I’m did a live blog from Day 1 of the 12th annual 18U Champions Cup on Wednesday, July 15, at Bill Barber Park and Harvard Park in Irvine, Calif. Here’s how it all went down with all the pool play scores below:

HEE PUTS IN OT AT CHAMPIONS CUP

Most players got to get some rest and relaxation after they finished playing their two 18U pool games on Day 1 of the Champions Cup on Wednesday, July 15, at Bill Barber Park and Harvard Park in Irvine, Calif., but not Noelle Hee of the Corona Angels (Calif.).

The Corona Angels work the snack bar at Harvard Park to raise money for their organization, so after the Angels tied Milani Prep (Hi.), 1-1, and beat So Cal A’s-Marinakis (Calif.) in the early morning games it was Hee’s turn to work the snack bar.

“Well, my mom had to go to work, so I was working her shift, and I enjoy helping,” Hee said. “It was fun for me working in the snack bar. She was at work, so I started her shift and the moms were saying, ‘When your mom gets here, we’re just going to tell her to go because we like you better and you’re doing such a good job.”

When Hee’s mom, Amy, tagged in and relieved her from the snack bar, she hit the books. BTW, Hee’s dad, Hiram, manned the grill all day.

“Well, I’m not taking these classes right now,” Hee said, “but I have two summer assignments for AP US History and AP Chemistry.”

In the fall Hee, who is one of the top 2017 power hitters in Southern California, will be taking AP US History, Spanish Three online, Theology Three, Conditioning for Softball, AP Statistics, Honors Pre-Calculus, AP Chemistry Lab, AP Chemistry and English Three. Notice all the APs in there. This girl does not mess around on the softball field or in the classroom.

So when does this girl get a break from softball, school and working the snack bar? Does she even get a break at all?

“Sort of towards the end of summer when PGF is over, I might get a week,” Hee said. “We usually go to the river. We have a boat. I go kneeboarding. Some of my friends wakeboard. We have this three-seater towable that you sit down in. It’s crazy when there are wakes and stuff, you get some air.”

Hee, who plays catcher, first base and DH for the Angels, committed to Washington following her freshman season at Orange Lutheran High of Orange, Calif., but that wasn’t a moment for her to exhale.

“I don’t think it’s ever done,” Hee said. “Even before I ever committed my parents told me, ‘It hasn’t even started. You have to work hard and keep working and keep working till past you get there. Your works starts now before you even commit,'” Hee said. “And I know I have to keep working and keep getting better because they have to commit us so early and that’s just a genteleman’s handshake. And that’s contingent on our progress and how good we can get, how good they think we are going to be.”

One things for sure, Hee will not stop until she achieves her goals.

“I’m going 110 miles per hour,” she said.

CIERA SCHICK: FUTURE INFIELDER/PITCHER/TV CRITIC?

Ciera Schick committed to Arizona State as a middle infielder following her freshman season at Los Osos High of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

But Schick took on a much bigger role during her high school career, finishing up as the Grizzlies ace in the circle in her senior year. The future Sun Devil got in some innings in the circle today for her club team, the Cal Thunder (Calif.), during the first day of 18U pool play at the Champions Cup in Irvine, Calif.

“I had to fill a role,” Schick said. “We lost a pitcher. She (Marissa Young) graduated and went to Pacific. She pretty much pitched all my junior year and I played third base. When she needed some rest, I came in and stuff like that. Going into my senior year coaches were telling me I was the only pitcher and they were going to keep me in regardless of if I was doing bad. I kind of had the role to fill.”

Schick filled that role nicely for Los Osos, going 17-5 with a 2.47 ERA and 163 Ks in 147.2 innings and leading the Grizzlies to the CIF-Southern Section Division I semifinals. Schick will continue to get some innings for Cal Thunder, which qualified for PGF’s 18U Premier Division this summer. But what aboout at Arizona Sate?

“They’ve never seen me pitch,” Schick said of the ASU coaching staff.

No matter where she ends up playing in the future Schick looks like she will be a factor. She also hit .444 with nine doubles, 15 RBI and 24 runs in her senior season.

Away from the softball diamond, Schick admits to having a serious addiction.

“I am a big TV junkie,” Schick said. “I am a TV junkie. If I have a chance to watch a TV show, I will. I get addicted to TV shows all the time. It’s bad. It’s bad.”

In less than a heart beat, she named off her top five shows.

“One Tree Hill, I watched that on Netflix,” she said. “Vampire Diaries … I watch Pretty Little Liars all the time, Teen Wolf and I watch Vanderpump Rules … it’s a reality show.”

Schick was almost too embarrassed to admit her penchant for Vanderpump Rules episodes.

“I do watch the Real Housewives,” Schick confessed, “but I would rank Vanderpump Rules a bit above that.”

