Title Contenders for 2025 AFCS 18U, 16U

The fifth edition of the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series (AFCS) returns to Hamilton County and Kokomo, Indiana. The AFCS format emulates NCAA Softball’s postseason format to help prepare our athletes for the next level. 

• Regionals: Teams compete in double-elimination brackets. The top two teams advance to Tier I Super Regionals, the next two to Tier II, and the last two to Tier III. 
• Super Regionals: Teams compete in double-elimination brackets within their respective Tiers. Winners advance to the Elite 8. 
• Elite 8: Two double-elimination brackets determine the finalists for the National Championship. 
• National Championship: The final two teams compete in a best-of-three series. 

The National Championship Series will be on July 26 & 27. The AFCS All-Star game takes place on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

AFCS 18U Teams to Watch

OC Batbusters Sith

The reigning champions look to capture their fourth straight title and are the program to beat. With a rich history that churns out talent year in and year out, Mike Stith’s squads are going to compete. The Batbusters have Abby Ford in the circle, a dominant righthander. Oklahoma signee Kai Minor from Orange Lutheran provided leadership in the outfield and production at the plate. Keep an eye on center fielder Deveah Crawford (2029) playing up in 18U with poise and a ton of leadership at such a young age. 

18u Texas Glory

Kevin Shelton’s squad is always in the mix to contend for the national title. The Glory boasts great talent, including a top-five pitcher and Texas commit Madi Doty. Doty anchors the staff in the circle and can throw to all quadrants with a high swing and miss rate. A significant portion of the squad played for Melissa High School in the 2025 MaxPrep National Championship, including junior Kennedy Bradley (Florida Commit), Finlee Williams (2027), and LuLu Adrian (2027).

Aces Fastpitch 

Two-time Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year Allyssa Parker leads the pitching staff. The two-way Oklahoma signee is ranked No. 4 in the 2025 class and is an athletic option for the Aces on both sides of the ball. Another Oklahoma signee and five-star recruit, Lexi McDaniel, brings a power bat to the lineup and has an elite arm up the middle. 

Texas Bombers Gold 18U

Florida commit Caroline Stanton, the top-ranked player of the 2026 class, has shouldered a majority of the innings for the Bombers. Scott Smith picked up another arm after the fall with Ole Miss commit Jada Savage, who both work alongside legendary pitcher Cat Osterman. Softball America’s second-ranked recruit in the 2025 class, Anabela Abdullah, provides an elite range up the middle as well as plus bat-to-ball skills. 

Impact Gold Jackson 

Another two-way player leads the way in the 18U division with Oklahoma commit Ella Kate Smith. The Katy, Texas native plays first when not in the circle and provides the lineup with power from the right side. Texas A&M commit Reagan Rohrlich is one of the toughest leadoff hitters in the country.

AFCS 16U Teams to Watch

Impact Gold Jazz 

Macie Bryant headlines the pitching staff as one of the best upcoming arms in the 2027 group. The lineup is littered with 2027 talent as well, but Sydney Hatch (UCLA commit) and Madalyn Davis (North Carolina commit) help stabilize things at the top. Khloe Williams (2028) and Capri Mark (2029) are two future names to know.

Texas Bombers Gold 16U

Left-handed star pitcher Gisela Boitmann can lead this group to an AFCS title. Four-star 2026 recruit Addison Otto, who recently committed to Houston, is one of the veteran bats of the group. Morgan Marks (2027) and Zoey Abdullah (2028) make for quite the tandem in the outfield.

Louisville Lady Sluggers Huecker/Norwood 

Louisville Lady Sluggers Huecker/Norwood has a strong pitching staff led by 2026 Tennessee commit Maggie Krause and 2027 two-way Courtney Norwood. They have a strong lineup as well with Kensi Arringdale (Mississippi State commit), Kendall Brown (Miami commit), Annie Newman (Kentucky commit), Brynley Erb (Kentucky commit), along with others.

Texas Glory 16U

2027 pitcher Abby Atkinson is a marquee name on this roster come September 1st. Paelyn Clark, her partner in the circle, is a name to know in the 2028 class. Evelynn Swartzlander is one of the top middle infielders in the Class of 2027.

Team NC Bowman

The eight-seed heading into the AFCS is coming off great performances in Colorado and Atlanta. 2027 Kaylee Hodges has been a riser this summer in the circle and at the plate. Blakely Bowman and Savannah Coln are two of the top bats to watch on this team.

2027 Softball Recruiting Position Rankings
2026 Softball Recruiting Rankings
Softball America Recruiting Spotlight Form