Recruiting Roundup (3/9)
Recruiting Roundup (3/9)
We got a nice note from Ryan Taylor, head coach of the DeMarini Aces Gold team which has produced players going to colleges like Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, N
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We got a nice note from Ryan Taylor, head coach of the DeMarini Aces Gold team which has produced players going to colleges like Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oregon and even Harvard.
Coach Ryan Taylor wrote us a week or so ago to tell us about a pitcher going to a Top 10 powerhouse that is a new one for the Aces:
“We’ve got some news from Ace's country as Madison Preston, our 2017 lefty pitcher, has committed to Pat Murphy and the University of Alabama.”
“Madison is an All-State player and Academic All-State product! I know so many kids are getting discouraged about early recruiting, but Madison is an example of an upperclassman who, if they perform and work hard, will have it happen.”
“Madison came to me as a junior and is now ending up at an SEC team that’s a regular at the Women’s College World Series. A lot of things change with injuries and early verbals and kids need to trust the process and just worry about getting better.”
“Madison had huge wins this fall over traditional power programs, racking up strikeout numbers of 11, 12 and 13 in big games. Her final numbers for the fall included 17 game appearances, 14 starts, 66.2 innings pitched with 111 K’s and a crazy 0.73 ERA.”
“She blew up this fall with her big numbers and was first scouted by Alabama at Diamond 9 Sun Classic and continued to grow throughout the fall during which she took several visits. At the end of the day, Coach Murphy's staff made her feel like home. And be sure to keep an eye on her this summer!”
***
Makena Smith, a 2018 catcher from Southern California, has committed to Cal and we spoke with her mother, Janey, on how the recruiting process went… here’s the Smith family recap:
“The summer of 2015 was so exciting for Makena. Her freshman high school season encompassed an undefeated record of 13-0 to secure the Southwestern League title for Murrieta Valley (California) High School. They competed to the 3rd round of CIF finals where they were defeated by West Ranch of Santa Clarita with a tied score for most of the game until West Ranch got a big hit to bring in a run.”
“Makena then went on to compete with her travel team, So Cal Choppers - Gary Fausett, starting with Zoom into June in Hemet, California. This is where her season got a kick start with many coaches showing up to scout 2018 prospects. Ohio State and several others continued to follow her and her teammates to Colorado for the Independence Day Tournament where her team won the title.”
“Makena had a list of schools she was interested in and began communicating regularly with weekly phone calls updating the coaches on her progress and season stats. She became quite familiar with a few and had good verbal relationships with them.”
“The next stop was Reno for the Triple Crown Tournament. Again, The Choppers clinched the title. It was hard work, dedication, and the will to never give up that got her team to the finals. She was the only catcher at this point and we had one uninjured pitcher left, Makena Harper, to seal the deal. It was record-breaking for her as an individual and her team as a whole.”
“By mid-July, Makena had scheduled unofficial visits to Ohio State and Cal Berkley. There were three other schools she was communicating with as well, but had not solidified a visit yet. PGF came and went, with a lot of coaches attending, and Makena doing well in the tournament.”
“Finally, the fall season had come around and a trip to Ohio State, where she had an amazing time, loved the school, the girls, the coaches etc. She had a visit to Cal scheduled two weeks later and wanted to take her trip and see how she felt. Southern California is where home is and Northern Cal was a short flight. Plus, the “Pac 12” is her dream!”
“Makena met with Coach Ninemire and Lohman, talked about academics (she is a 4.0 student), her aspirations, goals, and softball. We toured the campus and the football stadium, the workout facility and locker rooms and watched a practice. It felt right and her dream became a reality: she was going to be a Cal Bear!”
“Makena is a dedicated player, who loves sports. She has been a three-sport athlete (softball, soccer and basketball) her entire life, playing travel softball and club soccer since she was eight-years-old. She made the varsity softball, basketball and soccer team for high school and practiced with the teams the summer before her freshman year.”
“Since soccer and basketball have the same season in high school, she chose soccer and softball since she was already playing at a high level in both. Softball was her priority, but she still competed and trained in the summer with her club soccer team during the week as their goalkeeper.”
“Any free weekends from softball were spent on the soccer field defending for Legends FC. Ironically, her soccer team went to Nationals in Oklahoma where they also won the U15 National Title. Makena was also awarded the Golden Glove and one of the “Best 11” awards for the National Leagues U15 division that consisted of a combination of three tournaments in North Carolina, Las Vegas and finals in Oklahoma.”
“Makena feels very fortunate to have the ability to play and compete at what she loves. She has a passion for sports, games and winning and this summer was made up of memories that will last a lifetime. We all look forward to seeing what the future has in store for her and the Bears!”
***
There are only about three dozen players in the 2020 class who have committed and one of those is a Georgia pitcher/infielder who has decided to stay close to home.
In this “Rising Star” profile, we learn more about her and why she pulled the trigger in committing where and when she did…
Name: ANISTON WRIGHT
High School: East Coweta
City: Senoia
State: Georgia
Grad Year: 2020
Club: East Cobb Bullets - Wright
Position(s): P/1st Base
Height: 5-foot-6
GPA: 4.0
High School Accomplishments: As an 8th grader, Aniston made the East Coweta High School JV team. They went 13-1 for the season. She pitched 12 of the 14 games. In addition, Aniston received the MVP award.
