Top 20 high school softball second basemen entering the 2023 season

Expect these 20 second basemen to excel on a national level this season

Tia Milloy photo by Todd Milles

High school softball is set to herald the dawn of spring as the winter playoffs head toward the finish line.

Earlier this month we featured 20 top pitchers and 20 top hitters expected to be among the best in the nation in high school softball in 2023.

Now it's time to take a position-by-position look at some of the country’s top high school softball players. We started with catchers, then first basemen, followed by third basemen and shortstops, and now up to bat are the top second basemen.

Note: Many high school softball players excel at multiple positions. Don't be alarmed to see a slick-fielding shortstop listed here as a second baseman, for example.

Kaylie Avvisato, jr., Riverside (Virginia)

Avvisato is coming off a sophomore season in which she hit .446 with six home runs and 13 doubles. The Northwestern commit played with a heavy heart last season after her father, Frank Avvisato, died of cancer in November 2021. He had played college baseball at George Washington, while Kaylie's mom, Karen, played softball at Miami (Ohio).

Matti Benson, jr., Louisville (Ohio)

After setting school records as a freshman with a .609 batting average and 53 hits, Benson upped her power game as a sophomore, slugging a school-record 12 home runs. An exceptional athlete who can play both middle infield positions, the Maryland commit leads the defense with her sound fundamentals and consistency.

Jade Berry, sr., Queen Creek (Arizona)

Berry proved her versatility by being named regional Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. The three-sport star (basketball, track) hit .495 with 18 home runs as a junior and will be playing for Stanford next season.

Adisyn Caryl, sr., Topeka (Kansas)

Caryl can play anywhere on the infield and is a tough out at the plate. She hit .635 last season in leading Topeka to its second consecutive state championship and will be following her older sister Zoe to play college softball at Illinois.

Gabi Comia, jr., Hanover Central (Indiana)

Comia is a terror at the top of lineup. The speedster batted .649 last season, piling up 50 hits, 46 runs and 29 stolen bases. She aims to work on her power stroke the next couple of years before moving on to play college softball for Florida.

Leah Cran, sr., Corpus Christi Ray (Texas)

Cran has been a tough out at the top of the lineup since her freshman year, hitting over .500 in her three-year career and stealing double-digit bases each season. The three-time first-team all-district selection will be playing college softball next season for Baylor.

Sierra Daniel, sr., Seton Catholic (Arizona)

Daniel is coming off a junior year where she hit .610 with a .680 on-base percentage, driving in 28 runs and scoring 53. The speedster who's heading to LSU next season had 12 triples and 24 stolen bases.

Alexis DeBoer, jr., Bellevue (Washington)

After hitting .345 and .357 in her first two seasons, respectively, playing for one of California's best teams in Clovis North, DeBoer transferred to Bellevue in the offseason. The versatile infielder has already committed to play college softball for Washington, where her dad, Kalen, is the head football coach.

Emory Donaldson, sr., Ballard (Kentucky)

Donaldson was an extra-base-hit machine her junior year, hitting .504 with 15 home runs, 14 doubles and 10 triples. And despite all those extra-base hits, she still stole 22 bases. The Kentucky commit is a four-time district champion and three-time regional champion.

Mykenzi Duke, sr., Lexington (Tennessee)

Duke is coming off an ultra-powerful junior season, hitting a state-leading 21 home runs, 22 doubles and driving in 91 runs. The Austin Peay commit, who's also an excellent catcher, hit .463 and scored 62 runs. As a sophomore she hit .448 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs, driving in 53 runs and scoring 42.

Logan Halleman, sr., Flower Mound (Texas)

Halleman earned first-team SBLive All-North Texas honors last year after hitting .568 with 54 hits, 46 stolen bases and 33 runs scored in 30 games. The three-sport star (lacrosse, volleyball) will be playing college softball for Texas Tech next season.

Jolyna Lamar, soph., Panther Creek (North Carolina)

Lamar teams up with her older sister Layla to form one of the most feared infield duos in the country. Jolyna Lamar hit .493 with eight home runs, nine doubles and stole 15 bases as a freshman and is one of the most sought-after sophomore recruits in the nation.

Ella McDowell, jr., Richmond Foster (Texas)

McDowell is a five-tool player who excels at multiple positions on defense. The Arkansas commit is coming off a strong summer season with her travel team, compiling a .453 batting average, 13 home runs, 62 hits, 49 RBIs while striking out just five times.

Mariah Myers, soph., Fort Dodge (Iowa)

Myers is already a veteran of sorts despite being just a sophomore, and she can play anywhere on the infield. She led Fort Dodge to its first state championship as an eighth-grader, hitting .431 with seven home runs and zero strikeouts, earning third-team All-State honors. Myers made the first team as a freshman after leading Fort Dodge to the state championship game again.

Tia Milloy, jr., Redmond (Washington)

Milloy is third in a line of softball superstar sisters, and she might prove to be the best of the bunch. Amirah played at Washington, Kiki plays at Tennessee, and Tia has already committed to play for Oklahoma in college. The daughter of former NFL star Lawyer Milloy helped lead Redmond to the 4A state championship last spring, hitting .589 on the season.

Samantha Rey, sr., Salinas Notre Dame (California)

Described by her future college coach as a "softball junky," Rey earned SBLive California All-State second-team honors as a junior. Standing just 5-foot-2, Rey swings a big bat from the left side, hitting .577 with eight home runs last season. She'll be playing college softball for UCF next season.

Kennedy Shea, soph., Strawberry Crest (Florida)

After hitting .500 as a freshman, Shea started her sophomore season by staying .500, going 2 for 4 with a triple in Strawberry Crest's season opener. She finished her freshman year with seven triples, eight doubles and four home runs.

Regan Shockey, sr., Chino Hills (California)

Regardless of where she's playing on defense (second, short, outfield), Shockey is a shoo-in at the top of the batting order. The Arizona commit hit .547 with 28 RBIs, stole 21 bases and scored 38 runs last season.

Emma Slutzah, jr., Hanover (Virginia)

Slutzah is the top-of-the order spark plug for one of the best teams in Virginia. The 5-foot-5 two-sport star (she's the point guard on the Hanover basketball team) hit .491 last season and has already committed to play college softball for Campbell.

Desirae Spearman, sr., El Paso Hanks (Texas)

SBLive Texas' reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Spearman can do it all. She hit .636 last season with 24 home runs and 28 stolen bases, piling up 70 hits and scoring 85 runs while never striking out once. The New Mexico State commit also went 12-2 in the circle, striking out 155 in 82.2 innings.