We liked the Peach State so much after our Monday profile of the EC Bullets that we decided to head back and profile an 18U team that might have the youngest club head coach in the nation!  We also spotlight in greater detail one of the players announced today in our Hot 100 and list the roster of the talented young players we’ll see tomorrow at the National Elite Camp.  We have some recruiting news and finish with a profile of a top 2016 prospect from Mississippi…

 

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TEAM PROFILE: GEORGIA KNOCKOUTS

Michael Klim has always been around softball players as his sister, Kylie, played for the East Cobb Bullets, one of the top programs in the country.

“There were always players around my house,” he remembers.  “I’ve grown up with them and they became friends.  Now many are in college.  I probably know about 40 players at universities around the country—10 or 12 at Mississippi State and Georgia, for example.

He’s also very close to Mississippi State senior infielder Heidi Shape who he says is his best friend.

“Heidi lives with my family and is like a sister to me.”

Three years ago Klim, who grew up playing baseball and said he was better mentally than physically in the sport, got into softball as an assistant, helping in the dugout and doing miscellaneous work.

“I enjoyed being around the game and helped with scouting reports,” he says of his first foray into softball coaching.

The next year he helped Bullets head coach Michael Syrop by coaching third and helping run onfield stuff.  Syrop was impressed and recommended Klim to another Bullets coach, Steve Palazzo, who ran an 18U team.  Klim was brought in and coached first and did more onfield work.

When Palazzo stepped down to coach his youngest daughter’s team, Klim was asked to take over.  His skills were noticed outside the organization too and the Georgia Impact program invited him to coach a 16U team.

Klim surprised many when he politely declined to coach in either of the prestigious organizations and, instead, took the helm at a program that had been under the radar for the last few years, the Georgia Knockouts.

Many wondered, why not stay with the Bullets where he had built goodwill and relationships with players and parents?

It’s at this point we have to introduce a key point, maybe the most important element of Klim’s story… he’s only 23 years old.

“Being a younger coach, I feel like I connected with the players and the parents appreciated what I could do to help them,” he beings.

“Last year, as I was with the Bullets-Palazzo team and began to help more and more, I guess I generated trust in the players and their parents and when Steve said he was stepping down, parents asked me what I was going to do.  Several said, ‘Wherever you go, we’ll go,’ so I broke off and created my own team.”

He says this not in an arrogant or unappreciative way, but more like a young man confident in his abilities, clear in his ideas on how to build a team and his own successful career path.

“I’ve been blessed to have great mentors around me, from Keith Pauly, Michael Syrop and Greg Schnute to friends at The Pitcher’s Mound in Deluth, Ga., a hitting facility, which has put girls at schools like Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama among others.”

“We (he and the players) were at a crossroads on where to go and I reached out to a friend and he suggested we go talk the to Knockouts.  I came to the Knockouts because I wanted to have my own team, bring the core girls over and make my own decisions. Greg (Schnute) has been great to me, but I want to be able to make my own decisions and be my own boss.”

With an invitation from the Knockouts to run the team, Klim brought in the five non-graduated players from the EC Bullets-Palazzo team and found others predominantly in the Marietta and Kennesaw areas, with the farthest coming from Gainesville, Fla., about five hours away.

One of his first duties was to bring in Amanda Henderson, the ace pitcher for Kennesaw State, as his pitching coach.  With his dozens of friends and contacts who are current college players, Klim says he’ll bring in a lot of college players to mentor and tutor his team.

As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an assistant coach at The Walker School, a 1A private school in Marietta, Ga.  It’s a different level of talent, he admits, as only one of the 14 on the team players softball outside high school.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to help teach and get back to the fundamental basics of softball.  Plus, it’s fun for me and we have a great time.”

Still, he knows being so young will put him under the microscope and leave margin for error before the age issue gets brought up.

“I fell my age is actually an advantage,” he explains.  “I can relate to the players and can speak their language, plus I can bring in athletes who are a little bit older to help them and are where they want to get to.”

The answer to questions about his youth and lack of long-term experience, he says, is to work that much harder.

“It’s a lot of shaking hands and meeting people right now,” Klim says.  “Tonight I’m driving an hour to go watch high school games and to be seen and recognized as someone who helps his players and is recognized as being trustworthy.”

“I’m lucky, he laughs.  “I’m younger and have to outwork the competition to get where I want to be, but this is a great opportunity and I have a lot of great people around me to help make sure it’s all about helping the players.”

