Also enjoy going down to Texas to profile the teams, coaches and players from the Long Star State and today’s team spotlight takes us to Houston.  We also look at some players who did well at the SoCal Showcase last weekend and list two dozen new verbals (well, new to us at least!).  Finally, a cool pic of the day and some letters from the mailbag rounds out today’s report…

 

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TEAM PROFILE: TEXAS STORM

Joe Wymer started his first club team, the Houston Diamonds, when his daughter, Danielle, was 10 years old.  He coached her up through her high school graduation and when she headed to Southern Mississippi, his plan was to “get out of the club world and enjoy the view from the stands.”

That plan lasted all of six months, when Larry Durham from the Texas Storm organization called and asked Wymer if he’d help the program as a pitching coach.

He took on that role while Danielle simultaneously blossomed as a college pitcher, setting several school records in her career from 2003 to 2006 and earning Academic All-American honors.

Instead of getting out of coaching, the reverse happened.  Five years ago, Durham retired and Wymer took over the administrative duties and eventually became the head coach of the Gold team (the organization has two 14U, one 16U and two 18U Gold teams, the other one is coached by Kelly Clark).

This year marks the 10^th for the coach in the program that as produced All-Americans such as pitcher Amanda Scarborough (Texas A&M) and infielder Loryn Johnson (Texas).

In 2013, Coach Wymer’s team finished tied for 25^th at PGF Premier Nationals and eight at the Triple Crown Sports National in Reno.

“We had a pretty good summer,” the coach admits, emphasizing that coaches Reid Stiefel and Tom Swindell were both key to the Storm’s successful summer.  He also pointed out one other key player driving the organization.

“My wife, Monica, is also very involved and is truly the glue that holds it together.”

Based in Houston, the program has developed a lot of players who’ve gone on to college at in-state schools with the alumni list showing 25 who have made their way to Texas A&M about two hours away.

Wymer says one reason for that is there are a lot of girls who’ve grown up not just Aggie fans, but Baylor or Texas fans as well.

“Texas A&M recruits heavily in Texas so they do get our players, but a lot of it is because there are girls who are second and third generation A&M or Baylor fans and just grow up wanting to go to those schools.

The talent also extends beyond the Lone Star State borders.

“We have girls that go all over the nation including to Pac-12 and SEC schools.  We try to match the kids with their short and long-term goals and have had some really, really good students who go on to academic institutions like Bucknell or Lehigh.”

One aspect that is emphasized within the Texas Storm program is college preparation and not just on the field.

“We run our teams as close to a college program as we can,” Wymer explains.  “We’re preparing them for college so when they get there they’re not shocked and not blown away by the discipline it takes at that level to succeed. We work very hard on the physical and mental side and believe mental toughness comes from physical exertion.”

One example of this is the players are timed in the mile and expected to run it at 8:30 or better.

Coach Wymer looks at the college experience his daughter had under Gay McNutt at Southern Mississippi.

“Danielle played for a coach known to be a disciplinarian and that helped her a lot.  There will be a time in your life when you’re facing adversity, be it with your boss or a spouse, and you need that background to draw on.  For Danielle, it was, ‘I played for Joe Wymer for four years or Gay McNutt for four years so I can get through anything!”

Another unique aspect to the Storm experience is the relationship the program has with the Phillipine National softball organization as set up by Coach Stiefel.  The Storm athletes help provide equipment twice a tear that is cleaned and refurbished for those in the country who don’t have the equipment players are used to in the U.S.

“It’s very rewarding for our kids,” states Coach Wymer, “in that it allows them to see that there are so many people around the world who are less fortunate than us.  Kids have shoes in their closet here they haven’t worn for years and there are people there who have no shoes and are so grateful for anything they can get.  We get new bats courtesy of our sponsor, Louisville Slugger, and the Phillipine kids are sometimes using bats that are 20 years old.  There are kids playing there barefoot and without gloves who have the same passion our kids do. It makes us appreciate what we have and it ties it back to life lessons, above and beyond softball.”

The coach finishes with an anecdote that marries the team’s philosophy with a real life experience.

“I remember when Danielle came back from her first job interview and said, ‘I played softball all my life and I go on this interview and nobody asked me about my batting average or my pitching record.’”

“What she was able to draw on were the life lessons she was taught on how to handle pressure and face adversity.  What it’s all about is being prepared for life and learning these lessons from playing softball.”

 

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Here’s a player-by-player look at the Texas Storm team with comments from Coach Wymer: 

— C Ariel Clogston (2014, Lamar)
“Ariel is a very good leader who hits in the middle of the order and has a very strong arm and quick release.  She’s a power hitter and can go to all fields.”

— OF/P Tori Cooper (2014, Arkansas)
“Tori is a very versatile player who can play all outfield positions and pitch as well.  She’s a lefty who can slap and drag and also hit with power.”

— OF/3B Haley Harrison (2014, Stephen F. Austin)
“Haley is a two-time MaxPreps All-American who’s a tremendous athlete and is very fast.  She plays third and the outfield and is a true multi-dimensional threat at the plate. She can hit for average and power and can also slap and drag.”

