Recently, we published a video profile of a pair of 2019 teammates who are among the best in their class: pitcher Kaylee Hewitt and catcher Julia Cottrill of the Wichita Mustangs.

There’s another outstanding pair of eighth graders who are getting college coaches from all over the nation attending their games in outfielder E.C. Taylor and pitcher Alex McManus who both are from Arkansas, but play for the Jersey Intensity-KOD team.

E.C. (short for “Emma Claire”) and Alex are from opposite sides of the state—EC hails from the Northeast part of the state, Marion, Ark. which is 10 minutes across the border from Memphis, Tenn., while Alex is from Northwest Arkansas.

Both have played previously together; in fact, the duo helped lead Arkansas Team Worth 01 to the 2014 ASA/USA 12U “A” National Championship and now suddenly find themselves playing for one of the top 18U Gold teams in the nation in the Intensity.

When I saw them at the Surf City Early Thanksgiving Showcase recently, they were being watched by major colleges across the country— head coaches Tim Walton of Florida and Patty Gasso from Oklahoma were at the game I watched prior to this interview, for example.

Here you’ll meet the two rising stars and also see short clips of them in action!

… here’s Alex pitching against The Next Level from San Diego on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014.

… and a short clip of EC slapping the ball in the same game.