We finish our look at the top 2016 pre-summer club rankings for the 12U age division by spotlighting the teams ranked 10-1.Each day this week we revealed 10 teams and today unveil the Top 10!

Here’s the schedule for the week:

Mon., May 16: No.’s 50-41
Tue., May 17: No.’s 40-31
Wed., May 18: No.’s 30-21
Thu., May 19: No.’s 20-11
Fri., May 20: No.’s 10-1
Sat., May 21: Next Teams In

Teams were selected based on performances and results in events over the last year, including this fall and winter, as well as how they project for the summer with the talent returning for the upcoming run at Nationals.Input was also provided by dozens of top club and college coaches from around the nation.

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10—Texas Sudden Impact

The Sudden Impact returns six players from last year’s ASA 12U National Championship team and hasn’t missed a beat this year going 61-11-1 and winning the Texas Bombers Shootout and finishing second at Ronald McDonald.  Coach Troy Falterman’s team. The team has a strong mix of power and speed in the line-up and as a team this year has stolen 71 bases and been caught only five times.  Offensively, Sudden Impact is led by Giselle Villareal, a slapper with good speed who is hitting .518; MIF/OF Madelyn Lopez, who had excellent bat control and is batting .480; 1B/C/OF Sam Graeter, a five-tool player who hits for power but also leads the team in steals with 21; and OF Kayla Falterman, a slapper with speed who is hitting .574. In the circle, pitcher Amanda Allen and Savannah Boyd both throw in the mid-50s and have a curve that is their go-to pitch.  The defense is equally strong with an exceptionally athletic outfield. The Sudden Impact post a .980 fielding percentage.  Coach Falterman’s team will play at PGF Nationals this summer and try to make it two straight national titles.

9—Corona Angels-Red

The Corona Angels have a strong balance of pitching, defense, and clutch hitting aided by works outs with the organization’s head man, Marty Tyson, who runs the 18U Gold team.  Coach Nicole Lee oversees this 12U team which has gone 63-14 the past year with 1st place finishes at the Thanksgiving Tournament in Las Vegas and the Toys for Tots tournament, a 2nd place finish at the Triple Crown Nationals in Park City, Utah and a 3rd place finish this spring at the St. Patty’s Day Blast tournament. Based in Corona, California, the Angels are a confident 2003 team that is solid fundamentally and draws athletes all over Southern California. Team leaders include P Jordin King, the ace in the circle who also bats cleanup and has a .469 average; 3B Piper Tago, a power hitter batting .495; SS Lair Beautae, a power slapper with great speed and C Hannah Slike, who isn’t big in size, but has the power to hit the ball over the fence and a rocket for an arm.

8—Panthers Gold (formerly So Cal 3D-Hernandez)

The newly named Panthers Gold team coached by Chris and Ivette Hernandez has the benefit of fielding eight players who have been together three year bringing great team chemistry and camaraderie. Chris and Ivette Hernandez are a brother and sister duo who lead three of the most competitive teams in the greater Los Angeles area. In 2015, all Hernandez teams that competed for PGF berths successfully qualified for PGF nationals at their respective age groups. Based in Sylmar, California, the then-3D team finished in the Top 25 at PGF Nationals last summer as a first-year 12U team and since then went 5-0 to earn a return berth to PGF Nationals at a qualifier tournament, won the championship of the TCS April’s Finest tourney and finished 2nd at the St. Paddy’s Day tournament. Players to watch include P/1B Dee Dee Hernandez, a solid pitcher with great movement and field presence who also is a tremendous power hitter. SS/IF Sofia Morales, a slapper who sets the table for the batters behind her and has excellent speed to apply pressure to the defense. 3B Amber Toven, a clutch hitter in pressure situations who is also strong with the glove. Overall, the Panthers Gold team is athletic and versatile with pitching and defense that will always keep them in the game.

