This will be the last “Daily Update” for us… and no it’s not an April Fool’s joke!  You’ll read how we’ll be changing the site in a way we think is for the better and will start off with a SoCal player who’s going to the East Coast to play.  We also have a lot of college and even pro news today

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DAILY UPDATES TO BE DISCONTINUED?

Yes, it’s true… this will be the last Daily Update BUT that doesn’t mean we’re reducing the content.

We’ll still be having the same features, they’ll just be stand-alone pieces which you can find in the “News” section on the top right of the home page (we’ll be making it list 15-20 headlines now instead of 10 starting tomorrow).

Here’s why the change:

1. Timeliness: I’ve long struggled with the wisdom of having one big “newspaper” like collection of pieces of content.  It’s good in that there’s a potpourri of info, but I haven’t liked sitting on some things as I’ve worked on putting together the Daily Update, which can take 2-4 hours to assemble when you factor in finding photos, writing the content, editing and posting.  This way, when something is ready to post, it goes live immediately.
2. Traffic: To be blunt, our currency is traffic.  Since it’s a free site, the more traffic we get, the better it is for us to get sponsors.  Putting all the eggs in one Daily Update basket means we greatly cut back on traffic since it’s one click vs. 4-5 that would come with choosing what you want to read.
3. Greater Choices: I also have never felt super comfortable with throwing various items in the Daily Update “stew.”  By separating articles, you the reader can pick and choice what you want to sort through.
4. Pressure: Building a package every day is a LOT of work and stress.  This will allow me to have more flexibility in building up some days that have a lot of news into a robust series of articles or, if it’s a slow day, I can be more selective and work on bigger pieces.

So, in effect, the content really won’t change… I’m hoping actually we’ll get more submissions from readers and ideas that can be worked on.   What will change is the presentation meaning there will be several posts in a day versus the morning one and the late afternoon one (Calif. time) I’ve had going since last summer.

Let me know what you think… brentt@studentsports.com

Brentt Eads – Editor

 

 

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PLAYER PROFILE: BRITTANY VIOLETTE

Grad Year: 2015
Pos: P/1B
High School: Montclair
GPA/SAT: 3.7/1560
Club: So Cal Athletics – McNee/Myers
Stats: club (2013): 1.81 ERA; high school (2014): 1.16 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.
Honors: high school: 2012 & 2013 Mt Baldy 1^st Team, 2013 Charter Oak All Tourney team, 2013 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin All-Area Softball team, 2014 San Dimas All Tourney team; club: PGF 14U champions 2011, TCS Fireworks Champion 2012
College: College of Charleston

 

***

StudentSportsSoftball.com: You’re playing for one of the most high-profile, successful programs in club ball… explain what it’s like to be an “A” and have not one, but two very estimated coaches at the helm…
Brittany Violette: It is simply amazing!  My team is an immensely talented set of girls with great personalities and amazing dedication to the game.  To add on, my coaches are experienced with top-of-the-line training that helps each and every individual girls improve upon themselves everyday.  The most exciting part of being an Athletic is playing alongside my teammates and coaches who share the desire to compete and win as much as I do.

 

SSS.com:  So you committed last weekend, take us through that phone call and what was going through your mind…
BV: From the moment I hit the softball field of College of Charleston, I knew I wanted to become a Cougar.  One of my coaches advised me not to accept the offer until a few days after my visit so during the call I got to tell coach Linda that I was accepting their offer, and she was actually at a team dinner with the team and coaches!  She announced it to the team and they all screamed!  It was amazing! I was so glad that I get to be a part of such a special program.

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the College of Charleston coaches and the timeline leading up to the offer…
BV: College of Charleston first saw me in Florida at the Sun Classic Fall showcase.  I kept in touch with them from December into February when I planned to take a visit in mid-February.  But my flight got cancelled due to weather.  Thankfully, I got to reschedule it during my spring break!

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what factors went into the decision? 
BV: My real decision was when I actually got to view the fields.  I knew at that point that I wanted to spend my college years competing with College of Charleston.  I would say the most important factors were the facilities (which were amazing), the diversity in academics, and location.

