PG Softball Indoor Scouting Showcase

November 4-5, 2023

BURLINGTON, IA

Perfect Game Softball Indoor Scouting Showcase, November 4 – 5, 2023.  Sixteen teams, representing 4 states, converged on The Turf to open the indoor softball season with four, 80-minute showcase styled games.  There were several outstanding performances, and the following are some of the top performances put on by those young ladies that are currently uncommitted, and looking for an opportunity to play at the next level.

16U Division

Mackenzie Knowles (2025 Mackinaw, IL) is an athletic CF for Texas Glory 07 IL Red, that didn’t miss many barrels this weekend. Knowles, hitting from the right side, sets up with parallel and utilizes a leg kick to get to launch and for timing. Staying in her legs, Knowles generates good power, without over swinging, and sets an aggressive attack angle that gets the ball in the air.  Knowles picked up nine hits that included 2 doubles and 4 homeruns, scoring seven runs and knocking in ten. In the outfield, Knowles gets good reads off the bat and displayed the ability to run down balls in the gaps. Finishing with a .818 batting average on the weekend, Knowles shows the ability to hit for average and power and possesses several skills that are next level ready.

Taylor Dieterich (2025 Taylor Ridge, IL) continues to show the ability to be a two-way player for Quad City Lady Hitmen ’07, making the Top Performers list in hitting as well as pitching. At the plate, hitting from the right side, Dieterich stays tall in the box and utilizes a slide to get stacked onto her back leg, before striding out to generate separation and momentum. Great use of her lower half, and nice attack angle, allows her to drive the ball gap to gap for extra base hits and an occasional bomb.  Going 7 for 8, a .875 clip, Dieterich scored nine runs, knocked in seven while picking up a double and two triples. In the circle, the right hander worked seven innings, collected 10 strikeouts, gave up 2 hits, walked one and did not give up an earned run.  Relying on a mix of fastball, drop, curve, screw, change-up and two-seam, Dieterich was never in trouble in the circle. Showing hitters, a fastball that topped out at 58 mph, she would have them beating her drop into the ground, and was able to display a very good change-up that she was able to throw for strikes, finishing with a 0.43 WHIP. This young lady’s stock will continue to rise as she continues to work on her craft and skillset over the next couple of seasons.

Natalie Thomson (2026 Aledo, IL) is a Catcher/Utility for Quad City Lady Hitmen ’07. Hitting from the right side, setting up in a tall, narrow parallel stance, Thomson uses and aggressive stride to get separation and generate her move to the ball. Working her hands inside the ball, Thomson showed the ability to hit the ball to all fields and picked up six hits that included a double and a homerun, scored nine runs, knocked in eight and did not record a strikeout, while finishing with a .750 batting average. Behind the plate, Thomson showed good receiving skills, glove work, the ability to lead, and the arm strength and release to keep runners honest. This young lady will be a good follow for coaches as she matures and gains strength over the next few years.

Paxton Reid (2026 Gillespie, IL) is another young lady that made the Top Performers list as a hitter and pitcher, playing for Black Widows 08. Offensively, Reid, who is a R/R, starts in a parallel stance and utilizes her stride to get separation and timing. Reid gets her barrel on plane early, working her hands inside the ball and displayed pull side power. On the weekend, Reid picked up six hits that included two doubles and two bombs, scoring 3 runs and knocking in nine. In the circle, Reid utilized a full bag of pitches that included fastball, change-up, rise, curve, screw and drop to keep batters off balance.  She was successful as she was able to work both sides of the plate and the zone from top to bottom. Reid worked 10.2 innings, and sat down 15 batters via strikeout while topping out at 59 mph. If this young lady continues to work on her craft as she matures and gains strength over the next few years, she should gain velocity and spin rate that will make her that much more effective in the circle.

Ana Kanemaru (2026 Decatur, IL) is a L/R outfielder for Texas Glory 07 IL Red, and understands her role as a lead-off hitter is to get on base for the big guns that follow her in the line-up, and she does it well. Kanemaru, with little pre-pitch movement in the box, shows good barrel awareness and the ability to keep her front side closed, utilizes the bunt when corners don’t move in, a soft slap when the SS stays deep, a power slap if the OF cheats in, and also has the ability to stand in the box and swing away. Primarily working the ball opposite field, Kanemaru collected eight hits, that included a double and triple, knocked in one and scored nine runs, finishing with a .800 batting average and a .833 OBP. Kanemaru’s speed allowed her to swipe four bases, and aide her team by putting pressure on the defense that resulted in defensive miscues.

Ruby Bartholomew (2026 Eleva, WI) is a P/3B for the pitching heavy, Wisconsin Fastpitch Academy. Only working 5.2 innings in the circle, the right-handed throwing Bartholomew made the most of it. Utilizing a fastball, rise, change-up and curve, she was able to keep hitters off balance and seldom had a ball barreled up. Topping out at 55 mph, Bartholomew relied on her ability to locate pitches, change speed and spin the ball, to not allow a hit or earned run on the weekend, while striking out seven and finishing with a 0.88 WHIP.

Danni Hovey (2025 Decatur, IL) is a RHP for Texas Glory 07 IL Red, that utilizes a four-pitch bag of fastball, change-up, curve and drop. With a repeatable delivery and consistent arm swing, Hovey is able to spot her fastball in all areas of the strike zone making her curve and drop that much more effective pitches. Hovey showed a very good change-up, although it may have been under utilized in setting up her other pitches. Consistently around the plate, Hovey allowed two free passes in her 10 innings of work and struck out 12 while topping out at 57 mph.

