Florida is the “Sunshine State” and Saturday at the Diamond 9 Sun Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. it was sunny and beautiful.

It was also bone-chilling cold and very, very windy at times and not the weather for some unnamed person from California to be out watching softball for 12 hours in shorts and a polo shirt (I hear this person didn’t bother bringing a jacket because, after all, this IS Florida.

In my this person’s defense, it was 82 when he/she left California and Friday was in the high 70’s in Florida and nice.

Fortunately, Kevin O’Donnell—the event organizer and head of the Jersey Intensity organization—gave me, this unnamed person, a pull-over which saved the day, but it was still teeth-chattering cold; so could, in fact, that I saw one shortstop playing with a coat over her uniform.

Still, the level of talent of both players and teams is why I labeled this event as the top one of the fall for seeing quality action. There are teams from 31 different states represented and an estimated 200 college coaches are in attendance.

Here are my thoughts after spending a day on the fields and seeing as many teams and players as I could while enjoying meeting coaches and parents off the fields:

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Beware the ‘Bolts.

The Birmingham Thunderbolts looked very good yesterday and after getting beat by the long ball by the also impressive Lady Lightning in the morning, the Bolts came back and looked strong.

— Two new pickups from Arizona—pitcher T Statman (Arizona) and infielder Morgan Nelson (Northwestern)—add a lot to this team which already has a boatload of Hot 100 players.

Statman looked great in the circle and also ended one game with a double (I kidded that it was a “walk-off” but time simply ran out).

Nelson is solid at the plate and in the infield and adds another weapon to a team that last year finished tied for 5^th at PGF Nationals.

— Two power hitters who’ve come on board in the last few months also looked good: catcher Libby Suggs (BYU) and first baseman Madi Bishop (Oregon) can hit the cover off the ball and give this team pop at the late to go with the speed and pitching that have also improved.

Some college coaches were saying the Bolts look like a top 3-5 team now in the country but obviously we have a long way to go before next summer’s Nationals. Still, this team that Richard Shea has put together could make another impressive run.

— Madi Bishop has made it visibly clear where she’s going to college. You’ve heard the phrase, “Wears her feeling on her sleeve?” Well, the Texas senior who is listed No. 45 in the 2015 Hot 100 has a duck tattoo on the back of her neck… as in the Oregon Duck logo.

An unusual place to have it, for one thing, and for another her mom drove her to get it done on the parent’s birthday. At least you know Madi had parental permission!

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Also enjoyed watching the Rhode Island Thunder team coached by Dave Lotti, which has a nice balance of experienced players such as Hot 100 senior pitcher Ashley Guillette (Florida) and catcher Tori Dubois (Penn State) with some very promising young players.

Here are two I saw playing that I liked:

— 3B Alexis Sangermano (2017)… good infielder with quick first step and range. She’s a Hot 100 candidate

— SS Julia DaCosta (2017)… another Hot 100 candidate, she already has five offers and that will very likely grow after this weekend. Equally strong at the plate and at short.

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The game of the day, at least of the 30 or so I saw was the Rhode Island Thunder and California Grapettes matchup.

It featured two Hot 100 pitchers battling—Guilette and Gia Rodoni (Baylor)—and both were outstanding as the teams tied 2-2.

Guillette really knows how to up her game when the pressure’s on and is as good as I’ve seen in working out of jams.

Rodoni is a fighter too and in one inning when she had runners on I accurately predicted she would get the final two outs of the inning by strikeout. She just is a competitor and knows when to throw her change-up, which buckled the knees of two young batters.

— After Gia graduates, her replacement could be 2017 pitcher Callie Nunes who has the same pitching coach as Rodoni.

Nunes is impressive, she has really good spins and one parent was telling me she has 30 revs per second on her spins. A scary moment late in the RI Thunder game, though, when a line drive hit Nunes and stunned her to the point she had to leave the game.

Rodoni had to go back in and finish.