7—Texas Impact Gold-Esparza

One of the top club coaches in the Texas said, “The toughest team we have faced this season in my opinion is Impact Gold-Esparza. They are a well-coached team and have great athletes.  They are very good in all phases of the game.  In my opinion, they are the best team in Texas at the 12U level.” The team has gone 94-9 this year and is certainly one of the biggest and most athletic teams in the age division.  Living up to the adage “Everything is bigger in Texas,” the average height on the 12-member roster is 5-foot-6 with several players measuring in at over 5-foot-8. Not afraid to go outside the state to compete against top competition, Charlie Esparza’s team traveled to both coasts—California and Georgia—to qualify for ASA, PGF and USSSA Nationals. Along the way, the Impact Gold took first place finishes at the ASA Spring Challenger, Southwest PGF Qualifer, HotShots PGF Invitationals and at several 14U local tournaments. Balanced with power, speed (the team has several slappers with 2.7 home-to-first times) and defense (catchers Caylynn Esparza and Destiny Rodriguez have consistently hit 1.9 pop times), it all starts with a dynamic pitching core of Saleyna Daniel, Brianna Ellis, Jada Scott and Samantha Landyr that dominates the circle with both speed and movement. Each pitcher on the team can reach 60 mph or higher with command and off-speed pitches to keep opposing teams guessing in the box.

6—Ohana Tigers-Sanchez

Formerly the So Cal A’s-Sanchez team, Rey Sanchez moved his Cerritos-based team to the Ohana Tigers last September and has built the team into one of the most explosive 12U teams in the country.  Last summer his team finished 9th at the Triple Crown World Series as a first year team. The team has only gotten stronger in the last year, taking 1st place at the March Mayhem tournament. They outscored opponents 70-7 at the Mother’s Day Tournament where the team faced seven PGF Nationals qualified teams and beat three of the top 15 teams in the FAB 50 12U Rankings on the final day to capture the title. In the fall, the Tigers went 34-8 and this spring are 37-14-3 playing mostly at the 14U level. One fellow top club coach commented: “It’s pretty impressive to get an invite to PGF National in only the first year of an organization! This team has everything: great hitting, great defense and great pitching.  They have beaten most of the top teams and if this team continues to play well into the summer, I expect them to be in the finals.”  The talent is deep and includes P/IF/OF Lauren Narvae and the team’s go-to pitcher is P/1B/C Alyssa Vasquez possesses great command. C Kendall Lundberg, the team leader in several offensive categories including RBIs, runs and home runs. Not only is she strong offensively she is solid behind the plate with a cannon for an arm. Coach says she is “heart and soul” of the team. OF CJ Garcia is a tailor-made centerfielder who is a clutch hitter. Another club coach mentioned, “This team can play, I look for them to get better and better. They will be hard to compete with come July.”  

5—Tennessee Mojo 2021

The Mojo is based out of Cookeville, Tennessee with players from all over Tennessee as well as Kentucky, Indiana and Alabama. They attract elite players out of state because of the programs strong heritage of winning. The team has won three Nationals including the USFA 8U World Series, the 10U USFA World Series and the 10U ASA/USA Nationals in 2014. Coach Brooks Cherry’s team finished 4th at ASA 12U Nationals last summer with all 2003 players and have added a few key pieces to make the team a favorite this summer at PGF and ASA Nationals.  In April, the Mojo went to California and also qualified for the USA Elite Select Nationals by going undefeated.  This spring the team has gone 28-3 playing mostly 14U competition. This summer the Mojo will be playing an ASA tournament in Oklahoma City with 11 teams going to PGF Nationals and will also take the field at the Birmingham Bolts 14U Showcase and at the prestigious Atlanta Legacy tourney. The Tennessee powerhouse team has some of the top 2021 talents in the country. They have a talented trio of pitchers in Elena Escobar, a hard thrower who hits 62 mph and is as mentally tough as they come, Keri Munn, who stands 5-foot-11 at 12 years old and hits the high 50’s with great command and good off-speed stuff, and Savannah Jones, who hits her spots well and is also an outstanding outfielder and hitting. All three pitchers have big game experience on the mound.  They also have one of the top hitters in the country in C/3B Aubrey Barnhart, a lefty who hits for a high average and power and is already being looked at by several SEC teams, and one of the best athletes in the 12U class. SS/CF Cayden Baker is another key component to their offense bringing tremendous speed and power.  Also keep an eye on C Jaycee Goodwin, a gritty receiver with a strong arm.  The most impressive thing about this team? The girls on Tennessee Mojo 2021 have five National Championships to their name—they simply know how to win.

