The expectations for Kansas next season are all over the board. On3 has the Jayhawks at 13 in its Way-Too-Early Top-25.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello slots Kansas at 21st. Meanwhile, coach Bill Self’s club slides into 32nd in the country in CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein’s top-45. 

While the Jayhawks turn over nearly their entire roster, other than returning big man Flory Bidunga, Self and Co. have put together quite a respectable haul this offseason, headlined by the No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2025: combo guard Darryn Peterson. 

Joining Peterson from the high school ranks are wings Samis Calderon (four-star) and Corbin Allen (three-star). The Jayhawks also put in work in the transfer portal, coming out with a three-player haul consisting of Tre White, Jayden Dawson, and Melvin Council Jr. – all three of whom were top-125 transfer portal recruits according to 247 Sports. 

Nonetheless, not everyone is sold on Kansas, including Rothstein, who went as far as to say, at this moment, “Kansas would not be a top five team in the Big 12.”

But Rothstein made it abundantly clear what the Jayhawks need to do to return to their usual, dominant form:

“Kansas is two legitimate players away from being vintage Kansas,” said Rothstein.

And who may those players be?

Well, Rothstein tossed out a few options. He mentioned top transfer target Darrion Williams – who remains in the NBA Draft for the time being – and Rothstein touched on the international prospects the Jayhawks have been linked to. 

The Jayhawks certainly have work to do, but with Self and his staff’s track record, one can expect Kansas to put the finishing touches on its Class of 2025 – whether through the portal or overseas – in spectacular fashion.

With the high school softball season soon coming to a close in Kansas, it’s time to take a look at some of the state’s top performers from the 2025 campaign.

We scanned the Sunflower State and found 35 eye-popping performers, and now we’re asking fans to cast their vote and let us know who deserves to be considered best among all Jayhawkers.

Many of the state’s top programs are represented this season, and schools like Pittsburg, Wamego and Haven have multiple candidates. From the state record for stolen bases to dominant pitchers with sub-1.00 ERA’s, Kansas talent runs the gamut in 2025.

Please note this is not an overall ranking of the top players in the state, and the players below are listed in alphabetical order. We have provided captions for each of the 35 players below. Read up on each of them and please cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page to let us know who you think deserves to be Kansas’ top performer.

You may vote as many times as you’d like. Voting ends Saturday, May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Central time.

Disclaimer: Voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You may vote as many times as you’d like and are encouraged to share our polls with others.

Ana Amador, Wichita North

The power in the Lady RedHawks’ lineup almost exclusively runs through Amador. The junior slugger helped carry her team to 11 wins this year while getting the job done both at the plate and inside the pitcher’s circle. In 20 games Amador hit .705 (43-for-75) with 12 home runs, 7 doubles, 6 triples and 44 RBI. She walked 11 times, struck out 4 times and went 25-for-25 in stolen-base attempts. On the mound she went 9-5 with a 2.37 ERA, allowing 69 hits and 25 earned runs with 74 strikeouts and 11 walks in 64 innings.  

Kory Anschutz, Skyline (Pratt)

Second on the Lady Thunderbirds’ squad with a .547 batting average, Anschutz has brought a steady blend of power and speed to Skyline’s lineup. Sporting a 1.655 OPS and slugging 1.031, the senior hit nearly as many doubles (14) as singles (15) with 5 home runs, 1 triple and 39 RBI through 18 games. Anschutz has drawn 12 walks, struck out 4 times, stole 25 of 26 bases and scored 35 runs. In the circle she’s 6-2 in nine starts with 41 strikeouts and 12 walks in 51.2 innings.

Grace Birk, Burlington

Goodness gracious, Grace has been good. With hits in 20 of 25 games this season and only one strikeout against her, Birk has excelled at the plate this year. But her prowess in the pitcher’s circle is what vaults the senior into elite company. Surpassing 700 career strikeouts a week ago, Birk has been practically untouchable this year, going 20-0 in 21 games with a 0.31 ERA. The rest of the numbers seem just as silly. In 117.2 innings she surrendered just 10 runs (four earned) on 46 hits with 230 strikeouts and 30 walks. She pitched 4 no-hitters – two 7-inning games and shortened 4- and 3-inning bids in blowout wins – and didn’t allow more than 6 hits in any outing. At the plate she’s compiled a .459 (34-for-74) average in 25 games with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs and 32 RBI.

