By Chris Girandola Follow on Twitter @crgrand

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Oregon State freshman Frankie Hammoude (Oakland, Calif.), who was one of 14 athletes selected from a little over 100 players at an open tryout Friday, continued her impressive performance Saturday at the 2019 USA Softball National Team Selection Trials with a home run and a double. Overall, there are 42 players in Clearwater, Fla. working towards one of the 20 spots on the 2019 USA Softball JWNT Training Team roster which will compete at the USA Softball International Cup. 

“It’s relieving (to get the home run) because everyone’s nerves are going crazy playing in front of the USA coaching staff,” said Hammoude, who batted .569 with 33 hits, 27 RBIs and nine home runs during her season year for Bishop O’Dowd. “It’s nice more of a relief because of how good everyone is.”

Hammoude’s home run to right center off lefty power pitcher and Florida commit Rylee Trlicek easily cleared the fence and was one of several hard hit balls by the right-handed hitting first baseman.  

“I think I have to keep it simple, keep my mind clear,” Hammoude said when asked about the pressure of competing against the best of the best in the country. “It’s also a chance to learn from some great players so I’m also concentrating on enjoying my time here because I’m one of the few who have been chosen to move on (from the open tryout).  I like watching good softball and to be around people who know what they’re doing so it’s helped me step up my game. It’s making everyone focused and get better at their game.”

The five-day tryout at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex is running December 28-January 1. During Saturday’s session, the athletes were tested in position drills and analyzed in hitting, fielding, and running drills, as well as simulated games. Leading the selection trial were coaches within the USA Softball WNT Coaching Pool, which included 2019 JWNT Head Coach and University of Washington coach Heather Tarr. 

One of the players being analyzed happens to be Huskies commit Kelley Lynch, who chose Washington over Auburn in November after being named FloSotball's #1 overall recruit in the class of 2019 and the Georgia Gatorade State Player of the Year following a title-winning junior season at East Coweta High School,

The right-hander breezed through her five innings of work during the afternoon session Saturday, striking out 12 of the 20 batters she faced. 

“I feel pretty good,” said Lynch, compiled a 0.45 ERA with 193 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched for East Coweta.  “Everyone out here is really good so it’s imperative to keep on top of your game each pitch, each inning, each time out.”

One of Kelley’s stated goals, perhaps her main softball aspiration, is to play in the Olympics someday. She said she is keeping everything in perspective, though, with her future college coach as her main audience.

“It will be a great experience playing for her and it will definitely be cool to play for her but I just have to stay focused on what is happening here,” said Lynch, who led her Georgia Impact-Lewis team to the PGF 18U Premier title this past summer. 

University of Alabama freshman pitcher Montana Fouts also had an impressive day, posting several strikeouts during her pitching session. 

“I did pretty good but I can do even better tomorrow,” said Fouts, a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and ALL-USA selection who earned the 2018 MaxPreps National High School Softball Player of the Year and USA Today Player of the Year honors after compiling a 37-1 record with a 0.09 ERA last season for East Carter (Grayson, Ky.) “We’re all here for the same reason. It’s great to be around so many incredible players and see how each person prepares. It definitely is a challenge.”

Following the 2019 USA Softball International Cup, which will be held in Columbus, Ga. July 1-7 at the South Commons Softball Complex, the roster will then be trimmed to 17 athletes to participate in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Junior Women's World Cup in Irvine, Calif. August 11-17, 2019. The athletes who make the 2019 roster will look to earn a third-consecutive WBSC Junior Women's World Championship title, after Team USA claimed the previous two World Championships in 2015 and 2017.