With 30 home runs in 31 games,
Maci Bergeron of Notre Dame (Crowley, La.) is poised to break the national high school softball single season home run record. The Louisiana junior could potentially break the record of 37, set in 2019 by Olivia Baker of Long (Skipperville, Ala.). But if Bergeron does break the record, don't expect it to last very long.
Ever since the National Federation of High Schools moved the pitching rubber back from 40 to 43 feet in 2011, 20-home run seasons have exploded. Prior to 2011, only 10 high school softball players had eclipsed the 20-HR mark in a season. In the 10 years since, according to a list compiled by MaxPreps, 120 players have topped that number — and that's including a 2020 season where no players hit 20 home runs due to COVID.
Bergeron is on a tear, averaging nearly one home run a game (30 home runs, 31 games) and about one home run every 3.5 at-bats. Ranked as the top team in its division in Louisiana, Notre Dame could go deep in the postseason, giving Bergeron the opportunity to break Baker's record.
Baker was one of 23 players to hit 20 or more homers in 2019, second only to the 28 players who achieved the feat in 2018. Baker is also one of 37 players from Alabama to accomplish the feat, easily the most for any state. Coincidentally, Baker plays at Long (Skipperville, Ala.), which is also the alma mater of Wade Miller, who holds the national record for single season high school baseball home runs.
Baker broke the record of 35, previously held by Shelby Holley of Pisgah, set in 2011. Michelle Palaroan of Reed (Sparks, Nev.), is believed to be the first player to hit 20 home runs, doing so in 1991. Leah Tabb of Putnam City (Okla.) broke the record with 22 in the fall of 1997. Erica Martinez of Fort Madison (Iowa) broke the record in the summer of 1999 and held the record until 2009 when Shannon Colquitt of King/Drew (Los Angeles) hit 27. Holley broke Colquitt's record two years later.
Bergeron could have some company this year in the 20-home run category. Teammates
Abigail Savoy and
Corine Poncho rank third and fifth in the nation, respectively, with 19 and 17 home runs. As a team, Notre Dame has hit a national record 92 home runs (and counting), breaking the old mark of 89, set by Long (Skipperville, Ala.) in 2019. Only one school, Madisonville-North Hopkins (Madisonville, Ky.) in 2017, has had more than one 20-home run hitter in a single season. Notre Dame could be the first with three. Only juniors, Bergeron, Savoy and Poncho all return next year to lead another assault on the nation's single-season home run record.
Sources for the list include the NFHS record book, state association record books, MaxPreps leaderboards and newspapers accessed through newspapers.com.
Additions or corrections, contact Kevin Askeland at kevinaskeland65@gmail.com
Tylar Vernon, Pangburn
File photo by Ted McClenning
35 — Shelby Holley,
Pisgah (Ala.), 2011
30 — Tylar Vernon,
Pangburn (Ark.), 2016
30 — Mikayla Rojas,
Heritage Academy (Laveen, Ariz.), 2016
30 — Kasey Flores,
Eastlake (El Paso, Texas), 2018
30 — Maci Bergeron,
Notre Dame (Crowley, La.), 2021
28 — Tannon Snow,
Chino Hills (Calif.), 2015
27 — Shannon Colquitt,
King/Drew (Los Angeles), 2009
27 — Kaitlyn Griffith,
Cherokee County (Centre, Ala.), 2011
27 — Callie Brister,
Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 2012
