Today we look at a team that was named after a helicopter logo (really!) and go to the Southwest to read about a player who’ll only have to travel about a half hour to play for a program you’ve probably heard of!  Also, we start a Cool Pic feature and have a few more verbals of note…

 

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TEAM PROFILE: SO CAL CHOPPERS

To know why and how So Cal Choppers Head Coach Gary Fausett coaches, you have to go back to his childhood.

When he was a young boy, his family was in Missouri when the St. Louis Cardinals ran the “Show Me Baseball Camp.”   The current coach remembers being a little boy looking in from the outside and not being able to attend.

“My Dad couldn’t afford to pay to have me go in there.”

Being left out, Fausett became determined to make sure that never happened to any other boy or girl if he could help it.

“From the age of 19,” he beings, “I’ve coached some type of organizational ball.  I felt it was important to give opportunities to kids in the community.  It’s driven me to this day.”

Today, the So Cal Choppers organization has four 12U teams, one 14U squad and a pair of 16U teams in addition to the 18U Gold team.  However, spurred by his early childhood camp experience, Fausett allows the players to participate for free.

“I want them to play for the love of the game so we don’t charge them or their families any money.”

The coach and his wife, Judy, have two grown children—a son, Dean, who has been a long-time third base coach for the Choppers and daughter, Lorie, a former star softball player at the University of Oklahoma who is married to current Stanford Head Coach John Rittman.

“Dean has been coaching with me even when he was in high school and I doubt outside of the collegiate level you’ll find anyone who can teach the way he does, he’s phenomenal.  You can ask any college coach in the country, they’ll tell you. His ability to teach speaks for itself.”

Interestingly, the Choppers head man was a long time baseball coach at the youth level prior to getting into softball, but although coaches from every team Lorie played on asked him to help, he refused to coach his own daughter.

“I didn’t want to coach my daughter,” he remembers.  “My wife would get mad and me and ask, ‘You’re always coaching the boys, why don’t you help coach your own daughter?’ but I didn’t want to do it, I sent her out to play for someone else.

I saw what took place when moms and dads got involved so I sent her out to play for someone else.”

That doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved.  He says that Dean and Lorie had a batting cage in the back yard to help with hitting instruction—“I’ve always been a student of hitting and studied it forever,” the coach admits—and tells of a story when his daughter was young and struggling on a team.

“Lorie was on the bench and I’d go watch her play and she never got off the bench, but I saw she wasn’t ready.  At the end of the year there was a banquet and all the other kids got awards but her.”

“She came to me and asked, ‘Can you help me be a better ball player?’ and I helped her best I could but it was all her—she put a lot of sweat and blood into getting better.  She went on to win four or five national championships at the youth level and was an All-Big 8 player in college.”

After two decades, Coach Fausett continues to help young athletes prepare academically and athletically for college softball.  Two weeks ago, Arizona’s Mike Candrea was at a practice and, of course, he has the ear of his son-in-law at Stanford.  No surprise that many of the Choppers players have GPAs of 4.0 and higher.

After two decades, the question is how much longer Fausett will continue to coach.

“Even my daughter asks, ‘How long will you keep going?’” he laughs. “’When are you going to give it up?’”

He admits that it’s tough because he doesn’t get to see his two high-school age grandsons, Jake and Justin, play baseball very often.

“I don’t see them a lot,” he concedes, “I’ve chosen to give my time to the girls and get them ready for the next level.  When I do leave the game, it will be because the sport’s all about the money and not the kids any more.  Til then, I’m going to keep coaching and teaching them as long as I can.”

 

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Here’s a player-by-player look at So Cal Choppers Gold team with comments by Coach Fausett:

— P Caitlyn Brooks (2015, Notre Dame)
“Caitlyn’s a good little pitcher and any where we go she’s going to be the bulldog for us. She’s a competitor and has a good change-up.  Only a junior this year, her best isn’t here yet.  She’s smart, listens to her coaches and is a wonderful team player and person.”

— OF Samantha Campos (2014, uncommitted)
“Samantha’s new on our team, she hasn’t travelled around a lot but she’s a tiger.  She’s a slapper and is a great kid with a great attitude.  She hasn’t been seen and it’s a journey and we’re going to help her all we can.”

— 3B/OF Savannah Clark (2014, Colorado State)
“Savannah came from another organization, she played 16U ball and wants to learn all she can.  She came and what I saw this weekend made me really happy, she’s going to help the organization.”

— 1B Miranda Escalera (2015, uncommitted)
“Miranda came to us last year as a sophomore, she’s a big, strong kid with a great attitude.  She works hard and we expect her bat to come alive and be a big help for us.”

— SS Jessica Harper (2015, uncommitted)
“Jesse’s a special athlete and is one of the top hitters on our team.  She’s narrowed it down to the Univ. of Arizona and Oregon. ”

— OF Ashleigh Hughes (2014, Alabama)
“Ashleigh’s awesome, she’s one of the top speedsters in Gold.  She can get to the ball like nobody’s business.  She lives about eight hours from us, up in Northern California.  She can power slap the ball right out of the ballpark, she’s our leadoff and if she puts the ball in play you’ll have a tough time throwing her out.”

