The end of the 2025 softball season in Greater Cincinnati brought much success to the region as Lebanon won a DI state title, while Western Brown and Holy Cross both advanced to their first-ever respective state tournament.
Now it’s time to continue that momentum as the 2026 season gets underway. As The Enquirer previews the top players on both sides of the river, let’s get started with the top 25 players in the class of 2026, players looking to end their high school career on the highest note possible.
Bailie Bare, Blanchester
A Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference-National Division first-team honoree and Division V All-Ohio second-team member, Bare led the Wildcats to a 16-11 record and an appearance in the district finals. She had a .622 average with 57 runs batted in, 17 doubles, six triples, nine home runs, 17 walks and no strikeouts. She also posted a .976 fielding percentage, committing just three errors.
Jayci Barnes, Western Brown
The Northern Kentucky University signee was one of two Broncos with double-digit homers as they advanced to their first-ever state tournament. Barnes led Western Brown with a .475 average, 16 doubles and 48 RBIs, while smacking 12 round-trippers. She even picked up four wins with 35 strikeouts in 31.2 innings in the circle. She was named to the SBAAC-American first team and the DIII All-Ohio second team.
Payton Brown, Highlands
The second consecutive NKU commit on this list was named to the 2025 DII all-state second team. Making the switch from shortstop to catcher, she led the Bluebirds with a .532 average, 53 RBIs and 10 home runs, while also hitting 14 doubles, five triples, drawing 23 walks, going 12-for-12 on stolen bases, and scoring 35 runs.
Kam Commins, Ross
The Southwestern Buckeye League-Southwestern Division first-teamer helped the Rams advance to the DIII regional tournament by hitting .436 with four doubles, two triples, six home runs, 20 RBIs and 34 runs scored. Behind the dish, she had a .995 fielding percentage with just one error.
Kaitlyn Dixon, Highlands
The Thomas More University commit was the Northern Kentucky Softball Coaches Association DII co-Player of the Year in 2025 and was named to the DII all-state second team. As a junior, she threw 166.1 innings, finishing with a 22-3 record, a 1.18 earned run average and 295 strikeouts. At the plate, she hit .390 with 12 doubles, two triples and three home runs, and drove in 38 runs.
Hope Hamilton, Campbell County
Entering her third year as the Camels’ lead pitcher, she earned a 14-4 record with a 3.33 ERA and 82 strikeouts as a junior to help the Camels advance to their first 10th Region championship since 2017. She was no slouch at the plate either, hitting .400 with seven homers, six doubles and 23 RBIs.
Sophie Jamison, Western Brown
The Broncos’ pure power hitter, she led the SBAAC with 13 home runs to go with a .301 average, two doubles, three triples and 41 RBIs. Jamison had two multi-homer games last year and cleared the fence in postseason wins over Franklin and Ross. She will be major factor as Western Brown hopes to make a second straight state tournament.
Averie Lightner, Conner
The Cougars had a down year in 2025 but played well enough in the postseason to advance to the Ninth Region tournament. Behind a young an promising pitching staff and senior leaders in the field, they should contend for a 33rd District title and be a factor in the regional tournament. Lightner, a sure-handed shortstop, led Conner last season with a .435 average, 39 RBIs, 13 doubles and four homers.
Julia Lowry, Kings
The Knights’ catcher was named to the Eastern Cincinnati Conference first team and DII All-Ohio honorable mention after hitting 25 doubles, two triples, six homers and driving in 76 runs with a .377 average. She had a .996 fielding percentage with just one error; Lowry has just three errors in her high school career.
Meghan McClellan, Milford
She was among the ECC pitching leaders with 14 wins, a 1.50 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 140 innings while leading the Eagles to a district runner-up finish. McClellan’s best performance last year was a one-hit shutout against Licking Valley. She was named to the all-league first team.
Lanie McCoy, Milford
The Eagles’ shortstop was named to the ECC first team after hitting .481 with nine doubles, three triples and a home run and adding 18 RBIs, 38 runs scored and 15 walks drawn. In the six-hole, she had a .936 fielding percentage. With everyone returning, Milford should contend for a district and even a regional title.
Neely McElhaney, Kings
Lowry’s battery mate is one of the most intimidating pitchers in Cincinnati, standing at 6-foot-3. She was an ECC first-team member in 2025 with a 17-3 record, 160 strikeouts and a 1.07 ERA in 117.2 innings. The Knights advanced to their first-ever regional tournament last year and should contend for their first state tournament as a load of talent returns this season.
Bella Miller, Springboro
After leading the Panthers to a 20-8 record, including a 11-3 Greater Western Ohio Conference record and an appearance in a district final, Miller was named all-league first team and DI all-state honorable mention. She hit .587 with 18 doubles, four triples, five homers, 49 RBIs and 18 runs scored. She recorded at least three hits on six occasions last year and nearly hit for the cycle in an early-season win over Paintsville.