Maybe, TV critic is in Schick’s future.

SHOWCASE CENTRAL

We’re in the second week of the Champions Cup. The 14U and 16U showcases were held last week and this week it’s all about the 18U showcase. Over 150 college coaches will descend upon the Champions Cup during the two-week period, of course, because of all the talented softball players and you can’t find a more beautiful location.

Jay Creps, a Southern Californai Age Group Commissioner for ASA Softball, is helping run things at Bill Barber Park and he said the goal of the Champions Cup is “to give the girls the opportunity to be seen by college coaches. ”

“We feel that this is an excellent opportunity for them and an excellent locale in Southern California where the weather is perfect,”said Creps, whose daughter, Jaisa Creps, played at UCLA from 2003-06. “More college coaches come to the Champions Cup than almost anything in the country. The weather is perfect. The chance of games being rained out or snowed out or anything like that is just not going to happen. I don’t think there’s ever been a cancellation at the Champions Cup as far as the games go. The hotels in the area are great. Irvine is just an outstanding community. The city really loves the Champions Cup.”

Creps informs me that all the college coaches check in at Harvard Park, which is a couple miles away from Bill Barber Park, so that’s where I’m going next.

BTW, Creps has a an interesting softball philiosophy.

“Softball is a terminal disease,” Creps said. “Once you catch it, you can never get rid of it. You love softball and you can never get rid of softball. It’s just one of those things.”

WORD ON THE STREETS

With all the showcases and tournaments jammed into June and July on the West Coast, especially, in Souhern California, we’re hearing that qualified umpires are becoming a rare commodity.  Caifornians have been suffering through a years-long drought and now it looks like qualified “Blues” are becoming a scarce commodity as well. You might was to remember that the next time you are giving Blue heck at a game.

CHAMPIONS CUP

18U JO SHOWCASE

AT BILL BARBER PARK/HARVARD PARK, IRVINE, CALIF.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, RESULTS

POOL A

• CA American Pastime gold 6, AZ Thundercats 0
• CA American Pastime 3, CA San Diego Elite ’97 2
• CA Comets-Ceo 2, AZ Thundercats 1
• CA San Diego Elite ’97 9, CA Comets-Ceo 0
• CA Firecrackers-Manzo 4, CA So Cal Rebels 1
• CA Lady Wolfpack-Barron 6, CA So Cal Rebels 2
• CA Firecrackers-Manzo 2, CA Lady Wolfpack-Barron 0

POOL B

• CA Breeze 5, WA NW Lady Sharks Gold 1
• AZ Cats Gold 7, CA Breeze 6
• HI Na Wahine 2, WA NW Lady Sharks Gold 2
• HI Na Wahine 5, AZ Cats Gold 0
• CA American Pastime-Garcia 3, CA Waves 0
• CA Cal Riptide Gold 8, CA American Pastime-Garcia 0
• CA Cal Riptide Gold 2, CA Waves 1

POOL C

• CA Fury-Goodacre 2, WA Acer-Anderton 0
• WA Acer-Anderton 3, NY Long Island Bandits Gold 2
• CA Fury-Goodacre 3, HI Ekahi Softball 1
• HI Ekahi Softball 5, NY Long Island Bandits Gold 2
• CA Mize Fast Pitch Diamond 6, CA IE Dynasty 1
• CA IE Dynasty 11, CA Nor Cal Diehards 3
• CA Nor Cal Diehards 2, CA Mize Fast Pitch Diamond 0

POOL D

• WA Illusion-Harris 6, CA Case Batbusters 5
• OR Panthers Gold 2, CA Case Batbusters 1
• CO Stars Gold 7, WA Illusion-Harris 1
• OR Panthers Gold 5, CO Stars Gold 5
• CA South Bay Diamond Girls 6, NV Las Vegas Blast 2
• CA South Bay Diamond Girls 8, OR Racers Fastpitch 0
• OR Racers Fastpitch 2, NV Las Vegas Blast 1

POOL E

• CA Quakes Gold 3, CA Central Cal Dirt Dogs-Mizuno/Harger 1
• CA Central Cal Dirt Dogs-Mizuno/Harger 2, CA Valley Stompers-JC 1
• MA Polar Crush Gold 5, CA Quakes Gold 2
• CA Valley Stompers-JC 4, MA Polar Crush Gold 3
• CA Cal A’s-Paula 0, CA Cal Thunder 0
• CA Runnin Rebels Gold 7, CA Cal Thunder 1
• CA Cal A’s-Paula 6, CA Runnin Rebels Gold 1

