We’re in March already and just a few weeks away from spring… we can make it!  We head to California to start off with as profile a couple committed players from the Golden State and then fly cross-country to Florida to read a letter from a top club coach in another sunny climate.  We have an Ivy League commit of note and look at some video of an East Coast athlete who just kills the ball…

 

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PLAYER PROFILE:  IVY DAVIS

Grad Year: 2017
Pos: SS/RHP
High School: Huntington Beach (Calif.)
GPA: 3.83 GPA
Club: Firecrackers-Brashear
Honors: Triple Crown Sports All-American
College: University of Arizona

 

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You’re in the epicenter of great softball, Huntington Beach, Calif., which is also right on the ocean… what is your perspective on how good fastpitch is at the club and high school level where you’re at?  
Ivy Davis: The competition around here is very tough. Almost all of the high schools nearby have at least a few players from top travel organizations and this makes for some really good games.

 

SSS.com: SSS.com: Speaking of being a California girl just minutes from the beach, what would you say are the advantages and the advantages of being a softball player in Orange County and Southern California?
ID: Being a softball player in Orange County and Southern California is a really great opportunity to be able to play some of the best teams in the sport. It is also a great place to play because the weather here is great year round, so there is no real off season

 

SSS.com: The Firecrackers-Brashear team is one of the elite squads in one of the most highly visible and successful organizations in club ball… how did you get on the team and what does it mean to you to be with the team and program?
ID: I am fairly new to this team and I couldn’t be happier to be where I am. I came on to the team in August, 2013, after my old team started to spread apart, and I knew I wanted to stay in the Firecracker organization and that Coach Brashear’s team was a great place to go. I feel so honored to be a part of such an amazing team and organization because it has helped me become a much better player than I ever thought I could have been.

 

SSS.com: You’re only a freshman and have committed to one of the elite programs in softball history!  Tell us how you were discovered by the Wildcat coaches and they recruited you up until the offer…
ID: I first got looked at by the University of Arizona when Coach Iveson came to one of the Firecracker combines Tony Rico held at Huntington Beach High School with my team. After that, the coaches contacted me through my coach and began to show up at some of pour games to watch me in live situations. I have always been interested in the U of A, but once it hit me that I may actually have an opportunity to commit to the school, I went to a camp and saw the school and field in person and I was just amazed by the experience and Coach Candrea’s offer.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
ID: I decided to commit to Arizona about a week after my first unofficial visit. I fell in love with the school and all of the people, and I love the state of Arizona so I can’t imagine a better place to spend four of the best years of my life in such a great place. When I was about eight years old, I saw Coach Candrea at a recruiting tournament I was watching and I said to myself, “You don’t know me yet, but you will,” which I now feel was really ironic but a perfect example of how long I’ve dreamed of this opportunity. I knew that I could feel very at home in Arizona and that the coaches and players would become like family and take good care of me. It was just an  overwhelming feeling of comfort and I feel like Arizona will be the perfect home for me.

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
ID: I committed to Arizona on the phone, which I was really nervous to do, but Coach Candrea is so great and made everything so simple and calmed me down very quickly!

 

SSS.com: Have they gone over with you how and where you’ll be used on the field?
ID: We haven’t gone to depth in that area of the offer yet, but I will most likely be used as a middle infielder, since that is my main position and what got me noticed for the offer.

 

SSS.com: You won’t reach the UA campus for several years… what would you say is the good and the bad of having committed this early?
ID: Being recruited this early is good because it really boosted my confidence as a player and encourages me to get better every day and set higher standards for myself because I have a goal to reach. On the downside, I never expected to be recruited as a fourteen year old, and it all came so suddenly, so I was put under a lot of stress and pressure, mostly by myself, to be perfect and get myself noticed and not let coaches down because I expected more of myself.

 

SSS.com: What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
ID: I feel that my main strengths are my confidence and game knowledge. I never lose faith in myself and I never tell myself I can’t do something so I feel that that really makes me a better player. I’ve also grown up watching baseball and softball so I believe that I can really understand the game and relate to any situation that I come into.

 

SSS.com: What’s been the highlight of your softball career so far? 
ID: Committing to play college softball for one of the best coaches in the game has definitely been the highlight of my softball career so far. I never could have imagined an opportunity like this being given to me, especially at such a young age, and it just made me really excited to see what other highlights I can have in my future!

 

SSS.com: What makes softball such a great sport in your opinion?
ID: Personally, I love everything about softball. I love the competition, the traveling, and how physically demanding it is. Softball has given me the chance to experience many different places around the country and has led me to meet some of my best friends I’ve ever had. The sport has kept me healthy and in shape and motivated to be a great athlete, student, and overall person.

