We’re all over the map today, literally and figuratively.  We head to Oklahoma to profile one of the top programs in the middle part of the country and then hit New Jersey and Nevada for some recruiting profiles.  And be sure to scroll down to check out our contest for players that could win you $500, just for entering in a cool photo!

 

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TEAM PROFILE: TULSA ELITE

The Tulsa Elite organization was started in the fall of 2007 with one 18 Gold team coached by Jeff Filali (who also coaches now at Butler Community College in Kansas) and Mark Ryal (now an assistant at South Alabama and formerly a coach at Auburn).

“I had helped with several teams,” explains Filali, “and decided in 2007 that if I wanted to do things right and keep up with the recruiting world, I was going to have to be in charge of decisions. I called Ryal and told him what I wanted to do and asked if he would be willing to help me. He was coaching at Carl Albert JC at the time so it allowed him to coach travel ball. We had a pretty good start-up team and got all of our players signed.”

The next summer, Ryal would leave to begin coaching at Auburn.

The Elite organization is starting its seventh season and now includes 12 teams, first and second year in all age groups from 8U to 18U Gold.

It’s history make be shorter than some clubs, but Tulsa Elite has still had 85 players commit to play college softball for schools like Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Louisiana-Lafayette, Kansas, Arkansas and many others.

Additionally, eight times during the past three years Tulsa Elite has had a player in the NCAA D-I WCWS, including two former players on the University of Oklahoma’s 2013 National Championship team.

“We’ve been blessed to have a lot of great players” Filali continued, “and some of the best coaches in the state like Ryal, Steve Bevan, Jo Gho, Kelly Beason, Roy Bogle, Richard Galvan, Brett Pennington, Jeff Diebold, Frank Knight, Kevin Holder and Curtis Ziegler join the organization.”

“These guys all had successful teams in the past and the merger with Tulsa Elite helped them attract additional players and helped develop our recruiting pipeline.”

In addition to all their college commitments, Tulsa Elite has had a lot of success on the national level. In 2012, the 16U team won the ASA/USA 16A National Championship and the 16U Colorado Fireworks and the 8U team won the ASA 8U NIT Nationals.

They followed that up this summer by finishing 5th at ASA Gold Nationals, 13th at ASA/USA 16A Nationals, 7th at ASA/USA 14A Nationals and Runner-Up at ASA 10A Northern Nationals with a 3rd place finish at 16U Colorado Fireworks.

Following Nationals this summer, the ’95 Gold team only graduated three seniors and loaded up with a few key additions for one more run at winning another National Championship in 2014.

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Here’s a player-by-player look at the Tulsa Elite ‘96 Gold team with comments by Coach Filali:

— RHP Gracie Bogle (2014, Arkansas)
“Gracie has nowhere near reached her ceiling yet. At 6-foot-3 she has been clocked as high as 67 mph already.”

— RHP Emmie Robertson (2014, Pitt State)
“Emmie is a very strong pitcher who throws in the low 60s but understands how to pitch and set up batters as well as any pitcher we’ve had. She chose Pitt State to stay close to family and will do very well there.”

— RHP Lacie Bullard (2015, uncommitted)
“Lacie has turned into one of the best pitchers we’ve ever had. She consistently throws the ball very hard at 63-65 mph in games and understands how to pitch at the next level. She has many schools recruiting her. She carried the load this summer and led our 16U team to 3rd place at Colorado Fireworks and 13th at ASA/USA 16A Nationals.”

— C/3B Jessie Nofstger (2016, uncommitted)
“Jess hit 4-hole for our 16U this summer, even though she was only 14 years old, but she has great power at the plate, along with a cannon arm. She has started attracting a lot of Div. I coaches.”

— C/UT Madison Klein (2015, uncommitted)
“Madi is very quick behind the plate, catches a great game and is a consistent hitter who works the count as good as any kid.”

— 3B Kelcee Thompson (2014, uncommitted)
“Kelcee has great power at the plate and has developed into a great 3B. She has a strong arm and is ball smart.”

— 1B/DP Ashley Fletcher (2015, uncommitted)
“Ashley was our 3-hole this past year on our 16U, but broke a bone in her hand that cost her the entire summer. She is one of the best hitters in our organization and rarely strikes out.”

— SS Asea Webber (2015, Oklahoma State)
“Asea may be the best lefty power hitter in the state of Oklahoma in the 2015 class. She was also recruited by OU, Kansas, Florida State, UNLV, Minnesota and others.”

— OF Skylar Compton (2014, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M)
“Skylar just came to our team this fall. She’s committed to one of the top Junior College programs and will attract a lot of Div I attention this year.”

— OF Hannah Heinrichs (2015, Missouri State)
“Hannah covers centerfield as good as any outfielder we’ve had. She reads the ball so well and is very consistent at the plate.”

— OF Kelsey Eropkin (2016, uncommitted)
“Kelsey is a 100 meter track star and one of the best right hand hitting leadoff hitters. She’s very fast, but also hits for power. She has several Div. I programs recruiting her.”

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Thanks to Anthony LaRezza, coach at Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.) and a co-founder of the NJ Pride, wrote to tell us last night of the commitment of Daniella Ibarra.

“My 2014 shortstop just committed to Iowa,” the coach said of Ibarra who also considered Penn State.

As a junior in 2013 she was an All-North Jersey 1st team pick after hitting .542 with 29 runs, 25 RBI, 17 doubles and 16 walks.

According to a nice article on NorthJersey.com, Ibarra grew up playing baseball against her brothers and only reluctantly switched to softball as a freshman where she quickly became a starting shortstop and hasn’t looked back.

