Recruiting News & Notes (3/17)
Recruiting News & Notes (3/17)
A busy weekend across the nation and we break it down in verbal news, event recaps and top performances…
VERBALS:
*** Brooke Cantillo, the 2017 outfielder with Explosion – Greg who was rated the No. 43 player in her class’s Hot 100 list, has committed to Mississippi State.
She’s the younger sister of Taylor “RT” Cantillo, who played at Ole Miss and later for the Chicago Bandits in the NPF and also Chelsea Cantillo who played at the Univ. of Georgia and is now a coach at IPFW.
Interestingly, Brooke is the third in her family who will have gone to the SEC to play softball and all three siblings went to different schools!
Brooke is a five-tool player who has good speed as a triple threat slapper with power. She had several other offers including SEC schools and many mid-major programs.
Says her coach, Greg Borzilleri, of Explosion: “Brooke can do it all. Her versatility is what makes her one of the best outfielders in the country. She has 2.7 home to first speed that allows her to play the short game and she has some of the fastest hands out there to go with her wheels with well over 75 mile an hour bat speed to drive the ball out of the ballpark.”
“However what makes Brooke the player she is isn’t her measurable; it is everything else she brings to the table. She is a player that others look up to, a player that leads by example and one who you never have to wonder where she’s at. She’s putting her work in and bringing others along with her.”
“Above all else Brooke is a great person and teammate who truly cares for her teammates and everyone wants to be around. Brooke embodies the complete package in a player and teammate and that is what makes her a very special athlete.”
*** More verbals…
— Got an email this morning from Avery Lamb out of out Georgia who writes:
“I have committed to play softball for the 2016 class for Valdosta State. I am presently a junior left-handed pitcher and DH at Veterans High School in Kathleen, Ga.”
“I currently play for the GA Outlaws-White 18 Gold and have been with them for the past three years including top 20 finishes at 2013 PGF 2013 (19th) and 2014 ASA Nationals (13th).”
Regarding her commitment, Avery adds:
“I had to decide if want to stay in state and play for what I consider the Top Division 2 School in the nation or wait and see if any Division 1 schools — that might be clear across four or five states who were showing minimal interest at the time — ‘would get off the pot’ so to speak.”
“The Division 1 schools in Georgia had not shown the interest I would have liked, but I would think Valdosta State could give most a run for their money. In the end I received a great offer and I loved the school which is what really matters. I’m looking forward to becoming a Blazer in the real near future!”
— Thanks to the parent of a player in the Houston Power organization for getting us an updated list of commitments fro A to Z:
— C/OF Kayla Appleby (2015, St. Edward’s University)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz(formerly reported when with Texas Aces)
— MIF Macey Brown (2016, University of Texas-El Paso)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— LHP CoCo Caraway (2016, University of Missouri-St. Louis)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— OF/SS Alissa Chavez (2015, Navarro College)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— RHP/2B Kourtney Coveney (2015, West Texas A&M)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— SS/OF D’Andra DeFlora (2015, University of New Mexico)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— 3B/SS Tori Garivey (2017, Lamar University)
Houston Power 16U-McBride
— IF Lauren Garza (2015, Angelina Jr. College)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— OF Camille Grahmann (2016, University of North Texas)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— 3B/2B Missy Hernandez (2015, San Jacinto Jr. College)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— RHP Ashley Johnson (2015, Belmont University)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz (formerly reported when with Impact Gold)
— C Kurstin Martin (2016, University of Houston)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— RHP Lindsey McLeod (2015, Sam Houston State University)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— 1B/OF Kelli Montgomery (2016, University of Houston)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— UT Kjirstyn Murphy (2017, University of Texas-Arlington)
Houston Power 16U-McBride)
— IF Maddy Myers (2015, Lamar University
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz (formerly reported when with Texas Aces)
— C/3B Cally Pausewang (2016, St. Edward’s University)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— P/2B Stephanie Reed (2017, Utah State University)
Houston Power 16U-McBride
— OF CJ Rodriguez (2015, Navarro College)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— C Katy Sawyer (2015, Blinn College)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— SS/IF Kaitlyn Slack (2016, University of Texas)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— 3B/1B Brittany Sockwell (2016, Canisius College)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
— OF Maya Thomas (2015, University of Houston)
Houston Power Gold-Glowacz
— OF Marisa Trevino (2015, Trinity University)
Houston Power Gold-Korioth
EVENTS:
*** A big 12U tournament was held over the weekend in Nevada as the St. Paddy’s Day Blast saw several Full Count Softball-rated teams battle.
