Today we spotlight a Buckeye State standout who’ll go next door to play at the next level and then look at an East Coast girl who will stay home.  We have event and recruiting news and for “Throwback Thursday” look back 7 1/2 years ago to the announcement of several elite USA Softball teams stocked full of talent…

 

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 REGGIE HARRISON UPDATE:

The softball community continues to rally around Reggie Harrison, the Univ. of Arkansas freshman softball player who lost her father, Steve, last weekend when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Yesterday morning the fundraising site was approaching the goal of $10K to help pay for funeral costs and today we’re happy to say that the total as of this moment is $17,280.

Thanks to all those who’ve offered financial support… everyone involved in the situation is very, VERY appreciative!

 

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PLAYER PROFILE: CAITLYN ROBINSON

Grad Year: 2016
Pos: 1B/OF
High School: Clinton-Massie High (Clarksville, Ohio)
Club: Beverly Bandits DeMarini 18U
Stats: high school (2013): hit .597 with four home runs, 38 RBI and .990 fielding percentage; club (summer 2013): hit .445 with .667 slugging percentage with 32 RBI
Honors: 2nd Team All-Conference, started every varsity game at third base; attended the PGF National 16U and placed 17th; invited to attend OnDeck Recruiting Chicago Jamboree
College: Ball State

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the Ball State coaches, then how long until they offered?
Caitlyn Robinson: Ball State watched me play during the fall of last year. They also watched me at Banditfest this January and at OnDeck Chicago Jamboree last summer. Coach Perry offered a few months later and I took some time to decide (at my parents advice)!

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
CR: I made the decision to commit to Ball State University mid February.  I had been talking to Coach Perry every couple of weeks and also to other coaches.  I felt that she was vey excited about her season coming up and she always asked me how my basketball season was going.  She answered a lot of my questions and made me feel comfortable because she understood that I had a big decision to make!

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
CR: I called Coach Perry to tell her that I wanted to commit! She was getting ready to enter a coaches meeting when I called. She told me she couldn’t wait to let Coach Stanfill and Coach Sisson know that I had just committed.

SSS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you more nervous or more excited?
CR: I was excited to make my decision.  I had visited a lot of schools and I talked it over with my coaches and especially my parents.

 

SSS.com: How far away from home will be?  Was distance a factor in your decision at all?
CR: Ball State is a little over two hours away. My dad is happy that the drive isn’t too far and he can watch me play! Distance wasn’t a factor in my decision.  I visited Wisconsin and the eight hour distance from home didn’t bother me. I told my mom she could fly me home!

 

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
CR: My coaches say my strength is that I am a left handed hitter with a powerful and smooth swing.

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
CR:  My best memory of travel ball is definitely meeting Jenny Finch in California before Nationals when I was in eighth grade with My Chill-Arnold team. I had the chance to talk softball with her.  I remember thinking to myself that she was so tall! I had her sign a softball for me. 

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in?
Undecided!

What do you think is the No. 1 issue in the world today?
World Hunger

Favorite food:
Mashed potatoes.

Least favorite food:
Ravioli.

Favorite place in the world:
Anywhere but Ohio!

What’s your dream vacation?
Bora Bora.

What type of bat do you use (and do you like it)?
I love my DeMarini CF6.

Who or what always makes you laugh?
My Dad!

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
That I like art and like to draw.

How would your friends describe you in one word?
Hilarious.

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

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
My older teammates. I can’t wait to watch them play in college!

What’s a motto or favorite phrase you base your life around?
Nothing worth having comes easy!

 

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RECRUIT SPOTLIGHT OF THE DAY: ARIELLE COUSO

High school: Hillsborough
City: Hillsborough
State: 
N.J.
Grad year: 2015
Club: New Jersey Cheetahs Premiere
Position(s):  outfield/second base
Height: 5-6
Stats & Honors:  2013 N.J. Sectional Champs; selected as an All-County Player

College: Rutgers
Why Rutgers: “The school is outstanding when it comes to education, and I love the softball program.”

