Here are 10 of the top Milwaukee-area softball players to watch this season

With the WIAA spring season underway, here are 10 Milwaukee-area softball players to watch this season:

Maddy Balsiger, OF/IF Germantown

For Germantown to make a trip to Madison for the first time since 2017, Maddy Balsinger will have to be as effective as she was a year ago. Balsiger was named to the all-Greater Metro Conference first team, all-district first team and the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association's all-state second team after a junior season in which she hit .487 with seven home runs, 34 runs batted in and scored a school-record 41 runs for the Warhawks with 12 stolen bases. The Belmont recruit is as tough as anyone in the area with a bat in her hands.

Alona Boydston, C, Kenosha Indian Trail

Sectional 8 last season was full of Southeast Conference programs featuring some of the area's top talents. Kenosha Indian Trail, a top team to watch, features arguably the best catcher in the area. Butler recruit Alona Boydston was named to the all-Southeast Conference first team and to the WFSCA's all-state second team as a junior as she hit .493 with 33 runs batted in. With an active arm that makes teams fearful of taking extra bases, she's a dangerous weapon for the SEC title contenders.

Kennedy Christopher, IF, Oak Creek

The Knights have lost some big-time pieces in their last two runs to the Division 1 state tournament, but Kennedy Christopher is no stranger to the spotlight. Christopher was named the Southeast Conference player of the year as a freshman last season during Oak Creek's run to the D1 state semifinals. She hit .477 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 33 runs batted in last season, including 14 games where she registered at least two hits. She can mash.

Jacquelyn Cox, OF, Arrowhead

The first of two Arrowhead stars on this list, Jacqueline Cox is a WFSCA all-state second-team outfielder . The Villanova recruit helped lead the Warhawks to the Classic 8 Conference title and the D1 state tournament last season for the first time since 2008. The only player that had more hits last season than Cox (44) was her teammate and Wisconsin recruit Jaclyn Showalter. She was an all-Classic 8 Conference first-team selection and a WFSCA all-state second team pick as a sophomore. Good luck keeping her off the basepaths.

Brooklyn Danielson, P, Kenosha Bradford

Another team looking to knock Oak Creek off the throne in the Southeast Conference title chase is Kenosha Bradford's co-op with Reuther. Eastern Illinois recruit Brooklyn Danielson was one of the area's best arms inside the circle and she returns for the Red Devils, who finished 20-6 a season ago as a D1 sectional finalist. She was an all-conference first-team and a WFSCA all-state second-team selection last season. This season, Danielson helped the Red Devils keep their flawless start with a 13-strikeout perfect game against Racine Case last week in a 10-0 victory.

Cassidy Gall, P, Cedarburg

The top of the North Shore Conference was as competitive as any in the state last season. Four teams won at least 14 games in NSC play last year. Evansville commit and all-NSC first-team selection Cassidy Gall was a huge reason why the Bulldogs almost made it back-to-back state appearances, falling in a sectional final to Menomonee Falls. She was one of the most productive players in the area at the plate and inside the circle. She hit .414 with five home runs and 26 runs batted in with 20 victories, a 2.54 earned run average and 176 strikeouts as Cedarburg's ace.

Hailey Schaumberg, OF, Sussex Hamilton

The defending Greater Metro Conference champion loses a vital piece this season in Kiley Slaats' departure, but it returns one of the area's top hitters. Hailey Schaumberg's 51 hits last season trailed only her teammate Slaats (59) for the most in the GMC as a sophomore. She hit .580 with 30 runs batted in and 13 doubles. Schaumberg was also third in the conference with 17 stolen bases on her way to all-GMC first-team and WFSCA all-state second-team honors.

Jaclyn Showalter, IF, Arrowhead

One of the best power hitters in the history of Milwaukee-area softball returns for one final go. Jaclyn Showalter had a junior season to remember in helping Arrowhead back to the D1 state tournament. Showalter has 41 career home runs entering this season, including 16 last season on her way to being named to the all-Classic 8 and WFSCA all-state first teams. The Wisconsin recruit had 10 games with at least three hits last season, including a pair of four-hit performances. The scouting report is simple: don't give her anything to hit because she'll make you pay.

Ava Thelen, IF, West Bend West

In the midst of the chaos atop the North Shore Conference standings last season, West Bend West found itself on top as champion for the first time since joining the NSC in 2018. Buffalo recruit Ava Thelen helped lead the charge for the Spartans with a stellar junior season. She was an all-NSC first-team and a WFSCA honorable mention selection after hitting .571 with six home runs, 33 runs batted in, 13 doubles and three triples. She already has four hits in seven at-bats this season for a batting average of .571.

Sydney Vitangcol, P, Wisconsin Lutheran

The Journal Sentinel's player of the year last season, Wisconsin recruit Sydney Vitangcol was one of the state's best performers during her sophomore season. At the plate, she had an absurd .632 batting average in 89 total plate appearances, including 43 hits, 12 stolen bases and 10 doubles. Inside the circle, she was even better. In 20 starts, Vitangcol went 17-3 with a 0.43 earned run average, allowed just 35 hits for a .072 batting average against her, and struck out 272 hitters.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 10 top softball players to watch around the Milwaukee area in 2024