We continue our look at the top club teams across the nation in the 14U age division as we roll out the next-to-last group in the FAB 50 14U Rankings.

Each day this week we are unveiling 10 teams and conclude tomorrow (Friday, April 14) with the teams ranked 10-1 and on Saturday list the Next In (51-100) teams.

The key factors in where teams are ranked include performances and results from the summer, in the fall and early this year (although we understand that showcase competition, where some top players are held out to allow others to be seen, can be misleading in terms of "who beat who").

We also weigh heavily the return of key players and the addition of talented new ones.

Information was acquired by the FloSoftball staff watching teams in person as well as considerable input provided by club and college coaches across the country.

If we've missed anything or you would like to provide input on your favorite teams and players, send your info/insights to: Brentt.Eads@FloSports.TV.


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20--Georgia Impact - Gusaeff

Jason Gusaeff's 12U team finished tied for 5th at PGF Nationals last summer and took 2nd on national TV at the USA Elite Select World Fastpitch Championship. Overall, the team finished 102-15-2 in 2016 playing a mix of 12U and 14U ball. The squad is young--all 2021's except for a pair of 2022's--but returns 11 players and at least seven of them are being heavily by Power 5 conferences. Highlighting the talent is one of the top 2021's in the country, OF McKenzie Rodoutey, who is a power-hitting lefty who also hits for a high average. The Impact has a pair of dynamic pitchers in Sydney Osada, a 6-foot lefty with command of multiple pitches, and Sarah Currie, who threw 26 innings at PGF Nationals and only gave up two runs thanks to her pinpoint accuracy. Both are being recruiting from major schools in conferences like the ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12. The defensive stoppers include infielders Madison Dobbins, who also wields a power bat, and Grace Connelly, who can go deep and hit for a high average. Also keep an eye on 2022 IF Cassie Boatright ,who has hit five runs over the fences in just three tournaments this spring.

19--Texas Sudden Impact

Troy Falterman is one of the most respected coaches in the young age divisions and has the Sudden Impact going in the right direction after it won the PGF 12U Nationals last year and has earned a berth to return to Huntington Beach in August. Moving up to the 14U level, the team has continued its winning ways, going 31-9-1 in the fall including a 5-1-1 record at the D9 Showcase and a 5-0 mark at the Birmingham Thunderbolt tourney. This spring the team has gone 13-3 aided by the return of 10 players from the title-winning team and the addition of two more who played on the 2015 ASA National Championship team. A major new pick-up was pitcher 2021 Sam Landry, who pitched her team into the 12U PGF title game last summer by throwing five games in one day and joined Sudden Impact in the fall. Key returners include MIF Mia Rivers (2020), an outstanding athletic who anchors the infield; P Erna Carlin (2021), who dominates in the circle and had a sub-1.00 ERA at PGF Nationals and UT Sam Graeter (2021), a five-tool player who was one of the stars of the summer and can play anywhere on the field except pitcher.

18--Diamond Sports Hotshots Gold - Dumezich

More than one nationally prominent club coach feels Mel Dumezich's squad could be the top team in Texas but the humble Hotshots head coach says she thinks this team is more in the 15-25 range. Time will tell, but you can't argue with how the team is shaping up for 2017. Dumezich admits the team had a disappointing run at PGF Nationals, but is so respected that the team was invited back again this year. The Hotshots did show a lot of promise as a first year 14U team in 2016, finishing in the Top 15 at the Colorado Sparkler Power Pool and capturing the title at the TCS Bomber Shootout. The squad went 55-15 last spring and summer and closed the year with a fury, going 30-4. The returning talent is formidable, led by P Hailey Hudson (2020, a commit to the University of Texas); C Chloe Gomez (2020), who ranked in the top 10 nationally in RBI at the high school level and OF Brionna Warren (2020, Texas A&M) who Dumezich says "will be a top five player in the nation by her senior year." Along with the strong returning core, new blood that will make the team dangerous includes 1B Ella Casas (2021), a daunting power hitter who recently clubbed two homers in one game; SS Zoie Garcia (2021), who can hit for power or lay down a bunt, and P Sydney Macias (2020) a righty with good spin and placement who can also swing the bat.

