​Pictured: Giuli "G" Koutsoyanopulos, a recent commit to the Arizona Wildcats.

We’re in the middle of the exciting fall season with major tournaments left and right including the big Diamond9 Fall Showcase that was loaded with quality teams and talent not to mention hundreds of college coaches.

When you get that many people assembled, there’s bound to be a lot of recruiting news and we have a bunch to cover today… so let’s get started!

*** Giuli Koutsoyanopulos, a first baseman/outfielder with the OC Batbusters-Campbell 14U team and current 8th grader who will attend Capistrano Valley in Mission Viejo, Calif. next year, has committed to the Univ. of Arizona.

According to her mother, Giuliana, Giuli—whose full name is Giulia Metaxia Vitti Koutsoyanopulos but goes by “G” for reasons we can’t figure out (!)—committed on October 17.

Just 13 years old, she’s a lefty “in everything in life with the exception of hitting where she hits right.”

She works with OC Batbusters head man Mike Stith who the mother says, “has been a blessing to Giulia and our family.  With her drive to excel on and off the field and always trying to be the best she can be, having Coach Stith on her side was just the classic cherry on top.

Giulia was invited to attend the Arizona Elite prospect camp held on October 2-4 where she apparently impressed enough to receive her offer.  

“Funny thing is that we were planning to surprise Giulia by signing her up for the December camp at U of A but we were beat to it by the October invitation,” Giuliana says.

“Later on (after the camp) through Coach Stith, Giulia was offered an unofficial visit and they gave us a few dates to pick from. We did and October 17 we were there. The plan was to be there from Friday in order to meet with the academic advisor. Giulia didn’t want to miss school so Coach Iveson managed to have the academic advisor come in on Saturday just for her.”

“It was a very beautiful and humbling experience,” the athletes mother continues, “both the camp and the unofficial visit. It was a dream comes true for Giulia.  The U of A always been her dream school.”

“Jennie Finch had her part in this since the beginning of this softball journey; one of Giulia positions was pitching and she still wears jersey No. 27. One of Giulia’s coaches, Coach Toni Mascarenas, went there as well with much accomplishment and of course the Olympic Coach Mike Candrea.”

“We had to Google Coach Candrea and the more we found out about the man the more Giulia was determine that U of A was the place she wanted to go. Giulia is half Italian and so is Coach Candrea. They also share a love for the Yankees and they both enjoy listening to Frank Sinatra (kind of strange for a 13 year old)!

But none of our research would prepare Giulia, me and my husband for what the reality was in meeting  and getting to know in person Coach Candrea and Coaches Stacy Iveson and Coach Caitlin Lowe—it was like meeting family.”

“During the unofficial visit after spending some time talking to Coach Candrea in his office, looking at pictures of his family and sharing ours, Giulia got the offer and I really don’t think Coach Candrea was able to finish the sentence before Giulia said yes!”

“Everything was sealed with a huge hug. There was no crying, screaming or over-excitement but that’s Giulia. “Poker Face” is what Coach Candrea called her. If you look at her on the field that’s all you see: the one face whether winning or losing , hitting a home run or striking out. There’s just one Giulia out there and it’s not about her; it’s all about the team and the next play.”

More “fun facts” about “G”:

--- GPA: 4.0
--- Favorite subject: English
--- College Major: “She wants to study law and be an English professor,” says her mother.
--- Softball goals: Would like to  be a professional softball player and represent her country in the Olympics.
--- Athletic family: her brother Aldo graduated from Capo Valley in 2013 as an MVP in baseball
--- Rivalry: another softball goal is to beat rival Mission Viejo High where one of her travel coaches, Toni Mascarenas, coaches. “She is all about beating Coach Toni,” laughs Giuliana
--- Possible pitcher: pitched all the way to first year 12U and could do it again in high school.
--- Superstitious: G is very superstitious and wears one little short-cut colorful sock on top of her regular socks.
--- Trademark look: two braids visor and Oakley sunglasses all the time, even during EM Training
--- Most proud moment (academics): on the questionnaire Arizona sent to fill up she said “when I got superintendent honor roll two years in a row ( 6th & 7th grade )”
--- Most proud moment (softball): winning PGF 12U with the Batbusteers-Mascarenas team this year
--- Favorite pro player: Mike Trout
--- Favorite show: Walking Dead

*** You may have remembered the OC Batbusters – Briggs team which finished in the top 10 at PGF 18U Nationals this summer.  Ken and Roseann Briggs are now part of the So Cal A’s organization and has a lot of young talent on their team.