***

Here’s a player-by-player look at the Georgia Knockout team with comments by Coach Michael Klim:

— P/1B Bridgette Flaherty (2014, Louisville)
“Bridgette is a hard-throwing lefty. She throws mid-to-high 60’s and has hit the 70 mph mark a few times now. She is also a big bat in our lineup with her ability to hit the ball out of the park.  She has a great work ethic and is always looking for ways to improve her game.”

— 3B Katie Collis (2014, uncommitted)
“Katie will probably end up being our next player to commit. She has multiple offers on the table. Katie is one of our biggest offensive threats and does a great job at seeing good pitches and getting deep in the count. She is another home run threat whenever she comes to the plate.”

— SS/2B/OF Katie Nichols (2015, uncommitted)
“Katie is probably the most versatile athlete on our team. Her athleticism allows her to play numerous positions. She has recently been named 1st Team All-Region as a shortstop in high school ball. Katie does a great job of being able to hit the ball the other way and using her speed to turn those into extra base hits. She is continuing to explore her options at the next level.”

— OF Brenna Skalski (2014, uncommitted)
“Brenna is by far the fastest girl on our team. Her ability to lay the bunt down as a slapper gives her a great chance to get on base. She also has the ability to set her feet and hit for power. In the outfield she covers a lot of ground and has become a lot more aggressive as a center fielder going after balls. Brenna has narrowed the recruiting process down to the last few schools and should be making a decision this fall.”

— C/OF Bailee Barker (2015, uncommitted)
“Bailee comes to us from Gainesville, Fla. She is a true vocal leader behind the plate. Defensively, she does a great job blocking and has a strong arm. Offensively, she does well with pitch selection and hitting good pitches. Bailee has now been on visits to a couple of DI schools, but this will be a big season for her as she gets deeper into the recruiting process.”

— P/1B McKenzie Peace (2014, LaSalle)
“Mckenzie is from the Atlanta area, but spent last year playing with the Illinois Force. She is going to be a key part of our pitching staff. McKenzie is a hard-throwing pitcher who has the ability to locate the ball well.  She is also a home run threat when she steps to the plate.”

— P/1B Lanie Angel (2015, uncommitted)
“Lanie is that ideal frame you look for in a pitcher. She is probably 5-foot-11 and has great upside. She is really just beginning to use her strong frame to develop into a big time pitcher. Lanie has great spin on her pitches and we are just now adding the speed. The sky is the limit for her.”

— 3B/2B/OF Megan Pittman (2015, uncommitted)
“Megan is probably our biggest home run threat in the lineup. She has the ability to hit the ball out of the park every time she is in the batter’s box. She was under the radar because she is from a small town in North Georgia. Recently she has attracted the attention of a lot of college coaches and the offers have begun to pile in. Megan was recently named GHSA 5-AAA Defensive player of the Year. This year is going to be huge for her recruiting wise.”

— C Noah Sudderth (2014, Georgia Gwinnett College)
“Noah is another big bat in our lineup. She is another one that has the ability to hit the ball out of the park. In high school she is the starting catcher for AAA powerhouse Buford High School and is a great vocal leader behind the plate. She chose Georgia Gwinnett College over some major D1 programs so that she could stay near home.”

— 1B/OF Hayley Sims (2015, uncommitted)
“Hayley is a versatile athlete. She is coming to us from Carrolton, Ga. and she has flown under the radar to a lot of colleges because she has only been playing “A” ball for two years. She recently got interest from some top level D1 programs. Hayley plays first base and outfield and is a lefty with great speed who can slap or hit for power.”

— OF Taylor Hogan (2014, Berry College)
“Taylor is an exciting player to watch. She has the ability to slap or set her feet and hit for power. She covers a lot of ground in the outfield and gets great jumps on the ball. She is a steal threat every time is on the bases.”

 

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EVENT PREVIEW: THE NATIONAL ELITE CAMP

This is an exciting week for evaluating young softball talent as the National Elite Camp produced by OnDeck Softball’s Derek and Joann Allister takes place Thursday and Friday at Mt. SAC in Walnut, Calif.

This is a must-see event for elite colleges who will watch 78 of the top young players in fastpitch do drills on Thursday and play games on Friday.

We’ll be there tomorrow and Thursday’s Daily Update will be focused on the camp.