17--Indiana Magic - Rudd

Surveying coaches across the country, one team name that kept coming up when talking about the elite programs East of the Mississippi was James Rudd's Indiana Magic. A 4th place finisher at the TC/USA SE Nationals last year and an invite to PGF Nationals this summer, Rudd's team is always good offensively and has now picked up the shut-down pitching it needs to make a serious run at Nationals. P Macy Montgomery (2020) "is one of the most competitive players I've ever coached," according to the coach and is a game-changer with great stuff. Last fall Montgomery went 23-1 with a 0.83 ERA and 177 K's in 117 innings. Not surprisingly, she has more than a half dozen major colleges looking at her. The offense batted .345 collectively this past fall and with Montgomery in the circle went 37-7-2 with four of the losses coming to 16U teams. The offense is sparked by SS Erin Coffel (Kentucky commit, #81 on the Hot 2020 list) who batted .547 with eight home runs and 43 RBI and C Grace Lorsung (Illinois verbal, 2020), who hit .380 with 40 RBI. Besides those two commits, seven other players have gone on unofficial visits to colleges. One unique fact about the Magic: there are 13 girls on the team and all are required to play at least two or three different positions with some playing as many as 7-8 spots in the field.

16--CA Suncats - Jiminez

Unlike most teams which have played up from 12U or return as a 14U second year team, James Jimenez has assembled a new team consisting of a standout crop of players from various organizations across California. The Suncats made a big splash in the fall by going to top events and not only just competing, but beating, many of the best teams in the West. From September to January, the Suncats went 32-3 and caught the eye of many top event producers including PGF which invited the NorCal team to Nationals this summer. The team is comprised of many elite 2020's and includes P Esperanza Coe, who was a two-time national champion playing in the OC Batbuster organization for top coaches like Mark Campbell and Toni Mascarenas. Other standout players for the Cats for include OF Kaylee Pond, a speedy slapper who hits for power and has numerous offers; C Avery Lawley, another big hitter with several offers; SS Malia Gin, a smart, lefty with pop who's starting to get recruiting attention and C/OF Lyric Moore, an athletic and energetic force behind the plate.

15--Texas Dirt Divas

Almost everyone who knows anything about Texas club ball mentioned JD Chandler's Dirt Divas as one of the best teams not just in the Lone Star State, but in the entire country. Unusual in that the team isn't part of a larger organization, the Dirt Divas nonetheless have garnered immense respect for how they've battled and succeeded on the field. In the summer, Chandler's squad finished 4th at ASA Nationals and in the fall the Texans went 33-4 with all the loses being against strong 16U teams. The Divas went undefeated in six fall tournaments including Ronald McDonald and the Texas Gold Cup. The team hit .354 in the fall scoring 241 runs and allowing only 35, a testament to the quality offense, strong pitching and talent on defense. Big 12 and SEC schools are looking at the talent which includes P Caliegh Millican (2020), who hits 63-64 mph on the radar gun and has a killer rise ball. In 81 innings pitched in the fall, Millican had 147 K's and just 22 walks with a 0.52 ERA. Another fast-rising pitcher is Kaci West, a 2021 who hits the mid 60's and has a pair of D1 offers with Big 12, SEC and Big Ten schools after her. Behind the plate is one of the top catchers in Texas, Sydney Collazos (2020), who commands the field and has Big 12 offers.