Two of their players, 2018 second baseman Cheyenne Hornuckle and 2019 outfielder Ciara Briggs, just committed to Kansas and LSU respectively.

We asked Ken and Roseann about their underclassmen and what makes them Big 12 and SEC caliber… here’s their responses:

--- Cheyenne Hornuckle: “Cheyenne is a player every coach wants. She has a great glove and is very solid defensively. Nothing gets by her. With her bat, she can play small ball and also hit gap to gap. Cheyenne knows how to play the game. A player that gives her all every time she steps on the field and is a great teammate.”

--- Ciara Briggs: “Ciara is an exciting player to watch. Playing centerfield, she controls the entire outfield. Ciara's jumps on balls are amazing to see. She’s strong and has a very accurate arm.  Offensively she can hit a ball 230 feet and then beat out a drag bunt. Ciara can do a lot with the bat which makes her very fun to watch. She plays to win.”

FloSoftball then asked what it was like to have your own daughter (Ciara) go throught the recruiting process and end up committing to an SEC power.

“Recruiting was very exciting,” the Briggs’ coaches said. “Ciara had about 30 schools interested in her. LSU started coming out and watching her a lot this past summer. Ciara called Coach Torina and Coach Dobson and immediately liked them. They had been wanting Ciara to go for an unofficial and we finally made it a couple of weeks ago.”

“This was her third unofficial visit and she knew she didn't need to take any more. She fell in love with the school and the coaches. They have the vision Ciara is looking for in a program, to win a championship. We had said our goodbyes and would let her know her decision soon. As we were driving, Ciara said she knew it was LSU over the others so we turned around and went back to tell them in person. Being able to tell them in person made it exciting and very special!”

*** Tyler King, a 2017 outfielder with Explosion Denion/Wilson, committed this week to East Carolina.

We profiled the Explosion 18U team a month ago and here’s what Coach Bret Denio had to say about his athletic player back then:

““Tyler joins us this year after playing with the OC Batbusters Smith last season. She is very fast and has excellent bat control as she can bunt, soft slap and power slap. Tyler also has a very strong arm in the outfield and I can’t wait to work with her this coming year and beyond. For any colleges looking for an excellent 2017 outfielder/slapper, Tyler is one to look at!”

--- Explosion represented well at D9 including the 16U team coached by Greg Borzilleri which has a half dozen players getting offers.

One player that’s really come on is 2017 outfielder Carmina Nicolas who one Explosion source said “blew up” in large part because of her 2.6 home-to-first speed.

*** Another Rising Star who got a lot of looks at D9 was Madison Preston, a 2017 pitcher with the DeMarini Aces.

Madison is from Missouri and plays for the same high school as her 2017 Aces teammate Nicole Duncan who catches and plays corner infielder

Madison is a 6-foot lefty with “great pitches and the ability to change speeds,” according to her club coach, Ryan Taylor.  She throws in the low 60’s, commands her pitches well and is a huge competitor on the mound.

At the D9 Fall Classic, the pitcher pitched a no-hitter with 12 K’s against one team and beat another with with 12 K’s and yet another with 6 K’s.

“She's always played locally and never been around this type of competition,” says Taylor of why Madison is suddenly getting a lot of looks.  “She’s really blown up and looks forward to scheduling visits after the fall.”

*** More DeMarini Aces news: Fresh off a Top 25 finish at PGF Nationals, Taylor has some other recruits to watch:
 
--- CF Toni Martin 2016 (originally committed to UNO but now headed to Syracuse)
“Toni is a very strong kid with a 60+ mph overhand.  She moves very well for a 6-foot frame, about 2.8 down the line.   Toni is going to impress a lot of people at the next level.  She played on a local team with limited exposure.  She really blew up this summer.  She was always around the top in BA and OB% with a very talented group of girls.  Toni’s really learned how to put the ball out of the park this year and finished third on a team with 50 home runs. Her future is very bright and she's excited to get with Alisa Goler next fall.”
 
