation of some of Devaeh’s big hits and top plays over the summer on her Batbusters 14U team:

Making the jump from 14U to 18U at such a young age can be daunting but the athlete and her father say they are ready for the challenge.

“Making the move to the Batbusters organization was by far the best decision we made for her softball development,” Demetrius explains.

“The thing that I noticed right away when getting here was that the coaches instill a championship mindset on the girls. There are so many things that Coach Stith and Coach (Chris) Garcia have done when it comes to making not only Devaeh, but the other players too believe they can do anything.”

“From Day 1, Coach Stith challenged Devaeh and made it known to her that ‘You can either be good, great or a champion.’”

“’Everyone can have goals of going to be a D1 player,’” Coach Stith told her, ‘”but that’s small thinking. I want you thinking of being the best softball player in the country because having a championship mindset like that is what’s going to help you become an All-American.’”

Stith has had some standout young players compete as 14-year-olds on his teams like Minor, the aforementioned Sooner commit, as well as Abby Dayton, this year’s batting champion in the Pac-12 at Utah who transferred in June to Oklahoma, and Riley Hilliard, a 2027 grad and highly respected talent who batted .580 on his team this year.

He feels Devaeh has a high ceiling like some of those and other greats he’s coached and developed.

“She’s a special player,” he said earlier today.

“Devaeh’s such a special talent and I need to coach her, be hands on her development and help her learn the finer points, like learning about her swing and what opposing pitchers are going to throw her.”

“Physically, she’s capable at this level (18U) as she has all the tools and now just has to take advantage of the nuances.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball