Recruiting News & Notes (5/6)

Recruiting News & Notes (5/6)

May 6, 2015 by Brentt Eads
Recruiting News & Notes (5/6)

Wow, so much to cover today including high school playoffs going off around the country including everything in Florida starting today and ending on Saturday for all divisions.  We also have some recruiting news including a player who signed with one school but is now going ACC and there is also a LOT of 2019 updates!

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HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS

It's playoff time! Send us your team's status and stats as they (hopefully) advance...
It’s playoff time! Send us your team’s status and stats as they (hopefully) advance…

*** WE NEED YOUR HELP! Playoffs are taking place all over the country this week, from Arizona to Alabama to Florida and it’s tough to cover it all! Please send in anything noteworthy as teams advance in your state… e-mail Brentt@FullCountSoftball.com and we’ll try to include your info. Thanks!

*** The Florida High School Playoffs kick off today with the Class 1A, 3A, 5A and 7A semis underway and the championships concluding tomorrow.

The “even” classes: 2A, 4A, 6A and 8A, have semi’s on Friday with the championships on Saturday.

Teams to watch this week:

8A: One source we trust in Florida says, “My little shout out might go to Douglas High, in the 8A semis. They had a very good year, beating St. Thomas Aquinas (in 7A semis) twice and leading Heritage at the Slamfest championship game until the final moments.” Douglas plays Coral Reef on Friday.

Hagerty, though, is the highest rated team, coming in at No. 9 in the most recent FAB 50 rankings, and plays Newsome of Lithia in the first 8A semi on Friday.

7A: St. Thomas Aquinas, which won the last two championships at this level had all-world batter Meghan King (Florida State) pitching to catcher Gwen Svekis (Oregon), but those two are now college freshmen.

STA had a very easy path to the final four, but still, they graduated eight kids who are playing college ball right now, seven of whom were starters.

It will be impressive if they can advance further facing Sarasota this afternoon and perhaps Tate, which plays Bartow today. Tate was No. 31 in the FAB 50.

6A: Forest of Ocala was No. 21 in the latest FAB 50 and hosts Oakleaf of Orange Park. Tampa Chamberlain plays South Fork of Stuart in the other semi.

Both are Friday games.

Brooke Langston of American Heritage
Brooke Langston of American Heritage

5A: American Heritage, coached by Marty Cooper, is ranked No. 5 in the nation and will be the odds on favorite. One of the standouts on the very talented team is leadoff hitter Brooke Langston, a sophomore middle infielder who’s hitting over .500 and is 25-for-25 in steals in setting the table for the Patriots. She is uncommitted but should blow up this summer and says, “I’m have been getting a lot of camp requests from colleges.”

*** There will be a new state champion in Arizona’s Div. I as five time defending champ Red Mountain from Mesa was defeated by Desert Vista from Phoenix Monday 4-1.

Pitcher Brooke Hughes allowed just one run on three hits and struck out five. Julian Navarro hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and Vista added three more in the sixth to knock out the reigning champs.

Kiara Kennedy helped Desert Vista knock off the five-dime defending Arizona state champs.
Kiara Kennedy helped Desert Vista knock off the five-dime defending Arizona state champs.

One of the stars for DV is infielder Kiara Kennedy, who is hitting close to .400 and has visited Purdue where she could possible commit this summer.

This puts Desert Vista in the Elite 8 which is double elimination now.

*** One of the hottest teams in the country is Curry (Ala.) which was ranked No. 30 in the previous Full Count Softball FAB 50 rankings (note: new rankings will come out in the next 24 hours!).

Curry is led by pitching ace Ashlee Swindle, a junior who is having an All-American type year. The junior who is committed to Auburn is 35-4 on the season with 271 K’s in 218 innings versus 30 walks. Ashley has pitched six no-hitters, 10 one-hitters and 23 shutouts to compile a freakish 0.16 ERA.

