Today is the first day of the Early Signing Period and we have some photos from readers celebrating the signing of LOI’s… again, congrats to all who will be playing at the next level the game they love!  We go to Georgia to profile a 16U team there that’s one to watch and look at a freshman in Kentucky who’s one to watch.

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CLUB PROFILE: EAST COBB BULLETS-BASS 16U

In case you haven’t noticed, and most probably haven’t, Buster Bass has been building a pretty darn good track record recently in the Peach State.

It might be too early to use the “dynasty” label, but for the last two years, the coach has taken a Georgia Impact team to the PGF Nationals and finished in the top five.

If he does it a third time, you can bet everyone nationally will take notice.

Bass coached in the Georgia Impact organization for the last six years and in 2012 took his Impact 14U team to a third place finish in Huntington Beach, Calif. and this past summer took a 16U team to a tie for fifth comprised of mostly first-year 16’s and several 14’s playing up.

Not only did Bass’s teams win, he also put players into colleges: last year’s team had 15 players, for example, and 13 received college offers.

The coach has put his athletes in major programs such as Georgia, Georgia Tech (including two from last year’s team), Tennessee and many others.

With such success it may come as a surprise that Bass is now running a 16U team in the East Cobb Bullets organization, making a switch this fall.

According to Bass, it wasn’t anything dramatic, it was more of wanting a fresh start.

“I felt at the time that we needed a change.  Greg (Schnute, the head of the EC Bullets) and I had talked and he wanted to bring me to the Bullets.  I still talk to the Impact coaches and am very good friends with them, but felt that it was the best thing for me and my family was to go in a different direction.  The Impact did a lot of good things for me and my kids over the years and I was proud to be part of it.”

“Change is inevitable and we had come to cross-roads.  A lot of the players there wanted to go to 18U and I wanted to stay at 16U because I felt that was where I could best help them out so we parted ways on friendly terms.”

With the success and attention from the last few years, it was no surprise when the East Cobb Bullets put on a tryout and 150 kids showed up to compete for a spot on Bass’s new Bullets team.

“That’s a pretty good number for Georgia,” Bass laughs.

Also impressive was that the players who now make up the new roster come from other prestigious programs like the Impact, Atlanta Vipers and Georgia Elite organizations.

“I think our track record of what we do plays a big part in attracting talent,” Bass says.  “Most of these kids we’ve played against them with teams I’ve had in the past and when you’re putting kids in colleges the parents think you must be doing something right.”

If there’s one thing that the coach feels he’s doing right, it’s focusing on team mix that works and plays well together.

“I try to get a diverse type team,” he explains. “I don’t need six players who are the same, I need different personalities and talents to put together to build not just a great team, but a great chemistry to play on a higher level and to have fun together.”

“I think it’s about team chemistry and then competing together,” Bass continues. “I just put the kids on the field, but if they’re not playing as a team then you can put another team against them who’s not as talented that team will beat them every time.”

As for how this new blend of players will do this year, the Georgia native thinks things are shaping up well.

“My team this year will be very, very good.  At the Champions Showcase this past weekend in Marietta, Ga. we didn’t lose a game in the five we played.”

One thing Bass emphasizes is having players who will step up when the pressure’s on.

“I like a kid that believes that every time they step on the field they can win, no matter who they’re playing,” he explains.  “You have to think you’re not second to anybody and you need to get the kids to buy into what you want to do… that’s more than half the battle.”

“I work with our players a lot on the mental side to embrace the big moment instead of being overwhelmed by it.  If it’s bases loaded, you want that kid who, when you look in her eyes, she’s thinking there’s no place I’d rather be than in this moment and in this situation.  This is what teaches them to handle adversity and instills life lessons that go way beyond softball.  When they get done playing softball, these are things that will help kids down the road, from realizing that life isn’t always fair to being able to make hard decisions.”

One of the best parts of all this for the coach is he has his daughter, Kylie, on his team.  The father saw early on his child had an aptitude for sports and soon saw another benefit for him being involved.

“When Kylie was very young, she wanted to play a sport and here we are 10 years later doing the same thing.  She fell in love with it and I figured out I could spend tons of time with my daughter and I fell in love with it too.”

 

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Here’s a player-by-player look at the EC Bullets-Bass 16U team with comments by Head Coach Buster Bass:

— OF/UT Ashley Allen (2015, uncommitted)
“Ashley is a sparkplug type player, she’s a great outfielder who’s a very good teammate too.  Ashley has great qualities in being upbeat and supportive of her teammates.”

— P Mary Wilson Avant (2016, uncommitted)
“Mary is a very talented pitcher who’s working speed is 63-64 mph.  She has a great curve and is a strong competitor who always wants the ball.  Mary is also very strong academically.”

