Each Tuesday for the Spring season, Line Drive Softball is honoring top high school performances nationwide with a National Player of the Week and others who are named as a Runner-Up Player of the Week.

If you’d like to have a player considered, scroll down to see how to send in a nomination.

Games are for Sunday, May 4, 2025, through Saturday, May 10, 2025…

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This past week was probably the closest it’s been all year in having a number of outstanding player performances that could have been honored as National High School Player of the Year.

For example, you have:

• An SEC-bound pitcher for a Top 10 national team toss a perfect game to end the regular season,
• A freshman pitcher who tossed two perfect games in a week and lost another in the 7^th inning,
• A Midwest pitcher who had two complete games including a no-hitter,
• A talented freshman hitter from the South who set a school record with her 18^th home run.

But as great as all those performances were, we’re going in a different direction this week… a senior two-way standout who hit some key milestones personally and with her team.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

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Line Drive Softball’s National High School Player of the Week (May 13, 2025)

*** Erin McDaid is a senior at Smithtown (N.Y.) West High and will attend the College of Charleston to play softball next year at the collegiate level.

Last week, she helped Smithtown win its biggest game of the year in a thrilling extra-inning comeback against East Islip High, the 1^st place team in the league and probable No. 1 playoff seed.   

In an 8-inning complete game, Erin allowed just two hits, a walk, no earned runs, and struck out 10. 

She also helped her cause by going 2-for-2 at the plate with two walks, a run scored, a stolen base and had a walk-off RBI double to win the game.

“I am so proud of the way our team battled back battled and finished strong,” the senior said after the big win.

Here’s a YouTube clip of her game clinching hit:

Earlier in the week against Centereach High, the New York standout pitched a 7-inning complete game win, allowing only three hits, three walks, one earned run and striking out 10 batters.

The dangerous hitter once again was on fire, going 3-for-4 with a walk, and two RBIs and in it hit some noteworthy benchmarks, notably her 100th career varsity hit and, in the circle, her 675th career varsity strikeout.

Totals for the week pitching-wise included a 2-0 record, 20 strikeouts in 15 innings, just five hits allowed, four walks and an earned run. Erin’s impressive stats also included a 0.47 ERA and a .600 WHIP.

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With the bat, she was 5-for-6 (.833 batting average) with three walks and three RBIs.   The senior’s strong week on the mound also lowered her ERA on the season to 0.87 and her WHIP to 0.672.

Erin says it’s been a long road up to this point, but it’s all been worth it.

“It’s been an incredible journey that I’m proud to share, she begins. “I’m committed to play Division 1 softball at the College of Charleston beginning in the Fall of 2025—a dream that’s taken years of hard work and sacrifice to achieve.”

“Coming from New York, where opportunities in for a New York pitcher to pitch down South can be more limited, I made a tough decision a few years ago to seek out stronger competition and joined Team NC after making the roster through a tryout in North Carolina.”

“For the past two years, I’ve consistently competed against top-level talent across the South and, now, it’s a true honor to be one of the few pitchers from the Northeast—and one of the only ones from New York—to be recruited by a Southern Division 1 softball program as a pitcher.”

Erin’s potential was recognized early on when, as an 8^th grader in 2021, she was named her school’s No. 1 starting pitcher on varsity.

As a freshman, she was named 2^nd Team All-County and as a sophomore in 2023 broke her school’s strikeout record in a game with 18 and was named as a 2^nd Team All-Long Island honoree and 6^th Team All-State.

Last year, Erin continued her impressive rise as one of the top players in the Northeast as she was chosen as the New York Class AA Pitcher of the Year, 1^st Team All-Long Island and 1^st Team All-State, the first pitcher from Smithtown High to ever receive that honor).

Additionally, Line Drive Softball selected the athlete as a HOT 100 player in the Class of 2025 and as the No. 41-ranked pitcher nationally in her class.

Off the field, she shines just as much, maintaining a 4.0 GPA all four years of high school and being active in a variety of school-related endeavors including being in the National Honor Society, Athletes Helping Athletes, Math Honor Society, High School Heroes, Spanish Honor Society, Rho Kappa (Social Studies Honor Society), English Honor Society, and Science Honor Society. 

Not surprisingly, those around her rave about the athlete’s accomplishments.

Erin’s future College of Charleston Head Coach Tracey Lynch commented:

“Erin just keeps getting better every time out. She has a very high ceiling and all the tools to be a successful collegiate pitcher. Erin will complement the other pitchers on our staff nicely. She has a tremendous work ethic and determination that will continue to fuel her game. We are excited to bring her decorated resume from the Northeast to Charleston.”

Michael Forman, the Head Coach at Smithtown West High is equally complimentary.

“Erin is the undoubted team leader for Smithtown West High School softball team,” he begins. “She led by example on and off the field through the trying years of the program and has consistently worked to better herself and her teammates to try to put the program in a better place than when she arrived.”

“Erin carries herself well beyond her years and lets her play speak for itself, her dedication has allowed our program to see success over the past two seasons. 