What is your favorite bat: “Xeno all the way! It has a lot of pop and is weighted nicely.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? 
Mizuno
 

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COLLEGE EVENT: CITRUS CLASSIC

This weekend the Citrus Classic, a top college tournament featuring some of the top teams in DI softball, will wrap-up at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.

Some of the top match-ups featured on Friday include Oregon vs. Auburn (11:00 am EST), Fordham vs. Notre Dame and Ohio State vs. Bradley (1:30 pm EST), Florida vs. Oregon and Syracuse vs. Omaha (3:30 pm EST) and Missouri vs. Syracuse (5:45 pm EST).

There will be 13 more games played on Saturday and several will be televised on ESPN networks so check your cable listings for times in your area.

Last weekend kicked off the classic and some of the top games included NC State topping Indiana-Purdue FW 5-0 and South Alabama beating Georgia 3-2.

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Bo Duncan posted this note yesterday about his daughter, Lexi Duncan, a 2016 outfielder/infielder with the East Cobb Bullets-Bass:

“It is with great pleasure and sincere thanks that I announce my daughter Lexi Duncan has accepted an offer to play (and get an education) her college softball at the University of Kentucky! I wanna thank Buster Bass and the entire East Cobb Fastpitch org. I also wanna thank the coaches and staff of her former team the Ga. Elite especially Coach Hoover for 5 years of dedication and lastly to the Woodland high school team and Head Varsity coach Kelli Poff. Lots of hard work to get here and I couldn’t be more happy. God is so GOOD!”

 

*** One of the top names in club softball, Autumn Storms, a 2016 pitcher on the OC Batbusters-Smith team, has committed to Arkansas.

My other favorite name: Precious Birdsong, a 2014 outfielder with the Tennessee Fury, who is headed to Middle Tennessee State.

 

*** Reese Guevarra, a 2017 outfielder/second baseman, with the Jersey Inferno, has committed to UConn.

 

*** More verbals:

— OF Tonnay Hawaks (2014, Arkansas-Pine Bluff)… plays for Firecrackers (DFW)
— IF Taiyler Clark (2014, Arkansas-Pine Bluff)… plays for Firecrackers (DFW)
— C/3B Lexi Thompson (2015, Charleston Southern)… plays for Carolina Fire-Mendez
— P/DH Canyon Crosby (2015, College of Charleston)… plays for Carolina Fire-Mendez
— P Lauren Graves (2016, Idaho State)… plays for Firecrackers (DFW)-Lutz
— IF Grace Srichantra (2015, Louisiana-Monroe)… plays for Firecrackers (DFW)-Poole
— P/UT Annie Kennedy (2014, Maine)… plays for Long Island Chargers
— P Jordan Harbacek (2014, Northern Kentucky)… plays for Bulls Sox Academy
— OF Katie Clark (2016, Stephen F. Austin)… plays for Texas Storm
— OF Brittany Crawford (2016, Stephen F. Austin)… plays for Texas Storm
— SS/UT Jessie Douglas (2015, Tennessee Martin)… plays for Southern Express
— C/UT Reid Ballard (2016, Tennessee Martin)… plays for Tennessee Illusions
— P Parker Davis (2016, Tennessee Martin)… plays for Tennessee Illusions
— OF Alae Blair (2015, UTEP)… plays for Firecrackers (DFW)-Poole

 

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FROM THE ARCHIVES:  USA SOFTBALL SELECTS TEAMS (9.25.06)

For this Throwback Thursday, we go back seven and a half years ago to September, 2006 when StudentSportsSoftball.com released the names for three top squads chosen by USA Softball that would represent the U.S. in international play.

Here’s the release… see if you’ve heard of any of these players!

