One of the top club teams in the nation over the last several years has been Bret Denio’s Explosion squad which has finished in the top 10 of the PGF 18U Nationals several times and this summer tied for 13th.

Denio has steadily added talented younger teams and the 18U and 16U teams will be several of the elite programs playing this weekend at the PGF Ultimate Challenge in Salinas, Calif. which also includes the 14U age level.

FloSoftball will be there streaming all the games at the Salinas Sports Complex… Join Now to catch all the action leading up to the championship games on Sunday!

We caught up with Coach Denio this week to learn more about his program and how the 18U team is shaping up for the 2015-16 season.  Here’s what he had to say…


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When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
Explosion was started back in 1998 by Mike Gerritse. The team progressed through the years in age divisions reaching the 18U level in 2004-05.  In 2013, a 16U team coached by Greg Borzilleri was added and in 2014, a second 18U team coached by Chris Morgan and a 14U team coached by Bobby Flores were started as the organization was looking to provide a place for players to stay in one organization throughout their careers. This year, we added legendary coach Rick Hopkins to the organization as he is coaching a first year 14U team and we added a 12U team coached by David Lopez. Jim Wilson and I handle the head coaching for the Gold program. We are proud of our commitment to the girls and their families as we continue to do try and provide the best experience for each player and family all while preparing each athlete for the rigors of D1 softball.
 
Where is the core of your team from and where do you call home?
This year, we have players from all over Southern California and one from Northern California. We practice out of Tustin, Calif. Over the past three to four years, we have had players from Idaho and Kansas fly in to play for us on a weekly basis including Casey Stangel (Washington), Vanessa Shippy (Oklahoma State) and Brittany Finney (Oklahoma)
 
What was the purpose of creating the team, was it primarily to showcase players, win titles, develop skills or something else?
All of the above! Explosion has always worked hard to assist players in finding the right fit for their college softball and educational experience. We have placed players in every major conference (SEC, Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, etc.) as well as mid-major conferences all across the country. By adding the right coaches at all age groups, we feel that we have put in place an organization that can develop and prepare the players to play at any level in college.
 
What have been some of your key successes in terms of winning or placing at national events?
Over the past eight years, the 18U team has three top 10 finishes including a 5th place at PGF in 2011, a 7th place at PGF in 2014, a 4th place at ASA in 2008 and several 13th place finishes at PGF. We have also finished Top 5 at the Boulder Independence Day Tourney four out of the past six years. In 2004, the 16U Explosion won the ASA 16U National Championship.

What, in your opinion, makes the organization unique?
Explosion has always been about the girls and we continue to try and stay true to that philosophy. We are not looking to expand past the size we currently are even though we are approached regularly by teams looking to join our organization. One unique event that Explosion started last year is a workout for elite athletes in the Southern California area where 60-70 athletes are chosen from top teams in the area to show their skills to many of the top colleges in the country. We do this workout at no charge to the players and last October had 45 coaches attend our inaugural event and over 65 coaches attend last June. We are once again hosting a workout this Fall and are expecting 60-80 coaches to attend.
 
What’s your own softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the organization?
I have been coaching softball for almost 15 years starting several travel ball organizations including the Storm USA/American Athletics 10U back in 2003 and the So Cal Hurricanes 14U the same year. In 2006, my oldest daughter joined Explosion and I have been with them since. I initially handled all the recruiting and administration for Explosion until 2012 when former Head Coach Joe Weddle retired. I have taken a more active role on the field since but currently I have Jim Wilson as the head coach for the 18U Gold team while I handle administration and management for the organization.
 
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
We currently have seven teams in the organization:

• 18U – Explosion Denio/Wilson
• 18U – Explosion Morgan
• 16U – Explosion Greg
• 16U – Explosion Flores
• 14U – Explosion Flores
• 14U – Explosion Hopkins
• 12U – Explosion Lopez

Looking back at the growth of Explosion, has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team's history?
I think that the 4th place finish back in 2008 at ASA Nationals was a defining moment in that we showed we could compete at the highest level. The key to our success has been to continue to draw top talent and top coaches. We had to earn our way on to the main fields at all the showcases and it has taken the ability to put a team that can compete with the best year in and year out.

What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
Our goal every year is a Top 5 finish at Boulder and a Top 10 finish at PGF.  This year is a little different than the past two years as we do have a couple of uncommitted players so that will be my main focus this Fall too. We are playing in several tournaments this fall including the PGF Ultimate Challenge in Salinas this coming weekend and the PGF Shootout on October 16-18. The Shootout is a 32-team tournament that will be attended by top teams from across the country including the Beverly Bandits, Birmingham Thunderbolts, Jersey Intensity, Diamond Sports Hotshots from Texas and many others. It will include 11 of the top 16 finishers from 2015 PGF Premier Nationals. Our goal is to be able to compete with all these great teams in a tournament format this fall.

