On this Valentine’s Day, we go a bit lighter on the news (saving room for chocolates!) but do profile a powerhitter out of Oklahoma going to the Big 12 and a Georgia girls who’s SEC bound.  We also look at a 2016 shortstop from New York who’s getting interest because of her talent and grades…

 

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FAB 50 COMING LATER TODAY…

For all those who wrote to ask when the FAB 50 would be released, it will be later this afternoon/evening depending on where you live.

We’re verifying some last minute facts and figures so hang in there… if you follow us on Twitter, we’ll tweet out when it goes live @SS_Softball.

 

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PLAYER PROFILE: JENNIFER MARWITZ

Grad Year: 2015
Position: Outfield
High School: Mount Saint Mary’s (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
GPA: 4.0
ACT: 26
Nickname: Jen Jen
Club: OK Gametime Stars Gold
Stats: 2013 club: hit.388 with 48 RBI, eight home runs, 38 walks, .496 on-base percentage
Honors: two-time All Little City and All-Conference; Sooner Conference Offensive Player of the Year
College: Kansas

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You committed to Kansas last July and had gone to a lot of showcases including the OnDeck Jamborees… did those help you get exposure to college coaches and would you recommend to players coming up?
Jennifer Marwitz: Yeah, at OnDeck there is a lot of exposure. There were a lot of college coaches watching and you really get to showcase your talents to all those coaches.

 

SSS.com: Tell us how you were first seen by the Jayhawk coaches, then how long until they offered?
JM: I think the first time Kansas saw me was when I was at the OnDeck Jamboree in Colorado and then at the Sparkler Power Pool. During that, I heard that Kansas was interested in me. After I got back to Oklahoma from Colorado, they invited me to their camp that was a week long, but I could only attend for a couple days because I had to get ready with my team to go to Premier in Huntington Beach. When I left the KU camp, they asked me to come back on campus and that is when Coach Smith offered me.

 

SSS.com: When did you decide to commit and what led into the decision?
JM: The day after I got back from the Kansas camp, I made a list of all the pros and cons on all the schools that offered me, and I realized Kansas really fit me the most. That’s when I made my decision. I saw a lot of great softball programs and met a lot of fun and exciting coaches, but the Kansas Jayhawks really fit me. I liked them a lot. It’s hard to explain, but it just really felt like a great fit! It’s where I wanted to be.

 

SSS.com: How did you tell the coaches, in person, on the phone, on an unofficial visit?
JM: Well after I made my decision, I called Coach Smith right after my practice. I told her I would really like to play for the Kansas Jayhawks.

 

SSS.com: Did you and your family do anything fun to celebrate?
JM: We got ice cream but we never really like “celebrated” after I committed. We were all really so busy when getting back from Colorado and the Kansas camp because we were all getting ready for our Nationals. I guess I celebrated in California with my Grandma and Grandpa. They took me to Premier in Huntington Beach.

 

SSS.com: How far away from home will you be? Was distance a factor in your decision at all?
JM: Oh yeah! The drive from Oklahoma City to Lawrence, Kansas is only five hours, and it is a very easy and relaxing drive with not a lot of traffic.

 

SSS.com: What do you think, or have others said, are your strengths on the field?
JM: I’m a strong power hitter and I have a strong arm for throwing the ball anywhere on the field. Everyone says I’m a fast runner for my size, but I don’t feel like it. Maybe because we have some really fast‐fast girls on the Gametime Stars that play with me.

 

SSS.com: Watching video of you on YouTube, you have a sweet, fluid swing… is that natural or did you have to work to get it where you are today?
JM: I think it’s natural for me to swing the bat and hit. I’ve always hit well growing up. I never took hitting lessons, but I put a lot of work into my hitting throughout the year of every season. My coach, Rusty Fisher, has helped me to always adjust. You always have to adjust and learn new stuff to be a better batter.

 

SSS.com: What’s the best piece of softball advice, be it hitting, defense, etc., you’ve ever received?
JM: Well I went to a Steve Springer conference before our season in 2013. He said something that I thought about a lot throughout the season. He said, “Approach the plate with confidence, hit the ball hard and you win!” I always remember that advice every time I play.

 

SSS.com: What’s been a top memory or two for you in your softball career?
JM: In 2009, 2010, and 2011, our team was National Champions each of those years. But my top memory was in 2010 when we went to Panama City, Fla. We had to play until 4:30am. That was because there was a hurricane warning for a storm that never came and that also was the year of the Deep Horizon oil spill in the Gulf. We won our second National Championship that year at 4:30 am in the morning!

