Many were surprised when our Hot 100 list for the 2016 class came out and Georgia pitcher Brooke Barfield came in No. 22. More than a few puzzled coaches reached out and asked, “Who is this player?”

Brooke was a late bloomer and, as was mentioned in the blurb on her, she “hasn’t been on the recruiting radar as much because she comes from a small community in Southeast Georgia.”

A lefty who throws in the low 60’s with good movement on her pitches, the recruiting has really picked up from Brooke, who explains this and more in a letter she sent this weekend to Full Count Softball.

Her comments fit perfectly, too, with the theme of gratitude this Thanksgiving week!

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I hope this finds you well and ready to enjoy a great Thanksgiving Holiday!

Just wanted to send you an update on what has been going on with me over the last few months.

I recently visited Alabama-Birmingham and enjoyed meeting the coaching staff and many others while on campus. I was also treated to watching a great football game, UAB vs Marshall. Marshall won the game but UAB gave them all they could handle and were in position to win in the final seconds, just wasn’t meant to be. Both teams were awesome to watch and should be proud of their efforts.

I have received interest from the following schools: Alabama-Birmingham, Troy, South Carolina, Georgia, Ole Miss, Syracuse, Ohio State, Georgia Southern, Coastal Georgia, Middle Georgia and East Georgia.

I currently have offers from three, but would like to keep that private in respect for the schools.

The interest by these schools has been overwhelming for me and I have been honored and humbled to even be considered by each of them.

I look forward to making a few more visits before making a final decision and want to thank every school that has shown interest in me during the recruiting process. I have met some great people that I hope to be friends with forever.

I absolutely love my teammates with GA Impact – Stanford, they are a great bunch of girls who I love to spend time with. We have played in several showcases lately and I look forward to a great season in PGF with them this year!

We will be fighting for a chance to come to Cali and compete against the best, you can bet that we will be putting it all out there, WE are ALL working hard now to be ready when the season starts.

In closing I want to thank you for including me in your Hot 100 list. I am so humbled to even be mentioned with the other players on the list. I am so very thankful to you and I’m now even more driven by this opportunity. I consider it such a privilege and I will continue to work hard to earn your trust and be the best player I can be for my team.

Have a Great Thanksgiving,

#5 Brooke Barfield

GA Impact – Stanford
GO HARD or GO HOME!!