Club Honors (2015): Team received Berth to ASA Nationals; Played in Atlanta Legacy, T-Bolts 5-Star, Elite Futures, Veterans Tribute, Champions Elite Showcase events
College: Georgia State
Recruiting Process: “In the beginning, I didn’t want to stay close to home but after meeting the Georgia State coaching staff I knew that’s where it felt like home.”
Coach’s Comments: “For the past few years, Aniston has worked very hard at the plate and in the circle. She is a pitcher that bats in the 3 or 4 hole. Aniston still has four years of travel and high school ball to help her grow and prepare to be a valuable asset to Georgia State from the start. Aniston is very coachable and a fantastic teammate. She is a real joy to coach and really gives all she has each time she is out on the field. She is as successful in the classroom as a straight A student as she is on the field.”
— Joe Wright, Head Coach of EC Bullets - Wright
***
As it always happens to work out, we produce a Hot 100 list and we then learn about some standouts that could have/would have made the list!
We heard from the Carolina Elite (quotes are from a coach) that there are a pair of 2019’s we should consider for future honors:
1. Lauren Baker - Shortstop/Middle Infielder
Lauren has great speed on the bases and arm strength with as strong a glove as anyone in her class. Lead-off hitter with a .622 on base percentage in 2015 and a batting average of .446. In 2015, as an 8th Grader, she pitched her varsity school team, Lawrence Academy, to the 1A State Championship game with an ERA under 1.00. College coaches have been impressed with her footwork and handling of her glove at shortstop. At 5-foot-8 she has great range and has gotten looks from ACC, SEC, and A10 Schools. Lauren is a quiet leader on and off the field. This year promises to be her coming out party.
2. Katie Becker - Catcher
Katie is a 5-foot-6 catcher with great blocking abilities and strong arm behind the plate. She is a general on the field and has great vision to see plays developing. Katie is strong and has a strong plate presence with power to all fields. Katie has had looks from teams in the Colonial and Big South Conferences.
***
Finally, Ashlee Ducote-Weems, the Head Coach at Parkview Baptist School (Louisiana) wrote us last week about Nicky Dawson, the 2016 infielder committed to LSU who we profiled in an article called “Offseason Training With Nicky Dawson.”
“I wanted to give you a quick update on Nicky. She is closing in quickly on the NFHS national record for career triples. She had four in our first five games and has pushed her career total to 45. The national record stands at 48.
On a different note, Nicky finally ran the 60-meter dash for the school team and is the new Louisiana State Champion. She was also the high point winner for the state meet. Not bad for her third track meet ever!”
Coach Ryan Taylor wrote us a week or so ago to tell us about a pitcher going to a Top 10 powerhouse that is a new one for the Aces:“We’ve got some news from Ace's country as Madison Preston, our 2017 lefty pitcher, has committed to Pat Murphy and the University of Alabama.”
“Madison is an All-State player and Academic All-State product! I know so many kids are getting discouraged about early recruiting, but Madison is an example of an upperclassman who, if they perform and work hard, will have it happen.”
“Madison came to me as a junior and is now ending up at an SEC team that’s a regular at the Women’s College World Series. A lot of things change with injuries and early verbals and kids need to trust the process and just worry about getting better.”
“Madison had huge wins this fall over traditional power programs, racking up strikeout numbers of 11, 12 and 13 in big games. Her final numbers for the fall included 17 game appearances, 14 starts, 66.2 innings pitched with 111 K’s and a crazy 0.73 ERA.”
“She blew up this fall with her big numbers and was first scouted by Alabama at Diamond 9 Sun Classic and continued to grow throughout the fall during which she took several visits. At the end of the day, Coach Murphy's staff made her feel like home. And be sure to keep an eye on her this summer!”
***
Makena Smith, a 2018 catcher from Southern California, has committed to Cal and we spoke with her mother, Janey, on how the recruiting process went… here’s the Smith family recap:
“The summer of 2015 was so exciting for Makena. Her freshman high school season encompassed an undefeated record of 13-0 to secure the Southwestern League title for Murrieta Valley (California) High School. They competed to the 3rd round of CIF finals where they were defeated by West Ranch of Santa Clarita with a tied score for most of the game until West Ranch got a big hit to bring in a run.”
“Makena then went on to compete with her travel team, So Cal Choppers - Gary Fausett, starting with Zoom into June in Hemet, California. This is where her season got a kick start with many coaches showing up to scout 2018 prospects. Ohio State and several others continued to follow her and her teammates to Colorado for the Independence Day Tournament where her team won the title.”
“Makena had a list of schools she was interested in and began communicating regularly with weekly phone calls updating the coaches on her progress and season stats. She became quite familiar with a few and had good verbal relationships with them.”
