A Reminder: Give the Recruiting SB Class of 2026 a Chance!

[OUBeliever56A]

Bottom post of the previous page:

How do they assign stars? Is 5 stars for the top 10 recruits, and 4 stars for 11-50? Anybody know how it goes?

I think it is probably "percentage based". something like the Top 5% or something like is a 5-star. As you can see the first 14 players are 5-star. Then the next 86 players are all 4-star. I guess the next group fo players are 3-star.....101 to ???.

The evaluated number of "100" or 97 or 90 (the lowest in the Top 100) is the basis I think.

[navier]

For a group who I was told “understands that the rankings have flaws” (I am paraphrasing) you guys sure seem to talk about them an awful lot..

[Bixby_Sooner]

For a group who I was told “understands that the rankings have flaws” (I am paraphrasing) you guys sure seem to talk about them an awful lot..

Yes, we discuss rankings on here, we also discuss their composition, flaws, and the various ranking services, among other things, but because you haven't seen those discussions, assume what you will.

If it really bothers you that much, by all means, don't let us hold you back because of our flaws, you are more than welcome to go find another message board that is up to your lofty standards.

[navier]

For a group who I was told “understands that the rankings have flaws” (I am paraphrasing) you guys sure seem to talk about them an awful lot..

Yes, we discuss rankings on here, we also discuss their composition, flaws, and the various ranking services, among other things, but because you haven't seen those discussions, assume what you will.

If it really bothers you that much, by all means, don't let us hold you back because of our flaws, you are more than welcome to go find another message board that is up to your lofty standards.

[inconnu]

What ranking services for highschool softball prospects (top 100 players?) are the most respected, say for 2026 class, and what do they call their list?

[Bixby_Sooner]

What ranking services for highschool softball prospects (top 100 players?) are the most respected, say for 2026 class, and what do they call their list?

Other than blog, vlog, or MB related polls, I know Extra Inning Softball, Perfect Game and ESPN are 3 that are likely the least biased polls for HS players. There are probably others but those 3 are likely the best known. I think the National Fastpitch Coaches Association may have one as well, but can't confirm. OUB56A or Sooner Traveler may have more information on this.

[TN Sooner]

For a group who I was told “understands that the rankings have flaws” (I am paraphrasing) you guys sure seem to talk about them an awful lot..

Yes, we discuss rankings on here, we also discuss their composition, flaws, and the various ranking services, among other things, but because you haven't seen those discussions, assume what you will.

If it really bothers you that much, by all means, don't let us hold you back because of our flaws, you are more than welcome to go find another message board that is up to your lofty standards.

It really isn’t that hard - just don’t be a jerk.

[cclift38]

Softball America/On3 have stepped their game up. Doing star rating like football and showing interested teams. But database is still being built. I like the information.

[OUBeliever56A]

What ranking services for highschool softball prospects (top 100 players?) are the most respected, say for 2026 class, and what do they call their list?

Other than blog, vlog, or MB related polls, I know Extra Inning Softball, Perfect Game and ESPN are 3 that are likely the least biased polls for HS players. There are probably others but those 3 are likely the best known. I think the National Fastpitch Coaches Association may have one as well, but can't confirm. OUB56A or Sooner Traveler may have more information on this.

I would add Softball America/On3 and D! Softball to that list.

IF you look at a corss section of the rankings, you can get a feel for the players and where they sit compared to other players. Of course nothing is 100%.

The only comment I would make is that players that are not able to hit the ball out of the park (maybe call them slappers) are overrated to me. The game has changed. Hitting .500+ slapping in high schoool ball or summer ball does say you have talent. But give me sseveral players that hits .375 and hits 12+ HRs in high school and summer ball and I can beat a team of slappers that hit .500+ and a few doubles all season long.

[navier]

What ranking services for highschool softball prospects (top 100 players?) are the most respected, say for 2026 class, and what do they call their list?

Other than blog, vlog, or MB related polls, I know Extra Inning Softball, Perfect Game and ESPN are 3 that are likely the least biased polls for HS players. There are probably others but those 3 are likely the best known. I think the National Fastpitch Coaches Association may have one as well, but can't confirm. OUB56A or Sooner Traveler may have more information on this.

I would add Softball America/On3 and D! Softball to that list.

IF you look at a corss section of the rankings, you can get a feel for the players and where they sit compared to other players. Of course nothing is 100%.

The only comment I would make is that players that are not able to hit the ball out of the park (maybe call them slappers) are overrated to me. The game has changed. Hitting .500+ slapping in high schoool ball or summer ball does say you have talent. But give me sseveral players that hits .375 and hits 12+ HRs in high school and summer ball and I can beat a team of slappers that hit .500+ and a few doubles all season long.

Did you ever look up the HS BA of kids who are in OU’s lineup?
My kid has hit like absolute garbage this HS season and is hitting .375 (granted she doesn’t have 12+ HR)

[OUBeliever56A]

Other than blog, vlog, or MB related polls, I know Extra Inning Softball, Perfect Game and ESPN are 3 that are likely the least biased polls for HS players. There are probably others but those 3 are likely the best known. I think the National Fastpitch Coaches Association may have one as well, but can't confirm. OUB56A or Sooner Traveler may have more information on this.

