Earlier this month, Line Drive wrapped up our initial look at the Class of 2030 with the HOT 100 rankings.

In the Top 10, released Feb. 7, 2025, Ellie Fleming was ranked No. 2 overall on the list and here’s how her bio read:

T-2—Ellie Fleming, OF, Tennessee Mojo 2011
Ellie is a game-changing outfielder from Rainsville, Ala., whose explosive speed and power at the plate make her one of the most dynamic players in the 2030 class. Competing for Tennessee Mojo 2011, she posted a staggering .593 batting average while crossing the plate 129 times and swiping 102 bases. Her versatility extends to the pitching circle, where she produced a 6-0 record with 57 strikeouts and an impeccable 1.000 fielding percentage in centerfield. Ellie has already garnered numerous accolades including being a USA All-American in 2024 and receiving an invite to the prestigious High Performance Program (HPP) program in 2025. Her exit velocity of 76 mph and 2.70-second home-to-first speed helped her play a pivotal role in leading Georgia Impact Premier ’11 to a Gold Bracket runner-up finish at the 2024 Colorado Sparkler, where she batted .571 with an on-base percentage of .613, scored 12 runs, and stole 10 bases in just 10 games.

The standout athlete is 5-foot-10 with the tools to play centerfield or pitch as needed and, impressively, she’s already made the varsity team for Plainview High in Rainsville, Ala., which has won two Alabama Class 3A State Championships in the last four years (2021, 2023) and had a runner-up finish last year (2024).

And Ellie is only in the 7^th grade!

With this much talent already, it’s not surprising that the 2030 grad is already on the “must follow list” of dozens of major college across the nation and you can be assured that this attention will only get stronger over time.

Line Drive’s Brentt Eads caught up with the accomplished athlete to learn more about this promising player and her goals for the future… here’s what she had to say…

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LINE DRIVE SOFTBALL Player Spotlight Questionnaire

Name: ELLIE FLEMING
Hometown/ST: Rainsville, Alabama
Grad Year: 2030
Position(s): CF/LHP
Club Team: TN Mojo 2011 -Brown
High School (City/ST): Plainview High School (Rainsville, AL)
GPA: 3.9

In your eyes, what are some of the top honors and accomplishments you’ve achieved individually and with your teams?  
Individually, being ranked No. 2 overall player in the nation by Line Drive Media and being named as an USA All American. Teamwise, finishing runner-up with my team at the Colorado Sparkler.

What’s been your most memorable softball experience?
Traveling to California with the 2011 Thunderbolts – Whitaker team to compete in the PGF Nationals where we finished third.

What would you say are your strengths on the field?
My mental approach to the game, my confidence and my trying to be a good teammate.

Have you set personal goals for yourself for this year? 
Yes, my 2025 goals include increasing my strength, speed, and agility and, by summer, I want my exit velo to be at 80-mph.

Do you have any softball superstitions? 
I listen to my favorite playlist before arriving to the field.

What would you say is your philosophy in life?
It is the “practices before practice.” Work so hard that great players call you “Elite.”

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be on-field? Off the field?   On the field: aggressive; off the field: humble.

What’s been your favorite place you’ve placed softball? 
California.

What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in life?
I broke my hand in the fall of 2023, while playing in Oklahoma City. We had a tournament the weekend after returning home, and while visiting with my doctor I talked him into putting on a temporary hard cast so that I could play one more time before having surgery.

Surprisingly, he agreed, and my teammates helped wrap it in bubble wrap.  It eventually required pins, two surgeries and several months of therapy to rebuild my strength before I could begin throwing and hitting again. It was a long tough hurdle, but, in 2024, I made a comeback.

Continue below to read more on Ellie including what she likes off the field…