So how does a Washington standout end up being recruited–and offered–by Alabama?  You’ll read how she made it happen in today’s Daily Update along with meeting a California recruit going to a college away from the continental U.S. and getting the latest top college teams…

*****

PLAYER PROFILE: MADDIE MORGAN

Grad Year: 2017
Pos: SS/2B
High School: Lynnwood (Wash.)
GPA: 3.8
Club: Washington Ladyhawks-Miller
College: Alabama

***

StudentSportsSoftball.com: You played in both PGF and ASA National Championships last year… describe those experiences, how they ended up and what are some of your best memories…
Maddie Morgan: I love being able to play against the best competition in the country, and I was able to play against some of the top teams in the nation at these tournaments. We didn’t win the tournaments but we competed at a high level and got some W’s. My favorite memory was beating the defending PGF champions in a close game.

SSS.com: It seems unusual that Alabama would find someone up in the Northwest… tell us how the Tide coaches found out about you and how the recruiting process went.
MM: I started writing letters to Coach Murphy about a year and a half ago to let them know that I was interested in their program. I believe that the first time they saw me in action was at the On-Deck camp, and the Independence Day tournament in Colorado last year.  This fall while playing for the Washington Lady Hawks 18 Gold-Miller, I started to build my relationship with Coach Murphy and Coach Habetz. They continued to show interest in me by coming out and watching me play. In February I went to the University of Alabama for my unofficial visit.

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?  When did you actually tell the coaches?
MM: After my unofficial visit, I just had that feeling that this is where I needed to be. After discussing it with my family, we felt like it was the right fit for me. I decided to commit to the University of Alabama on to morning of March 20^th

SSS.com: How did you tell them you’d be playing for Alabama– in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
MM: On the phone. We talked for a little while and that’s when I told him that I would be honored to be a part of the Crimson Tide.

SSS.com: Have you been to the campus and if so, what were you thoughts about the school and the program?
MM: I went on an unofficial visit in February. I fell in love with the family atmosphere, they made me feel welcome and a part of the traditions and culture at Alabama. The campus was beautiful, and the athletic facilities were amazing.   It will be a great place for me to receive my education as well as continue playing the game I love at the highest level.

SSS.com: Any concerns about the distance and how you’ll be away from home?
MM: It is a long way from home, but I’m looking forward to joining my new family at the University of Alabama with the full support of my parents.

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
MM: I feel my strengths are my field presence, my work ethic, and my consistency at the plate.

SSS.com: What are some of the challenges you’ve overcome in your life that you’re most proud of?
MM: I’ve always been the youngest on my teams and I’ve had to earn respect of my teammates through my hard work and dedication.

Quick Hitters

How would you describe your personality and temperament on the athletic field?
I play with confidence and I have fun.

Along with softball, have you played other sports (if so, describe)…
I used to play soccer, and I still play basketball for my high school

Do you like to dance? Would you say your athleticism transfers to the dance floor or are you a total klutz?
I love to dance. But not all of my athletic ability makes it to the dance floor!

Fill in the blank… I’m happiest when: _______________________
… I’m playing the game I love.

What is the biggest problem you feel your generation is facing today?
We are uncomfortable talking face to face with others, because of texting and the internet.

Favorite food:
Pizza.

Least favorite food:
Mushrooms.

If you were handed a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Hawaii to visit my grandparents.

Up at the plate… 3-and-2 count.  What is going through your mind?
Protect the plate, and win the battle.

What type of bat do you use (and do you like it)?
XENO, it has great pop.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
When I was younger I was obsessed with Spiderman.

What’s one thing you wouldn’t be caught dead doing?
Not supporting my teammates.

Any softball superstitions or rituals you go through?
I always listen to music before my games.

Do you have a favorite phrase or motto you apply in your life?
Do what you do and be you.

