2019 Recruiting: 6 Classes That Just Missed The Top 25

A couple weeks ago, we released our first Top 25 Recruiting Class Rankings. We took our 2019 high school player rankings and based most of the rankings off of those. With that in mind, we understood that there are more programs with talented freshmen classes so here are six programs that narrowly missed the cut.

Arkansas
Top Recruit: Jenna Bloom (No. 35)

Courtney Deifel’s 2019-20 roster is upperclass heavy with only two sophomores and two redshirt freshmen. This fall’s recruiting class is bringing in three talented freshmen including Jenna Bloom.

Bloom is ranked No. 35 and will hopefully see some time in the circle after junior Mary Haff went down late last season with a knee injury.

Texas Tech
Top Recruit: Chloe Cobb (No. 45)

The Red Raiders were so close to reaching the Super Regionals but fell just short. Head coach Adrian Gregory is bringing in seven freshmen including Chloe Cobb.

Cobb has drawn comparison’s to All-American Jessica Hartwell and Gregory is hopeful that she can fill the void left by Hartwell’s graduation. She pitched in high school but is expected to mainly play first and hit for the Red Raiders.

Utah
Top Recruit: Madison Jacobus (No. 62)

The last couple of season have been a struggle for the Utes but Madison Jacobus and Julia Scardina are hoping to change the narrative this season. Jacobus is a slapper and will be most likely be used at second base.

Scardina is a catcher who thought she was headed to North Carolina State a couple years ago but with the coaching change during her recruitment process, she landed on Utah. Scardina is ranked No. 100 in the 2019 class by SA.

Oregon State
Top Recruit: Val Pero (No. 76)

Laura Berg’s freshman class has a bit of international flare to it this fall. Val Pero is the lone player ranked in the Top 100 but Grace Messmer has been a member of the Canadian Junior National Team for a few years now and Xiao Gin was invited to try out for China this past August.

Pero is a catcher with a strong arm and leadership qualities according to Berg. Messmer plays shortstop or third base and led the 2017 WBSC Junior World Championships in hitting as the youngest member of Team Canada.

Gin graduated high school a year early and enrolled in summer courses at OSU to get a jumpstart on her collegiate career. She can slap, hit and play almost anywhere.

Mississippi State
Top Recruit: Aspen Wesley (No. 87)

First-year head coach Samantha Ricketts has eight freshmen this fall led by Aspen Wesley. Wesley is a local product and a three-time Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year. She adds another arm to a deep pitching staff.

Paige Cook was the first commitment in this signing class and will see playing time in the infield. She has the ability to hit for power and average and originally committed to the program in 2016.

Pittsburgh
Top Recruit: Makenzie Stiles (No. 92)

Complete rebuild is how to describe Pitt softball after the Panthers were the first team out of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Jodi Hermanek took over the program when Holly Aprile accepted the Louisville job and she is bringing in three freshmen this fall, two ranked in the Top 100.

Makenzie Stiles is a pitcher from New York and recorded 13 perfect games in her high school career. Hope Alley (No. 94) is California native who excelled in high school and participated in the PGF All-American game. She’s an infielder who could crack the lineup early.

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