I would add Softball America/On3 and D! Softball to that list.

IF you look at a corss section of the rankings, you can get a feel for the players and where they sit compared to other players. Of course nothing is 100%.

The only comment I would make is that players that are not able to hit the ball out of the park (maybe call them slappers) are overrated to me. The game has changed. Hitting .500+ slapping in high schoool ball or summer ball does say you have talent. But give me several players that hits .375 and hits 12+ HRs in high school and summer ball and I can beat a team of slappers that hit .500+ and a few doubles all season long.

Did you ever look up the HS BA of kids who are in OU’s lineup?
My kid has hit like absolute garbage this HS season and is hitting .375 (granted she doesn’t have 12+ HR)

Admitedly, I do not 'chase' high school stats. I do not know the competition level of many high school players so their stats do not mean much to me. If you are really good in high school is it good, but you could be above average in a tough league in CA, AZ, TX or FLA and it mean just as much. I have enough to do with the volume of posting that I do across the sepctrum of OU Sports. I find the summer stats do mean something though. If they are playing in 18U ball they mean more than if they are playing in 16U.

I think I also understand that today, OU does not recruit based upon traditional stats. They are very much into the analytical numbers and they look for specific things. Maybe they have been there for awhile. If you look just two years back, the Class of 2024 (the freshman now) really only had three players highly ranked in the Top 10 (Lowry, Hicks and Barker), but after two years they were all in the Top 80 players (EIS). Garcia who was unranked when OU recruited her was in th top 30 players. By SA, a 4th player was in the top players as Milloy was ranked.

It is interesting that Garcia was perhaps the most impressive freshman position player in the first Dattle Series game.

I just try to share data and thoughts. I try to let the readers and fellow posters decide what to think about things. I try hard....to help Sooner fans be informed.

Boomer Sooner!

[navier]

I would add Softball America/On3 and D! Softball to that list.

IF you look at a corss section of the rankings, you can get a feel for the players and where they sit compared to other players. Of course nothing is 100%.

The only comment I would make is that players that are not able to hit the ball out of the park (maybe call them slappers) are overrated to me. The game has changed. Hitting .500+ slapping in high schoool ball or summer ball does say you have talent. But give me several players that hits .375 and hits 12+ HRs in high school and summer ball and I can beat a team of slappers that hit .500+ and a few doubles all season long.

Did you ever look up the HS BA of kids who are in OU’s lineup?
My kid has hit like absolute garbage this HS season and is hitting .375 (granted she doesn’t have 12+ HR)

Admitedly, I do not 'chase' high school stats. I do not know the competition level of many high school players so their stats do not mean much to me. If you are really good in high school is it good, but you could be above average in a tough league in CA, AZ, TX or FLA and it mean just as much. I have enough to do with the volume of posting that I do across the sepctrum of OU Sports. I find the summer stats do mean something though. If they are playing in 18U ball they mean more than if they are playing in 16U.

I think I also understand that today, OU does not recruit based upon traditional stats. They are very much into the analytical numbers and they look for specific things. Maybe they have been there for awhile. If you look just two years back, the Class of 2024 (the freshman now) really only had three players highly ranked in the Top 10 (Lowry, Hicks and Barker), but after two years they were all in the Top 80 players (EIS). Garcia who was unranked when OU recruited her was in th top 30 players. By SA, a 4th player was in the top players as Milloy was ranked.

It is interesting that Garcia was perhaps the most impressive freshman position player in the first Dattle Series game.

I just try to share data and thoughts. I try to let the readers and fellow posters decide what to think about things. I try hard....to help Sooner fans be informed.

Boomer Sooner!

Good post,I agree with most of it. At the end of the day
the best way to evaluate a kid is to see them play against kids
who they will likely be facing in college if they play for you. It’s why there are often 10+ P4 coaches at Power Pool games in CO and PGF/Alliance.

[cclift38]

Curious as why the downfall of Flosoftball. They used to be the go to and even had some good podcasts. Seems after Chez took over everything kind of stopped.

[navier]

Curious as why the downfall of Flosoftball. They used to be the go to and even had some good podcasts. Seems after Chez took over everything kind of stopped.

Not sure but for the price you had to pay for a subscription
their game production was horrible. A lot more softball is on
the various ESPN avenues now so that may have taken away
some of the subscribers who were only subscribing to get the poorly produced games..Not sure they ever had rankings though.

[cclift38]

They did rankings. Might be the first ones to rank softball players. Brent Eeds worked for them. They were originally student sports. Eeds moved on to extra innings and they started ranking players.

[navier]

They did rankings. Might be the first ones to rank softball players. Brent Eeds worked for them. They were originally student sports. Eeds moved on to extra innings and they started ranking players.

OK.. Eads is at LineDrive now.