Today we look at a fast-rising slapper from Tennessee who grew up around softball and even baseball as a relative was tied into the Minnesota Twins.  She had a blow-up summer that led to several top organizations wanting her after her previous club team folded last year…

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Name: PRESLEY LEEBRICK
High School/Middle School: will be Siegel High/currently at Stewarts Creek Middle School (Smyrna, Tenn.)
City: Murfreesboro
State: 
Tenn.
Grad Year: 2019
Club: TN Fury Platinum ’19/’20
Position(s): middle infielder/outfielder
Height: 5-7

Club Stats: 2014 – hit .551 with .582 on-base percentage
Middle School Stats: through six games is hitting .556 with .619 on-base percentage and .944 slugging percentage.

Honors: All-Conference in softball and volleyball in middle school.

Softball Background: Presley has played softball since the age of four. She also plays volleyball but softball is her future college sport. Presley “grew up learning to walk at the ballpark,” according to her father, Tony. “I coached her older sister’s travel team and later her older brother’s travel baseball team.”

She also grew up around baseball as her father’s cousin, Steve Liddle, was a bench coach for the Minnesota Twins and the Leebrick family would go to spring training in Ft. Myers, Fla.. “Presley would get to be in the dugout for batting practice and rub shoulders with the likes of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Tori Hunter. She wears the No. 7 because of Joe Mauer.”

Club Experiences: Presley helped lead her travel team, Easton Speed 01, to a USSSA World Series title at Disney World as 11 year olds and last year finished 3rd as 12 year olds in the USFA World Series at Panama City Beach with Presley batting 1st and playing shortstop.

During the summer last year, Presley’s team played the Birmingham Thunderbolts 01 coached by Keith Dorsett. Presley was 6-for-8 against them that weekend in three games. After the game she was approached by Coach Dorsett to pick up with them after Easton Speed was done in Panama City. Presley played with the Bolts in the Atlanta Legacy tournament and the PGF Nationals in Southern California and did very well, hitting almost .600.

After Easton Speed folded, Presley was asked by several major teams to join; at that time, the Franklin Flames were becoming TN Fury Platinum and wanted her also. The Fury had just finished 2nd in the ASA Nationals in Bloomington, Ind. and Presley and her family decided to play for them since “they are local and have team practices regularly,” according to her father.

College: uncommitted
Recruiting Interest: “Middle Tennessee State is actively recruiting her and Tennessee wants Presley to visit the Vols campus this fall. She attended a UT camp this winter.”

Scouting Report: A good slapper who can bunt, soft slap and power slap, Presley is now working on her power-hitting skills. The eighth grader has run a 2.9 home-to-first and her goal is to get to the 2.7 second range. Says her father Tony: “She ultimately wants to be that true triple threat player and that is the last piece of the puzzle.”

How She Became a Slapper: Her father explains: “Presley started playing on a travel softball team at the age of 9 (first year kid pitch). She was small and fast. She was at an advantage because she throws right-handed and hits left handed. Her coach approached me about her learning to slap since she was already on the left side. I was apprehensive because I wanted her to hit first, but ultimately agreed with him. So, she started taking slapping lessons at 9. She was a slapper from the second tournament of her travel ball career. Presley is the rare player who started on the left side and had never really swung away traditionally in a game, so she had to really focus on learning to hit traditionally.

She is not a simple tap and run slapper. She is able to truly read the defense and take advantage of what they are giving her.

Video Highlights:

Playing with the Bolts in Atlanta and California…

Playing with the Fury last fall…

Middle school action last week: