The 2016 National Pro Fastpitch draft took place last night at the CMA theater in Nashville, Tennessee. The top pick is this year’s draft belonged to the Pennsylvania Rebellion and the selected Louisiana Lafayette catcher Lexie Elkins. Elkins is putting up some insane numbers at the plate this season she has a slash line of .538/.648/1.263 (avg./ob./slg.). She also have 17 home runs and 41 RBI on the season. Those are hard numbers to ignore and she arguably the best hitter in college softball right now. So we will look at the top three picks for each team.
Pennsylvania Rebellion
The Rebellion walked away with eight new players. We have already mentioned Elkins who should bolster the team on offense. They are already carrying four catchers on roster. It will be interesting to see how the work Elkins into the line-up. Last season the Rebellion finished last in the league with a .214 team average and home runs (20). We have to believe that they want her bat in the order from the start. They took UCLA outfielder Allexis Bennett next with the eighth overall selection. Bennett, who was a first team All-American selection in 2015 brings speed and a decent bat to the Rebellion. Currently she carries a .434/.520/.475 slash line and adds depth to a position the Rebellion need it. Next up was the No. 14 pick in which they selected Georgia pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson. The Rebellion have a young staff already and Wilkinson adds depth. Overall they did a solid job addressing their needs, they added more bats, speed and depth to their outfield.
USSSA Pride
The Pride led the league in most categories a year ago but have had some roster turnover. They put together a solid draft this year and in this case we will look at their first four picks as they all were key pick-ups. With the second overall pick they selected one of the best hitters in the college game in Michigan infielder Sierra Romero. Romero has had an outstanding career at the plate. This year she carries a .480/.585/.949 line with 12 home runs and 56 RBI. She plays middle infield and can run as well. Next the Pride selected Kentucky pitcher Kelsey Nunley with the fifth selection in the draft. Nunley is a workhorse for the Wildcats and has proven herself in big games she is a great addition to the Pride staff. The Pride followed that up with two good selection when they took Florida infielder Kelsey Stewart with the No. 12 pick and Alabama outfielder Haylie McCleney with the No. 14 pick. Both offer great bats and speed. Stewart is a two-time first team All-American selection that adds speed from the left side of the plate for the Pride. McCleney who many consider the best outfield in the game today is also a two-time first team All-American for the Crimson Tide. She is also having a great season at the plate with a .459/.602/.704 line.
Akron Racers
The Racers needed pitching help and they addressed that with the third overall pick when they selected James Madison pitcher Jailyn Ford. Ford has has a solid career and really turned the corner the past two seasons. This year she has held opposing hitters to just a .151 average with a .98 ERA and a 13-1 record. The Racers also had the fourth overall pick and selected Missouri infielder Sami Fagan. Fagan adds a solid bat and speed for the Racers. This season she has 10 home runs and is batting .450. Next up with the No. 10 pick they selected Georgia infielder Alex Hugo. Hugo is one of the most competitive players in college softball and it shows when you watch her. She is a solid and consistent hitter with an exceptional glove.
Scrap Yard Dogs
The leagues newest team the Scrap Yard Dogs had the sixth overall pick and with their first ever selection they went with Nebraska outfielder Kiki Stokes. One thing we can say for certain is that Stokes is fast, very fast. She will add speed both in the outfield and at the plate. They also had the No. 7 overall pick and they looked to the outfield again selecting Missouri player Emily Crane. Crane is another speedster and in 2015 was a perfect 28-28 in steals. They will have a very quick outfield that is for certain. Finally with the No. 19 pick they selected Tennessee C/IF Lexi Overstreet. Overstreet adds a solid balanced player the roster. She has a career 1.046 OPS which is solid.
