The 2014 version of the West Coast Elite Camp wrapped up Friday as the six dozen underclass softball players participated in games on the Mt. SAC fields in Walnut, Calif.

One of those invited, Alexis Bazos, a 2016 outfielder, came all the way from Bedford, N.Y. but will make it a full weekend as she is playing in the Surf City Fall Showcase with her Jersey Intensity team.

In August I did a Rising Star profile on Alexis and liked her personality so much I asked her if she’d give us a first-hand look at how it went as a player at the Elite Camp… here’s her recap.

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My journey to the OnDeck West Coast National Elite Camp was slightly different than most, as it included a six hour plane ride.

After attending a full day of school in New York on Wednesday, I flew to Los Angeles and, although my dad and I landed around 9 pm Calif. time, with the three-hour time difference from coast to coast it felt as though it were midnight.

The festivities began at 7:30 am Thursday morning so a wake-up call was set for 6 am. I arrived at Mt. SAC and immediately understood the magnitude of the event.

Approximately 100 college coaches sat in the stands, most of whom coached in major Division 1 conferences such as the SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC.

The field was beautifully groomed and 72 athletes crowded the dugouts. Each of the participants wore a colored top corresponding to their high school graduation year.

The camp was comprised of girls graduating in the years 2016 all the way through 2010. Being a junior myself (2016), I could not help but feel a bit old!

The first thing I noticed was the upbeat atmosphere. Everyone from the players to Mr. (Derek) Allister of OnDeck Softball to those assisting on the field was incredibly encouraging and genuinely excited about the day’s plans.

We were broken out into four groups and after stretching and warming up our arms, my group began our defensive session. The circuit ran smoothly. Both the infielders and the outfielders took turns fielding and throwing to all bases.

Although at first I was understandably nervous, after the first few balls were hit the nerves dissipated and I was able to look around and appreciate the unbelievable opportunity with which I had been awarded.

Following our defensive workout, we prepared for batting practice. Mr. Allister had invited two former standout college pitchers to pitch to the hitters: Nancy Evans (Arizona) and Dana Sorensen (Stanford). Although the pitchers threw in the low 60’s from only 35 feet away, they were delivering fastball after fastball and it was not too difficult to get into a rhythm at the plate.

The hitters were very good across the board and it was not uncommon to see a girl hit a shot over the 215-foot fence.

The morning session then came to a close and lunch was provided for all the girls. Our lunch break provided an opportunity for us to get to know one another. It was fun to hear about where the girls were from and where they hoped to go. I would imagine that some of us could be teammates in the future.

After lunch came ODM testing. OnDeck rates each player’s athletic abilities through a series of sprints, throws, and swings. The technology used ensured accurate measurements and—with the Zepp testing— they even had a chip that when placed on your bat handle, measured your hand speed, bat speed, and time to impact.

The ODM testing concluded Thursday’s events, and we all went back to hotels and prepared for Friday’s scrimmage.

Friday morning groups arrived and were allotted about two hours to scrimmage. We all got many at-bats and played multiple positions.

Sadly, the camp then came to a close, but not before we all signed the much talked-about camp banner. Around the camp hung banners from previous years, all of which were signed by some of the biggest names in the game, including Sierra Romero (Michigan), Raven Chavanne (Tennessee), and Casey Stangel (Washington).

In summary, the past two days were absolutely unbelievable. The overall quality of players and coaches was outstanding, and I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to attend.

I am looking forward to using what I have learned to increase my contributions to my travel team, Jersey Intensity, and my future college team!

— Alexis Bazos (October 19, 2014)