It’s Friday lite as we get ready for St. Patrick’s Day on Monday (working on a Leprechaun trap this weekend as we really need to find that pot of gold!).  We’re gearing up for the next rankings in the high school FAB 50 so please send us info if you’re team is one of the best.  Also today you’ll see our profile on the young pitcher who committed to Oklahoma this week, meet a promising prospect from Canada that should be getting a lot of attention this summer and learn more about a San Diego player who’s headed to her mom’s alma mater!

 

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HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: FAB 50 RANKINGS COMING OUT SOON!

In the next week or two we’ll have our first in-season Softball FAB 50 rankings.

Here’s our StudentSportsSoftball.com Preseason FAB 50 Rankings.

We need your help in updating us on the top teams—please send in team records, stats, top performances, etc. if you’re associated with one of the teams in the preseason rankings and, even if not, if you’re team is making some noise send us the info and we will consider them not just for the national rankings, but also regional rankings as well.

Send info to: brentt@studentsports.com

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ASK A QUESTION: TAYLOR HOAGLAND

This is pretty cool–I talked to USA Softball National Team member Taylor Hoagland today and next week I’ll be sending her some questions from you high school and club players!

Send in whatever question you’d like to ask the 1st Team All-American at Texas last year and we’ll collect a bunch and have her respond.

If your question is used, we’ll put your name with it and give you the credit!

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PLAYER PROFILE: BROOKE VESTAL

Grad Year: 2018
Pos: pitcher
High School: starts this fall at Canyon (New Braunfels, Texas)
GPA: 4.0
Height: 6-foot
Club: Texas Bombers 16U
College: Oklahoma

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You’re a fourth generation athlete with your great-grandfather, grandfather and father all playing college football and your sisters behind you being promising softball players.  What’s it like when you all get together? 
Brooke Vestal: It’s never really been an issue, but I think that’s probably where I learned to love to compete.

 

SSS.com: I met you last summer when you were at PGF and there you had a lot of big-time college coaches watching you … what was that like?
BV: My experience at PGF Nationals was fantastic. We probably weren’t on the radar before the tournament, but the Austin Stars were a well-coached team and we played hard every game. It was great to get hot at the right time.

 

SSS.com: This week you’re in St. Louis at an AAU volleyball tournament… which sport came first?
BV: I started playing softball when I was five and volleyball when I was 12. I’m lucky to be tall so both sports allow me to take advantage of that. I look forward to playing both, but Sooner softball is my focus for the future.

 

SSS.com: Describe what volleyball means to you and how it’s similar and different to softball…
BV: Both sports give me the opportunity to compete. Volleyball is a way for me to continue to compete during the softball offseason. I have great teammates on both teams and I’m able to experience diversity in both sports that has helped build my character.

 

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the Oklahoma coaches and how the recruiting process progressed up until your commitment this week?
BV: I think (Oklahoma Assistant) Coach (Melyssa) Lombardi found me by chance at the Ronald McDonald Showcase in Houston. I went to a camp there in November and loved it. Over the winter, my family and I visited several prominent softball schools. Ultimately, Oklahoma was the clear choice for my family and me.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
BV: After my visits over the winter it was clear that OU was the place for me. We decided to think on it for a month before committing.

 

SSS.com: You were taking a tour on the OU campus when you committed… walk us through that experience of saying you wanted to be a Sooner?
BV: I was traveling with my family to St Louis for volleyball and that took us through Norman. We decided to meet with the coaches then.  The actual commitment took place in the dorm cafeteria. I asked (Head) Coach (Patty) Gasso where to sign up to be a Sooner, and she said she would take it from there.

It’s an experience that I most definitely won’t forget!

 

SSS.com: How far away from home will be?  Was distance a factor in your decision at all?
BV: It is about a seven hour drive, and I’m happy to be close enough to home for my family to be part of my college softball experience.

