In today’s Daily Update we look at a top five team in our FAB 50 high school rankings who cut it as close as you can in two early games.  We also recruits picking their school of choice in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Texas among other places and look at the College Player of the Week as picked by USA Softball and the NFCA (and it’s the same athlete)…

 

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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL:  PACIFICA’S CLOSE CALLS

The No. 3 team in our FAB 50 preseason high school rankings is Pacifica High of Garden Grove, Calif., at team that has as much talent as most elite club teams.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll just show up and walk over teams; in the competitive Best of the West tournament, the Mariners pulled off a pair of one-run games to open the season on March 9…  here’s a recap of the top players and performances:

 

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Game 1: Pacifica 1, Granada Hills 0 (in 8 innings)

Kaley Winegarner (2015, Stanford) started the first game of the season pitching five scoreless innings, giving up one double, one walk and struck out four.  Kaylee Carlson (2014, North Carolina took over in relief in the sixth inning, giving up one hit and struck out six in three innings earning her first win of the season, combining with Winegarner on the shutout.

Runs were hard to come by this game as the Mariners were hitting the ball hard, yet could not find the holes.  Pitcher M. Ebow from Granada Hills held Pacifica to six hits, one walk and she struck out five in eight innings.

Nicole DeWitt (2014, Florida) batted .500 in the game with a pair of singles and two stolen bases and scored the winning run in the 8th inning when she was placed on second base in ITB.  Faith Canfield (2015, Michigan) also batted .500 with a double and RBI single, a shot to right field that was dropped on the run, ending the game.  Junior right fielder Dominique Espinoza was 2 for 3 in the game with a double.

Game 2: Pacifica 2, Bishop Amat 1

Kaylee Carlson posted her second win and first complete game allowing one unearned run on two hits, no walks and struck out seven.  Nicole DeWitt was 1-for-1 with a pair of walks to reach base in every at bat,

Northwestern-bound infielder Brooke Marquez also batted 1.000 with an RBI double in the first and laid down a perfect sac bunt in the 5th.  Faith Canfield was 1-for-2 with a run scored, was hit by a pitch in the fifth and had a stolen base.

Eastern Kentucky bound senior catcher/first baseman Sarah Jackson came through with an RBI single in the forth inning and was 1 for 3 on the day. Samariah Diaz from Bishop Amat allowed just five hits from the Mariners, walked four and struck out three.

Pacifica stats (two games):

— Kaylee Carlson: 2 wins on 3 hits, 1 walk and 13 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched
— Kaley Winegarner: 1 double, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched
— Nicole DeWitt: .600 ave, .713 OBP with two runs scored and two stolen bases
— Faith Canfield: .500 ave, .571 OBP with a run scored, a double, RBI and a stolen base
— Brooke Marquez: .400 ave, with a RBI double, two sacs
— Dominique Espinoza: .333 with a double

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: BRET DENIO FAN

Last Friday we ran a Q&A with Bret Denio, who’s the National Director at PGF as well as the Head Coach for Explosion, a top 18U team.

Here’s a nice letter we got from someone who has worked with Mr. Denio…

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Brett has been a class person not only to my daughter for years, but to each and every young lady that has come up thru travel ball and has made a commitment to play college softball.

As he said, no matter which girl he knows and were she plays, he always has the heart, passion, and commitment to the sport to help each girl find the right opportunity and or college. congrats Brett well deserve recognition.

— Ed

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Thanks to Dan Santelli, the Head Coach of Lower South Liberty Gold, who writes to say:

I wanted to inform you that last week one of our players from the class of 2016 verbally committed to Saint Joseph’s University.

“Sarah Ostaszewski was a very highly recruited catcher/third baseman in the class of 2016 and made the decision to stay close to home to play her college softball.”

“Sarah is in her second season with the Liberty 18U Gold team and played a key role in the success of Liberty Gold this past season.  She was the starting catcher as a freshman on the 2013 team that placed 33rd at the 2013 PGF 18U Premier Nationals in Huntington Beach, Calif. where she had a.333 batting average with three doubles and five RBI.”

“This past fall, Sarah hit .403 with 21 runs scored, 12 doubles, 23 RBI, 10 steals, and had an OBP of .442 and competed in two of the top showcases in the country, the Team New Jersey Fall Showcase in Edison, NJ and the Diamond 9 Sun Classic in Orlando, Fla.”