Here’s the list of players who are committed to attend:

Color & #	Year	First Name	Last Name	Position	Travel Team
Lt Blue 1	2015	Brianna	Betschel	OF	OC Batbusters
Lt Blue 2	2015	Shelby	Kennedy	OF/MI	AZ Cats Gold
Lt Blue 3	2015	Lexi	Lotito	MI/OF	SoCal Choppers 16U
Lt Blue 4	2015	Emily	Morrow	MI/OF	Firecrackers
Lt Blue 5	2015	Shyan	Crutcher	MI	Atwater Synergy 18U
Lt Blue 6	2015	Kennedy	Johnson	1B	Corona Angels Howard
Lt Blue 7	2015	Meehra	Nelson	P	Bownet Gold
Lt Blue 8	2015	Rhianna	Rich	MI	CA Cruisers Gold
Lt Blue 9	2015	Taylor	Stephen	1B/3B	American Athletics Gold
Lt Blue 10	2015	Keely	Walsh	C/1B	SoCal Choppers
Black 1	2016	Taryn	Atlee	MI	OC Batbusters 16U
Black 2	2016	Schuyler	Broussard	MI	OC Batbusters/Mizuno
Black 3	2016	Teaghan	Cowles	C/3B	OR Team Mizuno
Black 4	2016	Hannah	Howell	OF/MI	SoCal Athletics 16U
Black 5	2016	Katie	Kibby	P/OF	Sorcerers 16U
Black 6	2016	Kiwi	McDaniel	MI	KG Hitters
Black 7	2016	Shannon	Rhodes	1B/3B	TX Mizuno Impulse
Black 8	2016	Miranda	Rohleder	MI/3B	KS Wichita Mustangs Gold
Black 9	2016	Megan	Smith	OF/MI	SoCal Choppers 16U
Black 10	2016	Caitlyn	Sung	OF/MI	OC Batbusters
Black 11	2016	Elena	Topete	C/3B	CA Grapettes
Black 12	2016	Karter	Williams	MI/OF	SoCal Breakers Imoto
Black 13	2016	Alyssa	Barrera	OF/MI	CA Firecrackers Brashear
Black 14	2016	Breezy	Burton	C/3B	TX Sudden Impact 16U
Black 15	2016	Haley	Finn	MI	Explosion Gold
Black 16	2016	Karlee	Johnson	MI/3B	AZ Storm Gold
Black 17	2016	Kendall	Judge	P/3B	IL Hawks - Judge
Black 18	2016	Kate	Kruger	1B/OF	Bownet 16U
Black 19	2016	Anna	Kufta	3B	CA Firecrackers Rico
Black 20	2016	Miranda	Miles	1B/OF	NorCal Firecrackers
Black 21	2016	Saige	Miller	MI/OF	SoCal Choppers
Black 22	2016	Anna	Pacha	P	TX Sudden Impact 16U
Black 23	2016	Emily	Ramelot	MI/3B	OC Batbusters
Black 24	2016	Alejandra	Rascon	C/3B	Sorcerer 16U
Black 25	2016	Sydney	Warriner	P/1B	Beverly Bandits
Black 26	2016	Jenna	Cone	C/3B	CA Cruisers Gold
Black 27	2016	Delaney	Elling	C/1B	NJ Cheetahs
Black 28	2016	Shelby	Jeffries	P/1B	WA Team Seattle
Black 29	2016	Sierra	Mello	MI/OF	Sorcerer Gold
Black 30	2016	Autumn	Storms	P/1B	OC Batbusters 16U
Black 31	2016	Harley	Wells	P/1B	SoCal Choppers 16U
Royal 1	2017	Victoria	Galvan	P/1B	NJ Intensity Gold
Royal 2	2017	Brooke	Cantillo	OF	Explosion 16U
Royal 3	2017	Hannah	Martinez	3B	OC Batbusters/Mizuno
Royal 4	2017	Kiana	Cisneros	C/OF	OC Batbusters
Royal 5	2017	Ivy	Davis	P/MI	Firecrackers Davis
Royal 6	2017	Megan	McMenemy	3B	Beverly Bandits
Royal 7	2017	Savanna	Bonola	3B/MI	TX Blaze
Royal 8	2017	Alexis	Allen	1B/OF	Ca Firecrackers Brashear
Royal 9	2017	Lilly	Bishop	C/1B	SoCal Athletics 16U
Royal 10	2017	Shaye	Bowden	C/MI	AZ Hotshots Householder
Royal 11	2017	Cristonia	Caccamise	C/3B	CA SD Power Surge
Royal 12	2017	Denae	Chatman	P/MI	AZ Storm 14U
Royal 13	2017	Maddy	Dwyer	P/MI	CA Team Mizuno
Royal 14	2017	Lauren	Espalin	C/OF	CA Team Mizuno
Royal 15	2017	Maddie	Flores	MI	OC Batbusters/Mizuno
Royal 16	2017	Natalie	Lugo	P	OC Batbusters/Mizuno
Royal 17	2017	Emme	Martinez	C/3B	Corona Angels 14U
Royal 18	2017	Jordan	Matthews	MI/OF	Batbusters/Team Mizuno
Royal 19	2017	Teiya	Mauga	3B	OC Batbusters Mauga
Royal 20	2017	Maddie	Morgan	MI/2B/OF	WA Team Seattle
Royal 21	2017	Kelsey	Munoz	P/MI	CA SD Power Surge
Royal 22	2017	Briana	Perez	MI	Sorcerers 16U
Royal 23	2017	Konner	Dahlberg	P/1B	CA SD Power Surge
Royal 24	2017	Mariah	Mazon	P/1B	Corona Angels
Royal 25	2017	Saige	Pye	C/MI	AA Sports Academy
Grey 1	2018	Rachel	Cid	MI	KG Hitters
Grey 2	2018	Makenna	Harper	P/1B	So Cal Wicked
Grey 3	2018	Alyssa	Molina	P/1B	Corona Angels 14U
Grey 4	2018	Alyssa	Podhurcak	MI	OC Batbusters Briggs
Grey 5	2018	Anna	Vines	MI/OF	Corona Angels 14U
Grey 6	2018	Kenzie	Bolin	MI	SoCal Athletics 14U
Grey 7	2018	Grace	Green	P/MI	Sorcerers 16U
Grey 8	2018	Jacqueline	Jones	MI/OF	Corona Angels
Grey 9	2018	Alyssa	Pinto	OF/1B	NorCal Firecrackers
Grey 10	2018	Colleen	Sullivan	C/3B	OC Batbusters/Mizuno
Grey 11	2018	Megan	Faraimo	P/1B	Corona Angels 14U
Grey 12	2018	Madison	Pacini	C/OF	SD Batbusters 14U