Dallas Charge
The Charge enters their second season with just four picks, due to trades. Their first pick, ninth overall, was UAB infielder Caitlyn Attfield. Attfield batted a .473 in 2015 and this season is carrying a .376 average. Their next selection came at No. 15 when they selected Missouri outfielder Taylor Gadbois. Gadbois is another speedster from the Tigers who stole 40 bases on 43 attempts in 2015. Finally at No. 29 they selected Oregon Pitcher Cheridan Hawkins. Hawkins is a two-time first team All-American and is considered one of the best pitchers in college softball. She already holds school records for single-game strikeouts (18), season strikeouts (330) and career no-hitters (6).
Chicago Bandits
The final team started their evening with the No. 11 pick in which they selected Central Florida pitcher Shelby Turnier. Turnier is one of the better ones in the college game and has three no-hitters to her name. She adds depth to an already deep pitching staff. Their next selection came at No. 17 when the picked LSU catcher Kellsi Kloss. Kloss fills a need for the Bandits who currently have one catcher on roster. She has a decent bat and is solid behind the plate. Finally with the No. 22 pick they selected Auburn infielder Emily Carosone. This is great but it is interesting they did not address the outfield spot in the draft. Carosone adds power to the line-up. The 2015 first team All-American belted 18 home runs that season and has nine so far this season.
Selections in order
| Pick | Player | Position | College | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexie Elkins | C | Louisiana Lafayette | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 2 | Sierra Romero | INF | Michigan | USSSA Pride |
| 3 | Jailyn Ford | LHP/UT | James Madison | Akron Racers |
| 4 | Sami Fagan | INF | Missouri (Florida) | Akron Racers |
| 5 | Kelsey Nunley | RHP | Kentucky | USSSA Pride |
| 6 | Kiki Stokes | OF | Nebraska | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 7 | Emily Crane | OF | Missouri | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 8 | Allexis Bennett | OF | UCLA | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 9 | Caitlyn Attfield | INF | UAB | Dallas Charge |
| 10 | Alex Hugo | INF | Georgia | Akron Racers |
| 11 | Shelby Turnier | P | UCF | Chicago Bandits |
| 12 | Kelsey Stewart | INF | Florida | USSSA Pride |
| 13 | Haylie McCleney | OF | Alabama | USSSA Pride |
| 14 | Chelsea Wilkinson | RHP | Georgia | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 15 | Taylor Gadbois | OF | Missouri | Dallas Charge |
| 16 | Chaley Brickey | INF | Kansas | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 17 | Kellsi Kloss | C | LSU | Chicago Bandits |
| 18 | Erica Field | C/UT | James Madison | USSSA Pride |
| 19 | Lexi Overstreet | C/IF | Tennessee | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 20 | Geri Ann Glasco | UT | Oregon (Georgia | Akron Racers |
| 21 | Lindsey Stephens | OF | Texas | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 22 | Emily Carosone | INF | Auburn | Chicago Bandits |
| 23 | Sandra Simmons | INF | LSU | Akron Racers |
| 24 | Kristen Brown | SS | North Carolina | Chicago Bandits |
| 25 | Kirsti Merritt | OF | Florida | USSSA Pride |
| 26 | Christian Stokes | INF | Kentucky | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 27 | Sara Driesenga | RHP | Michigan | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 28 | Brittany Gomez | UT | Iowa State | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 29 | Cheridan Hawkins | LHP | Oregon | Dallas Charge |
| 30 | Hannah Day | C/OF | Troy State | Akron Racers |
| 31 | Emily Messer | UT | South Alabama | Akron Racers |
| 32 | Heather Stearns | RHP | Baylor | USSSA Pride |
| 33 | Lee Ann Spivey | C/OF | USF | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 34 | Taylore Fuller | UT | Florida | Scrap Yard Dogs |
| 35 | Kayla Winkfield | INF | Mississippi State | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 36 | Bianka Bell | INF | LSU | Pennsylvania Rebellion |
| 37 | Hannah Perryman | LHP | Missouri St. Louis | Akron Racers |
| 38 | Alyssa Gillespie | OF | Oregon | Dallas Charge |
| 39 | Aubree Munro | C | Florida | USSSA Pride |
| 40 | Mikela Manewa | INF | Oregon State | Scrap Yard Dogs |
