BLOG: Talent abundant in local softball teams

College scouts who are looking to enhance their softball teams need to look no further than Montgomery County.

The Woodlands, Oak Ridge and College Park, who are battling for the District 14-5A championship, all sport several athletes who have a chance to make quite an impact at the next level.

The Lady Highlanders, who lead the district race with a perfect 7-0 mark, are led by junior right-handed pitcher Abby Langkamp, who has verbally committed to Baylor.

The 5-foot-11 Langkamp, who wears a protective mask to keep the nasty line drives away from her face, simply overpowers most hitters. She tossed a perfect game to open district play and has sprinkled in quite a few no-hitters during the year.

Langkamp also is one of the Lady Highlanders’ best hitters. She hits with power, knows how to situational hit and is perhaps the most clutch hitter on the team.

Senior second baseman Sidney Salmans broken open the Oak Ridge game with a long grand slam to right field. She also is one of the slickest fielders in the area and should be a welcome addition to any college program.

For Oak Ridge, junior shortstop Amber Serrett flashes the leather in the field any chance she gets. She has verbally committed to LSU. She is worth the price of admission just to watch her cover almost the entire left side of the infield.

Pint-sized Gaby Davila, who has a sister who plays at the University of Houston, also is fun to watch. She can bunt, slap bunt and chip singles over the infield with the best of them. She also can run like the wind as she is tough to get anything past in center field.

For College Park, senior outfielder Julie Charbonneau, sophomore Julie French and junior shortstop/center fielder Nikki Giles all are capable .300 hitters with plenty of all-around skills to make even the most cynical scouts stand up and take notice.

Junior pitcher Peyton Hutchens and catcher Ally Holland, who joined the team from Vandegrift High School out of Austin, also have formed one of the top batteries in the district.

There are five games left in district play. But for a number of local stars, the game of softball will not stop at the high school level.