SSS.com: For those who’ve never been to Charleston (S.C.), tell us what the experience was like…
BV: It was beautiful. Unfortunately, I visited during a bit of rain, but the weather in Charleston is usually a cool 70 degrees.  The city is so culturally rich and historical.  Plus, it’s 10 minutes away from the beach!

 

SSS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you more nervous or more excited? 
BV: I was more excited!  Everything about the school was so positive that I didn’t have a reason to be nervous about committing to such an amazing college.

 

SSS.com: You’ll be on the totally opposite side of the country… any concerns about being so far from home? 
BV: Well, it’s a love-hate sort of thing. My parents have been such great influences and help in my recruiting process, but I do believe that getting away is the best thing for me.  It’s important for me to become an independent adult, who doesn’t have to rely on their parents for emotional or physical help.

 

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
BV: My competitive spirit.  I hate losing more than I love winning, and that’s what drives me to compete while in the circle, box, or field.

 

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career? 
BV: It would have to be when my 16U Teamsmith team lost against the Firecrackers in the first round at Nationals.  I remember I was tearing up, because I felt that I could have done so much more to help my team win and then my teammates came up to me and said, “We wouldn’t of make it this far without you.  Thank you for pushing us to get up to this point. This team couldn’t have wished for a better pitcher!  Don’t be so hard on yourself, because we all know that you gave it 110 percent on that mound!” It just meant so much to me that my team appreciated me so much.

 

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in? 
Psychology or Sports Medicine.

Do you have any softball rituals or superstitions?
I wear colored shoelaces for league games.

If you could have dinner with any person in the world today, who would it be and why?
My friend Darla, because she has pushed me so much and is a true friend.

Favorite movie of all time:
I Am Legend.

Least favorite chore:
Laundry.

What’s the last website you were on?
Google.com

Where would you like to visit in the world and why? 
London – for the clothes and music.

What type of bat do you use (and why do you like it)?
Easton Mako – so much pop!

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I know how to spell pheumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

If you weren’t spending so much time in softball, what would you be doing?
Writing music.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be? 
A guitar.

In one word, describe yourself as a softball player:
Competitive.

Do you see yourself as a role model to younger players?
Yes, I want to teach kids to have the desire to win.

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** The Power Surge organization out of San Diego has two verbals to report:

— P/IF Stephanie Soriano (2016) to UCLA
— OF Kelsey Buchanan (2014) to Pomona-Pitzer

 

*** Emily Morrow, a 2015 shortstop with the Firecrackers-Snyder Gold team, has committed to Boston University.

 

*** Also out of Southern California comes word that the Cal A’s have another commit:  2014 outfielder Julia Apodaca is headed to George Fox University.

 

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NPF:  RECAPPING LAST NIGHT’S DRAFT

*** Stuart Williams, owner of the Pennsylvania Rebellion, the newest franchise in the National Pro Fastpitch League (NPF) loved spending a weekend seeing the sights in the Music City. He is bringing home some souvenirs not available in any gift store.

Williams had six picks, more than any other team, in the 2014 NPF Draft Monday night at the Ford Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The event was presented by Bownet.

He chose Arizona State right-handed pitcher Dallas Escobedo as the first player picked. Williams was just as impressed with the intangibles that Escobedo brings as he is her statistics on the mound.

“Everything was very exciting for us,” Williams said. “Nashville is a wonderful city. We came down here Saturday and spent a lot of time seeing everything here as quickly as we could.

“It all culminated with our naming Dallas Escobedo as our first pick and everything else that was part of this wonderful event. We are thrilled.”

Williams stressed that when you look at players what they do on the field is important but their lives off the field also have an effect on their performance.

“We did our homework with all of this,” Williams. Pennsylvania is a hotbed of softball. It is the third largest area in the country with young women playing the game. So we knew about Dallas.

“In high school she was hit by a pitch in the first inning of a game and went on to strikeout 16 or 17. She comes from a good strong family. She has had the right kind of support. We feel like we drafted a family.”

Escobedo was one of three pitchers selected by the Rebellion.

“We have found out in this league that you need five pitchers, maybe six,” Williams said. “We were looking for at least three pitchers in the draft. We picked the three that we wanted badly.”

