A lot of recruiting news to report today so we’re jumping into profiles and news from California, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio and Texas but first ask for your opinion on what you’d like us to cover.  Also, be sure to check out our Pic of the Day at the end and see if they aren’t the two cutest kids ever (nepotism alert)!

 

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BRENTT NOTE:

No club profile today as I’ve been going all day getting recruiting news, including verbals and trip news.

Also, I will be traveling to Florida Wednesday for the Diamond9 Sun Classic so this week will be a bit unusual in terms of content as Thursday through Sunday will be onsite at the event.

Finally, thought this would be a good time to reach out to our softball audience and see what YOU want covered on StudentSportsSoftball.com… what do you want more of? less of?

Here’s what you can choose from:

* player profiles
* recruiting news
* club team spotlights
* player blogs
* coach Q&A’s
* lists
* photos
* vidoes
* event coverage
* other

E-mail me: brentt@studentsports.com with your ideas… the great thing about this site is we control the content and can make it whatever you’d like!

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Rachelle Benavides, a 2017 infielder who plays for the Texas Bombers, has committed to Florida State.

Rachelle committed to the Seminoles Sunday morning on an unofficial visit to the Tallahassee, Fla. school along with Hot 100 senior Morgan Klaevemann (ranked #94… here’s her bio), who was on her official visit.

We spoke to Recruiting Director Brian Repole of the Texas Bombers today and he gave us a nice scouting report on the freshman shortstop/second baseman.

“Rachelle does so many things well,” he started.  “The glove is super slick and her game sense is way above a freshman level.  Her softball IQ is phenomenal and she has a great presence at the plate.  Ton of folks were looking at her, but she loved the warm weather and the scenery of Florida.”

“Rachelle was on our elite 16U team up to Colorado when she joined the Gold team and went to Premier with us.  She’s also a great student—you think you’re talking to a college graduate.  She’s a hard worker who’s developing her softball skills in the gym by working out.”

 

*** We did a short piece on Jessica Wireman from Kentucky in our 10.10.13 Daily Update; below is the write-up done then as a “2014 Uncommitted 2014 Profile” —but first congrats go out to Jessica for committing to Eastern Illinois (uncommitted no more!).

Jessica Wireman is a 2014 P/OF/MIF/UT player who led her Louisville (Ky.) Male High team to its first ever trip to the Kentucky State Tournament as a junior last season.

She plays travel ball with Cincy Doom Gold from Cincinnati, Ohio, and has a goodt deal of experience and success at high level ASA tournaments and various exposure showcases with them.

Jessica was a nominee for the Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year this past season,and was an NFCA Player of the Week as well.

During the past high school season, Jessica was used in the circle for the team’s “big” games at early season tournaments then again to carry the team through the end of the season, playoffs and into the state tournament with victories over Ballard HS, Scott Co (twice) and Sacred Heart Academy.

Statistically, she ended the season with a 10-2 record with the two losses coming in the state tournament and only 13 earned runs over 94 innings.

She also played centerfield and hit from the leadoff position where she lead the team in average (.449), runs (38), hits (53), triples (6), steals (21) and on-base percentage (.507).

Jessica has a 3.3 GPA and was an Academic All-State softball player in 2013.

 

*** Kudos to the Chill and Coach Gerry Quinn’s program, which continues to roll out verbals.  We recently profiled Stephanie Lombardo’s

verbal to Wisconsin and today we have Alexis Solak, a 2015 infielder/outfielder, finalizing her college choice: Pitt.

Alexis, who was All-Conference this year for Naperville (Ill.) North, also plays volleyball.  For her softball team she’s the leadoff hitter and plays short, but is versatile to play many positions.

“”Alexis has put in the work to become a great ball player and it shows,” explains Coach Quinn of the Chill.

“Everything she does fundamentally is very sound.  On defense when she plays third base for us she always finds the good hop and then backs it up with a quick, strong and accurate throw.”

“As a hitter, she is a consistent extra base hit threat who is now utilizing the entire ballpark. She complements her on field skills by being eminently coachable and a great teammate.”

 

*** More verbals…

— Kelcey Carrasco, a 2016 catcher/third baseman with the San Jose Sting-Peralas team, has committed to Michigan State.
— Jordan Sullivan, a 2015 outfielder with the Ohio Lasers Blue, has verballed to Ohio University
— Natalie Alas, the 2015 outfielder/middle infielder with the Firecrackers-Blanco team, has committed to Sacramento State

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RECRUITING PROFILE: ALEXIS LINDSEY

Grad Year: 2016
Pos: 1B/OF
Club Team: California Kryptonite
High School: Leigh (San Jose, Calif.)
GPA/ACT or SAT: 3.85 GPA
Stats: led the league in batting average and slugging percentage
Honors: softball: BVAL-MH Freshman of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year; basketball: BVAL-MH Honorable Mention

***

StudentSportsSoftball.com: How did South Carolina first found out about you?
Alexis Lindsey: At the end of May of this year, Coach Beamon, assistant coach at South Carolina, contacted my club interested in me. From my understanding, he had gotten my name from the OnDeck Camp in Hemet, Calif.

