Aledo’s Kyleigh Pawlak celebrates after her solo home run in the third inning in Game 2 of a Class 5A Division I regional final against Birdville at Birdville High School in North Richland Hills on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Cody Thorn
Special to the Star-Telegram
Introducing the 2026 Star-Telegram Players to watch. See top prospects, promising recruits, hidden gems, team leaders and more to keep an eye on during the rest of the Texas high school softball season.
Editor’s note: The majority of players to watch are nominated by Fort Worth-area coaches.
Aledo
Kyleigh Pawlak, senior INF — Pawlak is hitting .397 while leading a promising Aledo squad that has yet to lose a district game in 2025.
Arlington
Melina Castro, senior CF/2B — Castro, who holds the Arlington High record for stolen bases, has signed to continue her career at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
Myleen Castro, freshman C/3B/1B — Castro has burst onto the scene, cementing her status as a first-year with serious home run hitting ability.
Sage Hensley, senior SS — Hensley, a key contributor at shortstop for Arlington, has signed to play at Missouri Southern State University.
Abigail Moore, senior C/1B — Moore, who has signed with the Missouri University of Science and Technology, was also drafted by the New York club in the Women’s Pro Baseball League.
Arlington Lamar
Nathalie Dermas, junior SS/3B — Dermas, a First Team All-District selection, hit .431 with 4 home runs, 6 doubles, 4 triples and 21 RBI in 2025 while leading her team in every offensive category. She brings an exceptional glove to third base and is committed to Weatherford College.
Birdville
Reagan Jordan, junior P — Jordan, the 2025 District 6-5A MVP and a First Team All-Area and All-State selection, is committed to Georgetown University.
Haley Mennenga, senior C — Mennenga, the 2025 District 6-5A Catcher of the Year and a Second Team All-Area honoree, has signed with the University of New Mexico.
Macie Moore, junior 1B — Moore earned Second Team All-District honors in District 6-5A in 2025.
Avery Rodriguez, junior 3B — Rodriguez earned Honorable Mention All-District recognition in District 6-5A in 2025 and is committed to UT Dallas.
Evelynn Swartzlander, junior SS — Swartzlander, a First Team All-District, Second Team All-Area and All-State honoree in 2025, is committed to the University of Tennessee.
Brewer
Haylie Jimenez, junior UTL — Jimenez, one of Brewer’s team captains, hit .323 with 10 doubles, 28 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 2025. She has overcome significant injuries in back-to-back seasons and has been a key leader in the Brewer program throughout.
Ava Pena, freshman OF — Pena, a nationally ranked prospect in her recruiting class, is hitting over .400 already and is considered the fastest player Brewer has seen in a decade. She profiles as a true five-tool player with power, speed, elite baserunning and a strong defensive presence.
Kamren Pride, senior 1B/3B — Pride, an All-District selection, hit .412 with a 1.142 OPS, 8 doubles, 6 home runs and 42 RBI in 2025. She has signed to play at Texas Wesleyan University.
Cozy Tyson, sophomore UTL — Tyson, the district utility player of the year, hit .449 with a 1.553 OPS, 10 home runs and 35 RBI at the plate while posting a 3.7 ERA with 77 strikeouts across 83.1 innings in the circle. The lefty was a key piece of Brewer’s run to the regional semifinals.
Avery Welch, sophomore 3B/OF — Welch, an All-District selection, hit .400 with a 1.235 OPS, 8 home runs and 41 RBI in 2025. She brings versatility on both sides of the ball.
Byron Nelson
Meredith Hambric, sophomore P — Hambric is posting a 1.14 ERA in the circle for the top-ranked Class 6A program in the Fort Worth area.
Abbie Hicks, senior P/OF — Hicks is contributing on both ends in 2025, hitting .407 at the plate while also posting a 1.63 ERA on the mound.
Mackenzie Nelson, senior OF — Nelson is hitting .439 in the outfield for one of the area’s premier 6A programs.
Kaylee Vien, senior INF — Vien is batting .530 this season, leading the way offensively for Byron Nelson’s infield.
Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis
Kassandra Moreno, sophomore — Moreno is hitting .658 this season as one of three Diamond Hill-Jarvis underclassmen putting up eye-popping numbers.