 

SSS.com:  What pitches do you throw — what’s your go-to pitch — and what would you say makes you such a dominant player?
BV: I can’t give away all of my secrets, but I generally have pretty good luck with my curve and rise!

 

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
BV: I’m proud of the fact that I have played on teams that have done well at national tournaments.

While I was with the Austin Stars we played in five national tournaments without finishing outside the top 10. Coaches Placido Garcia, Gary Oltmann and Anthony Wiiliams always seemed to have us ready for the big ones. I look forward to more of the same as a member of the Texas Bombers. Coach Scott Smith has a history of success.

 

Quick Hitters

 

In one sentence, how would you describe your Texas town (New Braunfels)?g
Other than being the home of the world’s biggest water park, the Schlitterbahn New Braunfels Waterpark, it is a great mid-size town between Austin and San Antonio.

Fill in the blank… when I’m in the circle I feel:_________________
… in control.

Favorite food:
Sushi.

Least favorite food:
Cheese.

Least favorite chore:
Washing dishes.

If you were handed a check for $1,000, what would you do with it?
Bank it.

In one word, describe your personality:
Competitive.

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I’m an avid deer hunter.

You come from a great family of athletes… who would you say was the best of them all?
My dad because he played two sports at Baylor—football and golf.

Other than family, who’s your hero or someone you look up to most?
I have developed a great relationship with my club volleyball coach, Courtney Biasatti of Alamo North. She has motivated me to raise my goals and my standards for myself.

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** In October we profiled the Diamonds Fastpitch team out of the Toronto, Canada area and one of the elite players to watch on that team is 2015 third baseman Madison Gilliland.

It’s hard sometimes to get exposure, especially when you’re off the beaten path when it comes to recruiting, but expect Madison to get a lot of serious looks over the next few months.

The Diamonds are spending their entire summer schedule showcasing in the U.S. and Madison is expected to get serious attention at Pennsbury, The Atlanta Legacy and New England’s Finest.

Coach Mark Carter, who has worked with Madison since 12U, suggests that “Maddy has already had some great discussions with schools and I fully expect her to have her options.  She’s easy to coach and has been an honor student throughout high school.  Madison’s become a solid student of the game and I don’t see her development stopping. She’s become a better player each year and she’ll definitely continue to improve all the way through her college years.”

“She certainly has a good role model in Canadian National Team Member Joey Lye, who is a Williams College grad, NESCAC standout and current Stevenson University coach.”

Scouting wise, Maddison is looked at as the type of player who will “sacrifice herself at the hot corner and at the plate for her team.  She’s a power hitter who hits it hard and can go the yard.”

*** Kaitlyn Thomson, a 2014 SS/3B/OF with the Cal A’s, has committed to the University of Montevallo.

 

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RECRUIT SPOTLIGHT OF THE DAY: TIERRA (“T”) FALO

High school: Cathedral Catholic
City: San Diego
State: 
Calif.
Grad year: 2015
Club: Power Surge Gold
Position(s): first base
Height: 5-10
Stats & Honors: 2013 Western League Player of the Year (San Diego); set New Cathedral Catholic high school records, still with two more seasons left to play; went to PGF with The OC Batbusters-Myers team which took second place.
College: Long Beach State
Other Offers: “five other schools”
Why Long Beach State: “I fell in love with the coaching staff at Long Beach. Their motto is ‘Family, Education, then Softball.’”

“I’m using the game that I love to play as a vehicle to get me to college, but having a great coaching staff to make sure that you attend class and graduate from college won me over.”

“My mother played softball at Long Beach and it’s only 1 1/2 hour away from San Diego. I’m just blessed that Long Beach was interested in me. There is so much for more for me to learn at the college level. Now, I can only stay the path, train and keep up with school work.”

What is your favorite bat: “Right now it’s Easton.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? 
”Mizuno.”
What is the uniform brand you prefer? “Doesn’t matter.”

 

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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.