Avery Brawner, Haven

One of the multiple Lady Wildcats on this list, Brawner is the team’s primary starting pitchers and one of the top bats in their lineup. Pitching in 26 games, Brawner is 20-4 with a 2.62 ERA, 12 complete games and two shutouts. She’s been tough on opponents, holding them to a .219 average on 104 hits with 182 strikeouts and 37 walks in 120 innings. At the plate she hit .478 through 26 games with 12 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs and 27 RBI. She scored a team-high 52 runs.   

DeShawnna Bryant, Great Bend

It’s only fitting that she went 4-for-4 with 3 doubles in her last game, because Bryant has been a doubles machine in 2025. That performance effectively hiked her season average to .500 (48-for-96) and her doubles total to 19. She also has 6 home runs, 1 triple, 38 RBI and has scored 36 runs in 26 games.

Addison Chapman, McPherson

This senior Lady Bullpup has been the straw that stirs the drink during McPherson’s 26-0 stretch. The team’s ace pitching alongside fellow star Addie Herrera, who is also having a fine season in the circle, Chapman has pitched to a 12-0 mark with a 0.43 ERA across 16 appearances (12 starts). She has allowed 35 hits, 12 runs (5 earned) and racked up 118 strikeouts with 33 walks in 82 innings. Batting in 26 games she has hit .495 with 7 home runs, 5 doubles and 9 triples with 35 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 41 runs scored.   

Samantha Claire, Eudora

Eudora (23-1) is one of the best teams in Kansas this season and Claire is one of the best pitchers in the state. The KU signee has pitched in 20 games, going 15-1 with a miniscule 0.50 ERA. She’s surrendered just 10 runs (7 earned) in 98.1 innings with 214 strikeouts and 25 walks. She pitched a shortened perfect game on May 6 in an 11-0 win in five innings against Louisburg.

Macie Corcoran, Perry-Lecompton (Perry)

The Lady Kaws went 8-18 this season, but this sophomore had a big year at the plate. In 26 games Corcoran hit .448 (43-for-96) and was among the state’s home run leaders with 11. She also had 9 doubles, 1 triple, 26 RBI and scored 32 runs.

Zoe Davidson, Cedar Vale-Dexter

It’s no wonder the Lady Spartans are 23-1 this season. Splitting time in the pitcher’s circle with junior teammate Gracie Webb, Davidson, a sophomore, has been one of the best pitchers in the state. A three-sport star (softball, basketball, volleyball), Davidson’s athleticism shines inside the circle where she’s been practically untouchable all year. In her first 15 appearances Davidson went 12-0 with a 0.53 ERA and one save. The young star allowed only 35 hits and 5 earned runs with 109 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 66 innings. She’s also made a huge impact at the plate, hitting .587 through her first 21 games with 6 homers, 9 doubles, 6 triples, 45 RBI and scored 41 runs.

Sophia Faidley, Haven

Haven is having a fantastic season this year at 22-4 overall and Faidley is the team’s leading hitter. The senior is among the state’s top home run hitters this season, hitting .615 (48-for-78) with 14 home runs, 6 doubles, 1 triple and 46 RBI in 26 games. She has drawn 10 walks and struck out only three times in 97 plate appearances.

Kynzi Fehringer, Stanton County (Johnson)

A multi-sport athlete who also stars in basketball and volleyball for the Lady Trojans, Fehringer is one of the state’s most talented young sophomores. She has been nails for Stanton County (19-5) this season, hitting .623 (48-for-77) with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs and 37 RBI in 24 games. Fehringer has drawn 18 walks and stolen 24 bases this season while sporting a .691 OBP, 1.795 OPS and slugs 1.104.

Haely Hagemann, McPherson

The Lady Bullpups (26-0) have dominated with Hagemann helping lead their offense. The senior is tops on the team with a .527 average in 26 games while slugging 13 doubles, 4 home runs and 42 RBI.

