We did it, another workweek down, but there’s a lot happening this weekend too including the No. 1 and No. 2 high school teams in the nation possibly facing each other on Saturday… but first they have to get through two other teams ranked in the top 20 of their state!  We start off with a profile of a West Coast player who’s going back to the land of her fathers (literally) as she’ll be calling the Big Ten home in a few years.  We also profile another West Coaster who’s heading back East and look at the CalHiSports.com Top 20 softball teams for this week…

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PLAYER PROFILE: CARLEY GASKILL

Grad Year: 2016
Pos: SS
High School: El Camino Real (Woodland Hills, Calif.)
Club: So Cal Choppers-Shipman/Ziese
Honors: 1st team All-League, All-City Honorable Mention as a Freshman.
College: Ohio State

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You’re dad is from Ohio and you have family there… it must be exciting to go a place where you have ties, yes?
Carley Gaskill: Absolutely, it is very exciting and such an amazing school in a great college town.

SSS.com: Walk us through the recruiting process: when did the Buckeye coaches first see/discover you and how long was it until they offered? 
CG: Well, I know (Head Coach) Kelly (Kovach Schoenly) saw me play at the PGF Nationals this past July.  Specifically, it was the game against So Cal Athletics-Quarles.  Then Coach Buck (Amanda Buchholz) came out to watch our Choppers practice in September.  They offered a few months later after we visited the campus.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
CG: After my unofficial visit to OSU.  The school is absolutely amazing along with the coaches and players.  There was a great energy there; spending time with them was really great. OSU can be as big or as small as you want.  The facilities were incredible as well.

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit? 
CG: On the phone after an unofficial visit.

 

SSS.com: What was running through your head as you talked to the coaches to commit? 
CG: I was honestly freaking out in my head that this was really happening.  As I was talking to Kelly, I don’t think she thought I was nervous but I was!

 

SSS.com: Any concerns about OSU being so far away? 
CG: Not really, knowing that I have family there will help if I ever get homesick.

 

SSS.com:  What do you think (or have others said) are your strengths as a softball player? 
CG: I think my strengths are definitely my defense in the field.

 

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career? 
CG: A top memory would be when I was in 8U and pitched every game in All-Stars, won the State Championship and had 176 strikeouts.  We won every game that season.  My coaches nicknamed me “Ace.”  The ironic part is that I do not pitch anymore.

 

Quick Hitters

 

What do you want to major in?
Sports Medicine.

What’s your earliest memory of softball?
T-ball when I was 5.

What do you think is most serious issue facing your generation?
I believe my generation tends to be lazy and they think that only talent will get you to college.

Favorite food:
Mostly everything!

Least favorite food:
Indian food.

Favorite place in the world:
Disneyland.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Probably Jennie Finch, to ask her questions about her career and how she got recruited.

What type of bat do you use (and why do you like it)?
I use a XENO.  I like the feel of it.

What’s the funniest thing that you’ve ever seen happen on the field? 
When I was 10 I hit a ball and it hit me in the head while I was running.  I ended up being called out.  Guess you had to see it.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I have a funny laugh

If you had to pick a color to represent your personality what would it be? 
Pink.

If you were asked to cook a dinner for an important get-together, could you do it? What would you cook?
I am a horrible cook, so it would have to be something easy like spaghetti.

Before you go to Ohio State, what do you want to accomplish in softball?
I really want to leave high school with a ring and win PGF Nationals.  Those would be my ultimate goals.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
I definitely look up to Taylor Schlopy.  She played for The University of Georgia, played Pro Fastpitch and is now a College Coach.  I am friends with her, her family and her cousins so we talk.  She gave me a lot of tips.

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RECRUITING SPOTLIGHT OF THE DAY: ISABELLA BEROUTY

Nickname: “Izzy”
High school: Rolling Hills Prep
City: San Pedro
State: 
Calif.
Grad year: 2016
Club: So Cal Athletics-McNee/Myers
Position(s): P/1B
Height: 5-8

Stats & Honors:  2013 club, as a pitcher compiled 0.097 ERA; hit .487 with 17 home runs, six trips, 15 doubles
Misc.: has to sit out until April 7 this season due to a transfer from Bishop Montgomery High (Torrance, Calif.)

College: College of Charleston
Other Offers: Cal State Fullerton
Why CoC: “I like the new coaches, it’s a building program that has good academic strength and it’s in a beautiful city with good weather.”

What is your favorite bat: “Eaton MAKO, has a lot of pop and feels great to swing. It’s a lot like my white and purple Stealth.”
What bat does your team use? “The EASTON MAKO… the So Cal A’s uses Easton.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? 
”Ringor, they’re the best ever!”
What is the uniform brand you prefer? “Gluv.”

 

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HIGH SCHOOL: CALHI’S TOP 20 TEAMS IN CALIFORNIA

Our sister site, CalHiSports.com, released its new list of the Top 20 teams in the Golden State in the last 24 hours… here’s the teams that are in, those who dropped out and those on the bubble…

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Our preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the state — Mission Viejo and Pacifica of Garden Grove — both lived up to those rankings by finishing first and second last weekend at the prestigious Dave Kops Tournament of Champions played in Bullhead City, Ariz.Those two could play again on Saturday at the Best of the West tournament (see below).

Highest-ranked newcomers are Cathedral Catholic of San Diego and North of Torrance.

There were a couple of teams that were penciled in for a State Top 20 ranking earlier in the week that lost on Tuesday and fell out, primarily Central of Fresno (was 8-0) and Sheldon of Sacramento (was 4-0).

Returning State Junior of the Year Johanna Grauer of Amador Valley has had one of the hottest starts to the season. She gave up no earned runs in her first five starts, including three wins at the annual Queen of the Mountain tournament.

Here are the first regular season State Top 20 rankings (after games of Tuesday, March 18; preseason ranking in parentheses):

1. (1) Mission Viejo 8-0
2. (2) Pacifica (Garden Grove) 7-1
3. (3) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 5-0
4. (4) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 4-0
5. (5) Esperanza (Anaheim) 8-0
6. (8) Marina (Huntington Beach) 6-0
7. (9) Yorba Linda 7-0
8. (11) Santiago (Corona) 9-1
9. (NR) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 6-0
10. (13) Chino Hills 7-3
11. (NR) North (Torrance) 5-2
12. (12) Chino 9-2
13. (14) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 7-2
14. (NR) Canyon (Anaheim) 5-1
15. (NR) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 5-1
16. (NR) Rocklin 7-1-1
17. (10) California (San Ramon) 2-1
18. (NR) Vacaville 7-0-1
19. (19) San Benito (Hollister) 0-0
20. (NR) El Modena (Orange) 3-1

Dropped Out From Preseason Rankings:
No. 6 Vintage (Napa), No. 7 Norco, No. 15 James Logan (Union City), No. 16 Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), No. 17 Central (Fresno), No. 18 M.L. King (Riverside), No. 20 Saugus.

Teams On The Bubble:
Alhambra (Martinez) 5-1
Clovis 8-0
East Union (Manteca) 7-0
Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 8-2
M.L. King (Riverside) 9-2
Murrieta Valley (Murrieta) 7-4
Norco 4-3
Patrick Henry (San Diego) 5-1
Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 6-1-1
Poway 4-1
Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 5-1
Poly (Riverside) 6-4
Saugus 3-2
Yucaipa 8-3

 

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HIGH SCHOOL: BEST OF THE WEST TOURNAMENT

It’s not too often that the actual No. 1 and No. 2 two teams in the country in any sport face off but that could be the case on Saturday as No. 1 Mission Viejo (Calif.) may face No. 2 Pacifica of Garden Grove (Calif.) on Pacifica’s home field as it hosts the Best Of The West Tournament.

It won’t be easy, though, as both teams will be facing two other Top 20 teams in the state: Mission Viejo will battle No. 20 El Modena (Orange) and Pacifica will square off with No. 14 Canyon (Anaheim).

Here’s the complete line-up of games:

*** SATURDAY, MARCH 22, SCHEDULE

CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS
Canyon vs. Pacifica at Pacifica High Field 1, 11 a.m.
Mission Viejo vs. El Modena at Pacifica High Field 2, 11 a.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP
Canyon-Pacifica winner vs. Mission Viejo-El Modena winner at Pacifica High Field 1, 3 p.m.

THIRD PLACE
Canyon-Pacifica loser vs. Mission Viejo-El Modena loser at Pacifica High Field 2, 3 p.m.

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
West Ranch vs. M.L. King at Mark Twain Field 1, 11:15 a.m.
Great Oak vs. Saugus at Mark Twain Field 2, 11:15 a.m.

CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIP
West Ranch-M.L. King winner vs. Great Oak-Saugus winner at Mark Twain Field 1, 3:15 p.m.

11TH PLACE
West Ranch-M.L. King loser vs. Great Oak-Saugus loser at Mark Twain Field 2, 3:15 p.m.

CONSOLATION GAMES
Bishop Amat vs. Vista Murrieta at Pacifica High Field 1, 9 a.m.
Granada Hills vs. Norco at Pacifica High Field 2, 9 a.m.
Bishop Amat-Vista Murrieta winner vs. Granada Hills-Norco winner at Pacifica High Field 1, 1 p.m.
Bishop Amat-Vista Murrieta loser vs. Granada Hills-Norco loser at Pacifica High Field 2, 1 p.m.
Chino vs. California at Mark Twain Field 1, 9:15 a.m.
Edison vs. Moorpark at Mark Twain Field 2, 9:15 a.m.
Chino-California winner vs. Edison-Moorpark winner at Mark Twain Field 1, 1:15 p.m.
Chino-California loser vs. Edison-Moorpark loser at Mark Twain Field 2, 1:15 p.m.

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Players, parents and coaches:  want to know the best way to get us info on your favorite player?  Fill out our Recruit Form link and complete.  It comes directly to me (Brentt) and you very likely could see the info used somewhere on our site!

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If you’d like to submit information, forward to brentt@studentsports.com.  Also, follow us on twitter at @SS_Softball.