— 3B Lauren Lindvall (2014, Oregon)
“I don’t know if anybody can get rid of the ball quicker at third base than Lauren.  She’s phenomenal; she’s a captain on our team and is a special lady.  Lauren helps make our club tick.  She’s worked hard to become a very good hitter and is a very well rounded ball-player.”

— IF/OF Sage Miller (2016, uncommitted)
“Sage is a bit tall girl who has ability and she’s going to have to prove herself on the Chopper team.  She has a great 4.0 GPA and will have to work to get it.”

— C Kaela Morrow (2015, uncommitted)
“Kaela’s our back-up catcher and can hit the ball, we were really impressed with her bat at last weekend’s tournament.  She’s been hurt, but we were amazed with how she came out from behind the plate and threw a runner out.”

— P/IF Rileigh Ricken (2014, uncommitted)
“Rileigh’s out of Reno and one of my former players in Reno told us about her, she was playing on 16U and we were amazed as she’s a physical specimen and she did a great job pitching for us in our first tournament.”

— 1B/3B Alyssa Rodriguez (2014, uncommitted)
“Alyssa is a phenomenal ball player, she’s a big stocky kid and I’ve known her for years but never knew how she could hit the ball until this year.  She came to us this year and wanted to join our organization and, wow, what a player.  Alyssa should have been in the spotlight to be seen a long time ago.  She’s just a tremendous hitter.”

— P Madison Romero (2015, uncommitted)
“Madison is a young girl who’s wanted to be with our organization a long time.  She’s quite volleyball and giving all her heart and soul to be the best she can be in softball.”

— OF Amanda Sandoval (2014, Cal Poly)
“Amanda is a little short thing but she’ll pop the ball out of the ballpark.  She will be a key part of us being able to go far this year.  She also has a 4.3 GPA.”

— UT Savannah Schulze (2014, Stanford)
“Savannah will play for my son-in-law at Stanford, she has a 4.5 GPA and is an infield and outfield player and can even back up catching.  She’s from Reno also and is with us to hone her skills fundamentally wise.”

— P Lexi Sorensen (2015, uncommitted)
“Lexi’s a young pitcher and we needed some help pitching and expect her to come in and help us.  She can make the ball move around a lot and has a great attitude.”

— OF Mollie Sorenson (2014, Penn State)
“Mollie is in her fourth year with us, she’s another one that knows our organization and knows what we need.  She’s a captain and is another coach on the team.  She makes a lot of calls and keeps everybody organized.  Mollie’s just a great leader.”

— C Keeley Walsh (2015, uncommitted)
“Keeley is our starting catcher, she’s like a 4.5 GPA…. she lives and breathes to get good grades.  She’s tall and can hit the ball a mile.  We really need her to break out and be a big dog for us this year and she has all the ability to do such.”

 

 

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RECRUIT PROFILE: MERRILEE MILLER

How good is Merrilee Miller?  In January of this year, she had stress factures in her foot and went through therapy at first before coming back and playing the last half of the high school season before needing surgery in June.

Even playing with an injured foot she still was named as one of the four DI/DII All-Southern Arizona Performers of the Year and was 1^st team All-Southern Ariz. as well. 

Imagine how she will be this year when healthy!

Her father, Seth Miller, tells us:

“Merrilee’s currently going through rehab exercises, which are going great.  She’s seeing improvements every week and is looking to be back to full speed later this month.  She let (the Univ. of) Arizona know immediately after she first injured her foot.  They have been incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout this whole process.”

Here’s more on the player you’ll be hearing a lot more of the next two years…

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Year: 2015
High School: Iron Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.)
Club: AZ Desert Thunder
Pos: OF
College: Univ. of Arizona
Twitter: @Merrilee26
Honors: Interscholastic Leadership Council, 1^st team All-Southern Arizona, DI/DII All-Southern Arizona Performer of the Year
Comment: “Merrilee is a tremendous competitor and a tough out for opposing defenses.  She is very fast and her ability to run down balls in the outfield and her base running times are off the charts!  Merrilee is also very coachable, a great teammate and a terrific kid.  She will fit in nicely at Arizona.” — Shannon Woolridge of the AZ Desert Thunder

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StudentSportsSoftball.com: You don’t have to go far to visit your future home at the Univ. of Arizona… how close are you to campus?
Merrilee Miller: I live about 30 minutes away from the U of A campus, so I am able to watch their home games and will be able to commute as a freshman living at home.

 

SSS: Was it always your dream to stay home and play for the Wildcats or were you looking to get away at some point?
MM: After the very first Wildcats softball game I saw when I was about nine years old, I had my heart set on playing for Coach (Mike) Candrea. I got a few autographs from the players after a game and knew that someday I wanted to be the one signing little girls’ gloves and having them look up to me.