— C Loren Dempsey (2015, uncommitted)
“Loren has been with us for two years and has made great strides offensively and defensively. She can play catcher and the corner positions.”

— P/1B Caitlin Plocheck (2014, Lipscomb)
“Caitlin is a power hitter who hits 3-4 in the order.  She’s very athletic and plays first base and pitches as well.  ”

— CF/IF Kendall Burton (2014, Texas-San Antonio)
“Kendall has blazing speed, she’s a true outfielder with a strong arm and is very accurate with long throws.  She’s a lefty who can hit for power as well as slap and drag.”

— UT Stephanie Money (2015, Texas-San Antonio)
“Stephanie is another one of the kids who can hit for power as well as slap and drag.  She plays all three outfield positions as well as middle infield.”

— SS/1B/OF Kelsey Barba (2014, Stephen F. Austin)
“Kelsey is a tall, athletic girl who’s rangy and plays the middle infield and can hit for average.  She has a very strong arm and is a good defensive player.”

— P/1B/OF Taylor Webb (2014, Texas State)
“Taylor is a true power hitter and has led our team in home runs for two years and is again leading this fall.  She’s versatile and can play first, third, pitch and the outfield as well.”

— SS/2B Savana Guidry (2015, uncommitted)
“Savana is a middle infielder who’s a lefty slapper and hits for average.  She’s a tremendous infielder who probably has the quickest release of any player I’ve coached.”

— P/3B Kate Patel (2015, uncommitted)
“Kate is a pitcher in her first year with us and she has made tremendous strides in that time.  She’s a very hard worker, very dedicated and is destined to be an excellent college pitcher.”

— OF/P Katie Clark (2016, uncommitted)
“Katie is the first freshman that has made our starting lineup since Loryn Johnson.  She started as a freshman in the outfield and has a strong arm and is wise behind her years.  She is very versatile at the plate too.”

— P Hannah Broseman (2016, uncommitted)
“Hannah is a tall, lanky player who will probably be the next big thing coming out of Houston as a pitcher.  She’s got a great rise and curveball and a very good change-up.  For being a 15-year-old player, she’s very poised and throws in the 61-62 mph range.”

— SS/2B Isabelle Haugh (2016, uncommitted)
“Isabelle is a sophomore who’s very athletic and can play third, second and short.  She has great academics and will probably go to an Ivy League type school.  She will develop into a very good player.”

— OF Brittany Crawford (2016, uncommitted)
“Brittany came up from our 16U program and is a true outfielder with very good foot speed. She has a strong arm and is a very good defensive player.”

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Several new verbals this week as players nationwide are visiting college campuses… here are some of the ones that have crossed our desks:

— C Madison Armstrong (2015, Western Carolina)… plays for Carolina Elite – Pack
— C Stephanie Boyd (2016, UNC Greensboro)… plays for Carolina Stars Elite

— C/1B Devin Cantu (2016, Iowa)… plays for Firecrackers-DFW
— IF Lauren Cymrot (2014, San Diego)… plays for San Jose Sting
— SS Samantha Dees (2017, Illinois)… plays for OC Batbusters-McGowen
— P Nicole Doyle (2015, Southern Illinois)… plays for Ohio Outlaws
— OF Lauren Dugger (2014, Furman)… plays for Carolina Elite – Pack
— IF Destini Ewing (2015, Charleston Southern)… plays for Team DeMarini 18U
— C/UT Breanna Gutierrez (2016, Auburn)… plays for Georgia Elite
— SS Haley Houchens (2015, Moorehead State)… plays for Carolina Elite – Pack
— SS Brittany Houston (2014, Furman)… plays for Carolina Elite – Pack
— OF Elizabeth Jackson (2015, Arkansas)… plays for Team North Florida
— IF/P Kelsey Lay (2016, South Florida)… plays for Lady Gators
— OF/UT Erika Leonard (2014, Maine)… plays for CT Charmers Gold
— C Isabetlla Loya (2017, Illinois)… plays for OC Batbusters-McGowen
— C Nina Mandracchia (2014, Columbia)… plays for San Jose Sting
— P/OF Celina Matthias (2014, Sacramento State)… plays for Lady Magic
— C/OF Destiny Miller (2015, East Tennessee State)… plays for Team North Carolina
— 3B/OF Kaylen Minnatee (2015, Pacific)… plays for Lady Magic
— IF Hunter Mundy (2016, Radford)… plays for Carolina Stars Elite
— CF Zia Norris (2017, Arizona)… plays for OC Batbusters-Marinacci
— P/1B Emily Oestriech (2015, Cal State Fullerton)… plays for Lady Magic
— C Emma Ogburn (2014, Furman)… plays for Carolina Elite – Pack

 

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EVENT RECAP: SOCAL SHOWCASE AT BIG LEAGUE DREAMS (Part II)

*** Yesterday I mentioned the RTA combine that was help on Friday, prior to the event held Friday pm through Sunday.  I wondered the Big League Dreams park watching the action when I could… here are some random (very random) thoughts of the limited action I did see:

— The AZ Desert Thunder have a nice team and C/IF Melanie Cross (2014, Wisconsin) is going to be good in the Big Ten.  Really like how she takes charge on the field.