Madi Miller, Fairfield
While Fairfield finished second place in the Greater Miami Conference in 2025, its designs on a second straight state tournament were dashed with a loss in the district finals. While they graduated four impact players last year, Miller returns as one of the top bats after hitting .371 with five doubles, four homers, 23 RBIs and 19 runs scored as a junior. In the field, she didn’t record a single error while making 169 putouts in 2025.
Grace Parkhurst, Kings
The Knights’ first baseman set power-hitting records, claiming the program and ECC single-season records with 13 homers, including five dingers in a six-game stretch in late April. For the season, she hit for a .488 average with seven doubles, 47 RBIs and drew 17 walks. She also had a .949 fielding percentage and was named to the ECC and DII All-Ohio first team.
Rayne Patsel, Ryle
The Raiders will be a very young team this season and Patsel is one of just four seniors. In 2025, the first baseman hit .371 with 23 RBIs, seven doubles and three home runs. She also drew 19 walks. When head coach David Meier needed her in the circle, she stepped up with 30.1 innings pitched with a 3-1 record and 13 strikeouts.
Anna Polca, Mason
While Polca wasn’t Mason’s primary pitcher in 2025, when former coach Liann Muff called her number, she answered to the tune of a 6-1 record with 40 strikeouts and a 3.23 ERA in just 39 innings. She has big shoes to fill after the graduation of Alisha Fox, but her five-inning no-hitter against Sycamore and multiple appearances in high-leverage situations last year previewed her potential.
Emili Schappacher, Hamilton
The Big Blue have shown the ability to win over the last three seasons, racking up a 46-27 record since the start of the 2023 campaign. Behind Schappacher, Hamilton could reach its first regional tournament since 2006. In the circle, the multi-sport athlete could compete for the pitching triple crown in the GMC after tallying a 14-6 record with 140 strikeouts and a 2.09 ERA in 124 innings. She’s no slouch at the plate either, hitting .333 with four double, four triples, 19 RBIs and 18 walks.
Sydney Schumacher, Dixie Heights
The Colonels will be looking for a major bounce back after going 5-18 in 2025. They only beat teams in their district and won their sixth straight 34th District title. Schumacher, one of three seniors this year, led Dixie with a .556 average, eight doubles, five homers, 25 walks and 21 runs scored.
Ainsley Scroggie, Cooper
After leading the Jaguars with a .470 average and 27 runs while also contributing 20 RBIs, six doubles, two triples and 15 stolen bases, Scroggie was named to the Northern Kentucky Softball Coaches Association DI first team. With five seniors on the roster under second-year head coach Lee Patsel, Cooper should make the 33rd District the most competitive in Northern Kentucky.
Sophia Sheidler, Lebanon
The woman in the middle of the Warriors’ defense will be in the running for the pitching triple crown in the ECC as she finished 2025 with a 23-4 record, 293 strikeouts and a 1.75 ERA in 160.1 innings. She pitched every inning of the postseason, allowing just six earned runs over six games, and picked up her 500th career strikeout in the district championship. She was named the ECC Defensive Player of the Year and a DI All-Ohio honorable mention.
Rachel Shewmaker, Bishop Brossart
A four-sport athlete as a junior, Shewmaker somehow found the time to lead the Lady ‘Stangs with 33 RBIs, 37 runs scored, four triples, seven home runs and 19 walks. She was also named the NKSCA DIII co-Player of the Year.
Annaliese Szabo, Oak Hills
She took over as Oak Hills’ primary pitcher last year, earning a 10-10 record with 155 strikeouts and a 3.44 ERA in 128.1 innings. Szabo picked up half of her wins in the first three weeks of the 2025 season but was at her best in the postseason, pitching shutouts against Seton and Milford to send the Highlanders to the regional tournament. Returning all but two players, Oak Hills should contend for its first GMC title since 2023.
Alyssa Vearil, Williamsburg
The SBAAC-National Player of the Year was also named to the DV All-Ohio first team after pitching the Wildcats to a 22-3 record and back-to-back league titles. Across the entire SBAAC, she was second in ERA (1.68) and wins (16) and was third in strikeouts (179) while pitching six shutouts. At the plate, Vearil had a .297 average with eight doubles, a triple, a homer and 17 RBIs.
Kat Zielinski, Mount Notre Dame
She will be one of the Cougars’ top returning hitters as they seek a fourth straight outright Girls Greater Catholic League title. As a junior, she was named to the all-league first team after hitting .415 with five doubles, 14 RBIs, 15 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. In center field, she had a .952 fielding percentage with two assists and just one error.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who are the top 25 senior softball players in Greater Cincinnati in 2026?
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
