Who is the best softtball player from North Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
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.
These are our selections for the softball players who defined North Jersey. The players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and professional levels.
We even saved a spot for you to write-in a candidate that we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about.
Brittany Baiunco, Ramapo
Baiunco, with an unhittable screwball that cut in on right-handed batters, was the Player of the Decade in 2010 after becoming the first pitcher to win three Bergen County titles as a pitcher.
Reese Guevarra, IHA
Reese was a dynamic athlete, with a signature leap in the batters box before digging in. She’s North Jersey’s all-time hit leader with 216 career hits and had a successful career at U.Conn.
Cathy Kaminski, Ramsey
Kaminski was a national story – written up in the New York Times in 1986. She set the all-time high school record (at the time) with 1,020 strikeouts. She also had 29 career no-hitters. At Penn State, she still ranks in the top 10 for shutouts in a single season, complete games (30) and innings pitched.
Lexi Knief, Ramsey
Pound for pound, one of the best athletes ever to come out of North Jersey. Knief still has the second most hits in North Jersey (195) and was a star soccer player before playing softball at Penn State.
Steph Pasquale, Pompton Lakes
Blessed with incredible hands, bat speed and power, Pasquale was an impossible out at Pompton Lakes. When she left Temple, she owned school records in total bases total bases (385), runs (168), doubles (45), RBI (152), and batting average (.379) in a career. Pasquale was inducted in the Temple Hall of Fame in 2024.
Jen Pawol, West Milford
The first female MLB umpire, North Jersey knew her well before her time in the big leagues. She was an All-State catcher for the Highlanders who batted .538 with 153 RBIs in her career. She’s still the all-time leader in hits in Passaic County with 165.
Julie Rodriguez, Old Tappan
A dream player who could do everything. Rodriguez rewrote the Old Tappan record book, and was intentionally walked 28 times as a senior. She was part of UCLA’s national championship team in 2019.
Victoria Sebastian, Ramsey
The leader of an unmatched sister trio (Bella and Olivia), Victoria was part of three sectional championship teams, including a Group 2 state title as a senior. She played for Villanova.
Steph Thomas, IHA
Thomas is still the gold standard for pitchers in New Jersey. She set the all-time record for victories with 113, and had 68 shutouts. In her career, she had 951 strikeouts and a 0.54 ERA. She is one of just two pitchers ever to win three Bergen County titles in the circle. She played collegiately at Lafayette.
Heather Wilson, Ramsey
When Wilson graduated, she had the most wins of any pitcher in state history with 99. In her career she was 99-8, including a stretch of 51 straight wins. Her career ERA was under 0.50.
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