An enthusiastic sellout crowd of 300 was on hand to watch the draft in person.

There were four rounds with a total of 20 players selected. All of the players selected are involved in their seasons and were not able to attend.

Three of the first four selections were pitchers. Pitching was the theme for the evening with eight selected.  Six infielders, four outfielders and two catchers rounded out the picks.

Madison Shipman, a shortstop with the University of Tennessee, was the first position player selected at No. 2 by the USSSA Pride.

Don DeDonatis, chairman of the board and CEO of the Pride, had no doubts about his selection.

“That was our pick from the start,” DeDonatis said. “We have watched her. She is talented.

“She is the best athlete. We believe she is a five-tool player. She can play the game. She is hardnosed. She is going to fit in with the rest of our team.”

The Akron Racers made Hannah Campbell, a left-handed pitcher from South Alabama, as the No. 3 pick in the first round.

The Chicago Bandits, the defending NPF champion, made the fourth and final selection of the first round choosing Arizona pitcher Estela Pinon, a right-hander.

In the second round the Bandits were at the podium first and chose another pitcher, Sara Moulton, a right-hander from Minnesota.

The Pride added another infielder in the second round with the selection of Courtney Ceo from Oregon.

The Racers chose Notre Dame’s Laura Winter, a right-handed pitcher, with the seventh pick.

Nebraska catcher Taylor Edwards was the eighth pick for the Rebellion.

The Rebellion added its second pitcher of the draft to open the third round, choosing Bryana Walker from Washington.

With the 10th pick Akron selected Jennifer Gilbert from Ball State, the first outfielder selected.

The Pride also chose an outfielder at No. 11 with the selection of Alexa Peterson from Oregon.

Emily Allard, an outfielder-utility player at Northwestern, was chosen by the Bandits with the last pick of the third round.

Infielder Cheyenne Coyle from Arizona State was picked by the Bandits to open the fourth round at No. 13.

Akron had both the 14th and 15th selections. At 14th the Racers chose Washington pitcher Kaitlin Inglesby. At No. 15 they added Tulsa infielder Jill Barrett.

The Rebellion closed out the fourth round with a pitcher, Anna Miller from USC Upstate.

In the fifth and final round the Rebellion made the 17^th and 19^th selections choosing catcher-first baseman Nicole Morgan and Washington outfielder Victoria Hayward respectively.

Akron’s final pick at No. 18 was infielder Ashley Thomas from Georgia Tech.

With the final pick of the draft Chicago chose outfielder R.T. Cantillo from the University of Mississippi.

“This is the second year we have been in Nashville with the draft and the first time it sold out,” NPF Commissioner Cheri Kempf said. “It was on us to get the word out and make sure everyone was aware of it. We have been sold out for a couple of weeks. We had a lot of people on the waiting list.

“People love softball. This is still a growing sports the grassroots level. College softball and ESPN have had an impact. You can just feel the enthusiasm. We want young girls who play softball to be able to dream of being professionals just like young boys do. That is our mantra.”

 

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COLLEGE NEWS: PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

*** A 3-0 week in the circle in a series sweep of then-No. 4 Florida earned Tennessee Senior pitcher Ellen Renfroe (Jackson, Tenn.) USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honors for Week Eight the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today.

The stand-out pitcher threw 16 complete innings and struck out 20 Florida batters while allowing just four runs on nine hits. With the wins, Tennessee improved to 31-3 on the season, 8-1 in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play and held onto their No. 2 spot in this week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll.

“It is an honor to be recognized among so many great athletes as the USA Softball Player of the Week”, said Renfroe. “I give all the credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gives me the strength, talent and confidence to play each day. I also must give credit to my team and coaches who support me and give their best for Tennessee every day!”

Renfroe’s unbeaten week included a pair of complete games and two shutout innings of relief that also earned her a win. The Tennessee native posted a 0.88 ERA against the then-No. 4 team in the nation.