 

Quick Hitters

 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’ve looked at all the majors at the University of Kansas and I really want to be a Physical Therapist. I would have to go to school for three more year after a Bachelor degree. So in 10 years I see myself doing that.

What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of softball?
Competition

Favorite characteristic in people:

 Their smile. Definitely their smile.

Funniest thing you’ve ever seen on a softball field
We played a game once where a girl hit the ball and the bat broke. The broken bat went towards our shortstop and the ball down the line. Everyone was stunned almost like they didn’t know what to do. Our coach yelled in a funny way, “Well? Pick the ball up and throw it!” We laughed about that for a long time!

What type of bat do you use (and do you like it)?
I use a Xeno 34/25 and really love Louisville Slugger bats!

What are the coolest colors when combined on a uniform?
Red and blue, of course!

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I can make cool dog noises!

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?
A really big boat!

Do you feel like you’re a role model to others?
I’ve always been a role model to my little sister Janelle. She has always looked up to me and she works really hard in softball too. I’m pretty sure that someday she’s going to be recruited to a great college.

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RECRUIT SPOTLIGHT OF THE DAY: TORI ROBINSON

High school: Coffee County
City: Douglas
State: 
Ga.
Grad year: 2015
Club: East Cobb Bulletts-Schnute
Position(s): shortstop/outfield
Height: 5-8

Stats & Honors:

2013 high school season:
.536 batting average in 26 games played, only two strikeouts;
.702 slugging percentage,
.571 OBP, 45 hits, 42 RBIs, 30 runs

College: Auburn
Other Offers: “Many… I have flown under the radar until recently and especially since last summer at the PGF Nationals in California. I was noticed by several D-1 Schools and that led me to Coach Clint Myers and the Auburn Tigers.”
Why Auburn: “The size of the campus and its facilities along with the coaching staff.”

What is your favorite bat: “Then, the TPS Xeno 2012 33/23… now, Louisville Slugger LXT 33/23.”
What bat does your team use? “I use the LXT and so does my whole team.”
What is your favorite brand of cleats? 
”Ringor and Mizuno.”
What is the uniform brand you prefer? “Mizuno and 3n2.”

 

 

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** Kayleigh LeBlanch, a 2014 catcher with the Firecrackers DFW-Torres team, will play at Texas A&M-Commerce.

Says her mother, Crystal: “Kayleigh started playing softball and fell in love with the game while living in Arizona for seven years and then we had to move to Texas her senior year.  After living in Texas for only four and a half months, she proved herself and showed what she could do and was offered a scholarship to play for Coach Bruister at Texas A&M Univ.-Commerce.

 

*** We’re still accumulating info and researching top sophomores for our eventual Hot 100 2016 list (to come sometime this spring!).

One player we have on the board to watch is Alexis Bazos, a 2016 shortstop, outfielder and pitcher with the NJ Cheetahs, which she joined last fall and has subsequently impressed scouts at events like Surf City Tourneys (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Team NJ Showcase and Diamond9 in Orlando.

Prior to playing with the Cheetahs, Alexis played for the Junction Girls 98 team and led them to the Softball Nation National Championship in Richmond, Va. where she hit .545 and went 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA in the circle.

The sophomore has done a lot with Scout Softball and recorded an overhand throw at 68 mph at a recruiting combine putting her as the third hardest thrower in the entire nation at any age and ranks her at No. 1 in the 2016 class.

Scout Softball also timed her with a 2.80 home-to-first and ranks her as the No. 3 right-fielder and No. 5 shortstop in the 2016 class.

Here’s a recent skill video posted on YouTube.

Alexis attends Fox Lane High in Bedford, N.Y. where she was the first player in the history of the school to be named to the All League team as an eighth grader.

Playing in the division with the largest high school in the state, she followed that up with All League and All Section honors as a freshman and in her two-year varsity career she’s batting .511 with eight home runs and is on pace to break most of the school’s hitting and pitching records.

Recruiting-wise, she’s hearing from ACC and Big East schools as well as top academic schools including some from the Ivy League as she has a 4.0 GPA.  According to her father, George, “She’ll likely not make a decision until all of her test scores are in, which may not be until her junior year.”

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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.