26 — Peri Clark,
Shelby County (Columbiana, Ala.), 2018
26 — Lydia Goble,
Schoolcraft (Mich.), 2018
26 — Brooke Nadolny,
L'Anse Creuse (Harrison Township, Mich.), 2018
25 — Peyton Grantham,
Daphne (Ala.), 2013
25 — Kaylee Tow,
Madisonville-North Hopkins (Madisonville, Ky.), 2017
25 — Kennedy Cronan,
Daphne (Ala.), 2018
25 — Emma Latham,
Hatton (Town Creek, Ala.), 2018
25 — Karli Spaid,
Lane Tech (Chicago), 2019
24 — Erica Martinez,
Fort Madison (Iowa), 1999
24 — Holly Currie, Pisgah (Ala.), 2001
24 — Taylor Odom,
Goreville (Ill.), 2012
24 — Kendyl Lindaman,
Ankeny Centennial (Ankeny, Iowa), 2013
24 — Jenna Ergle,
Sumiton Christian (Sumiton, Ala.), 2014
24 — Elaine Walker,
Schaumburg (Ill.), 2015
24 — Lizzie Christensen,
Collierville (Tenn.), 2016
24 — Jenna Ergle, Sumiton Christian (Sumiton, Ala.), 2017
24 — Abigale Carney,
Coronado (El Paso, Texas), 2017
24 — Joley Mitchell,
Rose Bud (Ark.), 2018
24 — Caroline Clark,
Colbert Heights (Tuscumbia, Ala.), 2019
23 — Hilary Mavromat,
Scottsboro (Ala.), 2010
23 — Danielle Richard,
Priceville (Ala.), 2010
23 — Kayla Walters,
White Hall (Ark.), 2011
23 — Jordan Coleman,
White Plains (Anniston, Ala.), 2011
23 — Julinn Torres,
Hanks (El Paso, Texas), 2011
23 — Desiree Morrow, Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 2012
23 — Tiffany Laughren,
Unicoi County (Erwin, Tenn.), 2013
23 — Carly Wagers,
Williamsburg (Ohio), 2017
23 — Madison Neighbors,
Kellyville (Okla.), 2017
23 — Kaylee Lopez,
North Vermillion (Cayuga, Ind.), 2018
23 — Johnna Staggs,
Wilson (Florence, Ala.), 2018
23 — Crimson Wells,
Plainview (Rainsville, Ala.), 2019
23 — Kaylyn Dismukes,
Holtville (Deatsville, Ala.), 2019
23 — Alynah Torres,
Cactus (Glendale, Ariz.), 2019
23 — Kriftin Fifield,
Chapin (El Paso, Texas), 2019
22 — Leah Tabb,
Putnam City (Oklahoma City), 1997
22 — Beth Lawson,
Hazel Green (Ala.), 2003
22 — Emily Church,
Ragland (Ala.), 2010
22 — Whitney Jordan,
Athens (Ala.), 2011
22 — Lauren Smith,
O'Fallon (Ill.), 2011
22 — Kasey Cooper,
Dothan (Ala.), 2013
22 — Stephanie Abello,
Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.), 2014
22 — Samantha Show,
East Bernard (Texas), 2015
22 — Caroline Hedgcock,
Downers Grove South (Downers Grove, Ill.), 2016
22 — Loryn Sherwood,
Stewarts Creek (Smyrna, Tenn.), 2016
22 — Erin Bengston,
Grant Community (Fox Lake, Ill.), 2017
22 — Bailey Dowling,
St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.), 2017
22 — Taylor Dew,
Mona Shores (Norton Shores, Mich.), 2017
22 — Brooke Nadolny, L'Anse Creuse (Harrison Township, Mich.), 2017
22 — Stacia Seeton,
Westwood (Mesa, Ariz.), 2017
22 — Kaylee Vaught, Pisgah (Ala.), 2017
22 — Emma Kauf,
Lincoln Southwest (Lincoln, Neb.), 2018
22 — Lauren Haskins,
Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.), 2018
22 — Hope Straight,
Mount Vernon Academy (Mount Vernon, Ohio), 2018
22 — Addie Kittel,
Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio), 2018
22 — Julia Kennedy,
Gabriel Richard (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 2018
22 — Addie Clark,
Show Low (Ariz.), 2018
22 — Erin Coffel,
Bremen (Ind.), 2018
22 — Jordyn Bahl,
Papillion-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.), 2019
22 — Aaliyah Ortiz,
Southwest (San Antonio), 2019
22 — Dren Meginnis,
Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.), 2019