Emma Huffaker (2027 Oglesby, IL), pitching for Quad City Firebirds 08 Red, showed that a pitcher can be successful without an over powering fastball. Displaying a fundamentally sound delivery, with good use of her lower half, Huffaker showed the ability to work both sides of the plate with her screw, rise, curve, change-up and fastball that topped out at 53 mph. Although giving up more than one hit an inning, Huffaker showed the ability to work out of jams while never appearing to be rattled. In her 12 innings of work, Huffaker struck out 20 hitters showing a nice flip change and a late moving curve with tight spin. Over the next few years, as this young lady matures and grows as a pitcher, she will be a good follow.

18U Division

Kylie Sieverding (2026 Dubuque, IA) is an athletic CF for the Lady Expos Hs Red. Hitting from the right side, Sieverding loads into the box with her feet parallel in a slight crouch. Utilizing a stride to gain separation, and a great use of her lower half in the swing, she showed pull side power, picking up a double and 2 bombs in her five hits, while scoring three runs and knocking in six. Blessed with speed, Sieverding is not afraid to lay down a bunt for a base hit and utilizes that speed to run down balls in the outfield. With a good understanding of the strike zone, Sieverding did not record a strikeout at the plate and finished with a .625 batting average.  With a swing that doesn’t appear to have any holes in it, and the gift of speed, this young lady displayed some next level tools.

Madyson Luskey (2024 Fulton, IL) is a R/R corner infielder for Midwest Sluggers ’06. Starting with a solid set up in the box, with good use of her lower half and working her hands inside the ball, Luskey showed the ability to hit to all fields, with some obvious pull side power. On the weekend, Luskey picked up six hits, with a double and homerun, scored 3 runs and drove in five while finishing with a .750 batting average and .800 OBP. It is hard to pick out a fault in Luskey’s approach at the plate, but at times she appeared impatient at the dish, chasing a bad pitch. Luskey would benefit if she hunted for her pitch early in the count, as she seldom missed a barrel when swinging at a middle in pitch, in her wheel house.

Elia Cabo (2026 St. Charles, MO) is an athletic OF for Saint Louis Softball Club 07.  Cabo, a R/R, hitting lead-off, sets up with a slightly open stance, uses a leg kick to get weight transferred, and a stride to gain separation. In the swing phase, Cabo engages her lower half, stays in her legs and gets the barrel on plane early in the zone, giving herself a good opportunity to drive the ball gap to gap. For her effort, Cabo picked up 6 hits that included a double and homerun, scored 4 runs and knocked in 3, while hitting at a .600 clip. Defensively, Cabo showed good pre-pitch movement, the ability to read balls off the bat, and took good angles to get to balls in the gap, all tangibles needed to play at the next level.

Julia Roth (2026 Dubuque, IA) continues to impress with her ability to hit the ball. Roth, a MIF/P for Lady Expos Hs Red, utilizes very little movement in the box to get weight transferred and gain separation. The swing is fluid, working hands inside the ball, with an attack angle that generates line drives to all fields. On the weekend, Roth collected six hits, with a double and bomb, scoring five times and driving in three. In the circle, utilizing a 5-pitch mix of fastball, rise, drop, curve, and change-up, Roth worked four innings, collecting two strikeouts while topping out at 60 mph. This young lady is a true two-way player with an elite swing and approach at the plate that is next level ready.

Gabriela Bryan (2024 Abingdon, IL) is a RHP for Lady Hitmen 18U that brings a five-pitch mix into the circle, consisting of rise, curve, drop, change-up, and a fastball topping out at 59 mph. Bryan displayed a repeatable motion, with consistent arm swing and release, in her 15.2 innings of work. Bryan showed hitters a nice snappy rise that jumped out of the zone prior to reaching the plate, a curve that she worked on both sides of the plate, and a drop that had some glove side run, in striking out 20 for her efforts. This young lady does appear to have more in the tank, and with added velocity, her spin rates will increase making her movement pitches that much more dominate at the next level.

Paige Webb (2026 Columbia, IL), a RHP for Saint Louis Softball Club 07, was her teammates biggest supporter/cheerleader, as they made plays behind her to preserve a stellar two hit, three strikeout shutout in her team’s final game. Bringing a five-pitch bag into the circle, Webb utilized a curve, rise, screw, change-up, and fastball that topped out at 57 mph, in her five innings of work. Webb was able to keep hitters off balance with movement and change of speed, and showed the ability to throw all of her pitches for strikes, only allowing one free pass, finishing with a 0.60 WHIP.  Webb displayed a plus screw, with late movement, that she worked in on the hands of right-handed hitters, and used to work away from left handers equally as well. A good follow as she matures as a pitcher over the next few years.

Cameron Noah (2024 Muscatine, IA) is a RHP for Midwest Sluggers. Noah worked 7.2 innings with a simple four-pitch mix of rise, drop, change-up and fastball, topping out at 56 mph. Noah appeared to be a pitch to contact type pitcher, relying on her defense to make plays behind her to be successful. Noah showed a nice rise, resulting in several swing and misses, that also attributed to her sitting down seven hitters via strikeout. Noah was able to keep batters off balance, only giving up five hits, and not allowing any big innings.

Sarah Rizzello (2025 Bridgeton, MO) is our second top performing pitcher from Saint Louis Softball Club 07. Rizzello, pitching from the right side, brought a full arsenal of pitches into the circle that included a rise, screw, drop, curve, change-up and fastball, recording a top velocity of 56 mph. Rizzello achieves tight spin on her movement pitches, with her rise and curve being exceptional, both showing late movement. A problem with the movement was that several pitches worked off the plate and resulted in Rizzello giving up 11 bases on balls, while also aiding her in recording 15 strikeouts in her 8 innings of work. Although giving away several free passes, Rizzello, stayed composed and was able to work out of trouble without allowing any big innings.

-Dave Durbala