Long Island softball players to watch in 2015

ALEXIS ALVINO

Alexis Alvino, Division, SS, Sr. – Great range at short, hits for average and power at the plate. Bound for Coastal Carolina, she hit .490 with two homers and 17 RBI last season.

JANAE BARRACATO

Janae Barracato, Sacred Heart, 3B, Soph. – Lefty who hit .338 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in her first year on varsity. Great range in the hot corner with a .956 fielding percentage. Great speed on the bases having swiped 13 bags last season.

SARAH CORNELL

Sarah Cornell, Clarke, P, Jr. – First-team All-Long Island selection overpowers batters, but changes speeds with a curve, change, rise and screw. She went 12-6 with a 1.18 ERA, 234 strikeouts, and two no-hitters last season.

SOPHIE DANDOLA

Sophie Dandola, Seaford, P/3B, Soph. -- Power at the plate and in the circle. Hit .631 with five home runs and 31 RBIs, and posted a 0.75 ERA and .981 fielding percentage last season. Has already made a verbal commitment to Hofstra.

TAYLOR FAY

Taylor Fay, St. John the Baptist, SS, Sr. – A disciplined contact hitter atop the Cougars’ lineup, a constant threat on the basepaths, and defensive wizard at shortstop. She hit .254 with eight RBIs, 17 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. Heading to Johnson and Wales.

OLIVIA KACZMAREK

Olivia Kaczmarek, Sayville, C, Sr. – A second-team All-Long Island catcher who blocks the plate beautifully, has a strong arm and finished with a .981 fielding percentage last season. Hit .417 with 22 RBIs while guiding Sayville to a third straight Long Island championship.

KELSEY LARSON

Kelsey Larson, Long Beach, SS, Sr. – Dowling-bound shortstop who has great range from the middle to the hole. She uses all fields at the plate, hitting .435 with six home runs and 24 RBIs last season.

SARAH MCKEVENY

Sarah McKeveny, Connetquot, P, Soph. – Throws hard, and shocks batters with her change-up. The co-Pitcher of the Year in League I last season went 8-2 with a 1.12 ERA. She hit .385 and rarely strikes out at the plate.

CLAIRE MCNAMARA

Claire McNamara, Oceanside, SS, Sr. – First-team All-Long Island selection hit .448 with two home runs, 17 RBIs and 34 runs scored while guiding the Sailors to the county championship series. Struck out just once all season.

MEGAN MCNAMARA

Megan McNamara, Oceanside, OF/C, Sr. – Tracks the ball well, gets a great jump on the ball and covers plenty of ground. The second-team All-Long Island selection hit .432 with 18 RBIs and 27 runs scored for the county runner-up.

LEAH MELE

Leah Mele, Longwood, 2B, Sr. – Great range, quick release, strong arm at second. An aggressive contact hitter in the leadoff spot. Works the count and drives the ball to all fields. Hit .354 with five triples, 12 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Bound for LIU Post.

ASHLEY MELENDEZ

Ashley Melendez, Island Trees, P, Sr. – Hit .434 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs and went 4-1 with two saves and a 1.08 ERA while earning First-Team All-Long Island and leading the Bulldogs to the county championship series.

LINDSAY NESS

Lindsay Ness, Centereach, C, Soph. – Earned all-county as a freshman after hitting .400 with 13 RBIs and making just one error behind the plate last season. Already entering her fourth year on varsity, she has a great arm and is a great contact hitter who only struck out only four times last season.

DARBY PANDOLFO

Darby Pandolfo, Massapequa, C, Soph. – Hits well with runners in scoring position and has pop. Great arm and blocking skills behind the plate. She hit .463 with five home runs, 22 RBI, and 27 runs scored last season.

KATHERINE PIORKOWSKI

Katherine Piorkowski, Kellenberg, P, Sr. – NYU-bound precision pitcher who works the inside and outside of the plate. Led Kellenberg to a third straight CHSAA state championship last season by going 13-4 with a 1.48 ERA. Allowed only 79 hits and struck out 82 in 115 innings.

KIM PUZO

Kim Puzo, St. Anthony’s, 3B, Sr. – Leading run producer for the CHSAA runner-up. Has great extra base-hit power, hitting .372 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. Strong arm and great range at third. Bound for Union College.

MARISSA RIZZI

Marissa Rizzi, Eastport-South Manor, P, Jr. – Has a perfect blend of finesse and power in the circle, going 14-3 with a 0.50 ERA and nine shutouts last season. A contact hitter who always puts the ball in play, hitting .629 with 33 RBIs last season.

ALEXA RUSSELL

Alexa Russell, Kellenberg, SS, Sr.
One of the top shortstops in the CHSAA, Russell hit .316 with 24 runs, 19 RBIs with 10 doubles last season. The third-year starting shortstop is a tremendous leader in the team's talented infield.

CRISTA SAN ANTONIO

Crista San Antonio, East Meadow, SS/3B, Sr. – Key returnee for the Jets, which captured the first state championship in program history. Solid line drive hitter who will find the gaps. Hit .357 with 17 RBIs and made only one error last season.

NAHTICA SHEPHERD

Nahtica Shepherd, North Babylon, C, Soph. – Young catcher with all of the tools. Can hit, run, and a throw. Posted a batting average of .590 and hit four home runs. She allowed only one stolen base all season while helping the Bulldogs earn a long-awaited playoff spot.

LYNDSAY SMOCER

Lyndsay Smocer, Hauppauge, C, Sr. – Bound for Dowling. Led the Eagles in six offensive categories and dominated at the plate in the postseason. Had a .459 batting average, an .800 slugging percentage, seven home runs and 30 RBIs.

KAITLYN SNYDER

Kaitlyn Snyder, Hauppauge, SS, Sr. – A five tool player headed to Molloy. Can hit line drives or go deep, finishing with a .371 batting average, four home runs and 19 RBIs. Drew 17 walks out of the leadoff spot, scored 31 runs, and stole 10 bases.

JENNA TURATO

Jenna Turato, Carey, P, Sr. – Throws a variety of spins and has great command of the strikezone. Went 17-3 with a 1.16 ERA while leading the Seahawks to a county championship and earning second-team All-Long Island.

SAM VAN DORN

Sam Van Dorn, Patchogue-Medford, P, Sr. – A power pitcher with great command who struck out 94 batters in 93 innings last season and earned co-pitcher of the year in League I. Hits for power and contact. Hit .426 with 13 RBIs last season.

CATHERINE VAUGHAN

Catherine Vaughan, Hauppauge, P, Jr. – Was named first-team All-Long Island after compiling a slash line of .415/.520/.780, hitting six home runs, driving in 29 runs and stealing nine bases. Shifts from the outfield to the circle, where she throws hard and mixes it up well.

MARISSA WILSON

Marissa Wilson, Sachem East, 1B, Sr. – A power hitter who is headed to Post University. Hit .557 with 23 RBIs and led Suffolk with eight home runs while leading the Flaming Arrows to the county championship final. Solid defensively, saves errant throws at first.