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.—The Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, and USA Softball announced today the roster for the 2006 Junior Women’s Pan American Qualifier as well as the roster for the 2006 Japan Cup. Selected by the Women’s National Team Selection Committee, players recently participated in a four day selection camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

The Junior Women’s Pan American Qualifier team will compete November 8-18 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. The event will qualify teams from the Pan American region for the VIII ISF Junior Women’s World Championships scheduled for 2007 in Kutno, Poland.

Members of the 2006 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team are:

• K’Lee Arredondo (Tempe, Ariz.)
• Ashley Brignac (River Ridge, La.)
• Neena Bryant (Placentia, Calif.)
• Stacie Chambers (Tucson, Ariz.)
• Megan Elliott (Prince Frederick, Md.)
• Kenzie Fowler (Tucson, Ariz.)
• Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.)
• Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.)
• Monica Harrison (Garden Grove, Calif.)
• Tiffany Huff (Saugus, Calif.)
• Donna Kerr (San Diego, Calif.)
• Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
• Bianca Meijia (Sylmar, Calif.)
• Rosey Neill (Laguna Hills, Calif.)
• Katie Schroeder (Yorba Linda, Calif.)
• Lindsay Sisk (Murrieta, Calif.)
• Maggie Viefhaus (Pacific, Mo.)

 

Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller (Starkville, Miss.) has been named as the head coach for the USA Junior Women’s National Team and will be assisted by three former USA Softball National Team members. Suzy Brazney (head coach Golden West College), Barbara Jordan (head coach Cal State Northridge) and Cheri Kempf (owner of Club K in Nashville, Tenn.) have all represented the USA in International competitions as players and now turn their focus to leading the U.S. as coaches.

The Women’s National Team will look to pick up its third gold medal of the season when they travel to Yokohoma, Japan, November 11-17 to compete in the IV Japan Cup. The U.S. has already won the II World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City and the XI ISF Women’s World Championship in Beijing, China this year and now turn their sights on the Japan Cup.

The 18 players selected to the USA Softball Women’s National Team roster for the IV Japan Cup are:

• 

  Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif., Tennessee)

• Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Fresno State)
• Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif., West Palm Beach C.C.)
• Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif., UCLA)
• Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif., Arizona)
• Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz., UCLA)
• Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif., California-Berkeley)
• Alicia Hollowell (Suisun, Calif., Arizona)
• Lovie Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif., Arizona)
• Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., Alabama)
• Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif., Stanford)
• Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif., Arizona)
• Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif., Stanford)
• Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif., UCLA)
• Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich., Michigan)
• Jamie Southern (Clovis, Calif., Fresno State)
• Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif., Cal State Fullerton)
• Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif., UCLA)

Mike Candrea (Casa Grande, Ariz., head coach at Arizona) will lead the Red, White and Blue in Japan and will be assisted by Chuck D’Arcy (Sacramento, Calif.), Karen Johns (Charlottesville, Va., head coach at Virginia) and John Rittman (San Jose, Calif., head coach at Stanford University),

The 2006-07 USA Softball National Training Team was also selected from the tryout camps. This group of 23 athletes will train together throughout the year in preparation for upcoming National Team events.

Members of the 2006-07 USA Softball National Training Team are:

• Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif., Fresno State)
• Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif., West Palm Beach C.C.)
• Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif., UCLA)
• Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach, Calif., UCLA)
• Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif., Arizona)
• Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz., UCLA)
• Amanda Freed (Cypress, Calif., UCLA)
• Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif., California-Berkeley)
• Alicia Hollowell (Suisun, Calif., Arizona)
• Lovie Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif., Arizona)
• Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., Alabama)
• Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif., Stanford)
• Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif., Arizona)
• Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif., Stanford)
• Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif., UCLA)
• Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas, Texas)
• Sarah Pauly (Phoenix, Ariz., Texas A&M – Corpus Christi)
• Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich., Michigan)
• Lindsay Schutzler (Monterey, Calif., Tennessee)
• Jamie Southern (Clovis, Calif., Fresno State)
• Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif., Cal State Fullerton)
• Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif., UCLA)

 

 

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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.