Meteoric rise… yes.

Softball novice… hardly.

Exactly a year ago this weekend—at the 2025 Texas Blaze Jamboree—then-sophomore pitcher Reagan Eldred from Klein Oak, Texas, was discovered in something seemingly out of a Hollywood movie.

Discovered not by college coaches, mind you, but by the higher-ups within her own club program—the Texas Blaze org run by JB Slimp and by the org’s 18U head coach Cory Robertson.

Still 16U eligible this year, the 6-foot-2 flame thrower was invited to play on Coach Cory’s  team for the 2026 summer season after an impressive demonstration at that September 2025 event.

And that event one-year ago this weekend would be the beginning of one of the hottest rises of any softball prospect in recent history.

This month, Reagan will choice between three strong college softball programs—Texas A&M where she visited a week ago and Oklahoma and Tennessee which will bring the Texan teen on campus in the next few weeks.

Last Saturday, the pitcher was named as the No. 1 overall player in the Line Drive Media 2028 HOT 100 and the genesis of that honor also had an interesting beginning.

When the initial research was done to decide who would be atop the current junior class, several top club coaches around the country were surveyed on who they liked in the top spot.

Several names of outstanding players who have been well-known for years were mentioned and, like a script, each club coach would say the same thing:

“Yes, that player is really good… that one too… and also I really like that Eldred pitcher from Texas.”

It was almost like she was a write-in candidate, but that support and more research into the athlete’s background made it clear: this is a franchise pitcher waiting to happen as you can’t coach her size, arm strength and, perhaps most important, her fire and passion for the game and to improve her own position in it.

*****

In the Beginning

Going back to the very beginning, you can see now that Reagan was built for an outstanding sports career… literally.

Her mother, Leslie, is a 5-foot-11 former athlete from West Texas and played softball in her youth before quitting to play volleyball. She had a D1 offer, but ultimately choose not to play sports behind high school

Reagan’s father, Jason, is a 6-foot-8 native of New Orleans who grew up in Texas and met Leslie at Texas Tech when both were students. The athlete’s dad had played basketball, but was actually better at baseball, but he too didn’t take his game to the next level.

That, certainly, will not be the case for their daughter, an only child, who was born to be an athlete.

Reagan came into the world at a husky 8 ½ pounds and 22 inches, which meant she couldn’t wear newborn clothes, but instead went right into three-month baby apparel.

By the time she was three years old, the young athlete was already into soccer and gymnastics but outgrew the latter sport when at age six she grew taller than her instructors.

An excellent all-around athlete, Reagan did the discus in junior high and still holds the middle school’s record with a 99’1” throw, but she had to give up track because in conflicted with the softball season.

So that lined up her entrance into softball, and it was obvious she was going to be a star, right Mom?

Well…

“I wouldn’t say we knew early on,” Leslie explains. “We saw she loved softball and wanted to work on it. However, it wasn’t ‘til she was about 12 that we thought: ‘Well, maybe she has a shot at it.’”

*****

The Big, Scary Blond Pitcher 

As Reagan advanced in softball, she was always a pitcher—after, of course, she left the phase of coach pitch for the young hitters.

Ultimately, it wasn’t hard to see why the young athlete’s coaches put the ball into her hand and led her to the circle.

“I’ve always been taller than everyone else,” Reagan says, “100 percent of the time. And that led to everyone not being able to forget the ‘tall, blond scary girl.’ It was hilarious looking back on it—I was the tall girl, so I was automatically scary!”

The pitcher, though, didn’t just use her advantage of height and, well, the scare factor.

She worked hard to elevate her game workout by workout, game by game, season by season until she reached high school age and started to look toward the future: college softball recruiting.

“I got a late jump in it,” Reagan admits. “On my previous teams, there hadn’t been a focus on recruiting because of the age factor, so last summer I started to check into going to camps.”

Initially, she would go to Juco and D2 camps and she’d get the same message:

“Why are you here?”

As in, you’re too good to be looking at anything other than D1 opportunities and that would soon be evident as the summer progress into the fall.

*****

That Fateful Fall Jamboree

The chance meeting between the Blasé 18U head coach and the soon-to-be prodigy would be one of the pivotal softball experiences in the young athlete’s life.

We’ll let Coach Corey take it from here.

“I remember the first time I saw her,” he begins. “It was at the Blaze Jamboree (the Blaze event with all the Blaze teams we do in September) in the Fall of 25.’”

“My team was playing on the field next to her team and Reagan was in the bullpen warming up. I just remember hearing this loud “pop.” I turned around and there was this 6-foot-1 baby giraffe kid warming up!”