She’s only allowed five earned runs all year—again that’s 218 innings! But she’s had plenty of offensive support; check out the stats of some of the key hitters on the Curry team:

  1. Kaylee Horton: .505 avg, 32 runs, 49 hits, 20 RBI, seven 2B, tree 3B, oneHR
  2. Haleigh Lane: .480 avg, 33 runs, 48 hits, 25 RBI, seven 2B, three 3B, threeHR
  3. Gabby Englebert: .469 avg, 27 runs, 45 hits, 20 RBI, three 3B
  4. Emily Aaron: .436 avg, 40 runs, 51 hits, 21 RBI, nine 2B, one HR
  5. Taylor Rowe: .416 avg, 20 runs, 42 hits, 17 RBI, five 2B, one 3B, one HR
  6. Ashlee Swindle: .389 avg, 22 runs, 44 hits, 40 RBI, 12 2B, five HR

Curry will play in the Regionals tomorrow (Thursday) in Tuscaloosa, Ala. starting at 4 pm.

*** Another Alabama underclass pitcher who is lighting it up is K Rae Blasingame of Horseshoe Bend of New Site, Ala.

“K-Rae” is having a great pitching run in Alabama.

The 2017 North Georgia commit has lead the Lady Generals to a 24-8 record with a 0.98 ERA and 271 strikeouts in 169 innings with 31 walks. K Rae has recorded 14 shutouts and one perfect game and is also batting .429.

Horseshoe Bend finished 1st in the Area Tournament with a 3-0 record and Blasinghame pitched three shutouts in the tourney. The Lady Generals play in the Regionals Thursday and Friday of this week trying to qualify for State.

*** 2016 Hot 100 pitcher Cayla Drotar from Hartsville, S.C.—who we recently profiled – continues to roll in the playoffs.

Cayla Drotar pitched a one-hitter on Monday and also cracked a home run.
Cayla Drotar pitched a one-hitter on Monday and also cracked a home run.

On Monday, she pitched a one-hit shutout and smashed her 14th home run in 25 games to lead the Red Foxes to a 7-0 win in Class 3A softball action against Midland.

Drotar is 16-1 and has led Hartsville (24-1) to the District VI championship which will be held Friday at Hartsville.

The Univ. of South Carolina commit had 13 K’s in the win.

VERBALS

*** It’s been a wild month for Lexi Mettler, the 2015 pitcher/first baseman who had signed with Delaware.

However, the university recently fired its coach and Lexi was able to get out of her LOI and this past weekend tripped to Virginia and just committed to the Cavaliers on Monday.

She plays for the California Grapettes and attends Pitman High in Turlock, Calif. I spoke with her last night and will have the complete story of this amazing roller coaster ride in the next few days.

*** Taylor Gallagher, a 2016 pitcher/outfielder with Akadema Elite Gold and Immaculate Heart Academy (N.J.)—both coached by Anthony LaRezza—has committed to Drexel.

Coach LaRezza says of the junior: “Taylor is super athletic.  She can literally play all nine positions on the field. She bats fourth in our lineup and can change a game with one swing of her bat. She will pitch and play the outfield at Drexel.”

RECRUITING

*** Believe it or not, scouts and coaches are looking at 2019’s now (8th graders) and there are definitely some that are making waves.

Grace Vesco is a rising star from Ohio
Grace Vesco is a rising star from Ohio

— Some people feel the best 2019 pitcher in Ohio is Grace Vesco, who as the ace of her club team, Grand Slam from North Canton, Ohio, which finished 17th in the 12U ASA/USA Nationals.

Grace know pitches for the Oho Outlaws 14U Premier team and is drawing raves because her knowledge of the game is mature beyond her years.   Coaches like her ability to locate and mix pitches and she keeps hitters off balance no matter how many plate appearances.

Grace has a unique ability to throw any pitch anytime including a 3-2 changeup. She finished the 2014 season with a 39-6 record and a 0.56 ERA.