— P Kylie Bass (2015, Georgia Southern)
“Kylie is a lefty pitcher who throws in the low 60’s.  Her best pitch is a slow curveball and she spins well overall.  When not pitching Kylie plays right field for me.  She’s just a bulldog in the circle and pitched 21 innings in a row when we got in the loser’s bracket at PGF.”

— 3B/OF Amber Coy (2016, uncommitted)
“Amber hits the ball very well, has great speed and great arm strength.  She’s one of those kids you can tell really, really wants it.”

— CF Alexis Duncan (2016, uncommitted)
“Alexis is 5-foot-11 and is a phenomenal centerfielder with an even better bat.  She hits the ball a ton and her academic side is through the roof.”

— OF Sarah Flanders (2015, BYU-Hawaii)
“Sarah has played for me for a couple of years now.  When she first came in she was raw but she just blossomed last year.  At PGF she hit her stride and you could see it on her face and in her posture that ‘I can do this.’  She’s one of my favorite kids of all time because you get the same effort and attitude every game.”

— 3B/C Morgan Kazerooni (2015, uncommitted)
“Morgan is very strong academically, she wants to be a forensic scientist.  When I think of Morgan I think ‘power hitter.’  She has the strength to hit the ball 300 feet, that kid can just crush the ball.”

— C Kelli “Mac” McCormack (2015, uncommitted)
“Mac is my starting catcher, she’s a great all-around athlete and I can easily put her at centerfield or shortstop, she’s that versatile. Mac is very coachable and her arm strength is her upside.  She’s so eager to learn how to do things the right way.  She has a great bat too..”

— SS Meredith McLendon (2016, uncommitted)
“I’ve sent kids to LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech—two last year– and Meredith can play at that level.  She attacks the ball and stays in that athlete position and throws from the slot, she’s going to be fantastic.”

— 1B Maggie Morrow (2016, uncommitted)
“Maggie is 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 and she is just power at the plate hitting the ball.  She just kills the ball.  Her strength and size will get her to a really good school.”

— P Kylee Smith (2016, uncommitted)
“Kylee pitched for me a little this weekend and because high school was going on I haven’t seen a lot of her.  She keeps the ball down and spins really nicely.  She’s in the upper 50’s.”

— 2B Sierra Stella (2015, uncommitted)
“Sierra has been my second baseman for the past several years.  She’s a little slapper, a speedster down the line and she makes everything she’s supposed to make and half of what she’s not supposed to. Her dad, Roger Stella, coached the Southeast Little League team that won it all twice a few years ago.”

— 3B Macy Stovall (2015, uncommitted)
“Macy is a preacher’s daughter who give 110 percent effort in everything she does.  She has a great bat and plays third as good as anyone I’ve had.  Macy is also very high academically and has SEC-type interest.”

— SS/UT Marley Stowers (2015, uncommitted)
“Marley is our leadoff batter, she’s a leadoff slapper and is very fast with low 2.7’s to first.  She’s very good defensively as well and has excellent arm strong.  Marley understands the game so well and her base running skills are off the charts.”

— P/1B Kathryn Woody (2015, West Georgia)
“Kathryn is a left-handed pitcher who spins the ball very well and has good off-speed pitchers and she hits the ball well too.  She’s gritty on the mound and wants the ball when it comes down to crunch ball.”

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PROSPECT TO WATCH: CAITLIN KARO

We often profile players who are committed and like to share their story around the recruiting process, but we also like to profile up-and-coming players, especially ones who come from areas that aren’t your traditional recruiting hotbeds.

Caitlin Karo is a promising freshman who has the academics and athletic abilities to play at the next level.  Here’s a closer look at the standout from Kentucky who will be on college radars pretty soon!

Grad Year: 2017
Pos: P/1B
High School: Woodford Co. (Versailles, Ky.)
GPA: 4.0
Club: Louisville Stunners 99
Stats (fall 2013): 72 innings, 1.66 ERA, 55 K; 1.064 on-base percentage

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: What’s it like playing softball in Kentucky, are you finding that the talent and development is as good as high population areas like SoCal or Florida?
Caitlin Karo: There are a lot of talented players in Kentucky, but the talent is spread out across the state.  I think the biggest advantage players in SoCal or Florida have is the weather. We usually spend 4-5 months a year indoors because it’s too cold to play outside, so all we can do is drills and conditioning until it gets warm enough to hit the dirt.  Not being able to play games outside all year long makes it hard to develop like players in warmer states.

