VYPE Hot 20 Baseball & Softball Players: No. 16 Brianna Rodriguez, Rowlett

The Dallas/Fort Worth area is a hotbed for baseball and softball talent, so VYPE.com/DFW took on the task of ranking the top 20 baseball and softball players entering the 2009 season. Today's pick is: 16. Brianna Rodriguez, junior pitcher, Rowlett — Rodriguez had the typical stats you would expect from an ace softball pitcher. She was 19-3 with an 0.51 ERA and 189 strikeouts. She was the pitcher of the year in District 10-5A. She's also a threat at the plate. She batted .422 with 21 RBIs last season. Previous picks were: 17. Kathy Shelton, senior infielder, McKinney North — Shelton is a dual-sport athlete; she's also an accomplished volleyball player. She was the 9-4A MVP and VYPE's MVP last year while leading the Lady Bulldogs to their second consecutive district title and third straight regional final. The Baylor signee hit .467 with three home runs, 21 RBIs, 40 runs and 41 stolen bases. 18. Ryan Ford, junior infielder, Plano West — Ford can flat out punish the baseball. The left-handed hitter had some of the longest home runs in recent memory during the Wolves' playoff run that ended with a 5A state championship. He had nine home runs and 62 RBIs for a powerful offense that helped produce Plano West's first baseball state title. It will be up to him and outfielder Blake Parker to keep the West offense going after so many top seniors graduated to play college baseball. 19. Vonnie Martin, junior infielder, Plano — Martin is the single-season home run record-holder at Plano and has committed to Fresno State. She hit seven home runs last year for the Lady Wildcats and batted .393 with 40 RBIs. She was all-district pick last year. 20. Andrew Blum, junior pitcher, Plano West — Blum started the state championship game as a sophomore and also had several huge performances in the playoffs. "He's going to be a big-time pitcher," Coach Kendall Clark said. Blum is being recruiting by top programs such as Florida and Miami, Fla. He was 7-0 last year with a 1.12 ERA.