--- OF Madison Crosslin 2018 (Syracuse)
“Madison is a very strong young player standing at 5-foot-9.  She hits from the left side and competed at a very high level as a freshman.  Last summer she spent time at UCLA, Iowa, and Michigan.  Over the fall she went on an unofficial visit to Syracuse and fell in love with the campus and coaching staff.  Coach Bosch and Goler did an A+ job in the recruiting process and sealed the deal in September.  Academics are a huge piece for her at the next level.”

***  One of the teams on the rise at the 18U level is St. Louis Esprit coached by Jim Huecker.  The Midwest team went undefeated at D9 last weekend with wins over top teams like Explosion, PA Chaos, Birmingham Thunderbolts and others.

The key, says Coach Huecker: “We had great pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting which proved to be our recipe for success. We’re putting ourselves in a position to be successful against top competition, which is our ultimate goal and we think being battle tested against these elite programs will help us compete with anyone.”

Leading the way offensively was 2016 Kansas commit Brittani Reid who had six home runs and five doubles.  “She competes as has as any player I’ve seen,” said Coach Huecker.

Leadoff hitter Abby George, a 2017 Missouri commit, was the table setter batting over .600 with 11 steals.

The pitching was led by Lauren Boyd, a 2020 standout who’s not committed, but is getting a lot of attention. More on her a second…

Other pitching notables were 2016 Missouri State commit Erin Griesbauer, 2017 Florida State commit Savanna Copeland and 2016 McNeese State commit Kimie Fozzard who “held the opposing offense down all tournament,” according to Huecker.

Back to Boyd: she has garnered attention from programs like Mizzou, Northwestern, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Washington, Louisville, Iowa, and Minnesota just to name a few according to her coach who adds, “Many have extended offers already.”

He continues, “Lauren posses a rare ability only being a 8th grader. She throws hard (62-64 mph) with movement, spots pitches well and truly understands how to pitch. Lauren is so poised in the circle. she's wise beyond her years. The future is so bright for this young athlete who is also an outstanding basketball player.”

She reportedly is visiting Oklahoma this weekend.

*** Shelby Wickersham, the 2018 pitcher with the Lousiana Patriots Gold team and a commit to LSU, continues to impress and has the benefit of taking lessons with Coach Beth Torina at LSU as well as with Matt Uhle in New Orleans.

Shelby is now hitting 66-67 mph on the gun and improving her spins and the Revfire is showing great gains according to one source.

She’s had a strong fall and finishes off the season in Atlanta this weekend for the last tournament of the year.

And she’s not the only elite athlete in her family: her 12 year old brother Kyle is a 12 year old masher on the football field.  He’s 6-foot, 160 pounds with a size 14 shoe and is just destroying defenders from his running back spot as he lowers his shoulder and runs over players.

Find him on YouTube and you’ll see the next Leonard Fournette, the LSU Heisman Candidate ball-carrier… well, maybe.  Kyle could end up at LSU though if he keeps going like he is!
 

*** Kendahl Dunford, a 2017 pitcher who has been with the Michigan Finesse, will play with the Miami Stingrays in the future for a key reason: she’s committed to Florida International and the Michigan native is willing to go 1,400 miles away from home to be close to her future college.

One Michigan Finesse coach who’s followed Kendahl, Dan Bressler who runs the Finesse 16U team, raves about Kendahl:

“I have never had the pleasure of coaching Kendahl but have been coaching against her since she was eight years old,” he explains. “We have had some good battles over the years and she has always been a class act.”

“Kendahl has the great physical make-up to be a top D1 pitcher as she is 5-foot-10 and has always had great command of all her pitches.  To go along with a curve and change up she throws a 63 mph drop and has a rise ball that really jumps.  She has the ability to throw a low rise close to the same location as her drop ball and that makes her very difficult to hit.”

