We kick off the work week with a Daily Update touching on a new feature on StudentSportsSoftball.com we think you’ll like, news on two outstanding underclass players who’ll compete for new club teams this fall, a profile on an ACC-bound infielder from Florida, an update on one of the top programs in the Mid-Atlantic and more events to watch for this fall…

 

*****

NEW SITE FEATURE

Just a quick note to let you know that past, current and future content on StudentSports.com can now be tracked and found on a state-wide level.

Look at the right nav bar on the home page and you’ll see a drop down menu under “Search Your State” where you can find we’re categorizing info by state.

 

*****

PLAYERS ON THE MOVE

*** Two excellent athletes we followed and were very impressed with at PGF this summer have decided to switch teams.

— Justus Perry, the 2016 IF who played on the Minnesota Sting 16U Gold team this summer, is going to take some long trips to be part of the Birmingham Bolts 18 Premier team coached by Richard Shea.

Perry, who has committed to Arizona State and will be blogging for us (see her first piece this Wednesday, wrote to tell StudentSportsSoftball.com:

“The Bolts just seemed like a perfect fit for me. With the warm weather and softball there’s no better combination! As a family, we really thought this team would make me a better ball player and get me ready to compete at a higher level. Coach Shea will be the coach and he has put together a great staff and program!”

When we spoke to Justus this summer, it seemed like there was uncertainty around her commit to ASU with the coaching change, but she confirmed she’s Pac-12 bound.

“I am still committed to ASU,” she said. “I truly can say I fell in love with the school. School is very important to me and I want to be somewhere I can succeed and get better at what I want to do later on in life. I’m hoping to get down to ASU this winter and get to know the new coaches more.”

Here’s a fun video interview done with Justus during the PGF tourney.

 

*** Natalie Peters, the speedy slapper who impressed during the PGF when playing for The Next Level, will be playing for The OC Batbusters–Haning team we learned today.

Peters, who we did a video piece on a few weeks ago, also made our All-Summer Team because of her speed getting down the line.

She’s a 2015 outfielder committed to Michigan.

Stay tuned to tomorrow’s Daily Update when we’ll have three others who will play on the OC Batbusters-Haning team including a pair of sisters.

 

*****

RECRUIT PROFILE: Carsyn Gordon

On Friday we wrote that Miami Stingray 2015 infielder Carsyn Gordon had committed to Florida State.  We connected with her since then and asked her the details of her commitment to the Noles.

By way of background, Carsyn was a Miami Hearld All-Dade Co. 1^st team selection for the 8A state champ, Coral Reef Senior, this year. She plays third and short and hit .538 with 26 RBI and 31 runs for her Miami, Fla. high school.

Here’s more on the talented player:

StudentSportsSoftball.com: How did you commit to FSU?
Carsyn Gordon: I committed the evening of August 21 (last Wednesday) on the phone with (Head) Coach (Lonni) Alameda.  I was so nervous and anxious all day thinking about what to do, once I was on the phone with her it all just fell into place.  After I hung up with Coach Alameda I spoke with (Assistant) Coach (Craig) Snider and (Assistant) Coach (Travis) Wilson. It was a great night!  My family and friends were going crazy, all of them were so excited and happy for me.

SSS.com: Why commit now?
CG: Why not? (laughs) After I had made my decision, I knew nothing was going to change my mind. There was really no reason to wait.

SSS.com: What was it about the program you liked enough to decide it’s the place for you?
CG: My dream was to play at an ACC or SEC school and my decision came down to FSU or Florida, two great programs with amazing coaching staffs.  They both showed my family and me a tremendous amount of respect.  In the end I just had a feeling and I kept going back to FSU.  When I made the phone call, I knew I picked the best place for me.

SSS.com: You’ve had a lot of success on the high school and club softball fields… what have been the top accomplishments you’ve had in your softball career so far?

CG: I have three.  One, making the All-Miami Dade 1st team my freshman and sophomore years; two, winning the 8A state championship with my high school team, the Coral Reef Barracudas; three, my entire career with the Stingrays, especially the last two years with Gator Rebhan, placing 4^th in the nation with 16U and then placing 7^th in the nation with 18U.  Along with my parents, Gator and the Stingrays have been a great influence in my softball life.  They push me and encourage me to always do my best on and off the field.