Renfroe fanned seven and allowed just two earned runs in Tennessee’s 9-2 win over the Gators in the series opener on March 28. Game two on March 30 was suspended so that a televised game three could start on time, during which Renfroe struck out 11 batters and allowed no earned runs in a seven-inning win. When game two resumed later Sunday afternoon the senior threw two scoreless relief frames with two strikeouts and the Lady Vols came back to get a 7-6 win. Renfroe’s 11 strikeouts versus Florida in game three marked her fifth game with 10 or more strikeouts this season.  With the wins, Renfroe helped her team sweep the Gators for the first time since 2004.

“Karen (Weekly) and I are extremely proud of Ellen and happy for this award,” said Tennessee Co-Head Coach Ralph Weekly. “Ellen is one of the hardest-working and most-dedicated players we have ever coached. Ellen is a gamer and brings her best to every competition.”

Renfroe is 5-0 against ranked opponents this year with a stellar 0.70 ERA, 36 strikeouts over 30 innings, only three earned runs allowed and a .151 batting average for opposing hitters. On the season, Renfroe leads the conference in wins (21-0) and ERA (1.29) and she is tied for the lead with 162 strikeouts.

This is the second USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honors for Renfroe. She last took earned the award in Week 14 of the 2011 season. Ellen is the fourth Tennessee player to earn USA Softball Collegiate Player of The Week multiple times in her career, joining Monica Abbott (4), Tonya  Callahan (2) and Raven Chavanne (2) who was the last Lady Vol to receive the honor coming in Week 7 of last season.

 

2014 USA Softball National Collegiate Players of the Week

Week 1 (Feb. 6-9): Kylee Lahners – Washington – Junior – Infielder– Laguna Hills, Calif.
Week 2 (Feb. 10 -16): Aimee Creger – Tulsa – Senior – Pitcher– Yukon, Okla.
Week 3 (Feb. 17-23): Ally Carda – UCLA – Junior – Pitcher – Elk Grove, Calif.
Week 4 (Feb. 24 – March 2): Cheridan Hawkins – Oregon – Sophomore – Anderson, Calif.
Week 5 (March 3-9): Dallas Escobedo – Arizona State – Senior – Pitcher– Glendale, Ariz.
Week 6 (March 10-16): Alex Hugo – Georgia – Sophomore – Infielder – Olathe, Kan.
Week 7 (March 17-23): Jaclyn Traina – Alabama – Senior – Pitcher – Naples, Fla.
Week 8 (March 24 – 30: Ellen Renfroe – Tennessee – Senior – Pitcher – Jackson, Tenn.

 

*** Sophomore pitcher Cheridan Hawkins of Oregon has been selected as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for games played over March 24-30.

Hawkins, the current Pacific-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week, guided the Ducks to a series sweep of then-No. 5 Washington by registering a 3-0 mark from the circle to go along with a 0.95 ERA, two complete-game shutouts and 11 strikeouts over 14.2 innings of work. She christened her efforts by throwing 173 total pitches and working all 12 innings of a doubleheader sweep of the Huskies on Sat., March 29.

Following five shutout frames, allowing only two hits with six strikeouts during Saturday’s 8-0 (5 inn.) opening triumph, the Anderson, Calif., native immediately returned to the circle in the second game of the DH to scatter six hits over seven innings while K’ing five as Oregon prevailed 4-0. Forced back into action on Sunday in 2.2 frames of relief, the left hander was touched for her first two earned runs of the weekend, but still managed to earn the “W” as the Ducks blasted a walk-off HR during the bottom of the seventh to sweep the high-profile series.

“It’s a very deserving award for Cheridan as she picked up three wins and two shutouts for us against a top-10 team,” Oregon head coach Mike White said. “Cheridan did a great job of mixing pitches and locations, and Alexa Peterson was outstanding behind the plate as well.”

Next up for No. 3 Oregon is a doubleheader against UCSB (April 1) before the arrival of top-ranked UCLA to Eugene, Ore., for a highly anticipated, three-game Pac-12 series over April 4-6.