4—Georgia Impact-Gusaeff

Coach Jason Gusaeff’s Impact team is on fire, having not lost a bracket game in 12U this year and recording a 14-4-1 playing up at 14U.  The Impact has won every 12U event its entered in 2016 including the USA Elite Select Kick Off in Florida, the USSA Diamond Battle in Georgia, the USA Elite Spring Invite in Georgia and the USA Elite Select Tar Heel Classic in North Carolina.  Additionally, the Georgia team went 5-0 in the Veterans Tribute Showcase playing 14U and, including that November event, has gone undefeated in six events to date with a 28-0 record.  Can’t get better than that! One fellow FAB 50 12U coach added, “This team is loaded from top to bottom with talent.  They have a very strong lineup built with power and speed and have depth at pitching and a very good defense.  Look for them to continue to gel and make noise throughout 2016.” The team is comprised of all 2021s except one 2022.  The talent starts with OF McKenzie Redoutey, one of the top 2021s in the nation because of her ability to drive the ball with power and distance.  She leads the Impact in average, RBIs, and home runs.  Players to watch include twin sisters Emma and Ellie Williams—Emma is a power pitcher and hitter with great control and her sibling Ellie is a power-hitting catcher with a big arm.  P/1B Sarah Currie has great command of multiple pitches. SS/2B Grace Connelly adds pop to the line-up. 3B/C Madison Dobbins is a shut-down corner with great range. OF/2B Madison Keener is a speedy slapper. OF Kaya Gusaeff adds speed and a clutch bat. 1B Haley Cummings is a great defender who hits for average and P Lauren Cooper throws multiple pitches and changes speeds well.  The sole 2022 is SS/2B Cassie Boatright,  a smooth fielder who hits for average and power.

3—OC Batbusters-Garcia

Most travel ball coaches know the OC Batbusters for the organization’s success at the older age levels, including Mike Stith’s team winning the last two 18U PGF National Premier titles, but the younger age groups are stacked with talent too. OC Batbusters Maroon and OC Batbusters-Pantages (No. 32 in he FAB 50 12U Rankings) are both ranked in the FAB 50.  Chris Garcia’s team, which was the 10U ASA National Championship runner-up in 2014, is a favorite to win it all at PGF Nationals this year and received its berth in January.  The team has also been invited to the World Fastpitch Championships in Kansas City this summer.  The team’s current record this year is 53-10-3 including an 18-4-2 playing at the 14U division.  The Batbusters finished 2nd in the Mother’s Day Classic and at the Monster Mash where they went 6-1.  So far this spring the So Cal-based team is 14-2-1 against PGF Nationals qualifying teams.  A club coach with a team in the FAB 50 12U Rankings Top 20 said, “They (Batbusters) are coming off of a very good showing at the 2015 PGF Nationals and finishing as the top ‘03 team there. They have a top pitcher (Lacie Ham) and a very stingy defense and offensively they can manufacture runs as good as any team in the nation.  Look for them to get stronger and stronger with each tournament they play.  This team is very well coached and will definitely be a top 5 team in July 2016.” The talent is excellent from top to bottom and four to watch, who were each invited to the USA Elite Select Camp. P Alexis Guevara has gone 11-3 with a 1.64 ERA this spring and is also hitting .431. Tatiana Roman is one of the best slappers in the country hitting .543 with a .600 OBP. OF/SS Hannah Coor is impressive at tracking down fly balls. Ham has gone 21-1 this spring with a 0.82 ERA and 151 Ks in 120 innings.