The championship game fittingly saw the No. 2 ranked team in the FAB 50 preseason 12U club rankings, the Corona Angels 02 Tyson team, beat the No. 3 team Georgia Impact – Newland 8-0.
*** On the high school side, the biggest tourney of the weekend was the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead, Ariz.
Not surprisingly, our No. 1 team in the country, Mission Viejo (Calif.) won the title beating a surprising Yucaipa team while Canyon of Anaheim finished 3rd with a win over Chino Hills.
Mission Viejo knocked off Canyon 5-2 and then squeaked by Yucaipa 1-0 on Saturday behind Taylor McQuillin’s three-hitter which included 11 K’s.
The hard-luck loser for Yicaipa was Brooke Bolinger, a senior pitcher signed with Nevada, who pitched a great team against the defending National Champs.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
*** Ashlee Swindle, the outstanding pitcher/first baseman who is a 2016 Hot 100 honoree and commit to Auburn, has had an outstanding start to her high school season.
Ashlee has led Curry High of Jasper, Ala. to a 14-1 start; she has a 13-1 record with her only loss being 2-1 to the No. 1 team in Class 7A. She has a 0.35 ERA with 101 strikeouts versus nine walks against 298 batters.
Last weekend Curry won the Spain Park tournament going 7-0 with Ashlee pitching all seven games and giving up only two earned runs with a total of 42 Ks and only two walks allowed.
She also batted .400 with two home runs. For the season she’s hitting .410 with 16 hits and seven RBI.
*** Two of the top pitchers in the East faced off Sunday and the youngster beat the experienced one in a scrimmage that didn’t count but sure was fun.
Boston College commit Kelsey Oh of Mount St. Dominic (N.J.), rated the No. 15 overall prospect in the 2017 Hot 100 and the No. 5 pitcher, beat Laurel (Del.) standout Regan Green, the senior signed with Mississippi State and returning Gatorade State Player of the Year.
The game was held in Delaware and the visitors won 4-2 behind Kelsey’s pitching and offense as she hit two home runs.
Yesterday, Mt. St. Dominic played again and Kelsey struck out nine in three innings of work (not a mathematician, but that would be a K for every batter she faced!).
Kudos too to Sarah Taffet who went 4-for-5 with a home run. She’ll be one to watch and plays for Coach Rob Stern on his NJ Pride Easton club team as well as the high school team.
*** Skye Webb, the talented 2017 lefty slapper who we profiled in January after she committed to Georgia Tech, is having a great start to her season for Temecula Valley High in Southern Calif.
Skye played in the Hemet Tournament last week and earned All-Tournament honors after hitting .750 and stealing five bases.
A teammate of hers, Karissa Arnold, a 2016 infielder is also going to Georgia Tech. Skye plays club ball with the Corona Angels while Karissa plays for The Next Level.
*** Another player who continues to have a hot hand is Gianna Carosone from Las Vegas Rancho.
The 2018 uncommitted player has been pitching and catching as well as starting at shortstop and leads the team in hitting and on-base percentage. In 11 games the No. 31 ranked team in the MaxPreps top 50 high school team has played 11 games and scored 91 runs will only giving up four.
Last Saturday Gianna hit an over-the-fence home run in the championship game in the fourth inning that broke a 1-1 and the Rams the 201 in the Colorado River Invitational in Needles, Calif.
Her Rancho teammate, Samantha Pochop, a 2017 pitcher committed to Tulsa, also had a strong weekend including striking out 13 in the title game and having an RBI single to help her cause.