We finish the week remembering Dave Kasza and his family in N.C., look at a pitcher in Florida who started the season on fire, catch up on the latest verbals including one to the Pac-12, and have the Fab 15 in each class in Mississippi…

 

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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: DAVE KASZA FUND

*** We profiled yesterday the very sad story of the death of Dave Kasza, the father of River Ridge High infielder Kelsey Kasza, who passed away Wednesday night in the first inning of the team’s game.

The Athletic Director, Kevin Allran, alerted me this morning that the page where people can make donations is now live.  Click here to access the www.GoMavericks.org page to learn more about the funeral and the family.

 

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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL:  HARMONY’S LELE OCASIO THROWS 5 NO-NO’S

*** Joe Williams of the Orlando Sentinel did a nice piece this week on Lele Ocasio, the excellent 2015 pitcher at Harmony High (Fla.) who is committed to the Florida Gators.

Click here to read the complete story and see Ocasio in action

Here are a few excerpts from the article:

***

Harmony’s Lele Ocasio should have been hyped.

One day after being invited to play for the Puerto Rican Junior National softball team last April, she threw a perfect game against Satellite Beach Satellite.

After the game, attended by junior national coaches, Ocasio did not change her demeanor.

She was perfectly calm.

“I know she was excited, but it is extremely hard to get emotion out of her,” Harmony coach Jeff Fiorelli said. “She doesn’t throw her glove or her hands up in the air or fall to her knees, like you see from major-league pitchers.”

No-hitters, at any level, are cause for celebration. In softball, they occur more frequently than in baseball — Ocasio started the season with five no-hitters in a row…

She has a fastball clocked at 68 mph, the equivalent of a 98.3-mph pitch in baseball from a mound that is much closer to the hitter. High-school softball pitchers throw from a rubber 43 feet from home plate, compared to 60 1/2 feet in baseball.

Given the distance, providing hitters a reaction time of 371-thousandths of a second to react, and the effectiveness of her pitches, Ocasio has been all but, well, unhittable.

“Honestly, I don’t celebrate,” Ocasio said. “I just go home. That’s what I have been training for. It is an accomplishment, but I don’t get too excited.”

According to the National Federation of State High School Association’s record book, 15 pitchers entering this season have thrown five or more consecutive no-hitters since 1982. Ocasio’s streak was broken Wednesday in a victory against Clermont East Ridge.

“I wouldn’t say it’s not a big deal because it is,” Ocasio said. “It’s very humbling throwing all those no-hitters, but it isn’t just me. I am just going to keep going in the circle and pitch. That’s what I do.”

Nobody is doing it better.

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Haley Cruse, a 2016 centerfielder/second baseman with the Corona Angels-Howard team, has committed to Stanford.

Her father, Kyle, tells us how the sophomore ended up committing to the Pac-12 school:

“Haley attended Stanford’s four-day summer camp last June,” he said today.  “They then followed her through Colorado, Premier and showcases this past fall.  She went on an unofficial visit in September.”

“They explained all the academic requirements and the admissions process; Haley took the ACT in February. Stanford made their offer on Tuesday and she accepted right away over the phone.”

Haley attends Del Norte High School in San Diego, Calif. and has a 3.90 GPA.  On the field as a freshman last spring she earned 1^st team All-Valley League honors and set a CIF San Diego Section record for Most Doubles in a Game with four.

 

*** Thanks to Brian Dudley who is one of the coaches for the Chaos (Pa.) organization who writes to say:

“I just became aware of this website. I was looking it over for some of the players that I either coach in our Club Team or have in the past. I currently coach the Chaos Showcase team but you have a few of our Chaos Gold players listed on your master list.”

“With that being said there is one correction that needs to be made for a player who is already on your list. Her name is Devon Steiner. You have her going to Temple which was correct until Temple decided to drop their softball program after this year. She has now accepted a full scholarship to Coastal Carolina.” [correction made-Brentt]

“Below I have a few other Chaos Players who either play on the Chaos Gold or Chaos Showcase Team who don’t show up on your list that have either signed their Letters of Intent or verbaled to the college listed next to their name.”

