It’s the last day of March and the Opening Day of baseball so you know warmer spring weather is right around the corner (I’m talking to you, Midwest and East Coasters!).  Today we start off in Texas looking at a freshman speedster who’s nailed down her Big 12 commitment.  We also look at the 14 powerhouse club teams that will be in one June invitational as well as feature the dozens of great players that will compete this week in Florida’s Kissimmee Klassic.

*****

 

PLAYER PROFILE: JANAE JEFFERSON

Grad Year: 2017
Pos: OF/MIF
High School: Chester W. Nimitz (Houston, Texas)
GPA: 3.62
Club: Aces Express Futures
Stats: 2014: batting average of .429, on-base percentage of .641.
Honors: lettered in three sports in high school (volleyball, basketball and softball)                                            
College: Texas

***

StudentSportsSoftball.com: You’re very versatile on the field in that you can play several positions and can be disruptive on offense in many ways.  What would you say are your top 2-3 weapons as a softball player? 
Janae Jefferson: I think I am, first and foremost, a student of the game, I have good speed and I have good instinct both at the plate and in the field.

 

SSS.com:  Are you originally from Texas and did you grow up playing other sports? 
JJ: I am originally from Texas and although I do play other sports—volleyball and basketball—softball has always been my first love.

 

SSS.com: You had some impressive Big 12 and SEC schools after you… what was it about Texas that made you commit to the Longhorns? 
JJ: I love the environment and everything that the University of Texas stands for.  I have a ton of mentors in the sport of softball that were players in Coach (Connie) Clark’s program and they had only good things to say.

 

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the coaches, then how long until they offered? 
JJ: I have been attending the softball camps at the University of Texas for the last three years.  As far as I know, they have been watching my development in the sport for the last year.

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision? 
JJ: It was always one of my top two schools.  When I was told that UT was interested, I discussed it with my family and thought about the offer for about six weeks before I made the decision.

 

SSS.com:  Was there a moment when the light went on and you said, “It’s UT?” 
JJ: Absolutely!  The light is still on!

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches: in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit? 
JJ: I went to see them play against the University of Iowa.  The place was packed and the atmosphere was incredible.  After the game, I met with the coaches and committed that day.

 

SSS.com: Have the Longhorn coaches talked to you about where on the field they see you playing? 
JJ: Yes, sir.  They told me that they see me, “Roaming the outfield.”

SSS.com: How far away from home will you be?  Was distance a factor in your decision at all? 
JJ: Approximately two hours away.  Distance was a factor because I really did not want to be far away from home.  I want my family to attend my games.  Their support means everything to me.

SSS.com:  Is it a weird feeling, just being half a year into high school yet knowing where you’ll go to college? 
JJ: It is!  The last thing that I was thinking about was college until my unofficial visit to the University of Texas.  Now, college is all that I think about.

 

SSS.com: What is it about softball you love so much to be this dedicated to the sport and put so much time and energy into it? 
JJ: The competition and teamwork.  I am very competitive.  I hate to lose at anything that I do.  I also love being around my teammates.  So when I compete with my teammates and we win, that is an awesome day for me.

 

 

Quick Hitters

 

 

Any idea what you want to do for a career yet? 
Architectural Engineering or Interior Design.

Fill in the blank… the best moment for me in softball was when: _________________
… my 8U team, the Humble Cobras, won the USFA Nationals in Panama City, Fla. in 2008.  Another proud moment was this past weekend when I hit my first out-of-the-park home run.

What is the best part—and the worst—of being in high school so far? 
Best part is hanging out with my friends and playing sports.  During my freshman year I made the varsity Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball teams and voted MVP in Volleyball and best offensive player at my high school and it has been fun.   The worst part is waking up an hour earlier for school than last year.  After one semester, I am finally getting use to the time change.

Favorite color:
Green.

Least favorite school subject: 
English.

Favorite place to have fun:
Main Event (arcade, laser tag and bowling).

What’s your dream vacation?
Disney World.

What type of bat do you use (and do you like it)?
Louisville Slugger (XENO)

What’s playing in your earbuds/earphones right now?
Bruno Mars.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I love to draw.

Being from Texas, what would you say makes it so cool to be from there (what about Texas makes you most proud)? 
We have everything in Texas.  We have Hill Country, the Gulf Coast, and tons of history.  Texas is awesome!

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be? 
My cell phone!

What is one area you’d like to improve on the field? And off the field? 
I would like to be a more vocal leader.  I am working on that.

Who’s a hero in your eyes?
My family. My Mom and Dad, who have sacrificed so much to get me where I am today and my brother, Jalen, who is a proud member of the U.S. Armed Forces.

 

*****

EVENT NEWS: SO CAL ATHLETICS INVITATIONAL FINALIZES TEAMS

This summer, four-time defending PGF champion So Cal Athletics, led by Bruce Richardson, will host a 14-team invitational that will be a Who’s Who of the top club teams in the country.

The So Cal Athletics Invitational will run from June 20-22 and feature the following club teams:

• 

  So Cal Athletics

• OC Batbusters-Haning
• Firecrackers-Rico
• Corona Angels
• So Cal Choppers
• Explosion
• Beverly Bandits (Ill.)
• NJ Intensity
• Wichita Mustangs (Kan.)
• Texas Impact
• Texas Glory
• Texas Sudden Impact
• East Cobb Bullets-Schnute (Ga.)
• Gold Coast Hurricanes (Fla.)

“This will be a great tune-up to Nationals,” says Richardson.  “You can almost guarantee that one of these teams will end up winning PGF.”

