5 players to watch on 5 South Florida teams at this week’s state softball tournament

The state softball tournament returns this week in Clermont with four former state champions and a rising powerhouse looking to bring home titles after not being able to finish their seasons last year due to COVID-19.

As always, Miami-Dade and Broward County have some of the top talent in the state.

Here’s a look at five of the top players from those squads.

P Alyssa Zabala, Doral Academy, Jr.

No pitcher in South Florida has been as dominant as Zabala, who has compiled a 21-2 record while striking out 181 batters with a miniscule 0.75 ERA over 130 1/3 innings.

Zabala is the driving force in the pitching circle behind Doral Academy’s push for a first state title in what will be its second consecutive appearance at the state final four.

Doral also features one of the state’s best hitters in senior Kassandra Machado, who enters the tournament hitting .477 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI in 103 plate appearances.

The Firebirds (27-2), ranked No. 13 nationally by MaxPreps, will take on New Port Richey Mitchell (22-6) on Friday morning at 11:15 a.m. in a Class 6A semifinal. The Mustangs, who have also never won a state title, are led by junior Sydney Fowler (13-5, 2.28 ERA, 105 Ks). Fowler is also hitting .432 with 11 doubles and 22 RBI.

INF Hailey Donovan, Westminster Christian, Sr.

Donovan, a Stetson University signee, has anchored a powerful Warriors lineup with a staggering 16 home runs so far this season while hitting .505 with 13 doubles and 51 RBI. She has been just as steady on the left side of the infield for Westminster playing both shortstop and third base and stolen 18 bases.

Westminster Christian (23-6), a five-time state champion, suffered a bitter 16-0 loss to Trinity Christian in the 2019 Class 3A final, but hopes to shake that off starting Wednesday when it takes on Tampa’s Academy of the Holy Names (17-5) at 2 p.m. in a Class 3A semifinal. The Jaguars are seeking their first state title. Junior Isabella Artiles is 21-5 with a 2.72 ERA and 131 strikeouts while hitting .473 with 21 RBI.

1B Emily Legette, American Heritage, So.

Legette has been outstanding at the plate and on the field this season already joining her school’s rich tradition. She’s become one of the state’s top hitters with a consistent approach which has allowed her not to strikeout so far this season while drawing 13 walks and hitting .576 with seven home runs, 11 doubles and 23 RBI against some of the toughest opposition in the nation.

Legette leads Heritage (15-8) against Brooksville Hernando (25-4) in a Class 4A semifinal on Thursday at noon. The Patriots fell short in the regional finals the last time the tournament was held in 2019 and are chasing their ninth state title overall, which would give them the second-most all-time behind Naples (10).

Senior third baseman Halle Roach (LSU signee) and shortstop Molly Mason (University of Rochester) also lead Heritage’s lineup while junior Marissa Thompson (12-6, 80 K, 2.21 ERA) is their ace on the mound.

Hernando has never won a state title, coming the closest when it finished as the runner-up in Class 3A in 2000.

INF/OF Olivia Rapp, Palmetto, Sr.

Rapp could be the key cog in Palmetto’s lineup (.440 with six home runs and 40 RBI), which helps the Panthers end a long drought at state.

Palmetto (24-4), a three-time state champion, has not won a title since 2008 and hasn’t advanced to the finals since 2012. The last Dade team to win a championship in the largest classification was Coral Reef in 2013. The Panthers face Bradenton Lakewood Ranch on Friday at 1:45 in a Class 7A semifinal. The Mustangs (28-2) have also never won a title.

Rapp’s versatility both in the infield and outfield have made her one of the most solid players in the county. She and juniors Isabella Martinez and Alexa Ortega have combined for 13 home runs and 102 RBI this season. Junior Melody Vizcaino leads all Palmetto pitchers, going 19-2 with a 1.67 ERA and 115 strikeouts.

INF Kamryn Casey, Westminster Academy, Jr.

Casey has played a huge role in leading the Lions (17-11) to the state final four for the first time since 1999 when they won the school’s lone state title.

A speedy and versatile infielder who hit .500 with nine triples, two doubles and 24 RBI, Casey also showed some power hitting the only two home runs this season for Westminster Academy.

Casey has shown her skills primarily at shortstop this season while also pitching and catching. Senior infielders Caroline Austin, a Keiser University signee, and Emma Walhoff, a Southern Mississippi signee for basketball, are also standouts.

The Lions will take on St. Petersburg Canterbury in a Class 2A semifinal at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The Crusaders (21-9) have won four state titles in the past decade with their most recent in 2017, which was the last time they made it to the final four.

This story was originally published May 17, 2021 at 4:41 PM.