“I would appreciate it if these players can be added since you will see them on our list of college commitments on our front page of our website except for Nicki Mann, who is not playing this summer with our team, or any team for that matter, due to being accepted into an Overseas/Abroad program for the summer. She plays SS/2B and is a 2014 Grad. She is going to Kutztown University.”

Chaos Gold

— 2B/OF Courtney Scarpato (2015, Hofstra)
— SS/OF Samantha Tomasetti (2016, Hofstra)
— SS/2B Alyshia Dellatore (2014, Delaware)
— 1B/OF Mariah Kondravy (2014, Delaware)
— P Maggie Balint (2016, Delaware)
— 3B/1B Alex Viscusi (2015, Princeton)
— OF/SS Alyssa Herion (2015, St Joseph’s)

Chaos Showcase
— 3B/OF Lauren Scarpato (2014, West Chester University)
— OF Courtney Miller (2014, Iona College )

 

***  More verbals:

— 3B/UT Alyssa Wiebel (2016, Illinois State)… plays for Iowa Premier Gold
— IF Jessica Hughes (2015, Fordham)… plays for the New Jersey Gators
— OF Sam Billeaudeau (2016 Arkansas)… plays for Bullet Softball
— SS Madison Naujokas (2016, James Madison)… plays for Lemont Rockers
— C/3B Lexi Solorzano (2016, Kennesaw State)… plays for Atlanta Vipers-Miller
— C Alyssa Hitt (2015, Missouri State)… plays for Blue Angels

 

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PROSPECTS TO WATCH:  TWO UNDER-THE-RADAR PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sometimes it’s injuries, sometimes it’s playing on a less visible team or sometimes it’s simply the player is a late bloomer or doesn’t get the attention she deserves.

Whatever the case, here are a pair of SoCal players we expect to emerge onto the scene big-time in 2014.

 

*** Ryan Jackson, a 2016 outfielder with the Cal Thunder-Levier team, was one of the standouts at the D9-produced So Cal National Skills Clinic held last December in Santa Ana, Calif.

At that time, coaches were saying, “She has excellent athleticism and quickness and is strong with no fear at the plate.”

You won’t see Ryan in high school softball box scores this spring as she decided in January to not play softball at Ayala High (Chino Hills, Calif.) but instead run track to improve on her already impressive 2.6 home-to-first speed.

This summer she’ll hit the camp and tourney circuit and, already having interest from major conferences including the SEC and Pac-12, should blow up even more.

She can hit for power and average and at the Surf City Winter Showcase in mid January reportedly went 9-for-11 with five doubles and eight RBI. Earlier, she ran the 2nd fastest 40 at the On Deck Arizona Jamboree with a bad ankle.

It may take a few more months til she takes the field again, but expect a huge summer from Jackson.

 

*** Madi Gimpl is a talented sophomore who was poised to have a big year on the field this spring.

A catcher/outfielder with the Firecrackers-Blanco team, she was in the top 10 of her high school league in several major categories in 2013: average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, RBI and runs scored as she hit .414 with an OBP of .469 and a .724 slugging percentage.

All that as a freshman… and she pulled in a 4.1 GPA.

She exploded out of the gates this week to start her season at Sonora High in La Habra as she homered in her first at-bat of the season and followed that up with a single and double.

All was going well until the sixth inning of that first game when she dove to make a catch in the outfield and her glove hand hit the pronounced lip of grass where the outfield and infield meet and she suffered a broken radius.

The prognosis is she’ll be out 4-6 weeks.

The silver lining is she started off on fire and showed what she can—and will-do when healthy.

“Madi had been working especially hard the last seven months” explains her father, John, “because she really wanted to have a great season leading up to the summer travel tournaments, but she is already asking what areas she should work to improve while she’s down! “

Another glimpse into how good she can be:  Madi finished up the last two weekend fall tourneys with the Firecrackers-Blanco team going 9-for-13 with four home runs.