— Also impressive to me were the Hackbath twins, Kindra and Maddie, who have physically matured thanks to working out with a trainer, according to their mom, Mary.

Kindra plays the outfield and Maddie catches and both should see early playing time at Fresno State. I liked what I saw of them in the field and at the plate. Both will be key contributors for the Grapettes this year.

— Finally, a shoutout to 2015 second baseman Kelli Bates, who dislocated her finger on Friday, had it popped into place shortly after injuring it saying “that didn’t hurt too bad” and was back on the field Saturday.

That’s one tough kid.

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Speaking of injuries, I saw Brooke Vines, the Tennessee-bound outfielder with the So Cal A’s and she was in a hoody during the Athletics second game. I talked with her and found out she led off the game with a hit and moved around to third.

However, a foul ball one-bouncer hit her in the shin and knocked her out of action, for the day likely and perhaps for the weekend.

Not as if she has anything to prove, she can sit for the rest of the fall and still be the top leadoff hitter in the country, but I hope she returns ASAP—she’s very fun to watch.

— Brooke was saying younger sister, Anna, a 2018 shortstop on the Corona Angels, is on an unofficial visit to Oregon this weekend and will visit UCLA next weekend.

She’s already been to Tennessee and visited the Vols campus on Oct. 3 when Brooke took her official visit. Anna has also taken unofficial trips to Virginia and Northwestern and her older sister says all these schools have offered.

A slapper as well, Brooke says Anna is probably faster down the line than her, which would really be something and explain why all the heavy interest from ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC schools.

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Had to a chance to see Bailey Hemphill, the top position player in the country in the 2016 class and No. 3 overall player in the junior year Hot 100.

Bailey didn’t disappoint in her game I saw her play early Saturday as the Alabama commit can hit and do everything behind the plate. A total impact player the day she steps foot on campus, I believe.

But watch out for a young pitcher on her team, Taylor Edwards, who had a bunch of college coaches watching her.

Taylor is only a 2019 grad and is 13-years-old but reminds me of Brooke Vestal, the Oklahoma commit, who was a baby-faced pitcher at the 2013 PGF Nationals but had a dozen colleges watching her at that same age and had a huge summer to know play with the Texas Bombers.

Taylor has four pitches and is advanced beyond her years. I predict, like Brooke, that within a year she’ll have her choice of major colleges from around the country.

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Speaking of good uncommitted pitchers, one to watch is Caroline Hedgcock of the Illinois Chill.

She just joined Gerry Quinn’s team in August and he’s conservative in praising his players in a good way, he won’t overhype them, but Coach Quinn speaks highly of Caroline.

The 2016 lefty had six strikeouts in four innings during the game I watched against a strong Carolina Elite team and throws a fastball, drop, change and rise with her throws being “heavy,” not easy to hit.

Her pitches have movement, too, and most of them drop so she’ll induce a lot of groundballs and strikeouts. Very good player…

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Speaking of Carolina Elite, 2015 pitcher Matty Moss going to Tennessee, should have been in the Hot 100… that was an oversight. Watched her twice and she’s big-time.

Very good Vols class and I hear one of the best few are talking about will be Haley Bearden, a 1B/C who is a great power hitter.

One scout I trust thinks she’ll break the home run record at Tennessee by the time she’s done… wow.

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Did an interview with Maddie Siefert, the 2015 pitcher headed to Penn State who’s the ace of the St. Louis Chaos staff.  I’ll have the Player Profile up later this week…

Maddie is out for the tournament with a shoulder injury, but kudos to her and her parents for traveling and supporting the team even though she can’t play.

Her injury, which is on her non-throwing shoulder, happened in a Powder Puff football game when she collided with a teammate as the two were going for an interception.

Maddie’s shoulder popped out, but went back in again when she got up and she says proudly, “I was able to finish the rest of the game.”

The math and science whiz with a 4.0 GPA also says wisely, “I think I’m going to retire from football.”

I’m sure Penn State softball coaches are happy to hear that too!