“I said to myself: ‘Who in the hell is that?!?’”

“Reagan was on one of our 16U teams out of the Katy, Texas area. Her coach (Brittany Darilek) was outside the dugout, and I walked over to her and asked, ‘Who is that kid?!?’”

“We talked and Coach Brittany told me who she was and I told her then, that kid is going to be really good and special.”

But Reagan wasn’t invited at that time to join Robertson’s 18U team but, in the spring, as fate would have it, he had a pitcher get injured playing high school ball.

“My first thought was ‘Reagan!’”

The 2028 pitcher was quickly invited to join the Blaze’s flagship 18U team going into the Summer of 2026, and the first tournament was the Hotshot Summer Exposure Tournament.

“I told her: ‘You’re going to start against Nathan Nelson’s 18U team—and we all know how loaded and well coached that team is. I told Reagan: ‘We’re throwing you into the fire right away.’”

Coach Corey recalls that in the first inning his new pitcher was understandably uncomfortable.

“You could tell Reagan was nervous, but after that she settled in and threw really, really well. After that, we could see a star forming in front of our eyes.’”

The Hotshots head coach certainly remembers those matchups against Reagan.

“I knew then that that she’s the real deal and was getting better and better,” Coach Nelson explains. “Go look at our scores against each other and her numbers at PGF. Reagan was lights out at both.”

Here’s a clip of Reagan throwing heat against the Hotshots to get a strikeout:

And what does Reagan remember from that impressive launch a year ago?

“I remember I was thrown into fire pitched against Hotshots,” she laughs, “but that it was good because there were a lot of college coaches there.

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The Dress Rehearsal—Her Sophomore Campaign at Klein Oak High

After that strong showing at the Blaze Jamboree and the realization that 2026 would be a make-or-break year for her when it came to being recruited, Reagan had a lot to ponder over the Christmas holidays.

One conclusion that she reached was the importance of playing the best in club play.

“At Christmas, I had the realization when I was at the college camps that the coaches were telling me I had to play against top players so I made the move and got with Coach Cory and his team.”

“In December, I first met with him, and he helped me with everything from camps to recruiting. With his help, I then began to believe I could can make it.”

As the 2026 year kicked off, Reagan had a busy spring.

She was eventually invited to join the Blaze 18U team and began practicing with the talent-laden team, but it was bittersweet too.

“Coach Brittany and my teammates on the 16U team were super supportive, but it was sad leaving my friends, too.”

Interestingly, fate played a role in her becoming the ace for her high school team, too.

She was on the Klein Oak High varsity team and was initially a back-up to two pitchers a year older than her.

“I didn’t pitch much,” Reagan admits. “I was more of a reliever and didn’t start games until the second half of the districts (playoffs).”

She got that chance serendipitously when one pitcher got injured and other quit the team.

“I thought I did well,” she answers when asked how it went. “We went to three games in both rounds of the playoffs, so I felt pretty good about that.”

*****

The Summer of 2026… A Star is Born

Reagan’s impressive mound performances in the Hotshots tourney last Fall followed by her becoming the ace for her prep team in the Spring set the table for the pitcher’s incredible run through the end of August.

Reagan took her Blaze 18U team on her shoulder and led the squad to a 5^th place finish at the always super-competitive Boulder IDT tournament.

“We finished doing well there,” the high school junior says, “and there were people starting to ask: ‘Who is this new 2028 pitcher.’”

And then came PGF Nationals.

“What she did at PGF was just stellar against some of the top teams in the country,” marvels Coach Corey, “and she helped us to a 3^rd place finish in the Premier Division!”

“We went 11-2 with our only two loses being against the two teams that played for the National Championship,” the Blaze head coach adds, “and both our losses were by just one run (against the Georgia Impact Premier team, a 3-2 loss, and to the Arizona Rising – Appel squad, a 2-1 defeat).

For the prestigious event, Reagan pitched 36 innings with 46 strikeouts and had a 0.96 ERA and a 0.845 WHIP.

If she wasn’t known before then, she certainly was after that week when she blew up and had the Patty Gasso’s of the softball world going out of their way to watch this exciting new prospect who had put herself on the fastpitch softball map.

For her part, Reagan admits that the PGF tourney helped her stock skyrocket after she worked through the gradual growth from Hotshots to Colorado to Premier Girls Fastpitch Nationals.

“Being exposed to all those big and powerful lineups helped develop me,” she believes. “I had to figure it out and by California I was more comfortable. In Colorado, I wasn’t used to the talented lineups I faced, but by California I had a feel for it and was more comfortable.”

