We got a little bit of everything today as we hear about a team shutting down and a trio of committed players who go with their former coach to a new program, news on some top 2016 players and a list of over 30 more committed players!

 

*** When I recently profiled Hannah Edwards, one of the top 2016 prospects in the country, I learned that the Lower South Liberty program is now no more.

Got a nice note from former Head Coach Dan Santelli who wrote to provide a bit more detail:

“I thought I would touch base with you after reading the recent write up about Hannah Edwards and now that things have settled back here in PA. It is true that Lower South Liberty Gold is no longer fielding a team…the decision was made for several reasons after PGF Nationals to no longer field a team.”

“I will be coaching with Joe Garvey at the Newtown Rock Gold-Garvey and four players who played for me on Lower South Liberty Gold have also made the move with me to Newtown Rock Gold-Garvey. They are:

— Hannah Edwards (2016 OF, Pitt)
— Taylor Sweigart (2017, 2B/1B, LaSalle)
— Courtney Shupp (2016, C/1B, LaSalle)
— Elyse Cuttic (2016, LHP/1B, not committed)

*** As I said before, it impresses me when players take the initiative to write and that’s been the case with Kelcey Carrasco, a 2016 catcher committed to Michigan State who e-mailed to say:

“I had a great summer.  It was a great transitioning year and I learned a lot jumping for 14U to 18G. It definitely is a different game at that level.  I also wanted to send you my stats from high school season at Tulare Western in Tulare, Calif.: batting average of .506, 40 hits and 26 RBI and on-base percentage of .552 . I was also 1^st Team All-County and All-League.”

“ We really like the new website and I look forward to meeting you this Fall at a showcase.  As you know I play for the San Jose Sting18G-Perales.”

 

*** The Birmingham Thunderbolts are loaded in the 2016 class with a half dozen or more elite juniors who are Hot 100 caliber including five (FIVE!) that are committed to Auburn.

That must be some kind of record—five players going to the same program in the same grad year!

One of those is our blogger extraordinaire, Justus Perry, who Coach Horton raved about in the team profile yesterday on the Bolts 97 team on which she plays.

One thing not noted in the article is Justus, who’s from Minnesota, stayed with Coach Horton and his family during the summer for practices and then going to big events including Nationals.

So he would know about her game and her character off the field and he raved about both.

Justus has been on the recruiting map since the eighth grade when she hit a school record eight home runs for her Prior Lake (Minn.) team and over the last four years she’s led her club teams (Minnesota Renegades in 2012, Minnesota Sting in 2013 and the Bolts in 2014) in home runs and RBI.

She’s also led her teams to an ASA 14U “A” Nationals 4^th place finish (2012), a 3^rd place finish at PGF 16U Nationals (2013) and a 9^th place tie at PGF 16U Premier Nationals this year.

This summer for the Bolts she hit .414, had 10 home runs, 35 RBI and a .900 slugging percentage.

Spoiler alert: those numbers – and her talent—will get her into the Hot 100. You heard it hear first…

 

*** This falls more into the “letters” category, but it had to do with recruiting so I’m including it here.

Remember a week ago when I ran the story of a clever player named Lauryn Henderson who sent out a clever invite to coaches? If you didn’t see it, you’ll have to check out what she did!

Got a note from her father, Rick, who explained:

“I just wanted to let that a few coaches have read your article and finally realized that Lauryn who they are trying to recruit is the Macaroni Party girl. (Thank you).

Also we had a significant jump in views on her website in the days following the publish of Macaroni Party 200 plus and we are over 700 now and still climbing.”

 

*** More verbals:

— 3B/OF Katelyn Acton (2017, Grand Canyon)… plays for Firecrackers (AZ)-Hinkle
— OF/UT Macy Bjorson (2016, Appalachian State)… plays for Carolina Cardinals
— P/1B Kylie Bouplon (2016, UNC Greensboro)… plays for Firecrackers (NC)
— OF Marissa Bruno (2016, Portland State)… plays for Central Coast Athletics
— OF Brianna Bryant (2017, Campbell)… plays for Carolina Cardinals
— OF Madison Carter (2016, Akron)… plays for Atlanta Vipers-Dingler
— P Jayme Cone (2015, George Washington)… plays for California Cruisers-Sievers
— C/3B Jenna Cone (2016, George Washington)… plays for California Cruisers-Sievers
— OF/1B Channing Cox (2016, Liberty)… plays for Carolina Stars Elite
— P/OF Karly Heath (2018, South Carolina)… plays for Carolina Elite-Fisher/Genovese
— 3B Lindsay Heinze (2015, Mount St. Mary’s)… plays for Bayside Blues
— SS Alyssa Herion (2015, Saint Joseph’s)… plays for Krunch Gold
— 3B Ally Hernandez (2015, Connecticut)… plays for Jersey Inferno Gold
— SS Natalie Higgins (2016, Robert Morris)… plays for Ohio Classics
— MIF/UT Campbell Hutcherson (2016, North Carolina Firecrackers (NC)
— SS/C Katie Kempton (2017, San Diego State)… plays for California Cruisers-Sievers
— SS/OF Mallory Kimmel (2016, Dayton)… plays for Indy Dreams-Bell
— MIF Michelle Leone (2019, Penn State)… plays for Wagner’s 3N2-Kiple
— 2B/OF Amy Lewis (2016, Tennessee-Chattanooga)… plays for Chattanooga Force
— P Jensen Main (2016, New Mexico)… plays for Central Coast Athletics
— MIF/3B Katie Manning (2017, Campbell)… plays for Carolina Cardinals
— C/OF Terra McGowan (2018, Arizona State)… plays for Beverly Bandits (So Cal)
— P Megan Mills (2016, East Carolina)… plays for Carolina Stars Elite
— P Carson Pace (2016, Appalachian State)… plays for Carolina Cardinals
— OF Kate Polucha (2017, DePaul)… plays for Beverly Bandits (So Cal)
— INF Tatumn Satow (2016, New Mexico)… plays for Central Coast Athletics
— OF Emma Schweigert (2015, La Salle)… plays for East Coast Elite
— P/3B Kailla Searcy (2016, Central Arkansas)… plays for Stealth Fastpitch
— C Abby Smith (2017, Texas A&M)… plays for Texas Glory
— P/UT Kailey Stoker (2017, Belmont)… plays for Birmingham Vipers-Parks
— SS/INF Taylor Ward (2015, Dartmouth)… plays for Jersey Intensity