“Sarah attends Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia where she carries a 92/100 GPA and as a freshman was selected to the 2013 2nd Team All Philadelphia Catholic League Team at shortstop.”

 

*** Two from the Texas Blaze organization:

— P/3B Casey Kauder (2016) from Caldwell, Texas plays for Texas Blaze White-Prinzo has committed to play at Sam Houston State University
— C/OF Blair Clayton (2016) from Caldwell Texas, plays for Texas Blaze Navy-Kirk has committed to play at Abilene Christian University

 

*** A pair of juniors for the East Cobb Bullets-Bass have committed:

— IF Sierra Stella (2015, West Georgia)
— P Katherine Woody (2015, West Georgia)

 

*** More verbals:

— 2B/P Nautika Diaz (2017, San Jose State)… plays for Firecrackers-Redmond
— P Danielle Rubin (2016, Kennesaw State)… plays for Premier Fastpitch-Reed
— P Brooke Perry (2016, Purdue)… plays for NC Lady Lightning

 

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COLLEGE NEWS: PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

*** USA SOFTBALL: Following an exceptional week in the circle for Arizona State, senior pitcher Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz.) has been named the USA Softball Collegiate National Player of the Week the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today.

The senior pitched the Sun Devils to four wins in the circle as she helped Arizona State to a 7-0 record throughout the course of the week and a 5-0 record at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif.

“I am absolutely honored to be recognized at the USA College Softball Player of the Week,” said Escobedo.  “While it is great to receive the personal recognition, we couldn’t have had the performance we had this past weekend if we didn’t come together as a team. It was important for us to go out last week and get back to playing Arizona State softball and we did that. This honor is a testament to all the hard work the girls on the team put in and we look forward to taking this momentum in Corvallis and the Pac-12 schedule beginning this weekend.”

Escobedo kicked the weekend off with the fourth no-hitter of her career against Longwood, fanning 13 Lancer batters in the process.  Two days later, Escobedo led the then-No. 7 Sun Devils against then-No. 4 Michigan squad, limiting the Wolverines to just one hit with nine strikeouts.

Escobedo also made school history during the matchup against Michigan when she collected her 1,000th career strikeout, becoming just the second Sun Devil to reach the milestone and just the 14th player in Pac-12 history to accomplish the feat.

A day later, Escobedo stepped back into the circle against No. 14 Nebraska, where she led the Sun Devils to a shutout victory in extra innings.  Escobedo limited the Huskers to just one hit while posting 10 strikeouts.  In her final performance on the week, Escobedo gave up her only run in four games against Wisconsin while striking out six Badger batters.

“Dallas is pretty locked in right now,” said Arizona State Head Coach Craig Nicholson.  “She’s making good pitches and she picking her spots.  Any time she gets into tight situations, she’s staying relaxed.  The biggest thing for her is she’s not walking anybody. She’s throwing strikes and really attacking hitters.  This honor obviously means a lot to us as a team and the hard work Dallas puts in each week to make us better.  She is a leader on this team and this weekend was a perfect example of that.”

On the week, Escobedo was 4-0 while holding opponents to a .060 batting average and totaling 38 strikeouts in 27 innings of work.  She allowed just one earned run, three walks and three hit-by-pitches en route to a 0.26 ERA.

This is the third USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honor for Escobedo, who earned previous earned accolades during Week 1 of the 2011 season and Week 14 of the 2013 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.

 

*** NFCA: Senior pitcher Dallas Escobedo of Arizona State University has been selected as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for games played over March 3-9.

“I am absolutely honored to be recognized by the NFCA with this award,” Escobedo said. “And while it is great to receive the personal recognition, we couldn’t have had the performance we had this past weekend if we didn’t come together as a team. It was important for us to go out last week and get back to playing Arizona State softball, and we did that. This honor is a testament to all the hard work the girls on the team put in, and we look forward to taking this momentum to Corvallis and the Pac-12 schedule beginning this weekend.”

Escobedo, a 6-0 right-hander from Glendale, Ariz., dominated from the circle last week for the Sun Devils, registering a perfect 4-0 record to go along with a 0.26 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 27 innings of work. Included among her impressive efforts was her fourth career no-hitter, earned during a 13-strikeout blanking of Longwood, a one-hit shutout of then-No. 5 Michigan (nine K’s), 10 strikeouts while permitting just a single base knock in outlasting then-No. 16 Nebraska, 1-0, and five innings of three-hit ball while allowing her only earned run for the week in a 9-1 (5 inn.) rout of Wisconsin. The reigning Pacific-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week also made personal history by achieving her 1000th career strikeout on her first K during the 2-0 win over the Wolverines. In the process she became just the second Sun Devil hurler to reach the milestone.

“Dallas is pretty locked in right now,” Arizona State head coach Craig Nicholson said. “She’s making good pitches, and she picking her spots. Any time she gets into tight situations, she’s staying relaxed. The biggest thing for her is she’s not walking anybody. She’s throwing strikes and really attacking hitters. This honor obviously means a lot to us as a team and the hard work Dallas puts in each week to make us better. She is a leader on this team and this weekend was a perfect example of that.”

For the 2014 campaign, Escobedo owns an 11-2 mark with a 0.80 ERA, 13 complete games, including eight solo shutouts, and a team-best 138 strikeouts over 88 innings. She and her Sun Devil teammates will return to action over March 14-16, opening PAC-12 league play on the road in Corvallis, Ore., with a three-game series at Oregon State.

 

Selected Top Performances

Michigan’s Haylie Wagner, the current Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Week, was amazing for the Wolverines on their west coast jaunt, picking up three wins, including triumphs over top-10 teams UCLA and Arizona, posting a 1.18 ERA and striking out 15 over 23.2 frames…SEC Pitcher of the Week Carly Hummel of Ole Miss was 2-1 with a 0.70 ERA and 27 K’s over 20 innings of work, firing the first perfect game in UM history against Utah State and handing #1 Florida it’s first loss of the season via three-hit shutout before losing a close decision in the series finale against the top-ranked Gators…Oklahoma’s Whitney Ellis batted .692 (9-for-13) with five runs scored, three HR’s and 12 RBIs against a combo of Louisiana Tech, Liberty, Western Illinois and nationally-rated Tulsa…Cal Poly’s Sierra Hyland went 6-0 from the circle with a 0.56 ERA and 45 K’s over 37.1 innings while also batting at a .389 clip with three doubles and a HR…Northwestern’s Emily Allard, the Big Ten Conference’s Player of the Week, hit .667 (12-for-18) with eight tallies and five stolen bases at the USF Under Armour Showcase…South Alabama pitcher Farish Beard earned her second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after going 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 28 K’s over just 22 innings…Notre Dame’s Laura Winter, the current ACC Pitcher of the Week, batted .571 (4-for-7) with a double, a HR and three RBIs, while also going 2-0 from the circle with a 0.00 ERA, two complete-game shutouts and 19 strikeouts over just 12 innings… Tennessee State hurler Shea Morris tallied a 3-0 mark with a 0.00 ERA, two complete games, one shutout and three saves while striking out 29 over 19 frames of effort against Holy Cross, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, North Carolina A&T and Saint Louis…James Madison’s Heather Kiefer went 3-0 with a 0.32 ERA, three complete games and two shutouts against a combo of Pacific, California and Hawai’i…American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week UCF’s Shelby Turnier struck out 38 over just 20 frames, going 3-0 from the circle with a 0.70 ERA, while establishing a new school single-game K record with 16 against Bowling Green…Utah Valley’s Hailey Kofler, the WAC Hitter of the Week, batted .462 with two doubles, five runs scored, three HR’s and seven RBIs as UVU broke a 15-game losing skid…Tennessee’s Ellen Renfroe was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 24 innings of work against Wright State, Campbell, Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern and Charleston…Fresno State’s Kiley Shae Aldridge, making her first start in nearly two years after suffering through a knee injury, twirled a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over #6 Washington to earn Mountain West Pitcher of the Week accolades…Loyola Marymount’s Sydney Gouveia, the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week, was 4-0 with a 0.54 ERA and 50 K’s over 26 innings, recording double-digit strikeouts in each of her three complete games…North Dakota State’s Amanda Grable earned Summit League Co-Player of the Week accolades after tallying at least one hit In all five contests and batting .471 (8-for-17) with three doubles and five RBIs as NDSU also picked up its fourth-ever win over a nationally-ranked opponent via a 4-0 victory over #22 Stanford…Horizon League Pitcher of the Week Sara Shields of Cleveland State fired her first collegiate no-hitter in a five-inning defeat of Quinnipiac…Brown’s Christina Andrews, the Ivy League Player of the Week, batted .500 (8-for-16) with three doubles, a HR and four RBIs while slugging .875.

 

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.

 

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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.