The class of 2028 began hearing from softball coaches on Sept. 1. The commitments started soon after. Arizona joined the fun with a pair of commitment announcements from in-state prospects on Sunday.
Right-handed pitcher/first baseman Annika Ridling and power-hitting catcher/first baseman Jaiden Stell will both come to Tucson from the Phoenix area. They are teammates in the Arizona Rising travel organization on the Appel/Kobasew team.
Stell is four-star recruit according to Rivals and Softball America.
Both outlets rank her as the 90th-best player among the 150 ranked prospects in the class, although Rivals has her as a corner infielder and SA has her as a catcher. Rivals has her as the second-best player in the state of Arizona and the No. 8 corner infielder.
The SA rankings, which are listed on the website of new owner Rule 42, includes a scouting report. The outlet’s assessment of Stell reads:
“Stell is a unique left-handed-throwing, right-handed-hitting catcher. She frames pitches well low in the zone and has a strong, powerful lower half. Offensively, she works the timing of her swing well and has shown the ability to drive the ball with power to all fields, especially when she gets extended.”
PrepSoftball also has Stell as one of the top prospects in the state of Arizona. That outlet lists her as a catcher, as well.
Stell plays her prep ball for Verrado in Buckeye, Ariz. where she hit .570 with 15 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs on her way to 5A All-Conference first team honors as a freshman in 2024-25. The 16-player first team included just one designated catcher to go with four pitchers and 11 position players.
Stell’s highlights can be found on her SportsRecruits profile.
Travel teammate Ridling plays her prep ball for Desert Vista in Phoenix where she also competes in track and volleyball.
Ridling finished fourth in 6A with a 1.70 ERA and held opponents to a .194 batting average last season. She went 7-2 in 21 appearances with four starts, earning 6A Central Region second team honors.
Brady Vernon of Softball America writes that “Ridling has come on strong in her development and locates well.”
Ridling’s highlights are posted on her SportsRecruits profile.
In addition to Ridling and Stell, Vernon reported that Arizona had visits from another pair of travel teammates. Four-star outfielder Grace Tonga and middle infielder Lulu Johnston both play for Illinois Chill Gold, the travel organization that produced former Wildcat Emma Kavanagh.