 

SSS: When did the Arizona coaches first take notice of you and how long was it before they offered?
MM: They started watching me the summer of 2012 and they offered me that following October.  I went to Arizona’s summer camp and had a great time!  Coach Candrea actually spoke with me after the camp and told me to keep up the hard work.

I continued to e-mail them my tournament schedules through that summer. In September, I went to Keith Housedholder’s DI Camp in Scottsdale.  I had a great day that day in 110 degree heat.  Alicia Hollowell was there and I got to talk to her during that camp, which was so exciting!  I continued to keep in touch through that fall when Alicia contacted me, through my Desert Thunder coach Brian Colwill, to come for an unofficial visit.  It was great!

I went with my Mom and Dad and we got to watch practice and meet all of the coaches.  We toured the facilities with Caitlin Lowe, who has always been my softball hero, so that was amazing!  We went to meet with Coach Candrea in his office when he offered me a spot on the team.   I told him, “This is crazy, this is crazy,” and he said “It is crazy!” It was unbelievable!

 

SSS: How long was it from that point until you committed?
MM: After we left Coach Candrea’s office and went home, an hour later I called him up and gave my verbal commitment.

SSS: What is your temperament like on the field: are you a vocal player or more of a leader by example?
MM:  I like to cheer on my teammates but also stay within myself during the games so I’m not yelling my lungs out (laughs).

 

SSS: What’s been the most exciting accomplishment of your softball career so far?
MM: The most exciting accomplishment of my softball career so far is definitely committing to the University of Arizona.  It has been my dream school ever since I was a little kid and the fact that I will be able to play for one of the most respected coaches in softball is mind blowing to me.

 

SSS: Walk us through a typical day in your life, including school, workouts, training, etc…
MM: I get to school at about 8:00 in the morning and come home at about 4:00 pm then work on a little bit of homework, hit in the cage (my hitting coach retired his cage and we put it up in our backyard), throw and take fly balls, work on whatever homework I have left and go to bed and repeat that the next day!  My club team practices a few times each week and I also have a job I work at a few hours each week.

 

SSS: If you were to speak in front of a group of 10U or 12U players, what advice would you give them?
MM: I would tell those girls to set high goals and work their absolute hardest to achieve them.  Staying humble but confident are two very important things to keep in mind not only for playing softball but in life too.  Determination, heart, and passion are three significant factors in being successful.  And have fun! This is a fun game to play, but can get frustrating at times so it is important to remember to relax and have fun!

 

SSS: What would be a sentence people who know you best would say to describe you?
MM: Merrilee is a self-driven person who is hard working and very passionate with her friends and family.

 

Quick hitters:

Favorite ice cream flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip
Favorite color: Red
If I had a $100 gift card I’d spend it on: Workout clothes
Funniest on-field memory (of yourself or others): When I was about eight, I was in the outfield and lost a tooth!
“I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing:” … anything with ruffles
If I could pick a dream vacation to Paris, Tahiti, Australia or the African safari I would choose: …  Tahiti because the waters look so clear and blue and I love all of the bright colors and animals.
Last movie I saw was: “The Guardian”
Least favorite activity in front of people: singing, dancing or speaking: Singing for sure.  I am the worst singer ever and I can openly admit that
My (non-family) hero is:  I don’t have a single person who is my hero, the people who can overcome any hardship in their life with a smile on their face is my hero.  People who put others first before them are my heroes.  People who never give up are my heroes.

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RECRUITING NEWS:

*** The latest verbals we’ve come across:

— 2B/CF Sierra Parkinson (2017, North Carolina)… Beverly Bandits-Team DeMarini 16U
— P/UT Miranda Magana (2014, Colgate)… Bownet Gold
— IF Mauriana Jamele (2015, Wichita State)… Texas Glory
— SS Kristin Inouye (2015, Cal)… Firecrackers-Rico
— IF Kaylen Minnatee (2015, Pacific)… Lady Magic
— OF Julea Cavazos (2014, Cal State Bakersfield)… Explosion

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COOL PIC OF THE DAY

Occasionally, we’ll show a photo we like for whatever reason… Today’s it’s a photo of the Arizona State helmets.  Very stylish!

If you have a picture of anything you’d like to share with the softball world, send it along and we’ll run.  Be sure to explain what it is and the context around it though!

 

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HOT 100 PROSPECTS: CLASS OF 2014 (Day 6… Friday’s the last day to submit)

We have less than a week before we launch our Hot 100 list of the top 2014’s… it’s not too late to send in your player nominations.

We had some questions about if the list is for committed, uncommitted or both… it’s for any player of the 2014 class.

If you’d like to recommend a current senior for consideration, send in your info to us at brentt@studentsports.com.  We’ll take stats, honors, accomplishments, recruiting info, photos and use on the site somehow.

 

 

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