SSS.com: You’ve been playing with seven girls now for four years… tell us what it’s like to have that familiarity with a bunch of long-time teammates?
CK: Playing with the same seven girls is a blessing. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we have a family-like bond and we have fun on and off the field. Three of those seven players also play for Woodford County High School, so I go to school and play school ball with them which makes the connection even stronger because we pretty much play softball together all year. The four new girls we got this year fit in with our “family” just fine. When you have a team as close as ours, nothing can break us apart.

SSS.com: If I was a college coach, how would you “sell” yourself and paint a picture of you as a player I should consider or even offer?
CK: I am a determined player with a mindset that nobody is better than me.  I have a great attitude and cheer my teammates on no matter what the score is.  When I am pitching and hitting, I step up and do my job even if it doesn’t help my stats. Softball is a team sport, not an individual sport, and that’s how I play the game.

SSS.com: Do you think softball gets short-changed in publicity and recognition in your state because other sports, namely basketball, are so popular?
CK: Basketball and football are very popular sports in Kentucky and get a lot of publicity.  Softball doesn’t get talked about a lot in the news, but the success of the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville’s softball teams the past few years has helped to give softball more recognition.  UK hosted the SEC tournament last season and the fan support was great!

SSS.com: What are some of the big events your club team will be playing in this upcoming year?
CK: Our goal is to play at the 14U ASA Nationals, so we will be playing several qualifier tournaments.  We will also try to play a couple showcases.  We don’t have a set schedule yet, but we will start the summer travel season in mid-June after our high school softball playoffs end.

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player?
CK: My travel ball coach, Les Anderson, told me I was the most accurate pitcher he has ever coached.  I am also a powerful hitter.

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
CK: My top two favorite memories of playing softball are both from middle school. My favorite was winning our middle school regional tournament when I was in 6^th grade.  I had not played a lot for our 8^th grade team during the year, but at the regional tournament we got beat in the first championship game and I pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief.  I started the second game and pitched a complete game and we won the region championship 10-1.

My second favorite was during my 7^th grade year.  Our rival, Scott County, had beaten us to win the region, and we played them for the championship in the state tournament.  Not only were we rival schools, but several of my travel team teammates played for Scott County.  I remember it being really cold and rainy that night.  I had a big hit late in the game and pitched a complete game to lead my team to a 5-4 victory, and we won the state middle school championship.

 

Quick Hitters:

What do you do when not on the field?
School work, pitching and hitting practice, and spending time with my family and teammates.

Fill in the blank… The most fun I have is:
… team bonding after a long day playing in a tournament. We all go to a teammate’s room and just talk and have a blast.

Favorite song:
Royals by Lorde

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I wear the same men’s shoe size as my dad (9.5).

What’s your motto or favorite saying?
When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, give life one thousand reasons to smile.

With Thanksgiving coming up, what are you most thankful for?
I’m most thankful for everyone who has supported me in playing softball for so many years.

What do you want to do as a profession?
Physical Therapist

The Holidays are fast approaching, what’s the No. 1 gift request you have in for Santa?
A new bed because I’ve outgrown my old one! 

 

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SIGNING NEWS:

*** Kudos to Martin Luther King High in Riverside, Calfi. which had three pitchers sign to play at the next level.  How many times do you see three hurlers from one class sign LOIs in the same year from the same school?  Pretty impressive.

— We got a nice note from Todd Pollard, a coach and teacher at MLK, who wrote:

“It was my sincere pleasure to be a part of the signing ceremony this morning (11/13/13) at my high school.”

“I have taught at King for 13 years and today marked one of the proudest days in my tenure. We had three very talented and dedicated young ladies realize their dreams as they signed their NLI’s before family, friends, coaches and teammates:

— Sarah Costlow (pitcher), committed to George Washington University
— Alexis Osorio (pitcher), committed to the University of Alabama
— Bryana Clark (pitcher), committed to South Dakota State University

“As a teacher, friend and coach, I am remarkably proud of these student-athletes. They all have bright futures indeed.”

— We also heard from Bryana’s grandmother, Mary Cessna, who said:

“Attended the early signing for King athletes this morning. Very nice celebration with balloons and banners for each athlete. Short speeches given by Athletic Director, principal, coaches and the athletes themselves. Very well done! Kudos to the King High School activities director who organized and decorated for the event.”

 

*** Thanks to Tessa McGuire who wrote to send us a picture of daughter Rowan McGuire signing her LOI to go to Georgia Southern.

Rowan was part of the Beverly Bandits 16U team that won the PGF Nationals this past summer.  The senior outfielder/catcher is now on the Bandits’ Team Premier-18U squad.

So why Georgia Southern?