 

 

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RECRUITING PROFILE: HOLLY WARD

If you follow our Hot 100 list of 2014’s, you saw today that Holly Ward was rated No. 24.

There’s a lot of fascinating info about Holly so let’s jump right in!

Year: 2014
High school: Haleyville (Ala.)
Club Team: NC Lady Lightning (N.C.)
Honors: back-to-back state championships, two-time state MVP, state All-Tournament team, 2013 Super All-State (top 10 in state, others were all seniors), MaxPreps NFCA Player of the Week for South Region (5/13/13), Max Preps 1^st Team All-American for Medium Schools.
Stats: 27-9 with a 0.89 ERA. In 250 innings she had 310 strikeouts and batted .419 with 67 hits, 50 RBIs, 27 Doubles and five home runs.
Start in Softball: Holly started in t-ball at four years old and has played every year since.
Giving Back: This fall she helped coach a 14U team that consisted of girls from the surrounding communities.  She also has about eight pitching students that she gives lessons to every week.  In the fall of 2012 she organized a softball camp put on by Haleyville High School to teach hitting and fielding to raise money for a teammate’s family adopting two orphans from China.

***

StudentSportsSoftball.com: Tell us about the recruiting process with Miss. State… how did they first see you, when were you offered and how/where/why did you commit!
Holly Ward: Miss. State first saw my pitching video on YouTube. My pitching instructor, Kerri Foster, made this video and sent it to (Mississippi State Head Coach) Vann (Stuedemann) and several other coaches for me.

I then attended a pitching camp in the fall of 2011 at Mississippi State. In the spring of 2012, Vann came to Gulf Shores to watch me pitch in a game with my high school team.  I called her that night and she made me an offer.

I was being recruited by several colleges at this time so I asked Vann if I could have some time to think about it.  In the summer of 2012 I attended the Mississippi State softball camp. During the camp I got to see a lot of the campus and experience the environment of Miss. State.

After working with “Vanntastic” in the pitching portion of the camp, I knew I belonged at Mississippi State.  In the summer of 2012 in Denver, Col. I called Vann and committed.

SSS.com: What do you think are your greatest strengths as a pitcher?
HW: My greatest strengths as a pitcher have always been my stamina and spin. The longer I pitch the stronger I get.

SSS.com: What’s an area or two you’d like to improve:
HW: Speed and accuracy.