“The next stop was Reno for the Triple Crown Tournament. Again, The Choppers clinched the title. It was hard work, dedication, and the will to never give up that got her team to the finals. She was the only catcher at this point and we had one uninjured pitcher left, Makena Harper, to seal the deal. It was record-breaking for her as an individual and her team as a whole.”“By mid-July, Makena had scheduled unofficial visits to Ohio State and Cal Berkley. There were three other schools she was communicating with as well, but had not solidified a visit yet. PGF came and went, with a lot of coaches attending, and Makena doing well in the tournament.”
“Finally, the fall season had come around and a trip to Ohio State, where she had an amazing time, loved the school, the girls, the coaches etc. She had a visit to Cal scheduled two weeks later and wanted to take her trip and see how she felt. Southern California is where home is and Northern Cal was a short flight. Plus, the “Pac 12” is her dream!”
“Makena met with Coach Ninemire and Lohman, talked about academics (she is a 4.0 student), her aspirations, goals, and softball. We toured the campus and the football stadium, the workout facility and locker rooms and watched a practice. It felt right and her dream became a reality: she was going to be a Cal Bear!”
“Makena is a dedicated player, who loves sports. She has been a three-sport athlete (softball, soccer and basketball) her entire life, playing travel softball and club soccer since she was eight-years-old. She made the varsity softball, basketball and soccer team for high school and practiced with the teams the summer before her freshman year.”
“Since soccer and basketball have the same season in high school, she chose soccer and softball since she was already playing at a high level in both. Softball was her priority, but she still competed and trained in the summer with her club soccer team during the week as their goalkeeper.”
“Any free weekends from softball were spent on the soccer field defending for Legends FC. Ironically, her soccer team went to Nationals in Oklahoma where they also won the U15 National Title. Makena was also awarded the Golden Glove and one of the “Best 11” awards for the National Leagues U15 division that consisted of a combination of three tournaments in North Carolina, Las Vegas and finals in Oklahoma.”
“Makena feels very fortunate to have the ability to play and compete at what she loves. She has a passion for sports, games and winning and this summer was made up of memories that will last a lifetime. We all look forward to seeing what the future has in store for her and the Bears!”
***
There are only about three dozen players in the 2020 class who have committed and one of those is a Georgia pitcher/infielder who has decided to stay close to home.
In this “Rising Star” profile, we learn more about her and why she pulled the trigger in committing where and when she did…
Name: ANISTON WRIGHTHigh School: East Coweta
City: Senoia
State: Georgia
Grad Year: 2020
Club: East Cobb Bullets - Wright
Position(s): P/1st Base
Height: 5-foot-6
GPA: 4.0
High School Accomplishments: As an 8th grader, Aniston made the East Coweta High School JV team. They went 13-1 for the season. She pitched 12 of the 14 games. In addition, Aniston received the MVP award.
Club Honors (2015): Team received Berth to ASA Nationals; Played in Atlanta Legacy, T-Bolts 5-Star, Elite Futures, Veterans Tribute, Champions Elite Showcase events
College: Georgia State
Recruiting Process: “In the beginning, I didn’t want to stay close to home but after meeting the Georgia State coaching staff I knew that’s where it felt like home.”
Coach’s Comments: “For the past few years, Aniston has worked very hard at the plate and in the circle. She is a pitcher that bats in the 3 or 4 hole. Aniston still has four years of travel and high school ball to help her grow and prepare to be a valuable asset to Georgia State from the start. Aniston is very coachable and a fantastic teammate. She is a real joy to coach and really gives all she has each time she is out on the field. She is as successful in the classroom as a straight A student as she is on the field.”
— Joe Wright, Head Coach of EC Bullets - Wright
***
As it always happens to work out, we produce a Hot 100 list and we then learn about some standouts that could have/would have made the list!
We heard from the Carolina Elite (quotes are from a coach) that there are a pair of 2019’s we should consider for future honors:
1. Lauren Baker - Shortstop/Middle Infielder
Lauren has great speed on the bases and arm strength with as strong a glove as anyone in her class. Lead-off hitter with a .622 on base percentage in 2015 and a batting average of .446. In 2015, as an 8th Grader, she pitched her varsity school team, Lawrence Academy, to the 1A State Championship game with an ERA under 1.00. College coaches have been impressed with her footwork and handling of her glove at shortstop. At 5-foot-8 she has great range and has gotten looks from ACC, SEC, and A10 Schools. Lauren is a quiet leader on and off the field. This year promises to be her coming out party.
2. Katie Becker - Catcher
Katie is a 5-foot-6 catcher with great blocking abilities and strong arm behind the plate. She is a general on the field and has great vision to see plays developing. Katie is strong and has a strong plate presence with power to all fields. Katie has had looks from teams in the Colonial and Big South Conferences.
***
Finally, Ashlee Ducote-Weems, the Head Coach at Parkview Baptist School (Louisiana) wrote us last week about Nicky Dawson, the 2016 infielder committed to LSU who we profiled in an article called “Offseason Training With Nicky Dawson.”“I wanted to give you a quick update on Nicky. She is closing in quickly on the NFHS national record for career triples. She had four in our first five games and has pushed her career total to 45. The national record stands at 48.
On a different note, Nicky finally ran the 60-meter dash for the school team and is the new Louisiana State Champion. She was also the high point winner for the state meet. Not bad for her third track meet ever!”