After launching the initial FAB 50 Club Rankings for 18U and 16U we move to the 14U division now.

The challenge here is comparing first and second year 14U teams as many have moved up from 12U after seeing great success at the younger level.

Another difficulty is making sure the teams that were successful last year are still at the same age level or even in existence! If you see anything that we missed regarding such changes, please let us know.

And if you have input on teams below or others not included, feel free to send your info/arguments to Brentt@FullCountSoftball.com!

Now, on to those teams that should be the leading contenders for National Championships this summer…

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1. So Cal Athletics – Tidd/Ornelas
Comments: One of the best teams from last year (finished 7th at PGF 14U Nationals) has a core of talented players returning who’ve been together for five years. Strong coaching with experience and some key pick-ups make this A’s team the one to beat.

2. Corona Angels – Tyson
Comments: Last year’s PGF 14U champs lose one of the top 2018 pitchers, Megan Faraimo, to the Gold team, but Alyssa Molina has looked very sharp this winter and the Angels should be there at the end again.

3. OC Batbusters – Campbell
Comments: Mark Campbell’s squad tied for 3rd at PGF Nationals last year and are packed with talent again including one of the top 2018 catchers, Colleen Sullivan, who is committed to UCLA. Several key pickups from the OC Batbuster-Briggs team gives this group a ton of depth.

4. Texas Bombers Futures HTX
Comments: The Bombers organization keeps getting better and after tying for 5th at PGF Nationals last year, the team looks to be the best in the Southwest after winning ASA Nationals in 2013.

5. AZ Suncats
Comments: The Suncats are strong from the Gold level down to the younger ages and it showed with a tie for 3rd at PGF Nationals last summer.

6. Firecrackers – Thornburg
Comments: Led by UCLA commit Lexi Sosa, a 2019 who’s dominating in the circle and at the plate, Mark Thornburg’s team is deep and dangerous at the plate and on the bases.

7. Georgia Impact – Lewis
Comments: This second year 14U team returns everyone back and had several key pickups. Watch for pitcher Logan Caymol (Tennessee) and speedy infielder Skylar Wallace (Alabama) as two elite 2018’s.

8. Lil Rebels – RC
Comments: Strong, upcoming team that finished 5th at ASA Nationals and lost to two Top 5 teams at PGF to finish 17th. Rick Christopher’s team is capable of beating anyone on any given day.

9. East Cobb Bullets – Biele
Comments: From the organization that produced top 2015 pitcher Kelly Barnhill (Florida), comes Kelley Lynch a 2019 who’s being compared to Barnhill and highlights a team loaded with SEC-caliber recruits.

10. Birmingham Thunderbolts 00
Comments: The Bolts younger teams are defined by athleticism and speed and this one is no exception. A key leader is 2018 outfielder Tate Moseley who is committed to Auburn.

11. Frost Falcons 00
Comments: This Chattanooga, Tenn. is loaded with SEC talent and Head Coach Steve Frost has his team playing cohesively and aggressively. Several coaches in the South raved about this team as one to watch this year.

12. Atlanta Vipers – Moore
Comments: A very fast and athletic team that defends well, the Vipers went 4-2 at ASA Nationals last year as a first year 14U and was taken out by eventual champion, So Cal A’s-Quarles. The future’s bright for this Southeast team.

13. Victory USA – Moore
Comments: Danny Moore’s So Cal-based team of 17 players –formerly the So Cal Choppers-Moore squad–is led by home run hitting 1B Kailee Powell who just committed to George Washington.

14. So Cal Choppers – Fausett
Comments: This team was formed last August from two Choppers teams including the Black 12U team that placed 13th at PGF Nationals. Last month at the Best of the West tourney, the 14U Choppers beat two nationally ranked 16U teams.

15. Sorcerers – Gascoigne
Comments: One of the top programs in the country top to bottom, the 14U team tied for 5th at PGF Nationals last summer but lost some key players who were pulled up. Still, a lot of talent on offense and defense will always make this team competitive.

16. Beverly Bandits Premier – Harkness
Comments: Ramsey Harkness led his 14U Premier team to a 9th place finish last year at PGF and has with great pitching and offensive firepower. The pitching staff is anchored by 2019 star Sydney Supple (Northwestern), 2018 Mikayla Pourby (Syracuse) and 2018 Nicole Cuchran (DePaul).

17. Power Surge – Bachtell
Comments: Quietly, the Power Surge program out of San Diego is developing some outstanding young teams including this one which won the America’s Finest City tourney last month and finished 2nd at the American Athletics Toys 4 Tots tourney in December.