 

SSS.com: With a name like Ivy, you must get some name jokes.. what are some of the funniest and some of the lamest you’ve heard?
ID: I always get the basic “Poison Ivy” or “Poison” which ironically enough was my nickname for all of rec ball, but I think I’ve grown out of that one by now.

 

Quick Hitters

 

Fill in the blank… You will never find me:
… following a trend

What do you think is the No. 1 issue in the world today?
I think that everyone is too ignorant to everything around us and how lucky we are to have what we have.

Favorite dinner entree:
Spaghetti noodles with butter.

Favorite dessert:
Mom’s homemade chocolate cake.

Least favorite character in a person:
Dishonesty.

Most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you…
I was at high school practice shagging batting practice in the outfield and I ran back to get a ball but no one told me I was near the fence and my cleat got stuck in the netting and I fell over the fence in front of the entire baseball team and didn’t even come close to catching the ball.

What type of bat do you use (and do you like it)?
 I use a 2014 Louisville Zeno and I LOVE it

What’s one thing that always brings a smile to your face? Any time I can make someone smile or laugh
What’s something unusual or different about you that few know? I’ve forced myself to do most things with my left hand so I’m almost ambidextrous

If you weren’t spending so much time on softball, what would you be doing with your time?
I would definitely go to the beach more and play volleyball.

What’s one thing you’ll always have on your person, in a backpack or bag (besides a phone)?
I always have my hacky sack with me so I can work on my coordination when I get bored.

What’s the last book or magazine you read?
Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Any unusual superstitions or rituals around softball?
I’m very superstitious, so I have to wear my hair the same for every game and pat my left two times and wiggle my back foot every time I step in the batter’s box.

 

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RECRUIT SPOTLIGHT OF THE DAY: CALLEE HEEN

High school: San Benito
City: Hollister
State: 
Calif.
Grad year: 2016
Club: Salinas Storm
Position(s): C/SS
Height: 5-9
Stats & Honors:  “I don’t really keep track of that.”

College: University of Hawaii-Manoa
Other Offers: Texas Tech, Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly SLO, San Jose State
Why Hawaii-Manoa: “Location!”

What is your favorite bat: “Worth, I’ve been swinging it the last three years.”
What bat does your team use? “I use the Worth 454 or Worth Legit… the team uses various other bats.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? 
Mizuno
What is the uniform brand you prefer? “Doesn’t matter.”

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: PITCHERS/CATCHERS CALLING GAMES

If you follow us daily you know that we have run two articles on the subject of pitchers and catchers calling games: the first one was Should pitchers & catchers call games?  and the second was Calling pitches: another coach perspective.

The reaction, especially from club and high school coaches, has been huge along with probably over 100 e-mails from pitchers, catchers and/or their parents!

Here’s a letter we got from Mark Tamarini who heads the Stingrays Gold program based in Florida:

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I saw your piece on the catcher or coaches calling pitches.  Great input from the travel coaches cited!  I have always struggled with this—and I sought advice from a few college coaches I respect.

Some of the college coaches I spoke to call their team’s pitches, but they really liked the game knowledge the catchers are forced to learn by having that responsibility at the travel level.  Kind of like a point guard in basketball.  A great one doesn’t need to look to the bench every time down the court.  They feel the game and know what the coach wants.

In my case I have seen our catchers grow in the game understanding but others might not be as fortunate as I am.

The interesting thing about most of these responses is that the coaches talk about them knowing the situations better and teaching the battery the best way to attack.

After watching a bunch of college games in the last 10 days, D1 to NAIA’s, I think a great follow-up would be to ask the college coaches what they would like to see travel coaches do.

I wonder if they would think the battery learns more by the coaches calling the sequences or by doing it themselves. Personally I have always been torn by this.

Fortunately I have always had catchers that I felt totally confident in so I have not called pitches since 12U. But if I didn’t have that level of confidence I probably have the coaching staff call them.

Because our team is young in this top level of play we have not been in the National Championship race as the other great coaches you cited have been.  So I defer to them.  To date my goal has been to get the players recruited.  I guess when we get to the PGF Nationals I will have to rethink it!

Mark T
Stingrays Gold

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Madeline Avery, a catcher/third baseman with Wasco Diamond 18U out of Wasco, Ill., committed in February to play for Coach Dick Blood at Cornell University.

 

*** Last week we mentioned that Arielle Couso, a 2015 outfielder/second baseman with the New Jersey Cheetahs, had committed to Rutgers.

We hope to have a Player Profile on her soon, but til then check out this video of her driving the ball during a front toss workout.  Sounds like the microphone is on the bat!

 

 

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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.