Confident and commanding: Revere’s Danni Hope Randall hits milestone, finds her best stuff yet

By Dom Nicastro

Revere junior pitcher Danni Hope Randall reached a major milestone earlier this season, notching her 300th career strikeout in a 14-strikeout win over Chelsea as she continues to anchor the Revere varsity softball team both on the mound and in the dugout. And she’s just a junior.

“I ended my sophomore season with 287 strikeouts so I knew I would be close to hitting 300 early in the season,” Randall said. “Going into the game I knew I was only a few strikeouts away but I tried to just play my game and focus on throwing one strike at a time.”

Through her first five starts in 2025, Randall has already compiled 48 strikeouts while going 3-2 with a 4.73 ERA over 26.2 innings pitched. She’s walked 18 batters and allowed 26 earned runs, but she’s also kept her strikeout totals high – averaging nearly two per inning – and continues to grow into her role as a confident leader on the field.

“This year on the mound I have felt the most confident I have felt throughout my whole softball career,” she said. “I have really learned how important it is to move onto the next pitch, the next play and the next inning when things don’t necessarily go your way.”

Randall has added polish to her arsenal this season, throwing with improved location and movement. Her go-to pitches have been a sharp screwball and a changeup, both of which she says are becoming more consistent. “I’ve really been able to throw my pitches consistently with good location and movement. Focusing on using my changeup more often as well as my screwball,” she said.

Randall’s story isn’t just about raw talent – it’s a product of years of dedication. She’s been playing since kindergarten, rising through t-ball, minors, majors and tournament teams, before fully committing to pitching in middle school. By eighth grade, she was already competing at the JV level thanks to a waiver. Since her freshman year, she’s been a fixture on varsity.

Her 2024 sophomore campaign ended with 287 strikeouts, and she’s already building on that legacy this season. Her career arc reflects the traits she now instills in herself: discipline, perseverance and faith in her training. “Keeping your head high no matter the situation and just trusting your training and having confidence within yourself” has been a lesson that’s stuck, she said.

Randall isn’t doing it alone. Revere’s squad is loaded with returning varsity players, which she says gives the team a clear sense of identity and shared motivation. “This year almost all of our girls are varsity returners which I think has really helped us… We are such a small team but it helps us really connect with each other,” she said.

She’s quick to credit her teammates. Shortstop Anna Doucette, a sophomore, brings energy and passion to the field, and Randall lights up when she talks about her batterymate. “Our catcher Shayna Smith – she’s a junior – she’s probably one of the best catchers I’ve ever played with,” Randall said. “She’s such a great athlete in all of her sports and she works so hard.”

Randall’s drive is generational. Her mother, a former 1,000-point scorer in college basketball, coached high school hoops in Revere. Her grandfather, a passionate softball/baseball player, is “definitely my number 1 supporter,” she said.

That support system – plus time spent in other sports like field hockey and track – helps keep Randall balanced. “Outside of softball I love field hockey and track, which is what I do throughout the fall and winter seasons,” she said. “I also love to spend time with my friends as much as I can, which happen to be my teammates.”

As the season rolls on, Randall is staying grounded and focused. “Right now, I’m focusing on taking it one day and one game at a time and working on having a good season,” she said, “but I would love to be able to have the opportunity to play at the next level.”