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Who is the best softball player from Southwest Florida?

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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.

First, we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.

Here are the stars of the diamond in Southwest Florida. The 11 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights. 

We even saved a spot for you to write in a candidate we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about.

Mary Babb, Barron Collier

The shortstop was a part of the Cougars' 1992 state championship team and in 1993 she was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Softball after a season where she hit .439, scored 34 runs, and drove in 26 runs. She started her collegiate career as a walk-on at the University of Missouri and ended up a Hall-of-Fame player for the Tigers after setting nine career records for the team and earning All-American honors in her senior season where she contributed to MIssouri's Big 12 Conference regular-season and post-season championships.

Jean Bonnici, Naples

The 1994 Naples High graduate helped power the Golden Eagles to three softball state championships. As a freshman, she went 16-1 on the mound, allowing just two earned runs, for a 29-1 state title team. Bonnici was named Florida Dairy Farmers 1994 Miss Softball. She went to Stetson where she was a four-time, first-team ASUN pitcher and the 1998 conference Player of the Year. She set nine school records and was inducted into Stetson’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.

Brittani Houghton, Fort Myers

Houghton was a four-time LCAC All-County softball team selection. She Fort Myers High’s defensive MVP in 1998, its offensive MVP in 1999 and the Green Wave's overall MVP in 2000 and 2001. At Stetson University, she was voted to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America third team in 2005 and was inducted into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. She was inducted into the LCAC Hall of Fame in 2024.

Cheyenne Jenks, Naples

Jenks played at Naples from 2002 to 2005 and went on to become an All-American at FGCU, the first for the college in any sport. She helped the Eagles to three ASUN championships and was the unanimous ASUN Player of the Year in 2009, hitting .473 with 23 HRs and 73 RBI. She was inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame in 2023.

Julia Knowler, Fort Myers

Knowler was a dominant two-way player for the Green Wave. She notched 150 hits and 124 RBI in her career while posting a 24-10 record in the circle with 293 striekouts. She helped lead Fort Myers to the Class 5A state title in 2021 and was named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year that season. Knowler has the distinction as the only player to be named Southwest Florida Player of the Year three times. She is currently in her third season at Clemson.

Michelle Moschel, Naples

Moschel's play in the circle helped extend the Naples High School softball dynasty after Jean Bonnici graduated. In 1996, she posted an immaculate season, not giving up a run – earned or otherwise – good for a season ERA of 0.00. Riding the pressure of those numbers into the Class 5A state championship game, she threw her fifth no-hitter of the season to help the Golden Eagles defeat Osceola 3-0 for their third consecutive state championship. Moschel was named Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Softball that season. Moschel went on to play at Notre Dame.

Jackie Owen, North Fort Myers

In her four-year career with the Red Knights, Owen compiled a 65-20 record in the circle and earned News-Press All-Area selections each year, including Southwest Florida Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010. She left North Fort Myers holding more than 100 school records. She played collegiately at Daytona State College and at FGCU.

Vivian Ponn, Fort Myers

Vivian Ponn, a 2019 Fort Myers High graduate, helped lead the Green Wave to the 2017 state softball championship. A two-time News-Press Softball Player of the Year and four-time finalist, she hit 35 homers and drove in 143 runs over her career while hitting .507 and slugging .969. Ponn went on to play at South Florida.

Kris Schaus, Barron Collier

A four-time, first-team all-state selection as a pitcher, Schaus led the Cougars to three state softball final four appearances. She was named the Naples Daily News Softball Player of the Year twice, including as a senior when she went 14-5 with a 0.42 ERA and six saves. At Princeton, Schaus helped the Tigers make three NCAA Tournament appearances, earning All-Ivy Conference honors four times, including Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year as a senior. She set the program’s career record for strikeouts with 833.

Jackie Traina, Naples

Traina was a four-time All-State performer, a four-time Naples Daily News Player of the Year, and a three-time All-American. In 2008, she was named the Gatorade Florida Player of the Year as Naples won a state title. Traina owns Naples’ career and single-season wins and strikeout records, finishing her career with an 85-8 record with a 0.23 ERA, striking out 1,089 batters. At the University of Alabama, she was a four-time All-American and in 2012 helped guide the Crimson Tide to its first-ever national softball title and was named SEC Pitcher of the Year. After college, she played professionally in Japan and competed for Team USA.

Katie Wallace, Barron Collier

Wallace pitched for the formidable Cougar teams of the mid-to-late 90s, making First Team All-State in 1997 when she posted a 0.73 ERA with 214 strikeouts. Wallace was named Southwest Florida Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998. She went on to play at USF and Wingate University, where she was a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference pick.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Vote for the SW FL all-time best softball player from 11 nominees