Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day to everyone across the nation!  We get back into the swing of things in softball with final odds and ends from the Hot 2015 list and then go to Alabama to profile a top player there who’ll be in the SEC in a few years.  We look at a recent run of talent out of one SoCal team and finish with a handful more verbals…

 

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FINAL TIDBITS FROM THE HOT 100 2015 LIST:

Here’s some fun facts and minutia about the 100 players who made the list of the top 100 juniors in the nation:

 

*** States represented: 22

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas

 

*** Club teams with most players:

8 – OC Batbusters – Haning
6 – So Cal A’s – Richardson
5 – Corona Angels
4 – Firecrackers – Rico
4 – Gold Coast Hurricanes
3 – Birmingham Thunderbolts
3 – Explosion
3 – Firecrackers – Blanco
3 – KG Hitters
3 – Lady Lightning
3 – Tennessee Fury
3 – Texas Glory
3 – Wichita Mustangs

 

*** Most represented positions (counting “primary” position)

30 – pitchers
21 – outfielders
15 – infielders
13 – shortstop
13 – catchers
4 – third basemen
2 – first basemen
1 – second basemen
1 – utility players

 

*** Most common first names

7 – Taylor
5 – Madison (or Madi/Maddie)
3 – Alexis
tied with 2:  Abby, Alex, Ali/Ally, Alyssa, Ashley, Brianne, Brittany, Katie, Kylie, Mallory, Olivia, Regan, Sydney

 

*** Long Distance Award

This goes to those who cross state lines to practice with their club team!  Any I forgot e-mail me: brentt@studentsports.com

* Alexis Hull (Kentucky, home state, to Tennessee, club state)
* Alexis Reid (Missouri to Alabama)
* Ashley Guillette (Connecticut to Rhode Island)
* Brittany Finney (Missouri to California)
* Sabrina Turner (Mississippi to New Jersey)
* Sydney Smith (Minnesota to Kansas)
* Taran Alvelo (Ohio to Illinois)

 

 

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PLAYER PROFILE: ASHLEE SWINDLE

Grad Year: 2016
Pos: P/1B
High School: Curry (Jasper, Ala.)
GPA: 4.0
Club: Birmingham Thunderbolts
Stats & Honors: 2013— Selected to participate in the Triple Crown Sports Rising Stars All-American Game; 5A All-State Honorable Mention; Curry High finished 3^rd in 5A; Regional winners, 1^st Team Daily Mountain Eagle Elite; started as varsity pitcher in eighth grade (2011-12).
College: Auburn

 

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: How excited are you to be staying in-state and play for an SEC school and Coach Myers and his sons?
Ashlee Swindle: I am very excited.  Playing in-state will allow my family come and watch me pitch especially those that told me that I could not accomplish this goal. I have always dreamed in pitching in the SEC Division 1 conference. Having the opportunity to pitch at Auburn and being coached by Coach Myers and his sons is awesome.  The family brings a lot of knowledge and experience to Auburn.

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by Auburn, then how long until they made the official offer?
AS: Corey Myers was one of my coaches at the Birmingham Thunderbolts for a couple of years and then when Coach Myers came to Auburn he brought Corey and his brother. So Corey knew what I could do and what kind of work ethic already had in place.  When I went to the PGF, Corey had Scott Woodard to come and watch me pitch.  I went to Auburn for a pitching camp back in October last year.  Corey and Coach Scott called me on December 23, 2013 and gave me the offer too hard to past up.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
AS: I decided to commit Sunday, January 12, 2014.  I wanted to compete at the highest level possible with a pitching coach that has lots of experience and knowledge.  The college atmosphere was great, and it is Auburn an SEC school.

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
AS: I was on an unofficial visit and after our meeting I was walking out with my parents and told them that I felt at peace here and I just know that this is the place I want to spend my college years.  I was still on campus so I called Corey, he was walking out so I met and told him I wanted to commit and pitch for Auburn University.

 

SSS.com: You were also offered by Samford and Alabama-Birmingham and probably others on the way… what did the coaches say they liked about your game?
AS: Both Samford and UAB and the other colleges say that they really liked my drop ball and loved my “wicked” change up.  They tell me the biggest impression that I made on them is that I was not afraid to throw my changeup on a 3-2 count.

 

SSS.com: How far away from home will be?  Was being close to the Auburn campus a plus or minus?
AS: I am only about 2 ½ hours away from home.  It is just enough but not too much which was important to me since I am an only child.

SSS.com:  Do a scouting report on yourself: what makes you an SEC-caliber player and what are areas you’d like to work on?
AS: I throw in the 60’s, I have lots of movement on all of my pitches, I am not afraid to go after a batter even if they have hit one out on me, I have a strong work ethic and I am not afraid to fail because I will just come back even stronger.  I want to have a better rise ball and continue to get faster.