14--Firecrackers - Sewell

It's a very strong year in Georgia at the 14U level and Kyle Sewell's Firecrackers, which went 30-8-2 last year and finished the fall 16-2-1 playing 16U tourneys, won the Champions Spring Kickoff and is being mentioned by college scouts and fellow club coaches as one that can do some damage in 2017. The Firecrackers added several major D1 talents to make Sewell's team one of the favorites not just in the South, but in the country. Returning to anchor the infield are SS Taylor Middlebrook (2020), a Hot 100 honoree who was the star of the Faster2First event in December during which she committed to Mississippi State, and 3B Allie Sewell, who has a strong glove and arm. But it's eight new pick-ups that will make the Firecrackers dangerous including outstanding P Britton Rogers (Georgia commit, 2020) and OF Lily Agan, ranked #54 on the 2020 Hot 100. At least five others are getting Power 5 conference recruiting interest including SS Kaylen Madrey who is hearing from SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 schools and C/IF Leslie Cochran, a great defensive catcher who helped her team finish Top 10 at ASA Nationals. She's getting SEC and ACC offers and that will be sure to increase as coaches see her this summer.

13--Firecrackers Brashear/Thornburg

Few teams have the chemistry that Head Coach Mark Thornburg and Assistant Sean Brashear's SoCal-based team does as many of the players have been together since 8U ball. Last summer the Firecrackers finished 7th at PGF 14U Platinum and had a 75-21-3 record which also included a Top 5 finish at the Colorado Jr. Sparkler Power Pool. Since October, the team has really elevated their play and has compiled a 32-4 mark. The Firecrackers have four players committed including one of the top batteries in the nation in Oregon State commit Sierra Tufts (2020), who is a power pitcher that does well up and down in the strike zone and changing her speeds, along with C Laylo Melendez (2020), a Utah commit who was offered by the Utes after she went an amazing 19-for-22 at a tournament including three home runs. The other commits are CF Bailey Wallace (2020, Cal State Fullerton), who is a vocal leader and captain of the outfield, and 2B Maddie McNally (2020, Cal State Santa Barbara), a new addition to the team who's a lefty slapper. Two other players to watch are P Savannah Serrata (2020) who has a pair of power conference offers, and MIF Ashley Rico (2020), who has excellent range side-to-side and has worked for several years with former Firecracker head coach Robert Young, who is now an assistant coach at Duke.

12--Universal Fastpitch - Garcia

Martin Garcia's Northern California-based team, which was ranked in the FloSoftball FAB 50 14U Rankings last year as a first year 14U program, returns the core nucleus of a team that has received a return invite to PGF Nationals. Headlining the team is the University of Oregon-bound duo of P/SS Tehya "T Bird" Bird," who was ranked #19 in the 2020 Hot 100 and is one of the best all-around athletes in her class, and the new addition of power pitcher Raegan Breedlove, who swings a dangerous bat as well. Adding depth in the circle is LHP/OF Jordyn Hutching, one of the team leaders and the #64 ranked player in the 2020 Hot 100. Righty newcomer Tyra Clary (2020) travels from Reno, Nevada to give Universal another great presence on the mound. The defense is also a strength for Garcia's team and features one of the top middle infields at the 14U level led by Sophie Jacquez, ranked #90 in the Hot 100, along with Cal Poly commit Mia Perez and lefty Mackenna Steel. The outfield is also solid with speedsters Bailey McLaughlin and Jordyn Hutchins who each have multiple offers on the table.

11--Beverly Bandits DeMarini - Moran

The Beverly Bandits organization is strong from top to bottom and the 14U age group is well represented with Chad Moran's DeMarini team that finished 25th at PGF Nationals last year. Moran moves from the 18U level where he coached in 2016 and he now will move up with this team as it advances in age divisions. Moran has a lot to work with as the team is well balanced in all areas, combining excellent defense, solid pitching, speed in the field and on the bases and power at the plate. The pitching is led by Riley Frizell (2020), a Missouri commit and #29 ranked player in the Hot 100 who throws in the mid-60's which is complemented by a great change. Frizell also has a great power bat and could bat clean-up in the SEC. The defense is anchored by CF/SS Kelsey Schmidt (2020), a James Madison commit who has great speed and covers a lot of ground wherever she plays, and C Meadow Sacudura, a Maryland verbal who was #79 on the Hot 100 list and can hit for a high average and is great behind the plate. A lot of the DeMarini team moved up from 13U and are battle tested and well developed in the fundamentals of the game, making this Midwest-based team one to watch in 2017.

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