22 — Bailey Dowling, St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.), 2019
22 — Angela Zedak,
Marist (Chicago), 2019
22 — Maci Bergeron, Notre Dame (Crowley, La.), 2019
22 — Denali Loecker,
Ogden (Iowa), 2019
21 — Caitlyn Halbert,
Yukon (Okla.), 2011
21 — Kory Benson,
Oak Grove (Bessemer, Ala.), 2012
21 — Sierra Romero,
Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.), 2012
21 — Alyssa Weibel,
Benton (Van Horne, Iowa), 2015
21 — Kayla Konwent,
Westosha Central (Salem, Wis.), 2015
21 — Kayla Boseman,
Ooltewah (Tenn.), 2016
21 — O'Neil Roberson,
Oak Mountain (Birmingham, Ala.), 2016
21 — Lauren Burke,
Marist (Eugene, Ore.), 2016
21 — Bailey Byers,
West Branch (Beloit, Ohio), 2017
21 — Lauren Esman,
Gull Lake (Richland, Mich.), 2017
21 — Carlie Sanders,
Hillsboro (Mo.), 2017
21 — Mallory Peyton, Madisonville-North Hopkins (Madisonville, Ky.), 2017
21 — Ashley Prange,
New Palestine (Ind.), 2017
21 — Huntyr Ava,
West (Salt Lake City), 2017
21 — Bailey Dowling, St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.), 2018
21 — Gabrielle Moser,
Central City (Neb.), 2018
21 — Bailey Urban,
Millard South (Omaha, Neb.), 2018
21 — Kennedy McCurry,
Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.), 2018
21 — Olivia Ball,
West Point (Cullman, Ala.), 2018
21 — Lacey Fincher,
Faith Academy (Mobile, Ala.), 2018
21 — Olivia Baker, Long (Skipperville, Ala.), 2018
21 — Rylan Ewoldt,
Lincoln Southeast (Lincoln, Neb.), 2018
21 — Kaylee Vaught, Pisgah (Ala.), 2019
21 — Savanna Wood, Long (Skipperville, Ala.), 2019
21 — Taylor Keighley,
Anchor Bay (Fair Haven, Mich.), 2019
21 — Regan Weekly,
King's Academy (Seymour, Tenn.), 2019
20 — Michelle Palaroan,
Reed (Sparks, Nev.), 1991
20 — Paige Jones,
Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.), 2000
20 — Brittany Chase,
Laughlin (Nev.), 2010
20 — Lauren Haeger,
Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.), 2011
20 — Whitney Cooper,
Red Rock (Sedona, Ariz.), 2011
20 — Heather Morales,
Indio (Calif.), 2012
20 — Cierra Hutchinson,
Johnston City (Ill.), 2012
20 — Nicole Dobemencker,
Charter Oak-Ute (Charter Oak, Iowa), 2012
20 — Abby Ramirez,
Trinity (River Forest, Ill.), 2013
20 — Kylie Cowan,
Foreman (Ark.), 2014
20 — Rachel Garcia,
Highland (Palmdale, Calif.), 2015
20 — Bailey Curry,
Anderson County (Lawrenceburg, Ky.), 2015
20 — Vanessa Taukeiaho,
Etiwanda (Calif.), 2016
20 — Rylie Unzicker,
Millard South (Omaha, Neb.), 2016
20 — Victoria Ortiz,
Baker (Mobile, Ala.), 2016
20 — Abby Krzywiecki,
Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 2016
20 — Mary Katherine Tedder,
Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.), 2016
20 — Mikayla Rojas, Heritage Academy (Laveen, Ariz.), 2017
20 — Rylee Stout,
East/North (St. Charles, Ill.), 2017
20 — Ariel Carlson, Marist (Eugene, Ore.), 2018
20 — Brylee Rudd,
Spanish Fork (Utah), 2018
20 — Sadie Carpenter,
Adams Central (Hastings, Neb.), 2018
20 — Madison Duryea,
Bradshaw Mountain (Prescott Valley, Ariz.), 2018
20 — Ariel Carlson, Marist (Eugene, Ore.), 2019
20 — Kassidy Wilcox,
Brantley (Ala.), 2019
20 — Maddie Bejarano,
Mingus (Cottonwood, Ariz.), 2019
20 — Katy Pozzuto,
Garrard County (Lancaster, Ky.), 2019
20 — Shea Putman,
Pennington (Blountsville, Ala.), 2019
20 — Jordyn Bahl, Papillon-LaVista (Papillion, Neb.), 2020
20 — Lauren Garcia,
Montwood (El Paso, Texas), 2021