 

*****

 

RECRUITING SPOTLIGHT OF THE DAY: ALISEN ENDSLEY

High School: Orange Lutheran High School
City: Orange
State: Calif.
Grad year: 2016
What club team do you play for? OC Batbusters
Height: 5-10
Position: outfield

Have you committed to college? Chaminade University (Hawaii)
Why Chaminade? “I have family that lives in Hawaii and I have always enjoyed the time I spent there. I am more than excited to live on the islands and get my college education.”

Current stats:  batting .350 so far this season

What is your favorite bat? “I love love love my Purple Easton Stealth. I have a backup waiting for me when ready for a new bat.”
What bat does your team use? “My team uses a Mizuno bat.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? Mizuno
What is the uniform brand you prefer? Gluv

 

*****

 

RECRUITING NEWS:

*** In our Daily Update for March 21, we profiled Izzy Berouty, who plays for the So Cal A’s-McNee/Myers team and will be going to College of Charleston.

She won’t be going alone as her A’s teammate Brittany Violette, a 2015 pitcher/first baseman, will be joining her.

We confirmed with her mother, Sylvia, today that Brittany called the CoC coaches on Sunday and told them she’d be committing.

The junior had tripped to the South Carolina school earlier this month, but when asked if she had some photos the proud mom said no.

“I didn’t get any photos while down in South Carolina!” she said yesterday. “We didn’t get the best weather down there as it rained the 16^th and 17th and their game got canceled on the 18^th so I didn’t take out my camera/video recorder out.”

Guess they’ll just have to settle for a visit to the beautiful area Brittany will call home in a year or so!

 

*** The Cincy Doom program continues to roll in getting players headed to the next list… here’s some additional player names and where they’re headed:

2014’s

OF Kat Burbrink (Cincy Doom Elite,  Trevecca Nazarene University)
P Anna Boue’ (Cincy Doom Elite, Mt Vernon Nazarene University)
C/OF Bree Appel (Cincy Doom Elite, Lake Erie College)
MI Crystal Rains (Cincy Doom Elite, University of Indianapolis)
MI Teddi Collins (Cincy Doom Elite, Lincoln Memorial University)
MI Dallis Knotts (Cincy Doom Elite, Thomas More University)
1B/ P Megan Gardner (Cincy Doom Elite, Otterbein University)
OF/SS Macey Gunther (Cincy Doom Elite, Wright State University)

 

2015’s
C/3B Julia Miller (Cincy Doom Elite, University of Toledo)
OF/1B Kayla Seigla (Cincy Doom Elite, University of Toledo)

 

            *****

 

EVENT NEWS: WORLD CUP TICKETS NOW ON SALE

General admission tickets, as well as regular stadium seating tickets, are now available for the 2014 World Cup of Softball IX, which will be held July 7-13 in Irvine, Calif.

Slated to be played at Bill Barber Park (Deanna Manning Stadium) in conjunction with the Champions Cup, a Southern California ASA showcase, the World Cup—an International Softball Federation (ISF) sanctioned event—will include some of the top teams in the world including Team USA, Japan, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Chinese Taipei and Venezuela.

Click  here to place your order.  http://www.socal-asa.org/wp2/shop/

“We’re excited to bring this great event to the West Coast,” said ASA/USA Executive Director Craig Cress.  “The enthusiasm and support that we’ve received from the Southern California ASA shows the dedication they have to continuing the legacy of the World Cup.  We can’t wait for athletes, coaches and fans to experience the world of international softball as the teams prepare for the ISF Women’s World Championships in Haarlem, Netherlands in August.”

The complete World Cup of Softball game schedule, including special promotions and autograph sessions will be announced at a later date. Visit www.socalasa.org for more information or email WorldCupIX@aol.com with any questions.

Twenty-four athletes received an invitation to try out for the Women’s National Team, which will compete in a series of exhibitions in Virginia, Ohio and West Virginia before taking on their first international opponents at the World Cup.  Following the World Cup, Team USA will travel internationally to compete in the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship July 14-21 in Surrey, B.C., Canada, Italian Softball Week August 6-10 in Azzano, Italy and the ISF Women’s World Championship in Haarlem, Netherlands August 12-24 where they’ll look to improve on a silver medal finish from the previous World Championship.

