With the return of high school softball for the Spring of 2026, we continue our series honoring outstanding performances recognizing a National Player of the Week and others who are honored as a Runner-Up Player of the Week.

Each Tuesday through June we’ll recognize and highlight top accomplishments nationwide; if you’d like to have a player considered, scroll down to see how to send in a nomination.

Games are for Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, through Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026…

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Line Drive Softball’s National High School Player of the Week (February 24, 2026)

***Krimson Calhoun, a 2028 middle infielder for Thompson High in Alabaster, Ala., was an offensive hurricane last week as she played in five games and went 13-for-15 for a sizzling .867 batting average.

Not only did she get a lot of hits, Krimson also came up big when it counted including hitting a game-winning triple with the bases loaded in one of her team’s victories.

Krimson’s other stats included a .875 on-base percentage, six runs driven in, six steals and seven runs scored.

Making her week more impressive was that this was the sophomore’s first week playing with her new high school team.

Krimson decided over the summer to transfer schools in order to play with and against the best competition in the state and joined the Thompson High Warriors, which is the defending Alabama 7A State Champions and is currently ranked No. 5 nationally in one poll.

She’s been a winner at another level, too—the infielder’s travel team, the Tennessee Mojo – Pardue—won the 2025 PGF 16U Platinum Nationals last summer.

On an individual basis, Krimson is listed on the PGF Sophomore All-American Watchlist for 2026 and was ranked No. 14 on the Line Drive 2028 HOT 100 published last year.

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Runner-Up Line Drive Softball National Players of the Week

*** Haley Schmitt, a freshman right-handed pitcher and shortstop for Katy (Texas) High, got it done in the circle and at the plate last week.

In seven games, the Class of 2029 standout hit three home runs including two in one game against Melissa High, ranked by one poll as the No. team in the nation, and also compiled a .577 on-base percentage with 10 RBIs, 10 runs scored, a 1.639 OPS and a 1.062 slugging percentage.

Equally impressive as a pitcher, Haley pitched 19.2 innings and had 30 strikeouts with no earned runs given up with three wins, a save and two complete game shutouts. Opposing hitters batted a measly .108 against her and she had a .458 WHIP.

In the contest against Melissa, the defending Texas 5A state champs, she threw 2.2 innings and didn’t give up a hit or walk.

She also was perfect in the field when playing shortstop and in nine total chances had three assists and nine put-outs.

For the season, the leadoff hitter has a .367 batting average in 12 games played with a .512 on-base percentage, a 1.246 OPS and three home runs, 11 RBIs, 14 runs and eight walks.

On the mound, Haley has thrown 25.1 innings pitched with 37 K’s, only two earned runs allowed, a 0.553 ERA, a .711 WHIP and a .167 batting average against and her fielding percentage is 1.000 with no mistakes made in 17 total chances.

Haley made the varsity team as a freshman in the starting line-up as a shortstop and in the pitching rotation with top 2026 pitcher EK Smith, an Oklahoma commit.

She also takes the field with senior catcher Maddie Smith, a North Carolina State commit and junior first baseman Evie Willemssen, an Auburn commit.

*** Gracyn Needle, the outstanding 2027 shortstop and Tennessee Vols commit, opened the season going 3-for-3 with all three hits being home runs for The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach, Fla. 

Pitchers and opposing coaches on the teams—South Fork and Okeechobee High—wisened up quickly and then pitched around her with six walks including five intentional ones.

Last year as a sophomore, Gracyn was the 2025 Palm Beach Player of the Year and earned All-County and All-State recognition.

Gracyn plays travel for the Tampa Mustangs 18U – Rene and last fall was announced as being ranked No. 12 in the 2027 HOT 100.

*** Over five games, Kate Flanagan a tremendous Class of 2030 pitcher/hitter ranked No. 4 in the 2030 HOT 100 released last year (and a good candidate to be highly ranked again in the second go-round of the class rankings beginning on March 16)–was nearly untouchable in the circle and explosive at the plate last week.

Kate delivered in every phase of the game — as a starter, as a closer, and as a lead off power threat, helping her Vestavia Hills (Ala.) High team go 4-1 as she made four appearances in the circle.

In her 16.1 innings pitched, Kate gave up one run and that was an unearned one to give her a perfect 0.00 ERA.

Kate recorded 28 strikeouts to just one walk and opponents batted a meager .056 against her. She finished with two wins and two saves; one of her wins was a 2-1 complete game performance where she went the full seven innings.

With the stick, Kate batted .500 (8-for-16) with a pair of home runs, three doubles and seven RBIs. The 2030 standout had a .529 on-base percentage and a 1.062 slugging percentage.

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Previous 2026 Line Drive Softball National High School Player of the Week

• Feb 17: Lolo Gamble (Dripping Springs, 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.

The posts are published 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 2026 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 (where possible)
• Recruiting Information (if applicable)
• Any interesting Background Info on the player
• Photos: action and/or head shots (as available)
• If possible, Contact Info (player, parent, coach… if we’d like more info or quotes)

Email info and photos (1-4 as available) by the cutoff of Monday at 5 pm EST/2 pm PST to: Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com