“(Head Coach) Annie Smith is a tireless recruiter and we are so excited to have Rowan playing there,” wrote the athlete’s mother. “She (Smith) has created a winning program and has plans to get better still. Rowan has been recruited as a utility. She prefers outfield but is a good catcher as well. She is a power hitting lefty and a spirited teammate.”

 

*** Maria Pappano, a 2014 middle infielder and pitcher for the Ohio Pumas, has signed with the Univ. of Findlay.

Says her father, Bill Pappano: “Her high school is putting something together and taking a photo for the local paper on Tuesday.”

 

*** Kelsey Johnson, a 2014 centerfielder with the Battery Lightning Gold, has signed with the Univ. of Buffalo.

 

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RECRUITING NEWS

*** Bill Conroy, head of the Beverly Bandits, sent out a note saying:

“Congratulations to Jordyn Cordell (2015, 2B/3B), who verbally committed to attend school on a softball scholarship at the University of Loyola.”

“Congratulations to all 24 Beverly Bandits that signed their National Letters of Intent today! Our largest class ever!”

 

*** More verbals:

— Paige Hess, a 2014 third baseman/shortstop for the Arizona Hotshots, is headed to Siena College
— Seana Moriarty, a second baseman for Legends Elite Gold, has committed to Norfolk State
— Oliva Russ, a 2015 infielder with the Firecrackers-Clarke team, has picked Georgetown
— Samantha Scott, a 2016 pitcher/1B for the Lady Jaxx, has committed to Tennessee Martin
— Tara Trainer, a 2015 pitcher for the Ohio Lasers, has committed to Indiana
— Emily Watson, a 2014 pitcher for the Oklahoma Force, will play at Tulsa
— Madeline Wensel, a 2015 catcher/shortstop for Team Pennsylvania, is headed to Lafayette

 

 

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ASA PROPOSALS – A COACH’S RESPONSE

Jeff Filali is a frequent contributor to StudentSportsSoftball.com and has a unique perspective as he’s the GM and founder of Tulsa Elite and coaches the 16U team while also serving as an assistant at Butler Community College, which last year was ranked No. 1 in the nation and has gone to the NJCAA Div. 1 World Series three of the last four years.

Coach Filali sent along his thoughts to our article posted this week titled “Key Proposals Highlight ASA Meeting.”  Here are his thoughts…

 

On ASA voting whether to allow 18U eligible college freshman to play Gold again:

My opinion is let the college kids play, it was huge mistake changing it in the first place. I would love to see Gold be expanded to 23U so all college kids who want to play during their summer, are allowed.

Plus, allowing 23U into Gold would give the college kids who want to play a place to play and would help prepare the 17-19 year olds who are entering college the next year anyway.  Then we would have Gold (23U), 18A, 16A, etc.

One possible problem would be the “Hired Guns” which was part of many people’s complaints about college players being brought in to come play for one or two events per summer to guarantee a top finish.  I think they could word into the rule changes a geographical limitation and a non-former player limit that would help prevent this from getting out of hand.

Maybe something like limiting it to no more then 2 college players who didn’t previously play for the Organization/Team and if they didn’t previously play for the team or organization, they had to either A) reside within the state where the team was based or within a set mileage radius; or B) their college had to be within the same state where the team was based or within a set mileage radius.

Next, they should restrict kids 16U and down to playing only in their true age group in championship play. This would make every age group more competitive and create a better balance of teams in 16U and 14U.    Now teams would still be allowed to play up one age group during “Open” tournaments, the roster restrictions would only effect Championship play.

In our organization, we already restrict our kids to playing in their true age groups, except for a few rare exceptions, the entire team plays up one age group in “Open” events, but they play their own age for Championship play.  This summer we finished 5th at ASA Gold, 13th at ASA/USA 16A, 7th at ASA/USA 14A and 2nd at ASA 10A Northern Nationals; our 12U teams didn’t go, but finished runner-up at USSSA World Series.

My proposed ASA JO Divisions:

Gold – any player who was at least 17 and under 24 by 11:59pm on December 31st the previous year.  If a player has participated in a college practice, they must play for their former travel team or within the same Organization that they previously played on prior to college or on a team within their state of residence or the same state that their college is located.

18″A” – any player who was at least 17 and under 19 by 11:59pm on December 31st the previous year, but hasn’t participated in a college practice.

16″A” – any player who was at least 15 and under 17 by 11:59pm on December 31st the previous year.

14″A” – any player who was at least 13 and under 15 by 11:59pm on December 31st the previous year.

12″A” – any player who was at least 11 and under 13 by 11:59pm on December 31st the previous year.

10″A” – any player who was at least 9 and under 11 by 11:59pm on December 31st the previous year.

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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.