Click here to see the 24 athletes who have received an invitation to try out for the Women’s National Team.

 

*****

 

COLLEGE NEWS: TOP 25 RANKINGS

*** A strong showing in Pac-12 play keeps the UCLA Bruins (27-2, 4-1 Pac-12) as the No. 1 team in the country the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today. The Bruins received 16 first-place votes in this week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, while Tennessee (28-3, 5-1 SEC) garnered three and Oregon (25-3, 2-0 Pac-12) collected one vote for the first time this season.

Click here to see the complete ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll

UCLA started the week with a 2-0, Pac-12 Conference win over No. 9 Arizona before heading to Seattle, Wash. to take on the then-No. 6 Washington Huskies.  UCLA took game one of the series with a 4-2 win, but suffered their second loss in conference play with a 10-2 (five inning) loss at the hands of the Huskies.

A series sweep against Southeastern Conference (SEC) foes South Carolina was enough to propel No. 2 Tennessee up one spot in this week’s poll.  The Lady Vols took on Middle Tennessee State for a standalone, 9-8 win before facing off against the Gamecocks at home.  Tennessee took game one of the series with an 11-2 (five inning) run-rule victory before 5-4 and 6-5 decisions secured the sweep.

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks earned their highest spot on the poll this week following a 2-0 performance against Utah.  The Ducks battled to collect an 8-7 win over the Utes in game one and followed with a 12-7 showing to ensure the series win.  Florida (30-4, 5-4 SEC) fell two spots this week after a 1-2 performance against then-No. 7 Alabama.  An 8-2 win over Central Connecticut State opened the week for the Gators before they took on the Crimson Tide where they fell 4-2 in the series opener.

Florida bounced back with a 7-1 win before falling 7-0 to the Crimson Tide, who secured its first series win over Florida in Gainesville since 2005 .   Following the series win and a standalone victory over Georgia State, Alabama (27-5, 8-1 SEC) rose two spots in this week poll to No. 5.

Rounding out the Top 10: Michigan (22-6, 3-0 Big 10) fell one spot to No. 6 despite a perfect 3-0 performance in their Big 10 Conference opener against Indiana; Washington (21-6, 2-2 Pac-12) fell to the No. 7 spot after a 1-1 showing against UCLA; No. 8 Arizona State (29-5, 3-2 Pac-12) maintains their spot this week after picking up two wins over No. 23 Stanford; No. 9 Arizona (27-6, 2-3 Pac-12) fell 2-0 to UCLA, picked up two wins over UNLV and collected two Pac-12 Conference wins over Oregon State; No. 10 Kentucky (27-5, 4-2 SEC) put up a 6-1 week as host of the Kentucky Tournament with their sole loss coming at the hands of Kansas.

ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25

2014 Season – Week 7 – March 25, 2014

Rank	Team	Record	Points	Previous Ranking
1.	UCLA (16)	27-2	490	1
2.	Tennessee (3)	28-3	473	3
3.	Oregon (1)	25-3	441	4
4.	Florida	30-4	431	2
5.	Alabama	27-5	422	7
6.	Michigan	22-6	403	5
7.	Washington	21-6	383	6
8.	Arizona State	29-5	351	8
9.	Arizona	27-6	344	9
10.	Kentucky	27-5	324	10
11.	Florida State	30-4	321	11
12.	Baylor	23-5	261	12
13.	South Alabama	25-3	259	13
14.	Georgia	28-3	252	14
15.	Minnesota	24-4	198	19
16.	Oklahoma	21-8	184	16
17.	Tulsa	28-3	171	17
18.	Nebraska	20-10	160	15
19.	Missouri	22-7	138	20
20.	Texas A&M	23-9	130	18
21.	Auburn	28-5-1	104	21
22.	Louisiana-Lafayette	22-6-1	100	22
23.	Stanford	23-10	32	23
24.	Notre Dame	19-7	30	24
25.	South Florida	29-8	29	25

Parenthesis denotes first place votes.