*****

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Wagner’s Maryland Gold

*** Today, we look at one of the top program’s in the Mid-Atlantic region, the Wagner’s Maryland Gold, which is part of the Wagner’s group that had two teams finish in the top 10 at ASA Gold Nationals this year in Clearwater, Fla.:  Wagner’s Gold Dunn (finished 2^nd) and Wagner’s Sport55 (finished 9^th).

Incidentally, the Wagner’s Sport55 team out of Temple Terrace, Fla., is coached by Reese Kiple, who coached the Wagner’s team several years ago that USA National Team members Lauren Gibson and Kourtney Salvarola were on.

As for the Wagner’s M/G team, it was quite busy this summer competing in showcases including Team New Jersey, Atlanta Legacy, Carolina Dynamite, New England’s Finest and the PGF Summer Scorcher.

The team will be young in this next year, comprised of mostly 2015 and ’16 grads with a few ‘14’s sprinkled in.

“We had a great turnout for tryouts,” explains Jan Greenhawk, the Co-Head Coach, “and are anticipating a very successful fall as we have added some outstanding young players from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.”

“We have also added to our coaching staff with former Division 1 coach and Maryland Hall of Fame member Wayne Miller. I am still continuing as co-head coach with Wayne and my husband. Jimmy, and Bucknell graduates—and four year players—Cassie Greenhawk (2013) and Mary Pavlovich (2010) assisting.”

The Fall schedule for Wagner’s M/G includes the Field of Champions Showcase in New Jersey, Diamond Classic in Spartansburg, S.C, Showcase Showdown in Virginia Beach, and the TNT Last Look in Quakertown, PA.

Here is the team’s 17-player roster for 2013-2014 with comments from Coach Greenhawk:

— P Taylor Adams (2016)
“Taylor’s a pitcher with great off speed and spin pitches and is also a good hitter.”

— 1B Emily Allen (2016)
“Emily is an excellent athlete who’s a good power hitter with a rocket arm.”

— P Maddie Bennett (2015)
“Maddie’s a pitcher with great control and spin with legitimate home run power as a hitter.”

— P Emily Bowman (2014)
“Emily is a pitcher with great spin and good speed, excellent presence and leadership.”

— 3B/C Emily Bradford (2015)
“Emily’s a great player with good instincts and great arm.  She’s also a good power hitter.”

— SS/2B/OF Jordan Casey (2016)
“Jordan is an athletic, quick player with a great arm and is also a good contact hitter.”

— C/1B/3B Micaela Cummings (2016)
“Micaela has a strong arm, great catching mechanics and instincts.  She’s an excellent power hitter with a ton of hustle and passion for the game.”

— 2B/OF Allie Degrouchy (2016)
“Allis is an excellent versatile player with quickness and foot speed who is also a great hitter and all around player.”

— OF Darby Fitzpatrick (2016)
“Darby is a lefty slapper with power and has speed on the bases combined with great instincts and arm in the field.”

— C Gabby Henson (2014, committed to Loch Haven University)
“Gabby is a legitimate power hitting catcher with a great arm and is a strong leader.”

— 2B/OF/UT Rhiannon McGlone (2015)
“Rhiannon’s a versatile player with power at the plate. She’s a hard worker with good foot speed and base running instincts.”

— 2B/SS/OF McKenna Holtz (2016)
“McKenna is a quick, instinctive player who is always on base.  She’s a strong hitter with good power and loves to get dirty making plays!”

— OF Hannah Lewis (2016)
“Hannah has tremendous hustle and foot speed as a lefty slap hitter.  She has tons of hustle!”

— SS/OF Kayla Nadeau (2016)
“Kayla possesses amazing quickness and agility at short and is another lefty slap hitter with great foot speed, instincts and arm.”

— C Krista Pilarski (2014)
“Krista is a vocal team leader behind the plate, a great team player and a good contact hitter who’s smart.”

— P/1B Alexis Randall (2016)
“Alexis is a young power pitcher with good control of pitches.  She’s also a good contact hitter.”

— C/1B Mackenzie Short (2016)
“Mackenzie is an athletic young player with great arm and legitimate home run power at the plate.”

“We are very excited about this young group of players!” concluded Coach Greenhawk.  “This is an extremely motivated group and we see them turning some heads this Fall and next summer. Not only that, but each one is a great student with excellent grades!”

