Corona Angels (Calif.) pitcher Sam Manti, a 2016 right-hander who has committed to Washington, is on the East Coast this week to help her club team compete in the Team NJ Summer Classic in Edison and Bridgewater, N.J. 

Manti will be blogging about her experiences all week while she’s at the tournament for FloSoftball.

Here’s what went down on Day 2 of the event on Thursday, June 25.

The humidity was turned up in New Jersey today making us feel like we were in a sauna. I was born in So Cal and I sure did miss the cooler temperatures there today!

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However, our offense flipped a switch today and we were hitting the ball hard. The girls were jumping on good pitches early and showing their talent to on-looking college coaches.

Our pitchers worked hard as well, hitting the corners and working the counts. Softball teams from the East Coast are known for having long swings that wrap around the ball. We pitchers used this to our advantage. My organization, the Corona Angels, are taught to understand the count and be able to expand the zone if we are ahead. Our 2017 first baseman, Mckenzie Meech, hit a grand slam in our third game to give us a substantial lead to end our last game of the day.

Our Coach, Marty Tyson, attempts to explain both the mental and physical fundamentals of softball throughout our three games. Offensively, he teaches our hitters to attack a slightly elevated pitch early in the count. If our batter is behind in the count with two strikes, then they must foul off any questionable pitches to compete in the at-bat. Coach Marty always tells us that pitch selection is one of the keys to being a successful hitter. Choosing a good pitch you can hit will always give you the best chance to be successful. If a hitter can have a strong “softball IQ,” as our coach says, then you can thrive in the game.

After a tiring three games, my team loads into our vans back to the hotel to change, then a visit to the Jersey Shore’s Boardwalk in Ocean City. While there, Coach Marty coaxes the team to go on two rides together. We eat pizza and take a walk on the boardwalk. The team and I had a little fun before the stressful bracket play/single elimination games that start tomorrow.

Let’s hope the weather cooperates!

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