Dropped Out: None

Others receiving votes: Northwestern (19), James Madison (16), USC Upstate (14), LSU (8), North Carolina State (8), San Diego State (2), California (1), DePaul (1), Lipscomb (1)

 

*** A familiar name has returned to a familiar place as UCLA (27-2) advanced to No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I softball poll for the first time since topping the rankings back on February 15, 2011.

With previously top-rated Florida having suffered a series loss at then-No. 9 Alabama, the Bruins ascended into the lofty position by earning 23 of 32 possible first-place votes from the NFCA Division I Top 25 Committee. UCLA opened the week by completing an impressive series sweep of then-No. 7 Arizona (2-0) before venturing to Seattle, Wash., to split a pair of match-ups at then-No. 5 Washington (W 4-2, L 2-10 in 5 inn.).

Oregon (25-3) picked up five first-place nods to climb a single spot to No. 2 after taking the first two games in a three-contest set at Utah (W 8-7, W 12-7). A close scrape past Middle Tennessee (W 9-8) and a hard-fought series sweep of South Carolina (W 11-2 in 5 inn., W 5-4, W 6-5) helped Tennessee (28-3) improve one spot to third.

Following five consecutive weeks at No. 1, fourth-ranked Florida (30-4) was ambushed by series rival Alabama during the teams’ high-profile series in Gainesville, Fla. The Crimson Tide nabbed the opener, 4-2, before the Gators responded to even things in a 7-1 triumph. During Sunday’s rubber-match, UA senior pitcher Jaclyn Traina fired a two-hit shutout as ‘Bama took the series via a 7-0 victory. Washington (21-6) held steady at No. 5 following its two-game split versus the Bruins.

A series sweep of Indiana allowed Michigan (22-6) to remain sixth, while the impressive results at UF helped Alabama (27-5) rise from ninth into the No. 7 spot.

A 4-1 effort wasn’t enough to keep Arizona (27-6) from dropping one position to eighth, while sweeps of North Florida and Boston College moved Florida State (30-4) up a position to No. 9. A 7-5 loss to unranked Kansas, as part of an otherwise successful 6-1 weekly performance, proved the key blow in Kentucky’s (27-5) dropping from eighth to 10th.

There were no exiting teams for the second straight poll as James Madison (22-9), USF (29-8), DePaul (18-6), USC Upstate (29-4), Lipscomb (26-5), California (18-11), LSU (19-12), N.C. State (19-10) and Long Beach State (23-9) comprised the list of “others receiving votes.”

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Current 2014 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.

USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Poll – Week 7 – March 25, 2014

Rank	Team	2014 Record	Totals	Last Poll Rank
1	UCLA (23)	27-2	783	2
2	Oregon (5)	25-3	750	3
3	Tennessee (2)	28-3	726	4
4	Florida (2)	30-4	718	1
5	Washington	21-6	649	5
6	Michigan	22-6	626	6
7	Alabama	27-5	613	9
8	Arizona	27-6	584	7
9	Florida State	30-4	534	10
10	Kentucky	27-5	526	8
11	Arizona State	29-5	492	11
12	South Alabama	25-3	438	13
13	Georgia	28-3	399	14
14	Baylor	23-5	381	12
15	Minnesota	24-4	358	16
16	Missouri	22-7	281	18
17	Texas A&M	23-9	275	15
18	Tulsa	28-3	263	19
19	Nebraska	20-10	225	17
20	Louisiana Lafayette	22-6-1	210	20
21	Auburn	28-5-1	166	21
22	Oklahoma	21-8	156	22
23	Northwestern	17-6	83	23
24	Stanford	23-10	48	24
25	Notre Dame	19-7	34	25

Dropped Out:  None

Others Receiving Votes:  James Madison (28), USF (26), DePaul (10), USC Upstate (7), Lipscomb (4), California (2), LSU (2), N.C. State (2), Long Beach State (1).

 

*****

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.