When she comes back healthy, expect the recruiting interest to skyrocket.

 

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RECRUITING: TOP PROSPECTS IN MISSISSIPPI

The website “High School Sports in Mississippi” recently came out with its Fab 15 in each class.  Printed with permission, here are the players honored:

2014 MHSAA Fastpitch Fab 15 Seniors

• Lauren Baldwyn, SS, Nettleton
• Bailey Bogue, C/OF, West Union
• Cassidy DeNoon, P, Winona
• Mahalia Gibson, OF/P, Oak Grove
• Jay Harris, OF, St. Martin
• Ryan Holdiness, P/C/3B, Nanih Waiya
• Parris Ladner, SS, NW Rankin
• Kaitlin Lee, P, Harrison Central
• Paige McKinney, SS, Desoto Central
• Bailey Oswalt, SS/OF, Amory
• Julianna Rouse, SS, George County
• D J Sanders, P/SS/3B, New Hope
• Kaleigh Tackett, 3B, Nettleton
• Kalyn Watts, OF, Oak Grove
• Lauren Wells, SS/P, North Pike

2014 MHSAA Fastpitch Fab 15 Juniors

• Brittany Baty, P, NE Lauderdale
• Darby Bishop, P/IF, Newton County
• Taylor Cresap, P/C, Itawamba AHS
• Madison Davis, P, Booneville
• Breanna Edgeworth, 3B, Smithville
• Nicole Fullilove, P/SS, South Panola
• Chandler Gates, P/SS, North Pontotoc
• Alexia Harmon, P/IF, Madison Central
• Regan Holdiness, OF, Nanih Waiya
• Ashton Lampton. IF, Newton County
• Hailey Lunderman, SS/P, Neshoba Central
• Samantha Papp, C, Oak Grove
• Taylor Smith, C, Nettleton
• Sabrina Turner, P/IF, St. Patrick
• Sarah Van Schaik, C/IF, Petal
  

2014 MHSAA Fastpitch Fab 15 Sophomores

• Morgan Barrett, P/3B, Smithville,
• Cassidy Blount, C/1B/OF, Newton County
• Madison Burge, P, Harrison Central
• Emma Castanedo, IF, St. Patrick
• Taylor Collins, OF, Cleveland
• Carly Crawford, 3B, Oak Grove
• McKenzie Johnson, IF, Nanih Waiya
• Simone McKinney, OF, Harrison Central
• Madalyn McMahon, 3B, Neshoba Central
• Adriana Morgan, P, Lake Cormorant
• Stephanie Necaise, P, West Harrison
• Christian Quinn, OF, Oak Grove
• Kayla Robertson, 1B, Neshoba Central
• Hannah Williams, C, Neshoba Central
• Elizabeth Zorich, OF, St. Patrick

2014 MHSAA Fastpitch Fab 15 8th-9th Graders

• Raven Blackwell, UTL, St. Patrick, 9th
• Raylen Blackwell, OF, St. Patrick, 9th
• Destri Brown, OF/SS, McComb, 9th
• Katie Brownlee, P, Desoto Central, 9th
• Avery Bullard, P/IF, Calhoun City, 9th
• Colby Cox, P, Corinth, 9th
• Hallie Donald, P/IF Mooreville, 9th
• Megan Edmonds, UTL, Mooreville, 9th
• Angel Guyton, UTL, Smithville, 9th
• Kailey Hildebrand, P, Hernando, 9th
• Anna Kennedy, IF/P, Taylorsville, 9th
• Katie Lawrence, P/1B, Kosciusko, 9th
• Ashlynn Williams, P/IF, St. Patrick, 9th
• Aynslee Willis, P/IF, Amory, 8th
• Olivia Wilson, OF/SS, Alcorn Central, 8th

 

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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.