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Runner-Up Line Drive Softball National Players of the Week

*** Spoiler alert: Freshman pitcher Ashlynn Hunt will be named one of the Top 10 players when the Line Drive Softball HOT 100 for the Class of 2028 wraps up next week.

What makes her so good?

Says one of her Beverly Bandits 14U – Chow club coachs:

“She combines unreal spin with low-to-mid 60’s stuff with an incredible rise ball. The screwball and drop ball are great movement pitches for her as well.”

Last week, Ashlynn showed why she’s considered one of the top pitchers in the nation at any age as she went 3-0 with all three games being complete ones, including two perfect games and a no-hitter she lost in the 7^th inning.

All told, she had 40 K’s in 19 innings pitched and only allowed two hits and one earned in the trio of wins. Opponents hit just .041 against her and Ashlynn compiled a .169 ERA.

Offensively, the freshman was excellent as well hitting 10-for-15 for a .667 batting average.

For the season, Ashlynn has a record of 12-1 pitching with 170 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched with an 0.79 ERA, a .494 WHIPE and a meager .095 batting average against. With the stick, she’s batting .459 with a .506 on-base percentage, an OPS of 1.141 and has 22 RBIs so far.

Ashlynn says she wants to pursue Sports Marketing/Management and Kinesiology in college and is currently taking AP and Honors classes this year and is maintaining all A’s.

She is also very active in the Best Buddies program along with her special needs brother Ethan.

*** Kaley Garland is a talented junior middle infielder from Greenville (Tenn.) and last week from her leadoff position batted .667 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs.

For the season, Kaley is hitting .460 with 11 home runs, 52 hits and 41 RBIs… not too bad for her team’s table-setter at the top of the lineup.

*** Freshman Sophie Sivon continues to make our Player of the Week honors as the pitcher and utility player from Perry (Ohio) High shines once again with her arm and bat.

Sophie, who plays club ball with the Ohio Cobras 2010 – Cole that is Alliance Nationals qualified, had two complete game shutouts—one of them being a no-hitter. Overall, she pitched 12 innings and had 15 strikeouts and limited teams to a 0.00 ERA and a .098 batting average.

At the plate, she hit .455 with a .500 OBP and had seven RBIs. The Class of 2028 standout also went another week with no strikeouts, giving her an impressive streak of 21 games in which she hasn’t struck out.

When she isn’t in the circle, Sophie continues to start at third base and played error free defense in the four games Perry High played this last week. Additionally, the Pirates clinched the Chagrin Valley Conference Championship and will head into the playoffs with momentum.

As a student athlete, Sophie also plays varsity basketball and maintains a 4.0 GPA.

*** Hillary Stansbury, a 2028 grad who lines up at pitcher and the corner infield for East Jessamine (Nicholasville, Ky.) High, played in six games last week including two in which she pitched.

In those games she went 1-1 with just one earned run and no walks with a 0.50 ERA and a 0.714 WHIP. Hitting-wise, Hillary batted .478 with a .500 on-base percentage in the half dozen games.

For the season now, the Kentucky standout has a 1.75 ERA with only 12 earned runs and three walks given up in those 48 innings pitched in which she has 42 strikeouts.

Here are some of her key achievements so far in her young career:

Highlights:

• Pitched against (won 3-2) to the #13 ranked team in KY
• Pitched against (loss 3-2) to the #15 ranked team in KY
• Hasn’t given up a walk in 36 innings pitched
• 16 doubles on the season – Top 10 leaderboard in KY
• ERA 1.75 – Top 30 leaderboard in KY
• 2024-2025 Female Rookie of the Year for East Jessamine High School
• 2024 14U Pitcher of the Tournament at Atlanta Legacy
• Ranked in the Top 20 of the Class of 2028 by Line Drive Media
• HPP Finalist 2024
• 12U USA All-American Co-Champion 2023

*** Sophia Cain is a junior pitcher and first baseman for Davies County (Owensboro, Ky.) High who last week had a 2-0 record in the circle with both games being shutouts. She gave up no earned runs while striking out 20.

Opponents hit just .163 against her and for the season she ran her record to 8-1 with 72 K’s in 53.1 innings pitched for this year.

Last week at the plate, Sophia went 3-for-6 (.500) with a home run and double and drove in four runs. For the 2025 campaign, she now has a .323 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

Next year, she’ll attend Princeton University.

New to her club team, one of her coaches comments:

“Sophia is new to our team starting last fall but she fits like a glove.  After spending time with her and her family when they were considering different options, we knew her demeanor would fit really well with our culture.”

“It can be hard to fit into a new team, especially when the average tenure on the team is 5-plus years, but Sophia has quickly built great relationships with our squad and has gained the respect of her teammates and coaches.”

Her softball honors include being a two-time Scenic City All-Tournament selection as well as the MVP of the USSSA Nationals tournament and MVP pitcher two years in a row.

 *** Amelia Bonk, a freshman catcher for Perry (Massillon, Ohio) High School, has a great nickname: “Mouse.”

She’s also a “Cobra” as she plays club ball for the Ohio Cobras.

In six games last week, Mouse hit .458 with a .518 OBP and didn’t strikeout once while driving in seven runs.