They researched me on the Cal Kryptonite website and saw my high school stats from the previous season on MaxPreps. He and Coach Smith, Head Coach of South Carolina, then went and watched me play at the OnDeck Hemet June Jamboree. They also came and watched games at PGF Nationals and ASA Nationals that I played in.

 

SSS.com: When did you get the offer?
AL: They invited me to attend their Elite Camp during Labor Day weekend. I attended the camp where they offered me a position on the team.

SSS.com: Whom else did you consider?
AL: After the Hemet Jamboree my club was contacted by Washington, Minnesota, Michigan State and others including South Carolina who expressed an interest in me.

SSS.com: Tell us how you decided South Carolina was the school for you…
AL: Growing up I had always wanted to play at the highest level of play I could get to, and I feel the SEC is a very strong conference to play in. At first I didn’t even realize South Carolina was a school I would be interested in, but after researching what they had to offer and visiting the campus I knew that it was a perfect fit for me. I was very excited when they offered me the chance to play for them and it was a easy yes.

SSS.com: What are your thoughts about playing all the way across the country?
AL: Being from California, I had always wanted to see the South and see a different part of the country and I felt like this opportunity gives me the perfect chance to do it.

SSS.com: Did they tell you they like you at a particular position?
AL: I am primarily a first baseman and a left handed power hitter, which is what they told me they were looking for.

 

Quick Hitters

What was the most recent concert or movie you attended? I like country music, so the last concert I attended was Jason Aldean.
Is there one thing you’d love to have for Christmas/holidays? For Christmas I would like to have a new softball bat.
If we asked your friends or family to describe you in one word, what do you think they’d say? If my friends and family were asked to say one word that describes me they would say “funny,” “confident” or “driven,” but if you were to ask my sister it would be something more like “dork.”

 

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2014 UNCOMMITTED PROSPECT:  KAITLYN LANKSBURY

An evaluator we trust wrote saying, “I wanted to let you know of a kid that has really fallen through the cracks… Kaitlyn Lanksbury, she is a 2014 3B/2B and plays with the Irvine Sting.”

Lanksbury has some schools looking at her, but she’s still available and any school looking for a left side infielder might want to take a look.

She’s played on the California Cruisers, the OC Lionettes and is now on the Sting and our insider says, “she probably has as many home runs or multi-hit games as any player on the roster.  She just had two yesterday at Surf City in Hemet, Calif. against the Batbusters and Minors Gold.”

The scouting report on Kaitlyn goes as follows:

“At third base she has a top quality arm with better than average lateral movement and a sure glove. She is a big hitter with foul pole-to-foul pole power and can drive the ball to all fields. A smart player, she knows the game and can contribute right away

Here’s a video clip: Kaitlyn Lanksbury

Contact info: parents are Brent and Danielle Lanksbury
Dad e-mail: thumbstrumb@yahoo.com
Mom e-mail: luvmysoftballgirl@yahoo.com

 

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Over the weekend we ran a compelling piece submitted by club coach Mark Griggs of the Witchita Mustangs about changes he’d make in early recruiting as well as suggestions concerning other softball issues.  Here’s a link to the article titled: The State of Softball: How I See It

We got an interesting email from a reader responding to Coach Griggs’ opinions… here it is:

***

I respect Coach Griggs’ opinion, but if universities are not getting quality from their early commitments, the pressure of performance and MONEY will cause them to cease the practice. A rule to change this would be hard and fast. It does not allow flexibility.

My granddaughter is a high school sophomore and plays on an 18U Gold travel team which she made at age 14. In October of 2013, she verbally committed to a major university. At the time, she had three scholarship offers and an invitation from another major school to visit and see a football game.

In her freshman year in high school, she went out for Indoor Winter Track because Varsity Softball didn’t start until March. She set two school records and finished third in the state in her sprint event. You see why there was strong interest.

I am a firm believer in the right of individual choice and a restrictive rule would eliminate that choice for hundreds of young ladies.

–Bill Noble

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PIC OF THE DAY:

It’s a case of “good news/bad news” for me (Brentt) this week.  The bad news is I will miss Halloween with my two little guys, Ashton (6 years old, on the left below) and Kailen (7) as I’ll be at the Diamond9 Sun Classic from Wednesday through Sunday.

The good news is I got to see my little video game characters, Mario and Luigi, in costume last Saturday at a church activity called “trunk or treat” so I did have a mini-Halloween.

And the really good news is I get to see some awesome softball being played this week… very excited!

 

 

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If you’d like to submit information, forward to brentt@studentsports.com.  Also, follow us on twitter at @SS_Softball.