— The Outlaws also have a 2019 who’s committed to Penn State in Kaytlin Morrison, a shortstop that Warren Wolff, the President and Recriting Coordinator of the Ohio Outlaws says is a “total player.”

He’s also high on another ’19 in catcher/utility player Delany Rito, says “she has a big arm at 60-plus at 12U and is a very good athlete who can hit the ball hard.

— The Outlaws also have a 2020 corner infielder in Riley Zana who has already taken one campus visit with another coming soon, she’s that good this early. We will be hearing her name for years to come!

Bailey Morris had a huge weekend at the plate.
Bailey Morris had a huge weekend at the plate.

*** Bailey Morris, the 2019 infielder from Fairfax, Va. plays for Team Glory-Seidel 14U and can play either third or shortstop.

We profiled her in February and she had a huge weekend at an ASA Eastern Nationals Qualifier in Wilmington, Del. Her team didn’t qualify, losing in the quarterfinals, but Bailey did her part.

She went 9-for-13 with a double, triple and six RBI. Her on-base percentage was .706.

Boston College and UNC Wilmington have contacted her coach and she’s received camp invites from LSU, Virginia, Central Florida, Miami of Ohio and Harvard (3.8 GPA).

Here is a video showing some of her offensive and defensive plays at the ASA Qualifier:

*** Addison Davis, who is the President of the Jacksonville and Florida Storm organizations and coaches the Jacksonville Storm-Davis team, says he has a pair of 2019’s who are Hot 100 material.

“These two are a major reason that the team has been successful,” he says.

— P Madisyn Davis (2019, uncommitted)

“Madison is a 5-foot-9 right-handed and pitcher who has been on unofficial visits to South Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina Upstate and is soon to scheduled for Jacksonville University. Her ability to throw hard, spin the ball, locate, and command her defense makes her most attractive. Madisyn aspires to be a Pre-Medical Student in college.”

— 3B/UT Baylee Goddard (2019, uncommitted)
“Baylee is the best 2019 hitter in the state of Florida. (Coaches) Becky Clark (South Alabama), Dan Sperl (Jacksonville University), and Ken Erickson (University of South Florida) will all agree. Baylee has been on visits to South Carolina Upstate, Jacksonville University, and University of South Alabama (Florida State will occur in July.) In the last three games, she has five blasts due to her hand speed and power. Defensively, Baylee is a great athlete and can play anywhere as her late father, Jonathan Goddard, played defensive end for the Colts.”

Finally, Coach Davis adds that centerfielder Alexis Ross, another ’19, will be one to watch as well: “She will be Division I,” he adds. “Alexis is a lefty slapper and 2.65 from home-to-first. FSU and Upstate are on her.”

*** Yet another 2019 who’s making waves is outfielder/shortsop Leea Hanks from Clermont, Fla. who we profiled in December and continues to see her stock go up.

Leea has already been offered by Central Florida and is a triple-threat slapper.

Leea Hanks also had a huge weekend offensively.
Leea Hanks also had a huge weekend offensively.

She recently played for the Jersey Intensity 14U National Team in the ASA Texas Challenge and writes of her experience:

“After a tough lost in Houston against Impact Gold in the semifinals,  I am hard at work trying to improve my game for this upcoming summer.”

“In the semifinal against Impact Gold 14U – Guy, I had the chance to face Madison Lindsey, a 2018 Baylor commit pitcher.  I went 1-for-2 and a hit by pitch.  The game was 0-0 through regulation and had to go to an ITB.  We lost 2-1.”

“For the weekend,  I went 11-for-16 at the plate with an OBP of .703, had seven steals and 42 total bases in six games,  but I still have things that I can improve upon.

“I have four more weeks before our season officially starts at the D9 Summer Classic.  I hope to see you at the ballpark.  Wish me luck!!  Take care Sir.”

Note from Brentt: I love any young player who calls me “Sir.” Shows that she’s probably a respectful person and a good person. And more than likely she’s from the South!