Madalynn Harold, Chapman

Cloud Community College is getting a good one next year when Harold joins its program. Chapman’s senior ace swings a pretty good bat, too, and she has helped the Lady Irish to a 21-3 start. In the circle the right hander has dominated across 19 appearances (12 starts), going 13-1 with 1 save and a 1.05 ERA. Harold has surrendered 15 runs (14 earned) on 53 hits in 93.1 innings with 149 strikeouts and 20 walks. At the plate she’s batting .460 with 5 home runs, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 34 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Peyton Hardenburger, Wamego

Hardenburger has been pitching with some extra cheese this year. The ace of the Lady Red Raiders’ talented 1-2 staff alongside Landri Adams, Hardenburger has been nearly untouchable for 4A power Wamego. Surpassing 800 career strikeouts one week ago, the senior sports an 8-1 record with a 0.24 ERA in 12 starts. She surrendered only 13 hits and 7 runs – 3 earned – in 87.2 innings. The two-way threat is hitting .440 (33-for-75) with 3 home runs, 3 doubles and 1 triple across 23 games.

Willow Hochstedler, Onaga

Another of the state’s premier sophomores, Hochstedler whacked 16 doubles through the first 24 games of 2025 with 1 triple, 2 home runs and 32 RBI while batting .512 (41-for-80). A two-way star who also excels on the mound, the young righty went 9-2 with a 2.16 ERA in her first 14 appearances with 112 strikeouts and 32 walks in 64.2 innings.

Gretchen Huizenga, Santa Fe Trail (Carbondale)

At 23-3, the Lady Chargers have relied heavily on their two-way star this season and she has produced on the mound and with the bat. The junior hit .461 (41-for-89) with 7 home runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 40 RBI and scored 31 runs through her first 26 games. In her first 12 appearances in the circle (11 starts) Huizenga went 9-2 with a 2.88 ERA, pitching 1 no-hitter and striking out 78 with 26 walks in 75.1 innings.  

Kyplee Jacobson, Mission Valley (Eskridge)

She’s been a model of consistency and production throughout her four years with the Lady Vikings. But this senior campaign has been the best season for Jacobson yet. In 26 games, she’s hit a career-high .529 (46-for-87) with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 5 home runs, 31 RBI and scored 42 runs. The catcher has a .987 fielding percentage with 3 errors in 230 chances. She has 25 assists, 202 putouts, thrown out 18 of 39 base stealers (46.15%), turned 1 double play and picked off two runners in 153 innings.  

Avery Johnson, Frontenac

The Lady Raiders (24-1) have gone where their ace has taken them. The senior righty has pitched all but nine innings for Frontenac this season, and the NEO A&M signee with more than 600 career strikeouts has been nothing shy of dominant. She’s 23-1 on the mound in 25 games with a 1.02 ERA. Johnson has allowed 30 runs (20 earned) on 70 hits in 136.2 innings with 176 strikeouts and 29 walks.    

Megan Johnston, Pittsburg

The Lady Purple Dragons are 22-2 this season and boast one of the most potent offenses in Kansas. Johnston is the thunder to teammate Brette Pasteur’s lightning, only coming second on the team to Pasteur in most offensive categories. A shortstop who bats second most days in Pittsburg’s lineup, the senior has a .538 batting average across 24 games, going 43-for-80 at the plate with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs and 43 RBI while scoring a team-high 45 runs. Johnston has been charged with 1 error in 60 defensive chances and sports a .983 fielding percentage.  

Lizzy Lassley, Maize South

A catcher and utility player who mostly catches and bats leadoff for the Lady Mavericks (26-0), Lassley has been one of the team’s biggest weapons. Playing in all 26 games, she’s slashing .576/.632/1.632/1.000 with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 33 RBI and scored 49 runs.

Ava Lay, Trinity Academy (Wichita)

A Derby native, Lay has set the table batting leadoff for the Lady Knights. The Grayson Community College commit has collected at least one hit in 24 of 27 games this season with 33 stolen bases. She’s 50-for-81 at the plate (.617 average) with 7 home runs, 9 doubles, 7 triples, 47 RBI and has scored a whopping 54 runs. One of the toughest batters in the state to strike out, she’s whiffed only three times this year while drawing 15 walks.  

Dani Lee, McLouth

Of all the dominant two-way stars on this list, Lee’s season might be the hardest to top. Her numbers, both in the circle and at the plate, feel like something from a video game. The senior has pitched 20 times this year, drawing 18 starts, going 19-0 with a 0.07 ERA. That’s not a typo: Lee has allowed just one earned run in 98.1 innings all year and surrendered only 19 hits and 6 runs total. What’s more, Lee has struck out 237 of the 335 batters she has faced with just 8 walks. Opponents are batting .059 against her, she sports a 29.63 K/BB ratio and has pitched a whopping 67 3-up, 3-down 1-2-3 innings. But wait, there’s more. At the dish she’s hitting .645 across 76 plate appearances with an extended slash line of .716/2.150/1.434. Among the state’s home run leaders with 12, Lee also has 14 doubles, 5 triples, 68 RBI and has scored 49 runs. She has drawn 22 walks, struck out only three times and swiped 22 stolen bases.

Alana McCarthy, Wamego

Wamego jumped out to a 19-4 start behind an offense powered by this talented underclassman. Still a sophomore, McCarthy leads the Lady Red Raiders by a wide margin in batting with a .534 average while also slugging 11 doubles, 2 triples and 7 home runs with 35 RBI.

Morgan O’Neal, Haven

One of many players having a great year in Haven’s lineup, the junior is batting .575 with 8 home runs, 6 doubles and 43 RBI in 26 games. She’s drawn a team-high 18 walks and is second on the team (for those with at least 5 at-bats) with a .656 OBP and has scored 39 runs.

Brette Pasteur, Pittsburg

Since announcing her return from ACL and double Meniscus surgery on X, formerly Twitter, back on Feb. 3, Pasteur has been showing off the hard work she put in to get back into the fold. The top bat in southeastern Kansas, Pasteur’s numbers in 2025 easily place her among the best hitters in the state and best-hitting third basemen in the country. The junior is currently 3 home runs shy of tying the Kansas state record of 18, set by Olathe Northwest’s Reagan Hathaway in 2015, according to Kansas Sports Hall of Fame records. Through her first 24 games she hit .696 (48-for-69) with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 15 home runs, 54 RBI and 42 runs scored. She’s drawn 14 walks, been hit with 4 pitches and reached base safely 72.5% of the time. Her OPS is a gaudy 2.334 and she is slugging 1.609.

Shyria Quintana, Ellinwood

Another impressive sophomore, Quintana’s power numbers are even this season, though they look a bit odd. Batting .500 in 26 games, Quintana smacked 12 extra-base hits. But she didn’t seem too interested in messing around with doubles and triples, as she hit two of each. Instead, she whacked 8 home runs, finishing in the upper tier of state leaders in that category. She scored 37 runs, collected 31 RBI, walked 17 times and reached base at a .612 clip.

Jai Rogers, Chapman

The Lady Irish are lucky to have this young star. One of the top sophomores in the state, Rogers has terrorized Class 4A pitching since hitting .458 as a freshman. She only got better as a sophomore, batting .616 across 99 at-bats so far with 14 doubles, 9 triples, 5 home runs, 26 RBI and scored 47 runs. The speedster has stolen 25 bases and has an extended slash line of .624/1.715/1.091.  

Avery Stindt, Republic County (Belleville)

One of the best base stealers in the state; Stindt has swiped at least 37 bases in each of the last three seasons. She set a career-high this year with 44 steals through her first 22 games. She was also among the state’s leaders in batting average through 22 games, hitting .600 (42-for-70) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs and 33 RBI.

Sophie Stockam, Maize South

On a team of worthy players, Stockam makes a great case as Maize South’s MVP in 2025. She has done a little bit of everything at a high level for the Lady Mavericks this year. She earned career strikeout No. 500 a week ago and has struck out 212 of the 301 batters she has faced across 85 innings. Pitching in 20 games (14 starts) Stockam is 13-0 with a 0.58 ERA. Doubling as an emergency closer, she is 4-for-4 in save opportunities and has allowed only 11 hits and 8 runs (7 earned) all season. The senior also produces at the plate, where she is hitting .481 and leads the team with 10 home runs. She also has 6 doubles, 43 RBI and a 1.483 OPS.  

Kam Stubbs, Wichita Northwest

The senior first baseman has been dominating Class 6A pitching this season. Through her first 24 games Stubbs is batting .616 with 16 doubles, 8 triples, 6 home runs, 43 RBI and scored 35 runs. Stubbs has stolen 10 bases and has a .952 fielding percentage.

Akyra Traver, Marias des Cygnes (Melvern)

The Lady Trojans (6-14) didn’t have the best season in 2025, but they can boast having one of the best players in the state and the top player in Kansas 2-1A. The junior had a record-breaking season and some eye-popping numbers. Despite splitting time defensively in center and at catcher, Traver – also a star in basketball and volleyball at MDCHS – paced her squad with a .924 fielding percentage (6 errors in 79 attempts). And while she’s a fine defender, she butters her bread with a healthy dose of offense. Through 20 games this season she hit a staggering .771 (54-for-70) with 10 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs and 39 RBI while drawing 19 walks and struck out only once. She slashed .771/.820/2.206/1.386 and collected more 2-out RBI (15) than total runners she left on base all season (14) while hitting into only one double play. Her prowess on the basepaths is a product of those numbers, as she stole 71 bases on 72 attempts, a new state record per the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. She also moved into a tie for first all-time in career stolen bases (161) with Frontenac’s Heather Arnett (2019-2022) and tied the state record with eight stolen bases in a single game against Crest – joining Jenny Lyne (Lincoln, 1996) and Sam Stallbaumber (Haven, 2015) for most ever in Kansas.

Lydia Turner, Oskaloosa

Turner found herself turning first base a lot this season, as 24 of her 42 base hits this season went for extra bases. She smacked 18 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run and 24 RBI while hitting .592 (45-for-76) in 24 games. She drew 22 walks and struck out only one time while the Lady Bears (19-5) greatly benefited from Turner’s 45 stolen bases and 54 runs scored. In 76 at-bats, Turner amassed a .677 OBP, slugged 1.056 and carried a 1.733 OPS.

Mayzie Warden, Haven

When you compare Warden to her teammates on this list, it’s impossible to keep her off. Hitting .494 in 26 games, she scored 45 runs while slugging 14 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs with 30 RBI. Warden’s drawn 13 walks and struck out only once. An outfielder, Warden has not been charged with an error, recording 20 putouts, 4 assists and 1 double play in 24 chances.

Aubrey Warren, Topeka Seaman

She has power and she isn’t afraid to use it. Warren is in the upper tier of the state’s home run leaderboard, smashing 11 in 2025 while hitting .413 for the Lady Vikings with 7 doubles, 2 triples and 34 RBI. Defensively, the infielder has turned 6 double plays with 36 putouts and 53 assists in 94 total chances.

Hayden Wettstein, Wichita Heights

The Lady Falcons (8-13) have not had the year they’d hoped for this season, through no fault of Wettstein. She is having the best season of her varsity career, hitting .667 through their first 22 games. Wettstein has 6 home runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 36 RBI, stole 14 bases and scored 30 runs.   

Tornado Watch –

The National Weather Service has issued Tornado Watch 291, which remains in effect until 1:00 AM CDT Monday for portions of Kansas and Nebraska.

In Kansas (6 counties):

Jewell

Mitchell

Osborne

Phillips

Rooks

Smith

In Nebraska (13 counties):

Central Nebraska:

Greeley

Howard

Sherman

Valley

South Central Nebraska:

Buffalo

Dawson

Franklin

Furnas

Gosper

Harlan

Kearney

Phelps

Webster

Cities included in the watch area include: Alma, Arapahoe, Beaver City, Beloit, Blue Hill, Cambridge, Cozad, Franklin, Gothenburg, Greeley, Holdrege, Jewell, Kearney, Lexington, Minden, Ord, Osborne, Phillipsburg, Red Cloud, Smith Center, St. Paul, and others.

NWS has advised residents in the affected areas to remain alert, monitor local weather updates, and be prepared to take shelter if conditions worsen.

Also Read: Photos: Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia tornadoes leave ‘trail of destruction’ as 32 killed; ‘It’s pretty scary’

Grinnell Tornado – 

A tornado struck Grinnell, Kansas, on Sunday evening, causing damages to parts of the town. The Kansas Department of Transportation reported that sections of I-70 in northwest Kansas were closed after downed power lines blocked several lanes.

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall expressed support for the affected community, stating, “Our prayers are with the Grinnell community this evening following the tornado that touched down. We urge everyone to stay safe, avoid the area, and closely follow guidance from local authorities as severe weather continues to move across our state.”

Senator Jerry Moran also voiced concern, writing, “I’m concerned for the communities in western Kansas impacted by the tornadoes and am working with local officials to assess the damage and see what are the immediate needs on the ground. Kansans, please stay alert! The dangerous weather conditions across the state have already resulted in tornadoes in Gove County and Scott County with much of the state facing more storms and potential tornadoes.”