A big week of commitments especially in the Big 12 including the first player in the 2021 class and we're finding out a lot of talented 2020's, some of whom we learn more about today…

*** The first known 2021 verbal has come to light and it's a big one as Head Coach Kenny Gajewski and Oklahoma State have locked up Tatum Sparks, a catcher/outfielder with the Gametime Stars 2020 team.

Tatum is from Shawnee, Oklahoma and will attend Shawnee High.  She'll be headed north about an hour to play for the Cowgirls in Stillwater.
​Scott Marwitz of the Stars writes of Tatum: "When a player is offered and commits so young, we got to bet that she must be someone special so we had to ask what it was. Tatum's head coach, Scotty Smith, told us: 'When Tatum joined the Gametime Stars last fall (2015), Tatum had the highest hitting stats of all players on the team. We played four showcases and Tatum went straight to the top on hitting with an on-base percentage of .493 and a slugging percentage of .723.'

'And defensively, behind the plate Tatum had 11 caught steals on baserunners. She continued that offensive and defensive action all the way through the PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach too. Its stuff like that the college coaches come to see.'"

The color Orange will be a popular one in the Sparks home, too, as Tatum's brother, Tanner, will be playing baseball at Oklahoma State also.  He's a senior and will be joining the Cowboys next year.

In a FloSoftball exclusive, we asked Tatum to recap her recruiting journal… here's what she tells us:

My story is probably like most. Growing up with an older brother that plays baseball meant countless hours spent at practices and at the ball park. There must have been over a thousand backyard whiffle ball games until it got too dark to see the ball, one of us finally got beat, or we had to come eat dinner!

For me, softball started at the age of 4, or should I say T-ball. I played on a team of all boys that year and I also played on a local little league softball team until I was 12.  

School ball has also been a huge part of my softball career, starting in 5th grade at my small school, South Rock Creek, a kindergarten through 8th grade school.

I have been expected to be a leader on the field since I first started playing there by my coach and being able to play with and see these amazing athletes that come out of my small school -- I think there have been three older girls that have committed to play D1 -- made my passion for the sport grow even more.

I loved the level of competitiveness that the game brings to the table, making me want to get better even more.  

Going into the 6th grade, I finally got to jump into tournament ball.  I decided to join the Gametime organization and this was a key decision for me, getting to play at high school levels, attend college camps and even showcases. The organization gave me the opportunity to work with some amazing college athletes, trainers, and instructors, really upping my skill.

The recruiting process really started for me at a showcase in Chickasha, Oklahoma, last fall, when I caught the eye of Coach (Stacie) Pestrak from Oklahoma State. Later in a tournament that fall, Coach Gajewski made a trip to see me play. I still have the text saved on my phone when the head of the Gametime Stars organization passed on that Coach G was very impressed with me.

I got invited to several OSU camps and our interest in each other continued to grow. I went on a visit earlier this year, and Coach Gajewski said he was very interested in me and would like to offer me, but since I was so young, he told my parents to let him know when we were ready.  He wanted to go at our pace and not rush us.

Coach Gajewski also told me to go visit other schools and make sure that OSU was the place that I really wanted to go.  He wanted to make sure that it was the right place for me and that I wasn't basing my decision on my brother going there to play baseball.  

After waiting a few months and having many talks with my parents they decided let me commit.  We set up a meeting to last Sunday to go meet Coach "G" at his office. That is when I told him that I wanted to be a Cowgirl! It was an awesome day!

One of the reasons I want to go there is that I love the coaching staff there. They have done a great job at the camps I have been to and you can really tell that they love what they are doing and that they truly care about the girls on their team.  

Every Cowgirl I talk to always talks about how they love the coaches and how OSU feels like the place they should be.  I have already seen a huge change in the program and I really think they will have great success in the years to come.  

Also, my brother is a baseball commit at Oklahoma State. I got to go on his visit with him, and from that moment I knew it was a special place. The atmosphere is amazing at OSU. The moment I step on campus it feels like I am at home; even though I'm at a huge college it feels just like I am back in small South Rock Creek.

I am so grateful for the support from my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and this opportunity. It gives me a chance to play the game I love at an awesome school. I realize will have to keep working hard on the field and in the classroom, and continue to love the game. I can't wait to be a Cowgirl! Go Pokes!"

*** Staying in Oklahoma, the National Champion Sooners picked up a verbal from one of the top 2020s in the nation as Nicole May, a pitcher/third baseman with the Sorcerer 16U team out of Northern California made it official this week.

We asked Sorcerer coach Gary Gascoigne about what makes Nicole such an elite player and he wrote: "This is one of the easiest scouting reports I can write! As her head coach for 2-1/2 years, Nicole May has never let me see her emotions on the field and basically she never leaves the field!"

"She is as good as a third baseman as she is as is a pitcher.  Nicole has an extremely high softball IQ and a player who does the right things. At 5-foot-11, she moves extremely well at third and as a right handed pitcher at 14 years old she throws in the low 60's and has an accomplished riseball, curveball, and change up."

"At the plate Nicole bats in the front of the lineup and has great power to go yard at any time. I know Nicole will thrive at Oklahoma where she will be surrounded by great coaches with a legacy of winning along with amazing athletic resources and trainers to make her the best she can be while obtaining an excellent education. I could not be happier for her and her family!"

*** Bailey Dowling, a 2020 shortstop from St. Joseph, Illinois, played with the Beverly Bandits 16 Premier team this year and is a 5-foot-9 athlete who is headed to Alabama to play for ​Patrick Murphy​ and crew.

This summer Bailey hit .443 with 10 home runs and only eight K's in 247 plate appearances to help lead her Bandits team to a 7th place finish at PGF Nationals.

