Post-Christmas, we get back into some recruiting news with two profiles of Georgia prospects staying in the SEC and a Calif. player who’ll go Pac-12.  We also have a Christmas Pic of the Day…

 

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RECRUIT PROFILE: AMANDA ABLAN

Grad Year: 2016
Pos: pitcher/third base
High School: Brookwood (Snellville, Ga.)
GPA: 3.5
Club: Georgia Elite
Stats (if known): 21-6 pitching record with 1.24 GPA and 265 strikeouts in 191 1/3 innings including 18 K’s in one win.
Honors: led team to 4^th place finish at State, 1^st Team All-County Pitcher of the Year
College: Georgia

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the Georgia coaches, then how long till offered?
Amanda Ablan: They told me they had seen me play and had an eye on me during the 2012 season and watched me more during the 2013 season, but it was at the PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach, Calif. this year that they got more interested. Then they watched me all through the high school season and it was in October that I made my un-official visit and committed to UGA a few weeks after the visit.

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
AA: It was about two weeks after my in-official visit in October. I fell in love with the campus and the coaches were so nice and I felt so welcomed.

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
AA: I wanted to meet with them on the campus but it was a busy time with school, so I called Coach Lu [Harris-Champer] on the phone.

SSS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you more nervous or more excited?
AA: I was very nervous but at the same time very excited… it felt good.

SSS.com: You were honored as the Gwinnett Daily Post Pitcher of the Year… what did that honor mean to you?
AA: It was really nice to be recognized for my hard work.

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
AA: I can also play multiple positions and that I show no emotions on the mound. I have great movement on the ball when I pitch.

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
AA: Coming in 2^nd place at ASA Nationals our first time in 2010.

 

Quick Hitters (short answers)

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
Married and a good job/career.

Fill in the blank… My favorite thing in the world is: _____
… playing softball.

Favorite food:
Steak.

Least favorite food:
Seafood.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I’ll never tell (laughs).

Describe yourself in one word:
Competitive.

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

What was your top gift request for Christmas?
Money.

What’s your New Year’s “resolution” or No. 1 goal for 2014?
Increasing my pitching speed.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
High school softball coach.

 

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RECRUIT SUBMISSION FORM: ASHLEY MORGAN

Brentt’s note: The Tennessee Vols are perhaps the most active schools in the country in identifying, offering and getting commits from young players.  On our Master Verbal List we have UT with two freshmen and two eighth grade verbals.

Here is a closer look at one of the freshmen that will someday be heading to the SEC school…

High school: Chapel Hill
City: Douglasville
State: 
Ga.
Grad year:  2017
Club: Georgia Impact – Jeffreys
Position(s):  C/OF
Height: 5-6
Nickname: Megatron
College: Tennessee
Other Offers: LSU, South Carolina, Arkansas, Auburn
Why Tennessee: “The experienced coaching and their winning tradition.”

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Speaking of freshmen going to major programs, Sabrina Nunez, a 2017 center fielder with the Sorcerers out of Northern California, has committed to play at Cal.

Sabrina was with another top team in the Firecrackers-Quarles team which she played on for four years before her family moved from Southern California to NorCal.

Says her father, Rafael: “It was especially difficult because our family moved after winning the PGF Championship in 12U with Firecrackers-Quarles and having formed such a strong bond with the Quarles family and her teammates.”

That team also finished 4^th in the 2012 ASA Nationals.

Sabrina is a good all-around athlete, taking first in the long jump and high jump at the Marin Co. School District track meet last summer.

 

*** A prospect to watch in the 2015 class is P/1B Haylee Zimmerman of Missouri Firestix Elite program.

She was with the Oklahoma Firebirds, but wanted to stay at the 16U level when the Firebirds moved to 18U.

Haylee is from Rogers High (Ark.) and as a sophomore in 2013 was All-Conference and set a school record for wins.

She’s not overpowering but has six pitches and has good movement and location.  One reason she’s uncommitted is she was late to the recruiting process, but what will attract colleges who have money still for the junior class is she ahs a 4.036 GPA and 25 ACT.

 

*** More verbals:

— OF Sam Blashinsky (2016, South Florida)… plays for South Florida
— P/1B Jacy Boles (2016, UC Riverside)… plays for California Grapettes
— P Hannah Broseman (2016, Texas Tech)… plays for Texas Storm
— P Parker Conrad (2016, Missouri)… plays for Central Florida Stingrays
— 3B/1B Jessica Johnston (2016, Utah Valley)… plays for Firecrackers-NorCal
— P/1B Ashley Koziol (2014, Youngstown State)… plays for Wasco Diamonds
— C Kennedy Legg (2016, Middle Tennessee St)… plays for American Freedom Gold
— P Naomi Monahan (2015, Hawaii)… plays for Foothill Gold
— IF Stephanie Money (2015, Texas-San Antonio)… plays for Texas Storm
— IF Natalie Orcutt (2015, Appalachian State)… plays for Atlanta Vipers-Loveless
— OF Morgan Rinehart (2014, George Washington)… plays for Vienna Stars
— P Madey Smith (2016, Penn State)… plays for Jersey Intensity
— P Alex Wilcox (2017, Mississippi State)… plays for Birmingham Thunderbolts
— IF Paityn Willoughby (2017, Oregon)… plays for Blaze Gold

 

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CLUB NEWS:

I remember talking to Gary Haning at this year’s PGF Nationals and asking about the Batbusters around the country, like the one in San Diego and the one in Mississippi, and asking if they were part of the growing Batbuster program that was evolving during the summer when Team Mizuno merged with the Batbusters.

Interestingly, I heard recently that the OC Batbusters – Gulf Coast (Miss.) situation is in a quandary—with the recent merger there are legal requirements with teams using the brand name and costs per athlete as well as the Batbuster logo being copyrighted.  From what I’ve heard, the Mississippi team is going off permission granted a few years by Coach Haning justifying it to be a Batbuster program but the merger has different implications.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out…

 

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PIC OF THE DAY:

Got a nice Christmas card from the OC Batbusters-Haning team and its fantastic group of seniors which make it one of the top favorites for a National Championship in 2014.

Here are the 2014’s and the colleges they’re going to (l-r):

• McKenna Arriola (Oregon State)
• Vanessa Hernandez (Fresno State)
• Kaylee Carlson (North Carolina)
• Andie Formby (Virginia)
• Madelyn Jelenicki (UCLA)
• Janell Wheaton (Florida)
• Alysha Everett (Oregon State)

 

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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.