Selected Top Performances


Tennessee’s Ellen Renfroe, the SEC Pitcher of the Week, won three games during a sweep of No. 4 Florida with a 0.88 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 16 innings of work…Baylor’s Clare Hosack blasted five HR’s and knocked in 10 RBIs to go along with a .417 average over match-ups against Sam Houston State and Texas Tech…Tulsa’s Aimee Creger, the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week, earned three shutout wins, tossed a no-hitter and struck out 42 batters over 18 innings, including a three-game sweep of UTEP…Oklahoma’s Kady Self started the weekend a perfect 7-for-7 at the plate before settling for hitting at a .778 clip (7-for-9) with a double, three HR’s and seven RBIs during the Sooners’ three-game sweep of Iowa State…USC Upstate’s Lexi Shubert, the Atlantic Sun Conference Pitcher of the Week, was 2-0 with a pair of complete game victories and 10 K’s during the Spartans’ important league sweep of Lipscomb…Auburn’s Jade Rhodes hit just .267 for the week but made all of that production count with a pair of grand slams and 10 RBIs as the Tigers won their high-profile SEC series over No. 10 Kentucky…BYU’s McKenna Bull pitched the Cougars to wins over No. 3 Oregon and Idaho State during the past week, tossing 17.1 innings with 20 strikeouts on the way to earning West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week accolades…Alabama’s Jaclyn Traina was 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and seven K’s over 13 innings as the Crimson Tide swept a three-game set from SEC rival LSU…Cal Poly’s Sierra Hyland picked up a pair of wins, including twirling a perfect game with 11 strikeouts during a 1-0 victory over Cal State Northridge…College of Charleston’s Hope Klicker, the Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week, was 3-0 with two complete games against James Madison, a 1.19 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 17.2 innings of work…George Mason’s Brooke Blankenship earned Atlantic-10 Conference Co-Player of the Week by hitting .444 (4-for-9) with three HR’s and 10 RBIs…Western Illinois’ Sammy Marshall, the NCAA batting average leader and Summit League Player of the Week, hit at a .526 (10-for-19) clip with three extra-base hits, including her first career grand slam, three stolen bases and seven RBIs…Tennessee’s Annie Aldrete was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after hitting .571 (4-for-7) with five walks and a pair of three-run HR’s as the Lady Vols swept No. 4 Florida for the first time since 2004…Pittsburgh’s Maggie Sevilla was chosen as the ACC Player of the Week after batting .571 (8-for-14) with three HR’s and nine RBIs…Georgia State’s Kaitlyn Medlam reaped three victories from the circle, posted a 1.22 ERA and struck out 14 over 23 innings of effort…Longwood’s Megan Baltzell batted .583 (7-for-12) with three HR’s and 10 RBIs on the way to earning Big South Conference Player of the Week…Missouri’s Corrin Genovese batted .455 with a double and two HR’s in action against Illinois and No. 13 Georgia…Nebraska’s Hailey Decker was chosen as the Big Ten Player of the Week after batting .600 with a pair of HR’s as the Huskers topped Omaha and won a series against nationally ranked Northwestern.

 

2014 Louisville Slugger Division I National Player of the Week

Feb. 11 – Griffin Joiner – Kentucky – Jr. – C – Hopkinsville, Ky.
Feb. 18 – Bryana Walker – Washington – Sr. – P – La Quinta, Calif.
Feb. 25 – Anna Miller (Co-) – USC Upstate – Sr. – P – Portland, Ore.
Ally Carda (Co-) – UCLA – Jr. – P/UTIL – Elk Grove, Calif.
March 4 – Lacey Waldrop – Florida State – Jr. – P – Chester, Va.
March 11 – Dallas Escobedo – Arizona State – Sr. – P – Glendale, Ariz.
March 18 – Sydney O’Hara – Syracuse – Fr. – P/OF/1B – Cicero, N.Y.
March 25 – Jaclyn Traina (Co-) – Alabama – Sr. – P/UTIL – Naples, Fla.
Sammy Marshall (Co-) – Western Illinois – Jr. – SS/OF – Naperville, Ill.
April 1 – Cheridan Hawkins – Oregon – So. – P – Anderson, Calif.

 

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Players, parents and coaches:  want to know the best way to get us info on your favorite player?  Fill out our Recruit Form link and complete.  It comes directly to me (Brentt) and you very likely could see the info used somewhere on our site!

 

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If you’d like to submit information, forward to brentt@studentsports.com.  Also, follow us on twitter at @SS_Softball.