Bailey is also a standout athlete in four sports including softball and went to state in every sport she participated in; check out these impressive stats for the future Tide infielder as she dominated the last couple years at the jr. high level :

• 2016 1st place IESA 7-3A State Volleyball (set State record for most service points in championship match 17)
• 2016 2nd place IESA 7-3A State Basketball
• 2016 1st place IESA 7-2A State Track 4x100 (set school record 51.4)
• 2016 Tied school record in the 100 meter that was set in 1993 with a time of 12.80
• 2015 2nd place IESA  7AA  State Track 4x400 relay
• 2015 2nd place IESA  7AA  State Track 4x200 relay  (set school record  1:50.18)
• 2015 3rd place IESA 7-3A State Volleyball
• 2014 2nd place IESA  7-3A State Basketball
• 2014 4th place IESA  7AA  State Track 4x400 relay  (set school record 4:20.33)
• 2014 3rd place IESA  7AA  State Track 4x200 relay  (set school record  1:52.31)
• 2014 3rd place IESA 7-AA State Softball  
• 2014 Set  IESA  7-AA State Softball record for most bases in a State tournament  (13)
• 2014 Tied IESA  7-AA State Softball record for most hits in a State tournament game  (4)
• 2014 Tied IESA 7-AA State Softball record for most hits in a State tournament

*** Sometimes a player thinks she's all set to go to a particular college but something out of the blue makes a drastic change in plans.

Case in point: Kalyssa Kroehn, a 2017 infielder with the Illinois Chill. She had originally verballed to Wisconsin-Green Bay reopened her recruiting this summer… Coach Gerry Quinn tells why:

"Kalyssa had previously verbaled to Wisconsin Green Bay. However, a coaching change there at the beginning of the summer gave us cause to reconsider her situation and we decided to re-open her recruiting."

"Even though it was late in the recruiting process for 2017s, Kalyssa was an attractive recruit and had a number of suitors. The most noticeable thing when you watch Kalyssa play is her exceptional arm. Her overhand velocity has been consistently measured in excess of 70 mph putting her in very elite company nationwide."

"In addition, she has been a middle of the order hitter for the Chill 16s the last two summers.  North Dakota St. got to watch her several times over the summer and things culminated when she took a visit there earlier this week."

"She was impressed with the school's commitment to softball, the impressive out of conference schedule and NDSU's track record of making the NCAA tournament. It was an easy decision for her when she was offered a scholarship on her visit."

*** Love when coaches follow up with us and point out when we're RIGHT (said one top coach, "If you looked at FloSoftball's 14u rankings from early spring and looked at the PGF results you were right in the ballpark" and when we're sometimes not totally on the mark.

Got a good-natured email from Jeff Stevens of Panthers Fastpitch out of Florida who wrote us:

"We were overlooked on your 14U FAB 50 as we went 8-1 in the Fall against your Top 50.  I get the compilation is not as easy as it may seem.  Hopefully, you will not miss us after this Summer; just catching up with you to remind you about our 2016 success!
 
2016 PANTHER 14U FASTPITCH TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Finished 1st in pool at Rising Stars -- Davie, FL 1/2016
• Finished 1st in pool at D9-Orlando, FL 6/2016
• Finished 2nd Top Gun Invitational-KC, KS 6/2016
• Finished 1st in 14U bracket at Storm Showcase -- Tallahassee, FL
• 5-1 at Legacy -- Atlanta, GA
• Finished Runner Up at 2016 14U ASA Nationals -- Sioux Falls, SD

… and here's the Summer 2106 match-ups versus FloSoftball Top 50 teams according to the coach:

• 1-0  against Jacksonville Storm (Storm Showcase Final)
• 1-0 against Beverly Bandits Demarini(Legacy)
• 1-1 against Midland Magic(ASA Nationals)
• 1-0  against Florida Impact-Watson(Storm Showcase Semi)
• 1-0 against TN Fury Platinum(ASA Nationals)
• 0-1  against Texas Glory Naudin (Top Gun Invitational)
• 0-1 against Ohio Lasers (ASA Nationals final)

Not too bad… and we definitely will be keeping an eye on the Fastpitch this fall and into 2017!

*** Finally, one of the best games of the summer was the PGF National Championship 16U title contest as the Beverly Bandits pulled out an exciting 3-2 win over the surprising South Dakota Renegades.

The Bandits return a stellar pitching staff this year with Michigan-bound Meghan Beaubien (2017) and her awesome change-up coming back along with a pair of Northwestern-committed pitcher/infielders in Kenna Wilkey (2017) and Syd Supple (2019).

A team that could challenge them on pitching depth along looks to be Andrew Biele's East Cobb Bullets team which tied for 7th at PGF after going undefeated to win Boulder IDT over the summer.

What makes the team look so formidable?  Try this pitching staff for size:

•    Kelley Lynch (Auburn, ​pictured)
•    Logan Caymol (Tennessee)
•    Chandler Dennis (Michigan)
•    Angelina Biele (leaning heavily to Duke)

Also making the team formidable are additions including 2019 catcher Jessica Morgan (Georgia commit), 2018 MIF/OF Emily Klingaman (Auburn) and 2019 OF/C Emily Brown (Georgia State).

Only two players moved on and overall the team should soon be 100 percent committed with eight SEC verbals, three to the ACC, one Big Ten, two Sunbelt and one each to the Colonial and Southern Conferences.

Add to the mix the Birmingham Thunderbolts 99 team (8-2 at PGF) and Georgia Impac-Lewis and Tennessee Fury--all who finished 17th or higher at PGF Nationals--and it's going to be very competitive in the Southeast this next year at the 16U level!