In May of this year—just a little over two months ago—Line Drive Softball named right-handed pitcher and first baseman Sophia Schlader as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2028.

*** Click HERE to see our profile on her titled 2028 HOT 100 Spotlight: 15 Questions with the No. 1 Player… Pitcher Sophia Schlader! (May 26, 2025)

We had a chance to watch her play today in a PGF Nationals 14U Winner’s Bracket game against a strong Suncats team and all “Soph” (sounds like “Sohff”) did was hit a two-run home run, walk and score another run and in the circle she pitched a 3-0 shutout with 14 strikeouts and just two hits given up.

And she was throwing in the high 60’s… like 68 to 70 mph.

That’s all.

More importantly, Sophia has her Beverly Bandits – Chow/Hardin team just one win away from making tomorrow’s PGF 14U Premier National Championship game; to get there the powerhouse team based in Illinois has to just one of two games against the winner of the Loser’s Bracket (TBD as we post this Saturday afternoon in Huntington Beach, Calif.).

We caught up with Sophia after today’s big win and asked her if she was more happy with her hitting or pitching today… here’s what she had to say including praise for her catcher Magdalena “Mags” Aguinaga, who she points to in the video after one of her K’s…