“Daniella is one of the most athletic players I coached,” says Coach LaRezza. “She can play both infield and outfield at a high level. She possesses one of the strongest arms and has a deep understanding of the game.”

“This past year she made 1st team All American by Max Preps and was also named the NJ state hitter of the year. She had started every game at shortstop since her freshman year and continues to get better every day. There is no doubt in my mind that her best games are still ahead of her.”

 

*** Staying in N.J., we want to spotlight a very underrated player in Erynn Sobieski, a 2014 pitcher for Rock Gold (Rick Waye) who helped the Rock finish third in the latest ASA 18U Gold Nationals as she went 4-1 with a 0.00 ERA.

Sobieski has verballed to the Univ. of Albany and has had a great high school career so far, pitching every game but three for Gloucester Co. Institute of Technology in Sewell, N.J. over the last three years.

So far, her prep ERA is 0.92 and she’s hitting .575. As a junior she struck out 156 batters with only six walks.

Before joining Rock Gold, she played for TNT Gold and led them into the ASA gold Nationals pitching a shut-out and hitting a walk-off three-run homer in the qualifier tournament.

 

*** Here’s a cool story about a player hitting a rocky patch and a college coach who stayed with her and was rewarded for her loyalty.

There’s no doubt that Breanna Beatty, a 2014 outfielder, is an elite softball player: she was a Max Preps 2013 Underclass All-American after hitting .525 with nine home runs and 49 RBI for Palo Verde High in Las Vegas, Nev. and plays for the Lil Rebels

She’s a three-time All-State player and has hit a school-record 26 home runs entering her senior season and, oh by the way, she carries a 4.0 GPA with a 1590 SAT.

After her sophomore year, however, right in the key period of recruiting, Beatty went down with a knee injury and lost her entire travel ball summer due to ACL reconstruction.

“It came at a really bad time for her,” explains her coach Gary Stover. “She was poised to have a great summer and had plenty of schools coming out to see her play.”

Not surprisingly, for many schools it was out of sight and out of mind, but one school stayed close with Breanna: North Dakota State.

“Coach Jamie (Trachsel, the Co-Head Coach) at NDSU started a relationship with Breanna on the phone and really assured her that she believed in her and that she was confident enough that she would recover to offer her a scholarship. It really meant a lot to the kid, and of course still does. “

She had a strong summer in 2013 as she hit .571 at the PGF Platinum Nationals and in a year the outfielder will major in Biotechnology when she gets to the Fargo, N.D. university, but until then she has another year to prove her doubters wrong.

At least she’s set in knowing one coach and program has stayed with her through the highs and lows…

Note: check out this video from her sophomore season–she tore her ACL right after but made it back in eight months to play her year.

 

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HOT 100 PROSPECTS: CLASS OF 2014 (Day 5)

We have less than a week before we launch our Hot 100 list of the top 2014’s… it’s not too late to send in your player nominations.

We had some questions about if the list is for committed, uncommitted or both… it’s for any player who’s in the 2014 class.

If you’d like to recommend a current senior for consideration, send in your info to us at brentt@studentsports.com. We’ll take stats, honors, accomplishments, recruiting info, photos and use on the site somehow.

 

 

COOL CONTEST! PLAYERS… BE SURE TO ENTER!
(parents & coaches: make sure your athletes see this!)

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PHOTO ENTRIES

How Do You Show Your Homecoming Swag?
Contest Rules

Eligibility: Open to all Residents of the 50 United States.
Contest Period: Oct. 1st, 2013 [12am EST]- Oct. 31st, 2013 [11:59pm EST]
How to Enter:

1. Follow Student Sports Twitter @studentsports1/ Instagram @studentsports
2. Post a Photo
3. #SSHomecomingSwag

Prize: $500
(Further details on rules are listed below)

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

1. Eligibility
The Photo Contest (the Contest) is open to legal residents of the fifty(50) United States and the District of Columbia. There is no age limit to this contest. Employees of Student Sports and other companies associated with the promotion of the Contest, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliated and advertising and promotion agencies as well as immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible.

2. Sponsor
The Contest is sponsored by Student Sports, located at 23954 Madison Street, Torrance, California 90505.

3. Contest Period
The Contest begins on October 1st, 2013 at 12am EST and ends on October 31st, 2013 at 11:59pm EST time (the Contest Period). Entries that are submitted before or after the Contest Period will be disqualified. Submissions will be accepted for the duration of the Contest using any of the following methods: Twitter and/or Instagram.

4. How to Enter
Follow Student Sports on either our Twitter [@studentsports1] or Instagram [@studentsports]. Submit a photo using #SSHomecomingSwag. Your photo must contain these two mentions (@studentsports1 and @studentsports)or it will not be a completed entry. You may enter as many photos as possible.

5. Disqualification
All inappropriate photos will be deleted and reported immediately. The user will be disqualified from all future Student Sports sweepstakes and contests.

6. Prize
Student Sports will select a winner from among all eligible entries. The winner of this Photo Contest will receive $500 in the form of a check from Student Sports. The winner will be announced November 4th, 2013 on www.studentsports.com.

7. Release and Limitations of Liability
By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the Contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors associated with the Contest, including lost, interrupted or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (b) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) application downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of the Contest, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event and/or the flyover, if applicable, the incorrect downloading of the application the processing of entries application downloader in any Contest-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind, to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the Contest or acceptance, receipt or misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any case of action, the Released Parties liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorneys fees. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with our utilized in the Contest. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

 

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