Position-aware evaluation for freshmen through seniors. Honest tier scoring across D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO. Parent-approved outreach to the right coach.
Softball isn't one evaluation — a D1 pitcher and a D1 center fielder aren't built from the same blueprint. PathPlay scores against position-specific tiers, so the tier you land in matches who you actually are on the field.
D1 pitchers ride a 65+ mph overhand velocity mix plus a verified rise/drop combination. D2 opens to 60+ mph, D3/NAIA grading leans on spin rate and command — a 58 mph pitcher with movement and control still fits the right roster.
D1 catchers need sub-1.95 pop time with a strong arm and a gap-to-gap 60-time. D3/NAIA thresholds widen to a 2.10 pop and the blocking/framing work carries more of the decision than raw pop.
D1 first basemen are scored on exit velocity and barrel rate more than 60-time. A 65+ mph exit velo is the floor; D3/NAIA thresholds widen to 58 mph and the core GPA gate applies at every tier.
Covers 2B and SS. D1 middle infielders need a sub-3.20 pop-to-pop with range and a verified 60-time under 7.4. D3/NAIA widens the pop to 3.40 and rewards glove-first defenders who hit for average.
D1 third basemen read on exit velocity (65+ mph) plus reaction and arm strength across the diamond. D3/NAIA grading rewards power potential and a strong corner-side 60-time — academics get a vote at every tier.
Covers LF and RF. D1 corner outfielders lean on power + arm — 65+ mph exit velo with a verified overhand arm. D3/NAIA widens to 58 mph exit velo and the arm still matters for the gap.
D1 center field is a range-first projection — sub-7.0 60-time with reads and tracking. D3/NAIA widens to a 7.4 60 and rewards glove + speed; bat and exit velocity are the tie-breakers, not the gate.
Softball timelines aren't a single calendar — D1 starts evaluating two years out at PGF Nationals and the club showcase circuit, D2 waits until junior year, and D3 + NAIA recruiting genuinely picks up across the junior summer. The engine below applies a grad-year modifier so the tier score reflects the realistic window, not the artificial one.
The earliest serious window. Coaches start cataloging PGF tournament film, club showcase stats, and identifying sophomore tape for the next cycle. If your grad year is two years out, the engine treats you as one tier lower — yours to climb.
D2 recruiting opens in earnest around the junior spring and the following club season. A junior-year exit-velocity spike or 60-time drop moves the score with it.
D3 and NAIA both run a junior-summer window for first-touch outreach. Walk-on slots, academic spots, and the early-softball signing window all overlap here.
NAIA programs run a longer window — junior summer through senior fall — anchored by softball's November early-signing window. The academic profile carries the conversation more than the metrics alone.
PathPlay's softball placement engine reads your exit velocity, overhand velocity, 60-time, vertical jump, GPA, core GPA, and grad year against per-tier rule tables — and applies a position override (catchers get a 60-time override, pitchers grade on velocity mix, corner outfielders lean on power + arm) so each position is scored on what actually matters for it.
Every tier (D1, D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO) has a distinct rule set with required gates and weighted metrics; the engine returns a confidence rating per tier (Strong, Likely, Stretch, Reach) so the recommendation is honest about where the fit is real and where it's a reach.
Position-specific inputs: catchers get a 60-time override, pitchers grade on velocity mix, corner outfielders lean on power + arm — so a 7.1 sixty reads as a fit at D1 CF and a miss at D1 SS. That's the differentiation, not a stylistic preference.