POOL F

• CA Sorcerer-Williams 1, ID North Idaho Extreme 1
• CA Sorcerer-Williams 8, CA Firecrackers-Snyder 0
• ID North Idaho Xtreme 2, CA OC Batbusters-Valdivia 0
• CA Firecrackers-Snyder 12, CA OC Batbusters-Valdivia 6
• CA San Jose Sting Gold 2, CA San Diego Power Surge-Berndes 0
• CA San Jose Sting Gold 3, CA Destroyers 0
• CA San Diego Power Surge-Berndes 11, CA Destroyers 0

POOL G

• CA OC Batbusters-Lara 3, CA Team Easton-NP 1
• AZ Lil Saints Gold 6, CA OC Batbusters-Lara 3
• CA CenCal Krush 8, CA Team Easton-NP 3
• AZ Lil Saints Gold 5, CA CenCal Krush 1
• CA San Diego Rebels-Hill 6, MA Central Mass Rapids Gold 2
• CA San Diego Rebels-Hill 3, CA Firecrackers-Young 3
• CA Firecrackers-Young 1, MA Central Mass Rapids 0

POOL H

• CA Corona Angels-Tyson 1, HI Milani Prep 1
• CA Corona Angels-Tyson 10, So Cal A’s-Marinakis 0
• HI Milani Prep 6, CA Bears Gold 1
• CA Bears Gold 5, So Cal A’s-Marinakis 4
• AZ Desert Thunder-Noland 7, CA Team California 0
• CA San Diego Legacy 13, AZ Desert Thunder-Noland 11
• CA Team California 16, CA San Diego Legacy 0

POOL I

• CA Lakewood Firecrackers-BP 5, NV Las Vegas Rage Gold-Mizuno 4
• CA Lakewood Firecrackers-BP 8, CA So Cal Breakers-Labs 1
• NV Las Vegas Rage Gold-Mizuno 2, CA Lady Wolfpack-Akire 1
• CA So Cal Breakers-Labs 4, CA Lady Wolfpack-Akire 0
• CA Nemesis Elite-TH 3, CA Easton Elite-Ludlow 0
• CA American Pastime-SGV 7, CA Nemesis Elite-TH 4
• CA American Pastime-SGV 5, CA Easton Elite-Ludlow 0

POOL J

• CA Pacific Coast Predators 7, CA The Next Level 2
• CA Pacific Coast Predators 5, Cal A’s Blue 4
• HI Kaikamachine Girls 2, CA The Next Level 0
• CA Cal A’s Blue 4, HI Kaikamachine Girls 0
• CA Courage 10, CA SOC Storm 1
• CA So Cal Dynasty-Lilly 12, CA SOC Storm 0
• CA Courage 14, CA So Cal Dynasty-Lilly 0

POOL K

• CA So Cal Filly’s 3, AZ Hotshots-Purdy 3
• So Cal Filly’s 7, CA Stealth Fast Pitch-Adams 0
• HI Guava Jam 9, AZ Hotshots-Purdy 1
• HI Guava Jam 17, CA Stealth Fast Pitch-Adams 3
• WA Illusion-Gray 9, CA Teamsmith-Silva/Hotetz 3
• CA Cal A’s-White 6, CA Teamsmith-Silva/Hotetez 2
• CA Cal A’s-White 5, WA Illusion-Gray 0

POOL L

• CA KG Hitters-Kiko 5, WA Illusion-Mendez 4
• CA KG Hitters-Kiko 9, CA San Diego Rowdies Gold 1
• WA Illusion-Mendez 6, CA Grapette-TC 1
• CA Grapette-TC 4, CA San Diego Rowdies Gold 1
• CA FP 18G 4, CA Firecrackers-Kevin 18G 4
• Firecrackers-Kevin 18G 1, CA Foothill Gold-S/N 1
• CA Foothill Gold-S/N 1, CA FP 18G 1

POOL M

• UT Sal Lake Pegasus 20, CA San Diego Rowdies-Alan 1
• UT Salt Lake Pegasus 7, CA OC Batbusters-Alvarez 0
• CA Hype Fast Pitch 3, CA San Diego Rowdies-Alan 0
• CA OC Batbusters-Alvarez 7, CA Hype Fast Pitch 0
• CA So Cal Pumas 7, CA Firecrackers-Lucero 6
• CA So Cal Strikkers 5, CA So Cal Pumas 3
• CA So Cal Strikkers 6, CA Firecrackers-Lucero 5

POOL N

• CA Lady Hustle-Marshall 5, CA Teamsmith-KC 0
• CA Lady Hustle-Marshall 3, CA Rage Gold 0
• CA Teamsmith-KC 7, HI RR Gold 4
• HI RR Gold 10, CA Rage Gold 0
• CA Batbusters-Jackson 4, CA Cal Badgers 3
• CA Cal Badgers 5, CA Nor Cal Impact 1
• CA Batbusters-Jackson 7, CA Nor Cal Impact 0

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