“It’s just a really cool story,” the Coach Cory continues,” for her going from playing 16U in the fall to the highest level of 18U’s in the summer and watching her grow and compete against the top teams in the country.”

“I’m super happy for her and can’t wait to see what her future holds.”

*****

Post-PGF… Where We Are Today

So after a tremendous showing at PGF, what did Reagan do?

Did she come home and celebrate, waiting for the inevitable wave of college coaches reaching out?

Nope, she disappeared for a week, by going to a church camp where she didn’t have her phone.

Looking back, it probably was a great way to catch her breath and put priorities in perspective.

“One of the things my mom and I were sad about over the summer,” the athlete reflected, “was we couldn’t go to church on Sundays with being on the road so much at softball tournaments.”

“The week-long camp was a good reset to put the focus on my faith. I’m Christian and it’s something to have that community and the local churches get together on Sunday mornings and also get together to have bible study.”

Re-energized by the week-long church camp, the peace and quiet wouldn’t last much longer; when her mom picked her up at the conclusion of the faith-based event, she immediately told Reagan:

“I have a lot to catch you up with!”

While the pitcher was away, Coach Corey was inundated with calls from college coaches wanting to know if they had a shot with Reagan, but, save for the three final fortunate programs who had showed early and sincere interest, including attended her games throughout the Summer, the answer was “no.”

Here’s what Reagan says about her three finalists:

On Oklahoma: “Coach Gasso was at my last game in California and didn’t realize I was a 2028 grad… she thought I was committed. The Sooners coach showed their interested and I like everything about their winning program.”

On Texas A&M: “Coach Corey speaks highly of (A&M Head) Coach (Trisha) Ford, the campus close to home and they’re building the program up there. I wanted to learn more about the program and like what they’re doing.”

On Tennessee: “The pitching coach (Megan Rhodes Smith) and Coach “E” (Ehren Earleywine) went from Texas to Tennessee, and I love Coach E and have that connection with him. I also like how Coach Megan explains things in a way I understand.”

*****

The 18-Month Rise to the Top

Much of Reagan’s success over the last year and a half can be attributed to her hard with her pitching coach Kendra Pate, the owner and lead instructor at the MVP Pitching family located in Walling, Texas.

Kendra pitched at Alvin Community College and at Nicolls State in the late 1990’s and started MVP Pitching in 2000, eventually moving to a warehouse in Waller in 2008 and then to a 3,500 square foot indoor air-conditioned facility next to her house.

“I’m living the dream on six acres,” she says, “with my husband Brett and my three boys—Jett, Steele, Beau—and our dog, Pizza, who is also the MVP mascot!”

Reagan’s mom had long heard of Kendra’s success in working with pitchers and in March 2025, the “tall, scary blond pitcher” began taking lessons… and know it’s not a quick jaunt around the corner, either.

Every Thursday, Reagan and her mother drive an hour or more each way—depending on the Houston area traffic—to take lessons with Kendra. They alternate between private and group lessons which can be semi-private with two pitchers per hour or group with three or four in an hour.

Upon learning that her prize student was named No. 1 in the Class of 2028, it forced the success pitching coach to appreciate the growth Reagan has made under her tutelage.

“As a coach,” Kendra says, “I am always looking at what still needs to be done but this has made me pause and recognize how far Reagan has come.”

“She began training with me at MVP Pitching in March 2025 and, at the time, she was throwing around 62 mph with spin rates near 1000 RPM. Reagan had good natural speed and movement, but we had a lot of room to improve her balance efficiency, velocity, vertical separation and command of a change up.”

“Today, Reagan is reaching speeds in the low 70’s with spin rates exceeding 1600 RPM.”

“We recently put her video from when she first walked into MVP beside the video of the pitcher she is today and the transformation is incredible!”

“The velocity numbers are exciting, but what makes me most proud is everything behind those numbers. Reagan Eldred has worked for this. She is one of the most coachable, committed and driven athletes I train. Reagan listens and she makes adjustments,”

“Also, she comes back each week ready to work and has continually allowed us to challenge her to become more than simply a hard thrower. At MVP we constantly push our pitchers toward what our name represents “MVP: Movement. Velocity. Precision.”

“Reagan continues to raise the standard in all three, but what excites me the most is knowing that she isn’t finished. Over the next two years I expect Reagan to push beyond what she currently believes she is capable of. I expect her to break some school records and continue redefining what her ceiling can be.”

“Being Reagan‘s pitching coach is something I’m incredibly proud of—not simply because she is an exceptionally talented athlete—but because I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Reagan and her family personally. They are truly a blessing and watching them experience this recognition makes it even more special.”

“I say to her: ‘Reagan enjoy this moment. You’ve earned it, be proud of how far you’ve come, but don’t get comfortable.’”