18. Jersey Intensity National
Comments: This is a young team, but has one of the best 2019 pitchers in the nation in Alex McManus and another elite ’19 in speedy outfielder EC Taylor who has every major university knocking on her door.

19. So Cal Athletics – Mercado/Smith
Comments: The champions from PGF Nationals 12U last year moves up as a first year 14U and with David Mercado, one of the top developers of young talent in the country, and talent including SEC commits, this team will do some damage in 2015.

20. DirecTV Genies Elite – Coleman
Comments: An unusual organization in that it only has two teams, one 14U and the other 10U, but the Texas-based program got everyone’s attention at PGF Nationals last summer by finished 2nd at 12U. Young with 2019’s and ’20’s, the talent is outstanding, but the question will be how they hang with the second year 14U teams.

21. California Grapettes – Renfro
Comments: Steve Renfro’s team is made up of all 2018’s except a pair of ’19’s and is sparked by talented shortstop Morgan Wynne who is committed to Kansas.

22. Texas Glory – Naudin
Comments: The Glory organization has great young talent – watch out for the 2020 crop! – and Ed Naudin’s 14U team looked strong at the Ronald McDonald tourney in October. The talent is young, but is full with stud player who will eventually commit to D1 schools.

23. Lady Lightning Gold Futures
Comments: John Corn has the Lady Lightning program positioned as one of the best on the East Coast and the Futures program is young but has great speed. Remember the name C.J. Wright, she will be a star.

24. Beverly Bandits DeMarini
Comments: Tony Scibelli’s team has talented pitcher Montana Fouts (Alabama) leading a team that went 33-5-4 in the fall and had only one loss to a 14U team.

25. Huntsville Sparks Elite 2000
Comments: Over the last two year’s the Elite 2000 team is 117-22-1 and several players are being recruited by SEC and Big 12 schools including catchers Karla Hice and Bailey Smart who reportedly have pop times in the 1.5-1.6 range.

NEXT 25:

26. Courage – Weaver
27. Birmingham Thunderbolts – Dorsett
28. Gold Coast Hurricanes
29. Nebraska Fury 00
30. Tulsa Elite 00
31. Team Mizuno Impulse – Driver
32. OC Batbusters – Alvarez
33. Tennessee Fury 18/19/20
34. Power Surge – Ruder
35. Explosion
36. AZ Hotshots Elite 00
37. Artesia Punishers – Guerrero
38. Georgia Elite
39. Carolina Elite – Fisher/Genovese
40. Corona Angels – Tyson/Slye
41. Atlanta Premier – Perkins
42. Georgia Impact – Stewart
43. Irvine Sting – Knapp
44. Texas Impact Gold Elite – Guy
45. Texas Bombers Futures
46. Lakewood Firecrackers – Chavez
47. Georgia Force – Haag
48. LTG Lions
49. Jacksonville Storm – Davis
50. Washington Ladyhawks – Hardy

NEXT 50 IN (listed alphabetically):

• Alabama Twisters 01
• Atlanta Vipers – Jiles
• Austin Stars
• Birmingham Vipers 00
• Cal Breeze
• Cal Lite
• CC Dirt Dogs
• Central Jersey Lightning
• EC Bullets – Caldwell
• Firecrackers – Hickman
• Firecrackers – Manny
• Firecrackers AZ
• Firecrackers Lutterloh
• Firecrackers Redmond
• Florida Storm Orlando
• GA Power Blue
• Gainsville Gold – McFadyen
• Georgia Bandits
• Georgia Impact- Jeffreys
• Huntsville Sparks
• KC Zephyrs – Corona
• KG Hitters Garcia
• Killin Time 01
• Lady Magic
• Lil Rebels 2000
• New Jersey Mystics
• NorCal Firecrackers 2K
• Oak Park Windmills – Karnatz
• OC Batbusters – Steele
• OC United – Cochran/Johnson
• Orion Hunter – Teal
• PA Strikers
• Power Surge – Nava
• SnoCo Express – Miller
• So Cal A’s – Turner
• So Cal A’s Jendro
• So Cal Pumas
• So Cal Wicked – Limon
• Stingers Gold – Wincher
• Team California
• Team Georgia
• Team North Florida
• Team Seattle
• Tennessee Worth Hustle – Weekly
• USA Athletics – Porter
• USA Athletics – Thompson
• Vienna Stars
• Virginia Glory
• Wagner’s Magic – Allender
• Washington Sidewinders Seek
• Wichita Mustangs
• Windermere Wildfire – Turner