— lot of good players not there because of a myriad of reasons such as SATs (kept a good pair from Arizona Firecrackers, P Breanna Macha and Dani Nelson (ASU) at home).  Other reasons for not being there included official campus visits and homecoming dances.

— Bummed I didn’t see Ashleigh Hughes of the So Cal Choppers who as also a no-show.  Wanted to get a better read on her for the Hot 100.

— I like Bownet’s team… they’re talented and well coached.  Should make some noise this year.

— With the Corona Angels, you better be focused in every at bat.  Love how Head Coach Marty Tyson is teaching, instructing, yelling between every pitch and telling the batter what’s expected.  Better now, I guess, than in the national championships!

— Every time I see the Angels’ infielder Marshaylee Knighten (2015, Oklahoma) I come away impressed.  If I were building a fantasy softball team for the club level, she’d be one of my cornerstone picks.

— The Firecrackers-Rico team, which I got to hang around with before the game with the Washington Ladyhawks, has great chemistry.  Fun girls to be around and they have a nice blend of youth and experience.  I hadn’t seen Taylor VanZee (2014, Washington) before and she was very impressive in the field… smooth and efficient in her defense.

— I would hate to face P Allison Alljasper (2014, LSU) of the San Jose Sting if I were in a slump.  She’s big, powerful and intimidating and overpowering.  She will shine in the SEC.

— The powerful So Cal A’s went 1-1-3 and yet I don’t think Bruce Richardson is having problems sleeping at night.  the team is solid and can beat you in so many ways including a one-two pitching punch with Selina Ta’amilo (2014, UCLA) who can overpower while Hayle Copeland (2014, South Carolina) can make you swing at air.

— Had a nice chat with Head Coach Brant Beddow of the So Cal Breakers… none of his signed players including Grayce Majam (2014, Ole Miss) was there as he wanted the unsigned players to get the experience and exposure.

— watched a good game between the Sorcerer Gold and Wichita Mustangs… a lot of talent on that field.

Johanna Grauer is a franchise pitcher, one of the top players in the 2014 overall, but I liked what I saw of pitcher Lindsey Chalmers too.  The Sorcerer team will be tough all year with two of the best infielders in the nation in Kylee Perez (2014, UCLA) and Julia Deonte (2014, Washington) but the younger girls will need to step up too if this team is going to go deep in the championship tourneys.

The Mustangs, who we profiled in yesterday’s Daily Update, are loaded with big-time players too.  I was very impressed with Emily Griggs (2014, LSU) in the outfield—she had a throw from right-center that one-hopped to the plate and didn’t lose any velocity on the throw.  Also, really liked pitcher Jessi Haffner (2014, Oklahoma State). She’s tall and put some eye-opening spin on the ball.

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COOL PIC OF THE DAY:

There are team pictures and then there are cool team pictures… like this one sent by twins Andreya and Arianna Jarvis of the OC Batbusters – Briggs team based in Southern Calif.

There’s something about black and white pictures that grab your eye and kudos to the photographer who got the nice v-shaped symmetry.

But, hey, who’s that girl second from the left who’s not looking forward… pay attention!

 

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FROM THE MAILROOM

*** Sometimes we’ll put up “letter” or comments by those responding to stories.  here are two from this week we thought we worth bringing to your attention:

— John Shoemaker, in response to Jenna’s blog: believe in YOU, writes:

“Great story by Jenna and hits very close to home. My daughter, Lauren (Shoemaker, a 2014 OF/IF who has committed to Lafayette College), recently committed to a DI school as well and has faced the exact same doubters. She is a speedy outfielder but is all of 5 ft tall and 110 pounds. I wish I had a dollar for every time a coach looked at her and said she was too small. She believed and her dreams have come true as well.”

Every morning she gets up at 5:15am to go work out in the gym and gets cheers from the men in the gym based on her strength and commitment. No one goes with her and it is all driven from within. Her favorite baseball player faced the same naysayers; does Dustin Pedroia ring a bell? As someone from Oregon I will always be rooting for Jenna and my daughter as well. Every time they get on and steal or make a great play I will root and just smile at those coaches who are now kicking themselves.”

— Jerry Crank, writing about the article Sad news: Phil Mumma’s passing is imminent, said:

“Phil coached my daughter in High School at San Ramon and for the Sorcerers in the early 2001-2003. He was a no BS guy but had the success of the kids and winning at heart! He was real, no sugar coating and that made him unique! I enjoyed the times sitting around talking softball and all that goes with it over a beer after a game especially at the major tournaments.”

“The 10 days we spent in Dallas (Garland) winning the National championship for U 18 in 2003, I will never forget that experience and watching Phil guide his team to the BIG win!”

“May he rest in peace!”

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TOP UNSIGNED 2014’s

Had a great idea from a top club coach to start a list of top unsigned seniors. If you’d like to send a player we’ll be adding to our soon-to-be-launched list, please send in your info to us at brentt@studentsports.com.

We’ll take stats, honors, accomplishments, recruiting info, photos and promote as appropriate.

 

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