FAB 50 16U Club Rankings: 50-41

Pictured: the NW Bullets-Evenson team that impressed at the PGF Shootout this fall.We begin our look at the top 2016 club rankings for the 16U age division

Dec 15, 2015 by Brentt Eads

Pictured: the NW Bullets-Evenson team that impressed at the PGF Shootout this fall.

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Pictured: the NW Bullets-Evenson team that impressed at the PGF Shootout this fall.

We begin our look at the top 2016 club rankings for the 16U age division by spotlighting the teams ranked 50-41.

Each day this week we’ll reveal 10 teams as we march to our reveal on Friday of the top 10!

Teams were selected based on fall performances and results in events (showcases and tournaments) as well as how they did last year and the amount of talent returning for this upcoming run at Nationals.

Input was also provided by dozens of top club and college coaches from around the nation.

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Rank	Team	Bio
50	Mizuno Hawks - Domico	In August the Hawks combined three of last year’s top 14U teams from the Chicago area to make this a deep first year 16U team. The squad got better each week this fall and went 4-1 at the Arizona Thanksgiving Shootout and 5-0-1 at the Surf City Early Thanksgiving Showcase. The Hawks have qualified for the Triple Crown Top 32 Fireworks and the ASA Hall of Fame Tournament. Three players have D1 offers and more than half of the Big Ten is recruiting players on the team.
49	Louisville Stunners - Anderson	The Kentucky-based Stunners finished 5th at the 2014 ASA “A” Nationals in San Diego as a 14U team but make the list based on the talent returning including eight committed players led by 2017 pitcher Bethany Todd, a Kentucky commit. Les Anderson’s team finished 18-4 for the fall, having more than half the scheduled games cancelled due to rain. Two of the losses were to the powerhouse Beverly Bandits-Conroy team. A fall highlight was winning the Super Pool A at the Scenic City Fall Showcase and advancing deep into the event.
48	Atlanta Premier - Perkins	Managed by former Georgia Tech head coach Sharon Perkins, you know the Premier team will be fundamentally sound and that was shown last summer as the Georgia team finished 2nd at the ASA 14U Nationals. The team is loaded with elite talent including 2018 Hot 100 shortstop Kelsey Bennett (a Virginia Tech commit), catcher Jessica Morgan (Georgia), 2019 infielder Katie Perkins (North Carolina) and standout 2020 catcher/infielder Chooch Carroll (Auburn).
47	Michigan Finesse	The Finesse, coached by Dan Bressler, were another “merger team” as the Michigan Pride 00 team that finished in the top five at ASA/USA Nationals were combined with top players from the Team Michigan squad. The Finesse performed well at Diamond 9 where the pitching was dominating, giving up just five runs in seven games including three shutouts. Players on the team are committed to schools like Michigan, Western Michigan and Central Michigan with major programs in the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC recruiting other players.
46	Windermere Wildfire - Mathis	With the exception of Coach Wes Mathis’s daughter, Lauren, a 2017 pitcher committed to Georgia, and two other players, the entire 16U team will be coming back. The Wildfire was the 2014 14 “A” ASA/USA National Championship runners-up and the question revolves around pitching. However, the bats are strong and the talent in the infield and at catcher is excellent led by catcher/utility Maggie Wheless, middle infielder Marissa Sidwell, third/shortstops Amanda Plasencia and Amanda Fleming and first baseman Maria Pagane.
45	NW Bullets - Evenson	The Bullets had a strong fall, finishing with a 24-5 record highlighted by taking 5th place at the initial PGF Shootout in Salinas, California. The team’s strengths are its speed and pitching, which is led by Kia Oliver and Payton Hudson. Infielder Grace Gaither, a new addition to the team and an Oregon State commit, highlights coach Ole Evenson’s offense. Key returners are Abby Wingo, Megan Muffet (Army) and Brianne Hill (UTEP).
44	MN Sting	Coach Bob Makela’s team finished as a FAB 50 team last year and only has to fill holes at three positions—pitcher, second base and centerfielder. The team’s depth and talent was demonstrated in two fall tournaments, Diamond 9 and the Arizona Thanksgiving Shootout, as the Sting went 11-0-2. Keep an eye on new pitcher Halley Jones, who pitched at PGF Nationals last summer for the Renegades 98 team and earned All-State honors in Minnesota last spring.
43	NorCal Firecrackers 2K	The Firecrackers, coached by Paulie Gabales, are a first-year 16U program that took 9th place at the TC/USA Nationals and finished 17th at the PGF 14U Nationals. Part of Mike Baisdon’s Firecrackers organization based in Stockton, California, the team has two talented pitchers in sophomore Dariana Orme, who is being recruited by Big Ten, Pac-12 and Mountain West colleges, and Madison Keller, a promising freshman. Frankie Hammoude, a power-hitting first baseman committed to Oregon State, drives the offense and is one of the most feared home run hitters on the West Coast.
42	Sparks Premier	Jill Harvey’s Sparks Premier team out of Orland Park, Illinois finished as the 2015 PGF 16U Platinum National Champions and tied for 9th at the Boulder IDT tournament last summer. The team returns seven players and this fall showed they are one of the best teams in the Midwest and a squad that can compete with anybody including top-ranked teams like the Beverly Bandits-Conroy and Illinois Chill teams which the Sparks defeated on the same day at the Crown Point Stars and Stripes tournament.
41	Fury Platinum '18/'19	This Tennessee-based Fury Platinum team was formed from a combination of the 2018 players from the 16U team that last year finished 4th at ASA Nationals with the 2019 grads that finished 9th at Colorado Sparkler Jr. and 17th at ASA 14U Nationals (and in 2014 was the runner-up at ASA Nationals as the Franklin Flames). Players to watch include a pair of Big Ten commits from the 2018 class: pitcher Natalie Foor and shortstop/third baseman Shyanne Sheffield (Purdue). Several other players are getting ACC and SEC interest.