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 1 of the event on Wednesday, June 24.

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This week, my team and I have the opportunity to play at the Team NJ Summer Classic tournament where girls come to showcase their talent to expectant college coaches.

These next few days can be extremely stressful for some players, but this particular tournament is unique because teams travel from across the country to play.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP/LOG IN FOR TEAM NJ SUMMER CLASSIC LIVE GAME STREAMING!

My team and I have started this journey together in California at LAX. Our flight was delayed 3 hours! We didn’t land in Newark, New Jersey, until midnight with a full day of softball ahead of us.

With our first game in the morning, my team drives together in big vans. Meanwhile, the girls fight over the aux cord to play music till someone starts “Blessings” by Big Sean. Our coach, who is driving the van, shakes his head and laughs at us and our music choice.

We are scheduled to play three games for the day against teams that we know nothing about. When my organization, the Corona Angels, travel from California to the East Coast, we are unfamiliar with the local teams. Not only do we not know the squad we are facing, but the East Coast organizations seem to have different traditions, I guess you could say, than West Coast girls.

For example, after a game, we give the opposing team high-fives while crossing home plate. East Coast teams cross the pitcher’s circle to give high-fives. Although this seems insignificant, it shows us players that although we all play the same sport with the same rules, we treat the game a little different depending on which state we come from.

A team from South Carolina asked my Coach for a pitcher he could borrow at their game because one of their’s was hurt. I was lucky enough to be chosen to go and play with them.

I was nervous at first about how the girls would react to me, someone from another team in completely opposite uniform colors. However, they welcomed me with open arms! I had a great time trying to memorize their signs.

I finally gave up and had to write them on my arm in Sharpie!

Oops!

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