Happy Christmas Eve everyone!  We’re going light on the content today as we all probably have things going on, but want to get you softball news and notes nonetheless! 

There will be a new article tomorrow called “What Christmas Means to Me,” so when you have a free second be sure to check it out (no regular Daily Update tomorrow)!

 

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RECRUIT PROFILE: TUESDAY DERMARGOSIAN

If the name sounds familiar it’s because we did a profile on Tuesday yesterday after she sent in a Recruit Submission forming informing us of her verbal to Texas.

We thought it’d be quite appropriate, then, to profile her more on the day she’s named after!

Her mother, Martina, tells us the special story behind her name:

“During my pregnancy, Tuesday had a lot of complications and was not predicted to live very long once she was born. I didn’t want to pick out a name because I didn’t want to become attached so whatever day she was born on was going to be her name.

Tuesday was born without any health complications. Since I didn’t have a name picked out for her, we stayed with Tuesday, which was the day she was born on. I’ve always believed Tuesday was a special child. She has a heart of gold and laugh that will make you laugh on your worst day.”

 

Grad Year: 2016
Pos: outfield
High School: Northwest (Justin, Texas)
GPA: 3.8
Club: Texas Glory – Adkins
Honors: All-League and All-Academic in softball, varsity basketball “Tiger Award,” 9th grade JV volleyball
College: Texas

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: How did Texas find you and how long were you recruited before the offer came in?
Tuesday DerMargosian: They first saw me play this year at ASA Nationals in Northern California (Sunnyvale). Texas showed interest the first time they saw me play. I attended a camp and after the camp they spoke with my Mom and I about my level of interest.

SSS.com: How did you find out the Longhorns had offered you?
TD: Coach [Connie] Clark made the offer over the phone.

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
TD: There were other schools that were interested and I was keeping my options open but every time we would sit down to discuss where I would play softball, all arrows would point back to Texas. Texas has everything I want in a softball program.

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
I told Coach Clark over the phone with my parents.

SSS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you more nervous or more excited?
TD: I was excited because I was comfortable with the coaches and I knew it was a school I wanted to play for.

SSS.com: How far away from home will be?  Was distance a factor in your decision at all?
TD: I will be 3 hours away from home. My first decision was to go back to the West Coast but after visiting Texas, I fell in love with the campus, the softball staff and the closeness of the school.

SSS.com:  What attributes would you say you have that make you a Big 12 caliber player?
TD: My speed, discipline at the plate and my demeanor on the field.

SSS.com: What’s been your favorite experience in your softball career so far?
TD: I’ve been fortunate enough to play softball in California with Firecrackers Brashear against some of the most elite level of travel ball teams and also being able to play for Coach Keith and Texas Glory Adkins and being able to play with an athletic group of girls that have become some of my closes friends.

 

Quick Hitters

What do you want to major in?
Undecided.

Fill in the blank… When I walk on the field ________________
… the goofy, friendly, outgoing Tuesday is no longer and the competitiveness goes to the next level.

Favorite movie:
Mean Girls.

Least favorite chore:
Washing dishes.

Most fun you’ve ever had:
Spending my summer’s in Cabo San Lucas with my family since I was five.

What’s your dream vacation?
Going to New York and watching the shows on Broadway.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I lived and played sports in Dubai, UAE.

Describe yourself off the field in one word?
Goofy.

What’s your No. 1 goal/New Year’s resolution for 2014?
To break the record for stolen bases at my high school and maintain a GPA of 3.8 or higher.

What’s your favorite motto or phrase you live by? 
My Dad always preaches to my brothers and I the 4 D’s, which we’ve grown up by. The 4 D’s are Desire, Determination, Dedication, and DerMargosian.

 

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2015 HOT 100 CANDIDATE:  ABBY LOCKMAN

Abby Lockman is a junior C/3B who has committed to Tennessee and has played her entire travel ball career with Marty Tyson’s Corona Angels.

Corona Angels

• 10U-2nd place ASA nationals
• 12U-9th place ASA nationals
• 14U-1st place TCS nationals
• 14U-3rd place PGF nationals
• 16U-5th place Louisville Slugger tourney in Colorado
• 16U-1st place TCS nationals

Norco (Calif.) High School

• freshman year-started at 1st base/DP, CIF SS Div 1 champions
• played with big sister pitcher Emily Lockman
• hit .345, 17 RBIs, three home runs
• sophomore year-started at 1st base, CIF SS Div 1 finalist
• got the game winning hit in the semi-final game against Pacifica High
• led her team and the Big VIII in home runs, named All-League 1st team, All-Area and
• All-State 2nd team
• hit .420, 30 RBIs, eight hours

More Info

• Principal’s honor roll every semester maintaining a 3.8 GPA while taking honors and AP classes
• committed to Tennessee in the fall of her freshman year, she was their first 2015 recruit
• her sister Emily Lockman was California’s Ms Softball and Gatorade POY her senior year at Norco and also helped the Nebraska Cornhuskers softball team get to the 2013 WCWS.

 

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2017 PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: ALYSSA KUMIYAMA

One of the top young teams in the country is the So Cal Athletics-Quarles which is led by Shawn Quarles, father of freshman 3B Malia Quarles who has committed to UCLA.

Malia, who we feature in a video clip recently, is headed to UCLA and is one of four 2017 commits on the team going to major programs—the others are P Naomi Dickerson (Penn State), OF Alex Schultz (Oklahoma) and C/1B Alyssa Kumiyama (South Carolina).

The team likes to stay under the radar somewhat but you can’t deny the success Coach Quarles has put together the past couple of years:

• 10U ASA National Champions with Firecrackers-Quarles
• 12U PGF National Champions
• 12U 4th Place Finish ASA National
• 14U 3rd Place Finish PGF (first year 14U team)

Alyssa was the first on the team to verbal and has been with Quarles since 10U. That Firecrackers team had to beat the SoCal Lynx 8-0 in the title game of the ASA Nationals and 4-1 in the first finals game where she hit an RBI single high off the fence to narrowly miss a home run.  In that game she had two singles and plated three of the four runs.

In 2012 was the PGF National Champs in large part to Alyssa’s hot tournament run, which included her leading all players with a .800 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBI.

Last year, her So Cal A’s team finished third but Alyssa again shined, hitting .457 with six doubles, three homers and 12 RBI in 11 games.

She committed to South Carolina this fall and in the video below you’ll see the freshman hitting off Gamecocks head coach Beverly Smith, who she would later commit to that night!

 

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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.