What do you think are the strengths of the team?
Athleticism! Each year brings new challenges as each team has different strengths. Last year our strengths were pitching and hitting. This year, I think we are a more balanced team in that our defense is now a strength also. We are much more athletic with more team speed and what we lack in size, we make up with athleticism. The challenge will be to get all our new players adjusted to the jump to the elite 18U level.
 
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
I would say coaching. We have been fortunate to add top coaches at each level that are in this game for all the right reasons—they love to teach and are excellent coaches from top to bottom. Starting with Jim Wilson at the 18U Gold to Chris Morgan on our other 18U team to Greg Borzilleri at 16U and both Bobby Flores and Rick Hopkins at the 14U. Each of them know the game and are great at teaching the fundamentals of the game all while teaching the mental aspect too.

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Here are player-by-player scouting reports by Coach Denio of each member of the Explosion Denio/Wilson 18U team… pictured above is Mikaela Mak, a catcher who recently committed to Hawaii.

P Alyssa Loza (2016, ASU)
“Alyssa is one of the top pitchers in the country and she will have every opportunity to prove that this season. She is a team leader and has that fire every coach wants in a player. Alyssa has all the pitches and throws in the 63-65 range. What makes Alyssa even better is she is a student of the game. She is always looking to improve herself anyway she can. She is a fierce competitor and a coach’s dream to have!”

P Carly Cutler (2016, UConn)
“Carly joins us this year after playing for our 16U Explosion Greg team. She has great command and throws with heart. Carly does not give in and both Coach Jim Wilson and I are excited to see her grow this year at the elite level.”

P Alexis Ruel (2017, uncommitted)
“Alexis also came from our 16U team. She spins the ball well and keeps teams off balanced. This past weekend, she faced two of the top 5 teams in the country in the Corona Angels and Firecrackers Rico and held her own. She controls her emotions very well and is very composed in the circle. She is definitely a pitcher that should draw interest once colleges see her at the elite 18U level.”

C Jordan Olivarez (2016, Villanova)
“Jordan is an excellent defensive catcher and pitchers love to throw to her. She is a born leader behind the plate. Jordan is one of our team captains along with Alyssa Loza. She is a true competitor.”

C/OF Mikaela Mak (2018, Hawaii)
“Mikaela will be one of the top players in her age group as she continues to improve. She is already playing at a high level, has a beautiful swing and can play multiple positions. The sky is the limit for this kid and she will be a force when she gets into college.”

3B/1B Gabby Alvarez (2016, Ole Miss)
“Gabby can play both corner positions at a high level. She is a power hitter and a quiet leader by example in the dugout.”

SS Haley Finn (2016, North Carolina State)
“Haley is a threat offensively as she hits with power. She also has a very strong arm defensively and is your prototypical shortstop with her size and strength.”

2B Taryn Atlee (2016, Rutgers)
“This little player is a real spark plug, she can slap, bunt and hit away. Taryn has good speed and is a player that every coach would love to have. Don’t let her size fool you as she plays with heart!”

2B/3B Dani Rico (2016, Eastern Michigan)
“Good things come in small packages and Dani is one of those. She is excellent defensively and swings the bat for power and average. Dani is a great addition to our infield. She too came from the 16U Explosion.”

SS/3B Alyssa Martinez (2017, Ole Miss)
“Alyssa is one of the top defensive shortstops in the country and she can also swing for power. Alyssa can make almost any play look easy and will make an immediate impact when she attends Ole Miss. She was ranked in the top 15 of the FloSoftball 2017 Hot 100.”

1B Morgan Parsons (2017, Hawaii)
“Morgan’s strengths are definitely her hitting as she has home run power and will hit for average too. She is solid defensively and will only continue to improve as she plays against the best competition both in travel and in high school.”

OF Vanessa Taukeiaho (2016, Oklahoma)
“Vanessa is just an all-around great player. Her bat is very dangerous as she can hit to all fields with power. Defensively, she has a very strong arm and gets good jumps on anything hit to the outfield.  Vanessa is another great athlete from the Taukeiaho family.”

OF Allison Tatnall (2016, Arizona State)
“Allison is also a very strong hitter. She’s a gap line drive hitter who does not get cheated when she swings. Allison is also a great teammate both on the field and in the dugout. She will hit in the middle of our lineup.”

OF Hannah Howell (2016, Arizona State)
“Hannah is a tremendous leadoff hitter. She batted around .480 last season in that spot. Hannah can bunt, slap and power slap and is working on hitting with more power. She is very fast and knows how to place the ball in the infield. Hannah is a great base stealer too. She just gets the job done time and time again!”

OF Brooke Cantillo (2017, Mississippi State)
“Brooke is an all-around great player as she can do many things offensively and is very strong defensively. She comes from a family of D1 players as older sisters played at Georgia and Ole Miss. Brooke will continue to represent the Cantillo name in the SEC.”

OF Tyler King (2017, uncommitted)
“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!”