Play Ball! 41 high school softball players on the Emerald Coast to watch this spring

Spring Break has come and gone, and with that comes a little reflection on the first few weeks of the softball season.

Above .500 in the early going are Niceville (5-4), Crestview (5-4) and Freeport (7-2). Freeport scored early wins over Baker, Destin and Walton, while Niceville has rivalry victories over Lincoln, Crestview and Fort Walton. Crestview, meanwhile, defeated rival Choctaw .

Fort Walton Beach, fresh off an 18-8 run to the Sweet 16, is 3-5 after losing to Navarre and Niceville but has found hope in wins over Choctaw, South Walton and Milton. Choctaw is 4-6 with a split against Crestview and wins over South Walton and Walton, the latter of which is 6-6 with a win over Crestview. Navarre, meanwhile, is 4-5 with wins over Choctaw and Fort Walton.

Toeing the line at .500 is 3-3 Paxton with a nice win over Freeport and Baker, the latter of which started off 4-0 but has lost four straight since. South Walton has won four of six since an 0-3 start, while Laurel Hill is also 2-2.

From those teams has emerged a host of players to watch in the area. Let's begin with the cream of the crop putting in their early submissions for Player of the Year, each of which you can vote for below in our early POY poll.

More: 52 high school baseball players on the Emerald Coast to watch this spring

Gabbi Barnowsky, Choctaw

A year after leading the Big Green with a .472 batting average, 21 runs, 15 RBIs, 14 stolen bags and a perfect fielding percentage as just a sophomore, the junior is hitting .391 with six stolen bases.

Bailey Crowther, Walton

The junior is going off this year, belting an area-best four home runs with nine runs and nine RBIs and a .344/.462/.812 slash line.

Alyx Hall, FWB

Long established as the area's biggest threat the plate despite her underclassman tag, the junior has picked up where she left off from last year's incredible slash line of .590/.620/1.012 featuring 48 RBIs and 19 extra-base hits. Hall is hitting .462 with 11 RBIs, five extra-base hits and has just one strikeout in 31 plate appearances. Fort Walton's lineup is sure to heat up with her in the middle of it.

Aubree Davis, FWB

Davis put together one of the finest freshman campaigns the Emerald Coast has seen last year with a .343/.424/.506 slash line featuring 28 runs, 24 RBIs and two long balls. This season flashed better patience with a .441/.548/.882 mark and a team-best 15 runs, nine extra-base hits and two homers to go along with nine RBI and four steals.

Graison Dorr, Freeport

The senior scratched the surface with last year's .333 batting average. In her swan song through nine games, Door is slashing .483/.583/.758 with 14 hits, seven extra-base knocks, four RBIs and seven free passes compared to just one walk.

Mayson Feller, Crestview

Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog. A year after hitting .307 with 21 runs, 14 stolen bases and 13 RBIs for Freeport, the senior has become a fixture in Crestview's strong start. Feller leads the Dawgs with a .391 batting average and has seven runs, five RBIs and a 1.022 OPS.

Hannah Isham, FWB

The sophomore has been one of the key table-setters for the Vikings, her 16 hits trailing only Hall and her 11 runs trailing only Davis while leading the team with three sacrifice bunts and five stolen bases. She's on a clean path to crushing her 18 stolen bases and .311 batting average last year.

Ellie Long, Choctaw

The two-way senior has easily been the Big Green's MVP this season, batting .400 with four RBIs and four extra-base hits while sporting a 2.82 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 22 1/3 innings on the mound. This leap comes after a junior year where she had a .385/.600/.576 slash line and a 2.65 ERA.

Alexis Newsome, Freeport

The ace of the Bulldogs' staff, the senior is 6-2 with a 2.80 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 45 innings. The two-way player is also shining at the dish, hitting .310 with six runs, four RBIs and four doubles.

Briana Noles, Niceville

If her freshman year is any indication, we're in for a fun four years with this shortstop. Noles currently leads the Eagles with 14 hits, nine runs, six RBIs, a .483 batting average and two steals.

Ava Secor, Crestview

Just a freshman, the speedster looks to on this short list for the years to come. The Dawgs' leadoff hitter has a slash line of .346/.528/.500 with a team-best 14 runs scored and 12 stolen bases.

Emma Sites, Niceville

The two-way senior has a 1.93 ERA on the mound and a .348 batting average this season after going 7-2 last year with a 2.56 ERA.

Ava Smith, FWB

Integral to Fort Walton's playoff hopes, the two-way player is hitting .343 with seven RBIs and four doubles and has a 3.89 ERA as she looks to recapture the magic from last year's 15-7 high-volume season.

Natalia Taylor, Navarre

A year after debuting with a .328 batting average, 12 RBIs, 11 runs, three homers, the sophomore has been seeing the ball well. Her slash line of .500/.577/.681 easily paces Navarre, bolstered by four doubles, four walks and seven RBIs.

Cambell Toolan, Crestview

After lighting up the area with a .412 average and 2.61 ERA as a freshman last year, the two-way player is missing barrels and supporting her own cause. The sophomore has a miniscule .83 ERA and a 26/7 K:BB ratio, all the while scoring eight runs, driving in five and stealing three bags.

Ella Troutt, South Walton

Coming off a junior campaign where she hit .492 and belted seven homers and flashed a .62 ERA, Troutt is back as one of the area's best two-way players. She's sporting a .354/.406/.689 slash line with three homers and a .64 ERA.

Emily Ward, Paxton

While it's early, Ward hasn't struck out once in 18 plate appearances. During that span she's logged nine hits and is batting .529 with four runs, three stolen bases and a pair of RBIs through five contests.

24 Other Players to Watch on the Emerald Coast

Choctaw

P Ann Marie Gilbert, sophomore

Util Abigail Santos-ruiz, junior

Crestview

P/Util Julian Forrest, sophomore

Util Tianna Hill, sophomore

OF Bella Gibbons, junior

Util Taeia Schriner, sophomore

Fort Walton Beach

Util/P Anna Beyhl, freshman

Freeport

MINF Kayla Stephens, junior

Util Megan Weller, sophomore

Navarre

CF/Util/P Karsyn Riddle, sophomore

OF/P Lily Weaver, junior

Niceville

Util/P Chloe Bailey, freshman

1B/OF Ava Gibson, senior

Util Kamryn Neely, senior

Util MJ Toth, senior

Paxton

1B/3B/P Avionnah Padgett, sophomore

Util Bethany Raeder, freshman

South Walton

C/Util Zoey Kreinus, freshman

SS/Util Anita Palmer, sophomore

1B/P Aspen Benscoter, sophomore

Walton

Util/P Averi Laird, senior

P/1B Chyanne Gregor, freshman

MINF Izzy Holden, junior

P/INF Raina Pitts, sophomore

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Play Ball! 41 high school softball players on the Emerald Coast to watch this spring