She has started every game for Perry High behind the plate this season as a freshman and when not playing ball or attending school, she umpires for local youth tournaments. 

*** Ellie Dawson is another standout from the Buckeye State. The 2028 outfielder/first baseman is from Ontario, Ohio and for the Ontario High Warriors,

This past week in two conference games with title implications, she hit a game tying home run on Wednesday, and then the next night in the second game of the series she hit her 9^th and 10^th home runs of the season, scoring both runs in a 2-1 victory.  She was also intentionally walked once.

Her stats last week impressive: a .444 batting average, a 2.010 OPS, a slugging percentage of 4.556 and a total of three home runs.

For the 2025 season, Ellie is hitting .424 with a 1.514 OPS and has 10 home runs and 32 RBIs versus just five strikeouts.

*** Addison Smith is a sophomore pitcher at Jefferson High in Rockford, Ill., and in two big games last week she had 25 K’s in 14 innings pitched and just two earned runs allowed to go 2-0.

For the season, she has 136 K’s in 86.1 innings and for her career has an impressive 328 strikeout.

*** Ava Roberson, a freshman pitcher/utility player for the Eastern High Comets of Greentown, Ind., is an impressive story as she had left knee CL surgery and recently recovered from an injury to her right ACL as well.

That makes her stats even more impressive as she has a .571 on-base percentage and no strikeouts for the season.

*** Anleigh Wood, a 2028 catcher and third baseman from Wicksburg High in Dothan, Ala., came up big last week in a trio of regional playoff games.

Overall, she had a .400 batting average with two home runs.

In one regional semi-final game, Anleigh hit a leadoff solo homerun to help her team eventually win 5-1.

In the 5^th inning of the Championships, tied 2-2, Anleigh hit a two-run homerun to help her team clinch the Alabama High School Assoc.

The team advances to the Elite 8 and will compete at the state tournament this week.

For the season, the Freshman has a .602 on-base percentage with 69 RBIs and 25 walks. She also has hit 19 doubles, two triples and 18 home runs—which is a single season home run record at her high school.

*** We wrap up honoring two standout players for Summerville High School in Summerville which is in the Top 10 of most everyone’s national high school softball team rankings.

Senior Melanie Edwards, a centerfielder, shined in the first round of District playoffs as she hit a bases clearing double and the next at-bat hit a grand slam. In that game she had two doubles and a home run with seven RBIs and scored 10 of her team’s 12 runs.

Melanie bats in the 3-hole for her high school team and is leading team with 37 RBIs.

A North Carolina at Charlotte signee, Melanie carries a 4.94 GPA and had received an academic scholarship just prior to this game. This scholarship recognized her work both in the classroom and on the field.

Melanie plays travel ball for Shaun Gleason on Stars National.

*** Finally, we have to give credit to Summerville’s pitcher, Ansley Bennett, who closed the regular season with an impressive perfect game that featured 17 strikeouts.

She too is a two-way threat as she has collected 114 strikeouts in 60 innings with a 0.23 ERA and, at the plate, she has a .485 batting average with six home runs hit.

The South Carolina signee is looking like she’ll be an All-American candidate before she finishes her high school career.

Simply just perfect.

Ansley pitches her first perfect game and her second no hitter of the season!

17 K’s on the night!#GoBigGreen | #VilleMentality pic.twitter.com/qRRHFcABUB

— Summerville Softball (@SummervilleSB) May 3, 2025

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2025 Line Drive Softball National High School Player of the Week

• May 6: Arianna Lugo (Round Rock, Texas)
• April 29: Gabi Novickas(Chicago, Ill.)
• April 22: Camryn Fisher(Ellington, Conn.)
• April 15: Madi Doty (Grandview, Texas)
• April 8: Ava Phillips (Fullerton, Calif.)
• April 1: Mia Hemenway (Tallahassee, Fla.)
• Mar. 25: Norah Jacques (McLean, Va.)
• Mar. 18: Gracyn Needle (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
• Mar. 11: Anna Hinde (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Mar. 4: Hannah Jo Sullivan (Brandon, Miss.)
• Feb. 25: Molly Davi(Hilo, Hawaii)
• Feb. 18: Lulu Adrian & Finlee Williams (Melissa, Texas)

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Nomination Process

Each week during the spring and summer high school seasons, Line Drive Softball is honoring a National High School Player of the Week.

Honorees are announced every Tuesday and the cutoff for submitting the nominations is each Monday at noon EST/9 am PST.

We’re looking for standouts who excelled in the circle, at the plate or in the field so be sure to nominate your favorite performance(s) by submitting the following:

• Player Name
• Grad Year (example: Class of 2025 or Senior)
• Position(s)
• High school team name with city/state
• Stats for the week (be as detailed as possible!)
• Up-to-date season stats if possible
• Recruiting information (if applicable)
• Any interesting background on the player
• Action and/or head shots
• If possible, contact info if we’d like more info or quotes

Email info and photos (1-4 as available) by the cutoff of Mondays at noon EST/9 am PST to: Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.comMa