2—Birmingham Thunderbolts 03

The Bolts 03 team competed as a first year 12U team in 2014-15 and had Top 3 finishes at ASA Nationals last summer as well as at the Elite Futures Showcase and at the Turf War tournament.  In the fall, Coach Lowell Barron’s team added two talented players to the talented squad and looked impressive at the Atlanta Fastpitch Classic, coming in 1st of 89 teams.  Like the always competitive older teams, the Bolts don’t just draw from players in Alabama, they also have top athletes coming in out of state from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Unlike almost every other team in the FAB 50, the spring has been quiet for the Alabama powerhouse as the organization encourages players to participate on their high school teams and several made it deep in the playoffs including three who were varsity starters as 7th graders on highly ranked squads in Alabama and Kentucky.  The Bolts will kick off their season in a few short weeks and will spend the summer playing in top events like the Scenic City Showcase, Atlanta Legacy and PGF Nationals, where it’s already received an invite. A good description of the Bolts strengths comes from another FAB 50 12U club coach who says, “The Bolts have a Top 3 pitching rotation in the nation and a strong defense behind them.  Offensively, they are very scrappy with a great mixture of power and speed.  The team has some very tough outs in their lineup and with key additions last fall, look for them to be at the end of every tournament.” The Bolts team has three dominating pitchers and the depth allows them to stay fresh in long tournaments.  The trio of Acelynn Sellers, Taylor McKinney, and Kennedy Barron are also top-notch hitters and bat 2-4 in the line-up. The team can also stay fresh behind the plate with three solid catchers in Riley Hull, Claire Anna Czajkowski and Kaitlyn Smithey who are versatile enough to play short and third when not in catching gear.  The defense is solid and the offense is aggressive starting off with speedy outfielder Lauren Brock.  Overall, the team has no weaknesses and is one of the favorites to make the championship game of any tournament they will play in this summer including PGF Nationals.
Read more about the Birmingham Thunderbolts 03 team in this FloSoftball Team Profile!

1—Power Surge-Bachtell

We surveyed over 60 college and club coaches across the country to get the FAB 50 12U rankings and over 90 percent on the West Coast said that the Power Surge team coached by Jeremy Bachtell out of San Diego, California, is the best team in the nation.  The Surge have looked impressive all year—in the fall the team won the Monster Mash tournament and finished 2nd at the Toys for Tots and 3rd at the Brenda Marsh tournament. So far in 2016, the So Cal team has won the President’s Day tournament and the PGF So Cal Qualifier, going undefeated at both.  The consensus favorite to win it all, Coach Bachtell frankly admits the team’s goal is to win PGF Nationals and he has the talent and depth to make it happen. The team is balanced and skilled in all areas of the game: sound on defensive, explosive on offensive and fielding one of the most dominating pitchers in all of 12U in Olivia Gigante, a 2022 grad who has the ability to take over not just a game, but a tournament.  What may put the Surge over the top, however, is the recent pick-up of another one of the best pitchers in So Cal, 2021 grad Devyn Greer, who comes over from the Lakewood Hustlers.  The one-two punch of these two hurlers—both of whom throw in the low 60s (and Gigante, though only a 6th grader, also leads the team in home runs while Greer is lefty who can slap or hit for power)—will take the San Diego-based team deep in any event it plays. One knowledgeable expert on So Cal softball commented: “I would say this team is the odds on favorite to win PGF unless an out-of-state team surprises them. The Surge has great pitching and huge bats.” Another FAB 50 club coach comments, “Look for this team to get stronger and stronger as the year goes on.  They have a ton of power in the line-up from top to bottom and as well as they swing it, they are going to be in any game they play.” And one final coach comment: “This is the best team I have seen so far, they’ve been around for three years and are well coached with top pitching.” Now the question will be how the Power Surge coaches and players handle having the No. 1 designation, accompanied by a big target on their backs, as they head into the summer.  Anything can happen in any given tournament, but without any apparent team weaknesses, the Power Surge-Bachtell girls appear to have what it takes to end the summer hoisting multiple tournament and National Championship banners.
Read about the No. 1 Ranked Power Surge-Bachtell team