*****

KEY FALL EVENTS (UPDATED)

Thanks to several coaches and parents who sent us more events their players will go to… here’s our updated list as of now.  Keep the info coming brentt@studentsports.com!

Tournament	Division	ST	Dates
OnDeck NorCal Jamboree	Classes 2014-2018	CA	9/6/13
Frozen Ropes PGF Regional Qualifier	12U, 14U	NY	09/07/13 to 09/08/13
Organizational Workout Weekend	12U, 14U, 16U, 18U	CA	09/14/13 to 09/15/13
PGF Midwest Regional qualifier-Downers	16U, 18U	IL	09/14/13 to 09/15/13
PGF Midwest Regional qualifier-J&J	14U	IL	09/14/13 to 09/15/13
PGF Midwest Regional qualifier-J&J	12U	IL	09/14/13 to 09/15/13
Sidewinders Tournament	16U, 18U	WA	09/14/13 to 09/15/13
Scout National Senior Showcase	Classes 2014-2018	TX	9/15/2013
SoCals Finest - Fall Kick Off	16U, 18U	CA	09/21/13 to 09/22/13
OnDeck Texas Jamboree	Classes 2014-2018	TX	9/27/13
Field of Champions Fall Invitational	18U	PA	09/28/13 to 09/29/13
Scout Regional	Classes 2014-2018	IA	10/4/13
Firecrackers & TCS present: Showcase at BLD	16U, 18U	CA	10/04/13 to 10/06/13
Best of the West All Star Game	Classes 2014-2018	CA	10/5/13
Ohio PGF Bash	14U, 16U, 18U	OH	10/05/13 to 10/06/13
Scout Showcase Showdown	16U, 18U	VA	10/05/13 to 10/06/13
PGF Gulf Coast Exposure Tournament	14U, 16U, 18U	MS	10/11/13 to 10/13/13
Surf City Fall Showcase	16U, 18U	CA	10/11/13 to 10/13/13
Team NJ Fall Showcase	16U, 18U	NJ	10/11/13 to 10/13/13
West Coast National Elite Futures Camp	Classes 2014-2018	CA	10/17/13 to 10/18/13
Surf City October Showcase	16U, 18U	CA	10/18/13 to 10/20/13
College Bound Showcase Spectacular	16U, 18U	NY	10/19/13 to 10/20/13
Stingrays Invitational	14U, 16U, 18U	OH	10/21/13 to 10/22/13
Scout Regional	Classes 2014-2018	MO	10/24/13
Rising Stars Individual Fall Showcase	16U, 18U	FL	10/24/13
CBS Sports TV TCS Rising Stars	18U	FL	10/25/13 to 10/27/13
Surf City Halloween Showcase	16U, 18U	CA	10/25/13 to 10/27/13
St. Louis Showcase	16U, 18U	MO	10/25/13 to 10/27/13
OnDeck Arizona Tryout	Classes 2014-2018	AZ	10/26/13 to 10/27/13
Nightmare Octoberfest	18U	NJ	10/26/13 to 10/27/13
Scout Regional	Classes 2014-2018	TX	11/1/13
D9 Sun Classic Fall Showcase	14U, 16U, 18U	FL	10/31/13 to 11/03/13
Ronald McDonald Tournament	14U, 16U, 18U	TX	11/02/13 to 11/03/13
East Coast National Elite Futures Camp	Classes 2014-2018	GA	11/07/13 to 11/08/13
So Cals Finest - Tournament of Champions	16U, 18U	CA	11/09/13 to 11/10/13
USF Showcase	Classes 2014-2018	FL	11/09/13 to 11/10/13
OnDeck Phoenix Jamboree	Classes 2014-2018	AZ	11/15/13
D9 Coastal Fall Classic		MS	11/15/13 to 11/17/13
Surf City Early Thanksgiving Showcase	16U, 18U	CA	11/22/13 to 11/24/13
So Cal National Showcase	14U	CA	11/23/13 to 11/24/13
Scout Regional	Classes 2014-2018	FL	12/1/13
So Cals Finest - Feed a Family Tourney	16U, 18U	CA	12/07/13 to 12/08/13
Scout Regional	Classes 2014-2018	TX	12/8/13
D9 National Skills Exposure Camp		CA	12/14/13 to 12/15/13
Scout Regional	Classes 2014-2018	CA	12/15/13

*****

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