Top 15 Ames Tribune-area Iowa high school softball players heading into the 2024 season
The 2024 Iowa high school softball season is just around the corner.
Opening day is Monday, May 20. Several talented players are returning from Ames-area teams who will look to make a big impact during the summer.
Ames lost a talented group of seniors that included three Division I athletes, including two D1 softball players. But the Little Cyclones still have some standout players coming back as they attempt to make another deep postseason run.
Gilbert returns most of its roster off a young 2023 team and Collins-Maxwell has arguably the best player in all of Class 1A. Ballard brings back its ace pitcher, Nevada has a standout freshman in the infield, Roland-Story has strong young talent and Colo-NESCO will be led by a veteran pitcher and infielder.
Several young faces from throughout the area will emerge as big contributors as well.
This is just a preseason list, so plenty of new names could burst onto the scene during the season. But here are the top 15 high school softball players in the Ames area right now.
Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name
Molly Angell, Colo-NESCO
Senior, Outfield
Angell was Colo-NESCO's top hitter and a solid presence in the outfield last season.
Angell hit .346 with four doubles, two triples, 32 runs and 19 steals. She also made 17 putouts and had four assists in the outfield.
Brooklyn Baumgardner, Ballard
Senior, Pitcher
Baumgardner is back for her fifth season as a pitcher for Ballard.
The All-Raccoon River Conference performer won eight games and posted a 3.39 ERA with 106 strikeouts and 51 walks in 136 1/3 innings in the circle in 2023. She also hit .303 with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.
Cypress Erickson, Collins-Maxwell
Sophomore, Outfield
Erickson gives Collins-Maxwell a force at the top of the order entering the 2024 season.
She hit .331 as a freshman with three doubles and just as many triples, 35 runs, 19 RBIs and 15 steals for a Spartan team that finished 21-7 in 2023. She only made two errors in the field.
Mya Geffre, Ames
Freshman, Infield
Geffre was a pleasant surprise as a newcomer on the Ames softball team last season, and she will look to be even more productive in 2024.
More: Top 15 Ames Tribune-area Iowa high school baseball players heading into the 2024 season
As an eighth-grader, Geffre hit .308 with four doubles, one triple, 29 runs and 18 RBIs. She also finished with just two errors in 230 chances at first base.
Miley Geise, Roland-Story
Freshman, Pitcher
Geise is looking to be a big contributor for Roland-Story this summer after turning in a productive 2023 season as an eighth grader.
Geise hit .300 with eight doubles, one triple and 17 RBIs in 2023. She went 1-1 with a 6.68 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 22 innings of work as a pitcher.
Erica Houge, Collins-Maxwell
Senior, Pitcher
Houge is the heart and soul of Collins-Maxwell and one of the best pitchers in the entire state.
The multiple-time first-team 1A all-state selection and future Western Kentucky Hilltopper went 21-5 with an 0.27 ERA, 268 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 154 innings last season. She dominated at the plate as well, hitting .582 with 11 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 26 runs and 45 RBIs.
Jorie Hillman, Nevada
Freshman, Infield
Hillman was huge for Nevada during her first varsity softball season in 2023, and she will try and be an even bigger force for the Cubs in 2024.
More: Eighth-grader Jorie Hillman has exploded onto the scene for the Nevada softball team
As an eighth-grader, Hillman hit .425 with seven doubles, one triple and eight home runs. She scored 29 times, picked up 23 RBIs, stole 11 bases and made 46 assists and 40 putouts, playing primarily at shortstop.
Peyton Jeter, Roland-Story
Junior, Catcher
Jeter threw out six base runners and she made just six errors in 151 chances in the field as a reliable catcher for Roland-Story last season.
She will try and improve on those numbers in 2024. Jeter is also a solid hitter after posting a .280 average with 13 RBIs in 2023.
Lani Khounsourath, Nevada
Senior, Infield
Khounsourath missed all of last season with an ACL injury.
She is looking to come back strong in 2024. In 2022, Khounsourath hit .351 with six doubles, two triples, three homers, 25 runs and 14 RBIs on offense, and she made 28 putouts and 27 assists in the infield defensively.
Jada Lande, Ballard
Sophomore, Infield
Lande provides the Ballard softball team with a big punch at the plate and steady play in the infield.
Last year as a freshman, Lande hit .357 with five doubles, one homer, 17 runs and 11 RBIs. She made 53 putouts and 32 assists in the infield.
Nora Morken, Ames
Junior, Outfield
Morken is looking to build off a strong finish to her sophomore season for Ames entering the 2024 campaign.
Morken posted a .309 average with six doubles, one triple, three homers, 22 runs and 21 RBIs at the plate in 2023. She was stellar in the outfield as well, going without an error in 29 chances and finishing with three assists.
Annabelle Nessa, Colo-NESCO
Senior, Pitcher
Nessa is coming off a breakout junior season as a pitcher for Colo-NESCO.
In 2023, she went 7-7 with a 3.68 ERA, 103 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 83 2/3 innings in the circle. She also drove in 15 runs on offense.
Clara Newton, Gilbert
Sophomore, Pitcher
Newton provides Gilbert with quality experience in the circle, in the outfield and at the plate entering her sophomore season.
She went 4-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 36 1/3 innings, and she went without an error in 20 chances in the field as a freshman. On offense, Newton hit .377 with seven doubles, two triples and 11 RBIs.
Katie Riesselman, Ames
Senior, Infield
Riesselman provides Ames with a big bat and a quality fielder at third base.
In 2023, Riesselman hit .340 with 13 doubles, five home runs, 25 runs and 23 RBIs. She made 72 assists defensively at third base.
Katie Sniezek, Gilbert
Sophomore, Infield
Sniezek gives Gilbert a tremendous all-around performer with all-state potential entering the 2024 season.
Last year Sniezek hit .389 with seven doubles, one triple, 17 runs and 17 RBIs. At shortstop, she made 67 putouts, 49 assists and only five errors in 121 chances.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: The top 15 Iowa high school softball players in Ames area for 2024
