Detroit News top softball players: Howell's Wolverton out to cap career with another dominant year
Apr. 16—David Goricki of The Detroit News breaks down the top 20 high school softball players in Metro Detroit.
Avrey Wolverton has been an impact player since she stepped on Howell's campus her freshman year, and is a big reason Howell advanced to the Division 1 state semifinals in 2018 and to the state championship game in 2019.
After not having a chance to make a return trip to Michigan State University's Secchia Stadium last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wolverton will try to help her team get there one more time before heading south to play at Furman next year.
Wolverton showed she is already playing at the top of her game with a 3-0 record on the mound this season. She has allowed just one run, including a perfect game against Livonia Stevenson when she struck out 19 of the 21 batters she faced.
"I just want to have a good season this year," said Wolverton, who hit .470 with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs and went 8-1 on the mound with a 1.40 ERA as a sophomore.
"I had a lot of good players pushing me to play at the level that I was at back when I was a sophomore, so hopefully I can continue to play that well this season."
What did Wolverton do last summer since her high school season was shut down?
"I was just extremely bored and bummed out that we couldn't play," Wolverton said. "We were able to play travel ball during the summer which was good. I played for Turnin2 16U and we played in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama. Played all over but not in Michigan.
"I pitch a lot on my travel team so I'm ready (to be Howell's ace) since we had Molly (Carney) in past years. I rely a lot on my rise and screwball."
What worked during the perfect game and win over Stevenson?
"Honestly my back was hurting so I threw nice and easy," Wolverton said. "Obviously, having a good defense behind me helps a lot. My screwball was working, too."
2. Ellie Sieler, Sr., OF, Monroe
Sieler is an outstanding outfielder with great range and a strong arm. She hit .559 as a freshman, then hit .578 her sophomore year with 42 RBIs and 65 runs scored. She will play at Michigan next year.
3. Lillian Vallimont, Jr., C, Trenton
Vallimont was a freshman phenom at Allen Park Cabrini in 2019, hitting .557 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs while displaying great defensive skills behind the plate. She is a Northwestern commit.
4. Rachel Everett, Sr., P, Hartland
Everett, a left-hander, was 19-5 with 162 strikeouts as a freshman in 2018 when she helped her team to a Division 1 state title game appearance. She went 30-3 her sophomore year with 218 strikeouts to help Hartland earn a No. 1 ranking before getting upset in the postseason. She will play at South Alabama next year.
5. Maggie Murphy, Sr., 2B/SS, Farmington Hills Mercy
Murphy had a strong sophomore season in 2019, hitting .584 with 12 home runs while also displaying great range and great hands as a middle infielder. She will play at Miami of Ohio next year.
6. Kelsey Zampa, Sr., OF, Hartland
Zampa shows outstanding range, has a great arm and can hit. She had a strong sophomore season where she hit .453 with 53 hits, including six home runs, 39 RBIs and 61 runs scored. She will play for former Michigan All-American pitcher Marissa Young next year at Duke.
7. Maddie Springer, Sr., SS, Howell
Springer has outstanding range and a strong arm at shortstop. She hit .452 as a sophomore to help Howell reach the state championship game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the 9-6 semifinal win over Clarkston. She will play at Central Michigan next year.
8. Madi Ramey, Jr., INF, Allen Park
Ramey can play multiple positions and play them all at a high level. She hit .506 her freshman year and has excellent speed where she can take the extra base and put pressure on defenses. She is a Michigan commit.
9. Reganne Bennett, So., P, Novi
Bennett had an impressive debut with Novi, going 5-for-7 against Brighton with three singles, a double and home run while also striking out 19 in nine innings of shutout ball. The hard-throwing right-hander, who touches 69 mph, also had 19 strikeouts against Ann Arbor Pioneer.
10. Megan Nuechterlein, So., P, Macomb Dakota
Nuechterlein is a hard-throwing right-hander who hits her spots well and shows tremendous poise. She had a strong high school debut when she struck out six of the 10 batters she faced in a season-opening 11-1 win over Richmond.
11. Grace Nieto, Sr., SS, Farmington Hills Mercy
Nieto has all the tools. She has great range, a strong arm and is an outstanding leader who hit .549 as a sophomore. She will play at Northwestern next year.
12. Kelsey Nader, Jr., OF, Canton
Nader is an outstanding leadoff hitter who batted over .500 her freshman year. On defense, the Northwestern commit has the ability to chase down the majority of the balls hit her way.
13. Mia Konyvka, Sr., P/1B, Warren Regina
Konyvka is a force both on the mound and at the plate. She hit over .400 her sophomore season to help Regina win both the Catholic League title and the Division 1 state title in 2019. The George Mason commit is the ace of the staff this season and uses multiple pitches to keep hitters guessing.
14. Shea VanScoter, Sr., P, Richmond
VanScoter has been a key contributor since her freshman season when she hit .426 with eight homers and 56 RBIs. She was Richmond's starting pitcher her sophomore season, showcasing great speed and movement and touching 65 mph. She will play at Goshen College next year.
15. Jordan Smith, Jr., C, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep
Smith is an outstanding catcher who hits with power, which is backed up by her five homers and 16 RBIs in Notre Dame Prep's first six games. She is a Central Michigan commit.
16. Dani Keighley, Sr., 1B, New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Keighley is a premier first baseman who has outstanding hands. She hit .480 as a sophomore to help Anchor Bay win the MAC Red championship.
17. Lauren Sciborski, Sr., 3B/C, South Lyon East
Sciborski is versatile and can play multiple positions, including catcher. She can also hit and hit with power. She will play at Northwestern next year.
18. Ava Bradshaw, Fr., P, South Lyon
Bradshaw lived up to her freshman phenom hype in South Lyon's home opener, hitting a home run while striking out 24 in a doubleheader sweep of Milford.
19. Briana Bumbalough, Jr., C, Macomb Dakota
Bumbalough has all the tools behind the plate with a good glove and great arm. She's athletic, strong and can hit for power, evidenced by her home run in the season opener against Richmond. She is a Western Michigan commit.
T20. Amanda Schick, Sr., C, New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Schick is a strong catcher who hits with power. She posted a .390 batting average with 11 home runs her sophomore year.
T20. Taylor Wolfe, Sr., OF, New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Wolfe has speed and a great glove where she can cover a lot of ground for Anchor Bay. She also hits well and had a .450 batting average as a sophomore. She will play at Western Michigan next year.
Others to watch
Kayla Bane, New Baltimore Anchor Bay; Ella Cady, Clarkston; Genevieve Decker, New Baltimore Anchor Bay; Emma Grau, Canton; Abby Hornberger, Warren Regina; Adriana James, Warren Regina; Riley Kish, Allen Park; Mackenzie Noah, Allen Park Cabrini; Catherine O'Donohue, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard; Angela Petrovitch, Macomb Dakota; Wyndhem Reid, Allen Park Cabrini; Delaney Robeson, Hartland; Natalie Savage, Howell; Elena Schwegman, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Keira Tolmie, Clarkston.