Alexis Ramirez, sophomore — Ramirez leads Diamond Hill-Jarvis with a .735 average, one of the highest marks in the entire area.
Yessenia Ybarra, freshman — Ybarra is hitting .606 in her first varsity season.
Fort Worth Benbrook
Kaylee Boswell, junior — Boswell is batting .488 as one of three Benbrook juniors putting together standout offensive seasons.
Natalya Muzquiz, junior — Muzquiz is hitting .442 as part of a deep Benbrook lineup.
Mya Vasquez, junior — Vasquez leads Benbrook with a .583 average, anchoring one of the area’s more productive junior classes.
Fort Worth Polytechnic
Fort Worth Polytechnic
Myranda Guillen, senior C/OF — Guillen, a four-year varsity starter and respected team leader, is batting .714 this season while bringing versatility behind the plate and in the outfield. She carries a 3.633 GPA in the classroom.
Bibiana Ramirez, sophomore 1B — Ramirez, who carries a 3.7 GPA, is hitting .571 while batting at the top of the Poly lineup in her second varsity season.
Western Hills
Addison Dudley, senior — Dudley is hitting .750 this season, one of the highest averages posted by any player in the Fort Worth area in 2025.
Haltom
Avary Daniel, senior P — Daniel, committed to Oklahoma Wesleyan University, is Haltom’s starting pitcher and posted 9 wins with 108 strikeouts across 119 innings in 2025. When not in the circle, she is capable of playing any position on the field and adds value on the bases with both power and speed.
Analyssa Luna, senior C/P — Luna, committed to Temple College, hit .378 with a 1.901 OPS, 30 runs and 12 stolen bases in 2025 while serving as both Haltom’s starting catcher and one of its primary pitchers.
Brianna Navarrete, senior UTL — Navarrete hit .353 with a .779 slugging percentage, 7 home runs and 34 RBI in 2025 while splitting time between the infield and outfield. She is on pace to break Haltom’s school records in both RBI and home runs in a single season and holds multiple out-of-state college offers as she weighs an in-state opportunity.
Keller Central
Ava Tennies-Clark, sophomore P — Tennies-Clark, who was a Second Team All-District selection as a freshman, is on pace to break program records for strikeouts in a season and in district play, already matching her entire freshman strikeout total of 59 through just 44.2 innings. She is an uncommitted recruit.
Heidi White, sophomore SS/P/DP — White, the 2025 District 4-6A Utility Player of the Year as a freshman, broke four program records in her first season (OBP, slugging, RBI and walks) and continues to lead the team in slugging in 2026.
Keller Timber Creek
Addi Inocencio, sophomore P — Inocencio, who missed most of her freshman season with an injury, had already tied the school record with 17 strikeouts in a game. In 2025, she posted 40 strikeouts across 26.1 innings while hitting .357 with 5 RBIs.
Addy McFarland, senior CF — McFarland, a slapper committed to Grayson College, hit .387 with 9 stolen bases and 9 runs in 2025.
Ava Thomas, sophomore SS — Thomas, who played third base on varsity as a freshman, has transitioned to shortstop. In 2025, she posted a .432 average with 4 home runs and 14 RBIs.
Brooklyn Wardell, senior 2B — Wardell, a slapper committed to Cisco JC, hit .452 with 5 stolen bases and 4 RBI in 2025.
Richland
Mia Berain, freshman — Berain, the 2025 District Newcomer of the Year, is hitting .529 with a 1.278 OPS and .723 slugging percentage through 20 games, racking up 37 hits, 31 stolen bases and 19 RBI in her first varsity season. She is currently uncommitted.
Stacy Jennings, junior P — Jennings, a First Team All-District selection as a sophomore and a committed to Angelo State, has reached 300 career strikeouts and is posting a 1.5 ERA with 106 strikeouts through 18 games in 2025.
Southwest Christian
Lara Langford, senior P/1B — Langford, a team captain committed to UMass Boston, batted .590 as a junior with 10 home runs, 14 doubles and 50 RBI while going 9-3 with 96 strikeouts in just 64 innings in the circle. She earned First Team All-District, District Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-State honors in 2024.
.jpg)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.