 

 

*****

 

HIGH SCHOOL:  KISSIMMEE KLASSIC LOADED WITH TALENT

Yesterday, we profiled the talent-laden Kissimmee Klassic which starts this Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla.

Here’s a list, team by team, of the signed players who will be taking the field later this week:

	School	Town	Coach	Signed Seniors	College
1	BARRON COLLIER	NAPLES	Tom Resop	Caitlin Hogue	FAU
				Hannah Vet	W V Weslyan College
2	BRADFORD	STARKE	Daniel Davis	Ashton Adkins	Indian River State College
3	CANTERBURY	ST PETERSBURG	Jody Moore
4	CENTRAL	PHENIX CITY, AL	Matt Hendricks	Kristin Studds	Central AL CC
5	CHAMBERLAIN	TAMPA	Bobby Diez	Elizabeth Diaz	St. Leo University
				Izzy Ordorica	UCLA
6	COLUMBIA	LAKE CITY	Jimmy Williams	Kayli Kvistad	U of Florida
				Caleigh McCauley	Valdosta State
				Brandy Morgan	U of South Florida
7	COOPER CITY	COOPER CITY	Phil Schmaltz	Bethany Williams	U of Charleston
				Megan Isoba	Webber International
8	CORAL REEF	MIAMI	Dario Rodgriguez	Sarah Ortiz	Santa Fe College
9	COUNTRYSIDE	CLEARWATER	Kaylyn Bayly	Brittany Cremer	St Leo University
				Samantha Sharpe	Eckerd College
				Erin Jankiewicz	Southeastern
				Sommer Pollard	St Leo University
10	CYPRESS BAY	FT LAUDERDALE	Lonny Shapiro	Maddie Gott	Columbia University
				Lily Pruneda	Indian River State College
11	DOUGLAS	PARKLAND	Brian Staubly
12	FLORIDA CHRISTIAN	MIAMI	Scott Stemmer
13	GULLIVER PREP	CORAL GABLES	Mark Schusterman	Gabbee Draney	Florida Gulf Coast
14	HAGERTY	OVIEDO	David Stone	Alex Miller	FAU
				Kiley Dechau	Georgia Gwinnet College
15	HARMONY	HARMONY	Jeff Fiorelli
16	JENSEN BEACH	JENSEN BEACH	Lori Miller	Kasey Cox	Indian River State College
17	LAKE BRANTLEY	ALTAMONTE SPRINGS	James Bayly	Mikaela Aiken	Virginia Tech
				Jenni Netinho	Webber International
				Taylor Wright	Webber International
18	MELBOURNE	MELBOURNE	Brad Soughers	Mackenzie Soughers	Eastern Florida State College
19	NICEVILLE	NICEVILLE	Danny Hensley	Aja Brechtel	West Point Academy
				Alexis Brunson	U of North Florida
				Libby Davis	U of West Alabama
				Audrey Diekmann	U of West Alabama
				Jessie Mullen	U of Arkansas
				Christina Ramirez	Providence College
20	OSCEOLA	KISSIMMEE	George Coffey	Chantal Crockett	Daytona State College
21	P K YONGE	GAINESVILLE	Paul Silverman	Kalen McGill	U of South Alabama
				Sara Hendrix	Santa Fe College
				Kassidy Kennard	Polk State College
22	PINE CASTLE CHRISTIAN	ORLANDO	Mark Ritchhart
23	PINES CHARTER	PEMBROKE PINES	Tom Fadul
24	PLANT	TAMPA	Melissa Sigmon	Megan Przeslawski	Norfolk State University
				Kasey Wishart	State College of Florida
25	RIVERVIEW	SARASOTA	Matt Avery	Alissa Jackson	State College of Florida
				Carly Nicholas	Eastern Florida State College
26	RIVERVIEW	RIVERVIEW	Angela Slater	Kaitlyn McMillan	St Pete College
27	SOUTHWEST MIAMI	MIAMI	Ray Blanco
28	ST CLOUD	ST CLOUD	Ray Whobrey	Emily Blackmore	Ava Maria College
				KaDeisha McCowen	Seminole State
29	ST THOMAS AQUINAS	FT LAUDERDALE	Bryan Baucom	Gwen Svekis	Oregon
				Meghan King	Maryland
				Morgan Biddle	Lafayette [PA]
				Rachel Collins	Rollins
				Brenisha Bannister	Nova Southeastern
				Taylor Hishon	McDaniel College [Maryland]
30	TARAVELLA	CORAL SPRINGS	Doug Huffman
31	TATE	CANTONEMENT	Melinda Wyatt	Rachel Dunsford	U of Alabama Birmingham
				Bailey Burk	Troy State University
				Kaylen Rowell	U of West Florida
				Bridget Dall	Faulkner State
				Brooke Howell	Jefferson Davis
32	TRINITY PREP	WINTER PARK	Kathy Finnucan

 

*****

 

RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Hailey Baker, a 2017 pitcher with the Illinois Chill 16U team, has committed to Florida Gulf Coast.

*** Lauren Hadley, a 2015 shortstop/outfielder with East Cobb Bullets-Council, has verballed to Bucknell.

*** Brittany Knight, a 2016 pitcher with the Ohio Lasers Blue team, has committed to Pitt.

 

*** More verbals:
— P Maura Lynch (2014, Columbia)… plays for the New Jersey Cheetahs
— 1B/OF Megan Murray (2014, Cornell)… plays for the Battery Lightning Gold

 

*****

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!

 

*****

 

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