 

SSS.com: You are all things Alabama including your club team, the Birmingham Thunderbolts… What’s it like playing for Richard Shea’s program?
AS: I love playing for the Birmingham Thunderbolts.  Mr. Shea takes good care of his players.  We have awesome facilities and he brings in the best instructors for us to utilize.  He really promotes our program as well as Mrs. Shea.  They are willing to call college coaches for us. Mr. Shea wants us to be well rounded so he involves us in community service to be able to help others.

 

SSS.com:  Finally, you’re future university has bragging rights in football with the exciting Iron Bowl win over Alabama… is there some good smack talk going on between the Auburn and Alabama commits you play with in the Bolts organization?
AS: If you live in Alabama we have lots of smack talk not only between Alabama Tide fans and Auburn Tiger fans it is with anyone that is in the SEC.  On my team we have commits to Auburn, Arkansas and Mississippi State from the SEC so we have already started talking smack.  No matter where we are at either in the hotel lobby or at the ball park we usually have a TV watching either Alabama or Auburn and of course cheering for you team.  Lots of smack talk.  If you walked up and observed you would think we have lost our minds!  It is very funny to watch.

 

Quick Hitters

 

What’s your dream job?
Athletic Trainer.

What makes you happiest on and off the field?
On the field: pitching and being on the mound.  Off the field: food, I love to eat!

If you were the President of the United States, what would be the issue you’d work on first?  
Gas is too high.  We need to lower the gas price.

Favorite food:
Pizza.

Least favorite food:
Vegetables.

What about being from Alabama makes you proud to call it home?
We are polite people who help others whether we know them or not.  Plus there’s great food and REAL sweet tea!

What are you most likely doing on a rainy day?
Working out in the indoor facility either at Curry or at the Bolts facility.

Who always makes you laugh?
My best friend Emily and my Dad.

What’s something unusual or different about you?
I take the cheese off of my cheese sticks and put Parmesan cheese on them instead.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
My phone because you can call someone to come and get you!

What’s your No. 1 goal for 2014?
To win the AHSAA (Alabama High School Athletic Assoc.) 5A State Championship for softball.  It would be for the first time in school history!

Who do you pattern your life after?
My Mom.

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** It’s funny how teams seem to go on a “run” when it comes to getting commitments.

For example, last September through November, the So Cal Choppers-Shipman/Ziese team had 10 players commit with a 12 week span: IF Amanda Doyle (LSU), OF Allison Tatnall (ASU), P Roni Lynch (Boise State), C/OF Alley Johnson (Ohio State), P/1B Alyssa Loza (ASU), OF Megan Smith (San Diego State) and C Ally Shipman (Tennessee), SS Lexi Lotito (Penn State), OF Lindsay Clare (San Diego) and then IF/OF Cayla Kessinger (Missouri) in December a week before Christmas.

Another team is making an impressive run of commits in the So Cal Athletics – Quarles team which is made up of all 2017’s except one.

The three latest to go were P/1B Naomi Dickerson (Penn State), 3B/OF Alexa Schultz (Oklahoma) and C Mary Iakopo (Oregon)… they were preceded by 1B Alyssa Kumiyama (South Carolina) and 3B Malia Quarles (UCLA).

Pretty cool that these freshmen are going to major conferences like the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC.

I spoke to Mary’s father, Junior Iakopo, today and he explained how the Oregon commitment came down.

“Mary went to the showcases, like Surf City and Sun Classic, and got seen there.  She had visited Oregon unofficially the second weekend in November and they offered her then.  She liked everything about the school and committed last Tuesday.  Her mom and I are just happy for her choosing where she wanted to go, somewhere she felt comfortable.  We’re glad it’s on the West Coast and not too far from home.”

Mary had visited UCLA and Central Florida and was looking to also check out Georgia, South Carolina and Michigan State, but her father continued, “it was just too much.”

The 14-year-old freshman is the starting catcher for the A’s and was recruited as a backstop because she can hit for power and average and for her defense.  Mary has a strong arm and is very quick behind the plate.

“She’s great at throwing out runners,” her proud father continues, “and if they get a long lead Mary will shorten it real quick.”

The family lives in Carson, Calif. and Mary attends Los Alamitos High where she’s being worked out at shortstop for the high school team.

 

*** More verbals:

— IF Danielle Castleberry (2016, Mercer)… plays for East Cobb Bullets-Hindman
— P Sydnee Council (2015, Nicolls St)… plays for East Cobb Bullets-Council
— SS Dejanae Gage (2015, Southern)… plays for Lil’ Rebels
— C Bailey Hemphill (2016, Alabama)… plays for Louisiana Voodoo
— 1B/OF Sarah Maddox (2016, Texas Tech)… plays for Lil’ Rebels
— P/IF Lauren McIntyre (2015, Radford)… plays for Richmond Storm
— SS Samantha Pederson (2015, Penn)… plays for Firecrackers-Arizona

 

 

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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.