“During her high school season she set the record at her high school for wins with a 23-3 record.  She received D1 high school Honorable Mention for her strong play and during the season she came out on top of 1-0 pitchers’ duel with Megan Beaubien (Michigan commit, Hot 100 2017).”

In 2015, Kendahl played for Donny Dreher's 18U Finesse team that finished in the Top 10 in the inaugural  USA Softball JO Cup and 13th at the Triple Crown Nationals in Reno. 

She started getting a lot of attention after her performance at the Demarini Elite Fall Showcase in O'Fallon and the Diamond 9 in Florida last fall.  After going on several visits and reportedly receiving multiple offers from schools including Michigan State, Iowa, and Florida International, she fell in love with FIU and will play club ball in the same state she’ll ultimately be pitching in at the next level.

*** The PA Chaos 18U team opened eyes this year as one of the top teams at the highest level led by a pair of 2016 Hot 100 players in the Top 10: pitcher Maggie Balint (Oregon) and outfielder Hannah Edwards (Pitt).

The pipeline of young talent looks strong too according to Brian Dudley, a coach with the Chaos 14U team. His Chaos Futures team went 21-5-2 this fall prior to D9 and has already been accepted into Boulder IDT at 14U.

Coach Dudley says he has a trio of freshmen and a standout youngster to watch for:

--- P/1B Devon Miller 2019
“Our No. 1 pitcher. She has the makeup and drive to be the next Maggie Balint. She has been clocked at 62 mph. She regularly throws between 59-62 as a freshman and is a big strong girl just like Maggie. She went 8-1 this fall season with an ERA of 1.22. She is also the 4 hole hitter on this team. Her batting average is .404 with 15 RBIs for the fall season. She pitched against the Carolina Elite 14u Gold (Genovese/Fisher) at D9 and shut them down in a 2-0 win for Chaos. She also pitched to a 1-1 tie against a very strong Team NC. She had schools like Washington come watch her pitch on three different occasions at D9.

--- 2B/OF Jordan Sell (2019)
“Jordan is primarily a 2B and a very good one to say the least. I feel Jordan and Devon are gonna make a very quick track to the Chaos Gold team next season. She is very athletic and very smart softball player. Jordan is our leadoff hitter with tons of speed. She hit .448 with 26 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. Her OBP was .608. The most impressive stat is she only struck out two times all fall season. She is also at the top of her class for academic rank.

--- C/1B Grace Harvey (2019)
“Another really smart kid like Jordan. I think she is No. 3 in her class. She switches between catcher and 1B for our team. Her most natural position is 1B and I feel when she gets to the next level at 18U she will transition into strictly a 1B. She is our vocal leader on and off the field. She is also going to make a quick transition to the Gold level in my opinion. Her batting average for the fall season was .489 with 12 RBIs. OBP was .589 due to the amount of times she gets hit by a pitch. For some reason she has a magnet for the ball to get hit (29 times this past summer and fall season)!”

--- P/SS Morgan Mesaros (2021)
“I am not going to say to much about this kid just yet: all I need to say is watch her closely! She is a pint-size kid with the drive of Maggie Balint. She shuts teams down on the mound and is by far one of the best SS I have seen at this age in a very long time. She is a true athlete in every aspect. She might even go right to Chaos Gold after this season.”

FINAL NOTES:

--- Bailey Morris, a top 2019 infielder from Virginia, continues to see her stock improve.  The Rising Star helped lead Team Glory to a 4-0-1 record at DeMArini Elite Fall Showcase weekend before last and had schools like Syracuse, Louisville, Purdue, Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia watching her.

She also got an invite to the OnDeck East Coast National Even in Atlanta kicking off tomorrow and then she and her team will play in the Southern Force Fall Showcase.

--- Finally, one of the best nicknames in the sport, Taylor “Taco” Green, an outstanding infielder for the EC Bullets-Schnute team, committed to Arkansas last night according to her father Perry.

We had a chance to see her several times this summer and she is a vacuum in the infield and has a strong quick stroke at the plate.

And her cool nickname gave us one of our favorite (albeit cheesy) headlines ever on the site: “Taco is supreme at East Coast Camp.” C’mon, that’s good stuff right there!