SSS.com: Has it always been softball only or have you played other sports?
HW:When I was younger I played softball, basketball and volleyball.  Basketball ended in 7th grade. When I committed to Mississippi State, I quit volleyball

SSS.com: Talk about the sacrifices you make to be an elite player going to an SEC school…
HW: To be an elite player you have to commit a lot of time to your sport. You miss a lot of social events.  You have to be dedicated to achieve your dream.

SSS.com: What are some of the highlights of your softball career?
HW: I started pitching on my varsity high school team in the seventh grade when I was 12 years old.  I have been Haleyville’s starting pitcher for six years. We have made it to Regionals every year, to State for the past three years and we won state the past two years. I was MVP of the state tournament both years.

 

Quick Hitters:
Favorite color: maroon and white
Favorite music/musician: Lady Antebellum
Favorite movie:  For the Love of the Game
What’s one thing you’d take with you if you lived overseas? My phone!
Fill in the blank… what’s one thing you wouldn’t be caught dead… without mascara
Favorite school subject: English
Least favorite school subject: History
Vacation: would you go to Europe, Asia, Hawaii, Africa or Alaska… Hawaii, because I love the beach.

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** News out of the Bownet 18U Gold organization… 2015 pitcher Cielo Meza has committed to Long Beach State.

She is the second pitcher from the team to commit to a Big West school following in the footsteps of 2015 P Veronika Gulvin who is committed to UC Santa Barbara.

Meehra Nelson, the team’s other 2015 pitcher, is still uncommitted and will be participating in the National Elite Futures Camp tomorrow and Friday (see roster above).

Cielo pitched for Fillmore High School as a freshman, Agoura High School last year, and she transferred to St. Bonaventure for her junior year. She has had an outstanding fall, posting a 0.94 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 59.2 innings.

She also has pitched four no-hitters this fall, with those coming against the Corona Angels (Howard), Arizona Firecrackers, NC Patriots and So Cal Pumas.

*** Natalie Alas, a 2015 OF/MIF for the Firecrackers-Blanco 18U team, has verballed to Sacramento State.

 

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PROSPECT TO WATCH: CASSIDY BLOUNT

Cassidy Blount is a 2016 lefty catcher who’s 5-foot-6 and plays for the Batbusters-Powell (Gulf Coast) after playing some games this fall with the Germantown Red Devils.

She plays for the Newton County Lady Cougars out of Decatur, Miss which has won seven state titles after winning this year’s 4A State Championship.

Here’s more on this rising prospect:

 

Basic Info:
Nickname: Cat
Primary Position: Catcher
Others:  1B/OF
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Grad Year: 2016
Age: 15
Height: 5’6″
Grade: 10th
GPA: 3.83
High School:  Newton County High School – Decatur, Mississippi
Travel Ball Team: Batbusters-Powell.
Strengths: speed behind the plate, knowledge of the game, leadership

Noteworthy Accomplishments—Travel Ball: 
* Has played/guest played for travel teams: MS Elite, Louisiana BAM, MS Blast, Germantown Red Devils, and Batbusters.
* MS Blast – 2013 USFA 14U World Series Class A National Champions
– USFA Runner Up 2013
– USFA State Champions 2011 and 2012

Noteworthy Accomplishments—High School:
*MHSAA 2013 4A State Champs (30-4)
*4A All-State Team
*Ranked 3rd in 4A for RBIs (35)
*NCHS Outstanding Freshman
*Four hole clean-up in batting order
*FAB 15 and One To Watch by High School Sports in Mississippi
*Received her first verbal offer during Freshman year

Recruiting:

Cassidy has several D1and NAIA schools following her progress.  She has some unofficial visits scheduled for this winter.

Belhaven University gave her a verbal offer last year.  They are still following her and speaking with her often.  William Carey is also in constant communication.  Both are NAIA.

LSU Tennessee, South Alabama, Nicholls State, and Central Florida have also expressed an interest.  She has scheduled unofficial visits with Nicholls (Oct. 20), LSU (Nov. 21) and Tennessee (Dec. 6th).

 

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TOP UNCOMMITTED 2014’s – LIST WILL BE LAUNCHED FRIDAY

Thanks to those who sent player info to be included on a list of top uncommitted seniors.  We’re going to post the first list on Friday (supposed to be today, but had meetings that will bump two days… sorry!) and hope the softball community adds to it regularly.

If you’d like to send a player we’ll be adding to our soon-to-be-launched list, please send your info to us at brentt@studentsports.com.

We’ll take stats, honors, accomplishments, recruiting info, photos and promote as appropriate.  We hope to launch the list next Monday or Tuesday!

 

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