“One of my favorite quotes I tell my pitchers, which is from football player JJ Watt, is: ‘Success isn’t owned, it’s leased and rent is due every day.’ We’ve still got work to do, Reagan, and I cannot wait to see just how far you take this… congratulations, Coach Kendra.”

*****

Her College Future

On the same morning Reagan found out she would be announced as the No. 1 player overall in the 2028 HOT 100, she had just returned from her first of three campus visits, the initial being Texas A&M.

“What’s it like to be considered the No. 1 player in the Class of 2028?” she was asked.

Reagan responded with a startled laugh.

“Oh my gosh, I’m in shock right now!” she answered. “Honestly, it’s amazing. I was not expecting that now. That’s crazy!

What’s not crazy is the serious attention her standout year has brought her.

With college coaches raving about how the pitcher attacks the top part of the zone and mixes in a curve and changeup with excellent off-speed stuff down, she was the belle of the ball, so to speak, when it came to being recruited.

Several D1 programs had her as the No. 1 prospect on their recruiting boards and on September 1, when college coaches could start contacting the junior class, Coach Corey got a dozen and a half phone calls, though many knew it was a lost cause—including some SEC and ACC programs.

They know that Reagan has it down to the fortunate trio of Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

At Texas A&M, on her official campus visit, the recruit said she attended the Missouri State football game, was in meetings with academic folks and NIL people to figure out different aspects of what could be offered her and also spent one-on-one time with the Aggie coaches.

She also got to hang out with another recruit on the trip, infielder Jayde Palmer, who was ranked No. 5 in the 2028 HOT 100.

That was one of three official campus visits that Reagan will take this month; the University of Oklahoma trip is the third week of September. and the final one will be to Tennessee the week after that.

Why those three?

“I did a lot of research,” she responds, “and these are schools that fit my needs and what I want. I had gone to a camp at each of them before and knew I liked it there.”

Carrying a 4.0 GPA, the current high school junior wants to major in Kinesiology wherever she goes to college and, uultimately Regan would like to be a Physical Therapist.

She lives in The Woodlands area of Texas and distance is one factor to consider as Texas A&M is an hour drive, Oklahoma is a five to six-hour drive and Tennessee would be a flight, but all three have their advantages.

“I want to take all three trips before I decide,” Reagan insists.

*****

So Who Is Reagan Eldred?

It’s a simple, yet deep question for an athlete to answer: “What drives you?”

For Reagan it’s the process to become the best she can be… and then using her softball talents and experiences to be positive influences on the next rising generations of player.

“My love for the game helps me always want to improve and get better. It’s always been my dream to play college softball and seeing how that can have an effect on little kids. I was influence by some of my softball heroes, and I want to inspire the next generation to play softball like I did.”

For example, she looks up to Jordy Bahl—now Jordy Frahm—the former Nebraska pitcher, who inspires with her spiritual faith which Reagan identifies with.

She looks up to Karyln Pickens, the former Tennessee pitcher, in how “we’re both tall and blonde and how she impacts little kids and gives back to the community.”

And she looks up to Teagan Vaughan, the two-time Most Outstanding Pitcher in the Texas Longhorns’ pair of national titles simply because, “Like her, I don’t show a lot of emotion on the field.”

Odds are high that in a few years, some young pitchers will be looking up at Reagan and admiring her for all the right reasons… like the tall junior Texan does with her softball heroes, both on and off the field

*****

An Accomplished Past, A Bright Future and Pride from Those Around Her

From the outside, there’s a whole lot of respect going on for this high school junior who has all the pitching talent and the world yet still yearns to get better (and those who know her best feel she’ll do what it takes to maximize her tools).

But what’s most revealing are the thoughts of those who know her best on the field… and off: her travel ball head coach and her ever softball-supporting mom.

“Reagan is a pretty special kid with a super high ceiling,” Coach Cory says. “She has become one of the top pitchers in the country and the top arm in the 28’ class because she is a selfless, hard-working kid who is a true team player with a great attitude!”

“Reagan never makes anything about herself and puts the team over everything.”

Leslie Eldred adds this about her daughter’s success:

“I’m just so proud,” she beings. “I see a lot that people don’t see work behind the scenes—like Regan doing bullpen and missing going out with her friends or missing high school football games to work out and get better.”

“I see what she puts in and, am I surprised?”

“No, but I’m so proud of how she handles herself. Ninety-nine percent of kids wouldn’t have put in the work, but Reagan doesn’t mind if she’s missing out on a sleepover or whatever it may be.”

“She doesn’t mind because softball is her passion.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Media