RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Extra Inning Softball regularly covers the hottest breaking news from the recruiting side of softball including the latest top players to make the happy decision of where they’ll play at the next level! It’s a big week for dozens of top players of all classes so let’s get going!
HOW AN IOWA PREMIER STANDOUT ENDED UP IN THE SEC
One of the fastest rising organization in the country is Greg Dickel’s Iowa Premier Gold program, which you have to really be impressed with because the state of Iowa plays its high school ball deep into the summer limiting the time the club team can play and giving them a late start weeks after other teams have played several tournaments.
Still, it hasn’t prevented the Premier from having national success.
For example, the Iowa club team produced Univ. of Minnesota All-American catcher Kendyl Lindaman who helped the 18U team win the PGF Platinum National Championship in 2016.
And this week, the program saw 2021 catcher Jessie Blaine verbal to Auburn and new head coach Mickey Dean.
Her background is pretty interesting and we’ll let Coach Dickel take it from here:
“Jessie’s story is pretty cool,” he begins. “Jessie is the daughter of a full-time United States Marine Corps Major, Brian Blaine, who is soon to be promoted to Lt. Colonel.”
“Jessie has spent time growing up and playing softball in the following locations: Indianapolis; Quantico, Virginia; Hawaii, St. Louis and most recently here in Iowa. She’s a military kid through and through, obviously, the travels as a result of her dad’s military assignments.”
“She attends Ankeny High School in Ankeny, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines where Iowa Premier Fastpitch is based. Jessie also plays varsity basketball, but softball is her main priority and she still is only 15 years old.”
“Jessie has played for Iowa Premier the past three years, as her dad has been stationed here as a Commander in the Central Region of the U.S. for USMC Recruiting.”
“A physical specimen, she stands nearly 6-foot tall with only four percent body fat and she is a physical, intimidating presence on a softball field. Playing catcher, Jessie is also a feared hitter, hitting seven homeruns this past fall for her Iowa Premier Gold 16U team and she anchors the middle of the lineup. Jess is a defensive presence as well. At Missouri’s Prospect camp, her pop time was recorded at 1.65.”
“Recruiting really picked up for her after her summer season in 2017, when she played for the St. Louis Chaos – Eagan team. Her mom, and that side of the family, are from St. Louis, and lived back there for the summer while her dad was in transition with the military.”
“She has always chosen not to play high school softball in Iowa as its played in the summer and played with the Chaos for the summer, then returned back to her Iowa Premier team in the Fall of 2017, when she returned to start her school year.”
“Jessie was aggressively recruited by the following schools, who all offered scholarships: Auburn, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa and Louisiana Lafeyette. She also had significant interest, from Kansas, Iowa State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Penn State, Liberty and Furman and a host of other smaller D1 programs.”
“She decided on Auburn after her second unofficial visit there on Feb 10-11, 2018. She cited the atmosphere at Auburn, the warmer climate, Auburn’s coaching staff, and in particular her time spent with some of the current players saying they made her feel very wanted there.”
“Jessie also made mention of the future recruits coming to Auburn and how strong the team could be when she gets there. She wanted to play for a winner and a program that she felt confident would give her the best chance at a College World Series Championship. Auburn checked all those boxes in the end.”
“Jessie is a fearless competitor. She is one of the hardest workers off the diamond I have ever coached. She relentlessly works on her skills on her own and is an avid physical fitness enthusiast as well. She loves CrossFit workouts. Again, she is a physical game-changer for her team on the field and that’s why most schools first looked at her. Her physicalness and size.”
“She will now move to my 18U Gold team that I coach, given she is committed. We need to continue to develop her and get her ready for the SEC. 18U will afford her the best chance to see the best pitching and compete against it. She will however compete on the 16U Gold team one last time at PGF Premier Nationals this year.”
And finally, a nice note from her mother, D.J., whowrote on her Facebook page: “It’s a big day for Team Blaine! Jessie has accepted a scholarship offer from Auburn University. We are all so excited and thankful.”
“Our softball family spans across the country. Jessie has had coaches, fans, teammates, supporters every step of the way. She’s been on teams in Indianapolis, Virginia, Hawaii, St. Louis, and Iowa. We appreciate all of you that have been on her journey this far and all of you who have welcomed our family into yours.”
“The girl has goals and dreams and expectations and a never-ending drive to be better than she was yesterday. I am proud to be her mom!”
GEORGIA IMPACT NATIONAL TEAM LOADING UP ON COMMITS
Speaking of Auburn, the Georgia Impact program has received a lot of attention recently with 7th and even a 6th grader committing, but don’t ignore Brittany Lewis’s National team which has a trio of Auburn commits among its talented quintet of commits.
Catcher Skylar Elkins (spoiler alert!) will be one of the highest rated 2022’s in the Extra Elite 100, but she’s not the only star on the Peach State team.
We asked Coach Lewis to give us a rundown on her quintet of committed players and here’s excellent scouting reports she provided:
C Skylar Elkins (2022, Auburn)
Skylar is the youngest kid on my team, playing up with 16-year-old athletes. I got her when she was 12 years old when she picked up with my 14U team and now she is 14 in 8th grade and still just as much of a stand out. She is a force behind the plate, a big communicator and leader. She started calling her own games behind the plate last year. USSSA just did this video of her while we were playing in Viera, Fl this past month.
MIF Rylie Moody (2021, Auburn)
Rylie is a standout middle infielder. She has the softest hands of any middle I have seen in her class. She is super smooth with the glove and has a bold presence in the infield. She leads her team every pitch with her communication and direction in the middle.
SS/OF Denver Bryant (2020, Auburn)
Denver is the most talented all-around athlete I have ever seen in softball. She has played baseball all of her life, recently making the switch to softball. She still plays baseball for Monroe County HS (Georgia) and is also one of the youngest members of the US Women’s National Baseball Team. She is a pitcher on the baseball field and she plays SS and some outfield for us. She is an amazing middle infielder, making plays that girls just do not make. She throws a softball with two fingers, dives head first into every bag, and puts on a show in every game. Denver leads our team in home runs as well.
C Shealyn Starks (2020, Georgia Southern)
Shealyn is a LEADER! She is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached! She has never missed a practice or any event with our team…even with the flu she came and worked. Shealyn is the loudest kid on the field, leading her team with every breath. She started calling her own games this past fall and has done an excellent job. She is very communicative with her pitchers and takes control of the game on the field. She also is leading our team in batting average at .512.
P/1B Danielle Taitt (2020, Middle Tennessee State)
Dani is a strong, strong presence on our team. Whether she is on the mound or playing 1B she makes herself known on the field. Standing 5-foot-11, Danielle is big, strong kid, but do not underestimate her athleticism. She trains almost every day of the week, lifting weights and doing speed and agility training. Her movement on the field is quick, explosive, and is impressive. On the mound, Danielle throws hard, has great movement, and pitches with a business-like demeanor. You will never see negative emotion from this kid. Dani is also a huge hitter batting in the middle of our lineup.
CLEMSON ON THE RECRUITING PROWL
Clemson is the newest Power 5 school to add softball and new Head Coach John Rittman is wasting no time in assembling a staff and top recruits.
In December, he hired Kyle Jamieson from Furman, where Jamieson was the head coach, and the two experienced coaches have been active on the recruiting train.
The Tiger coaches got a strong quintet of 2018s including three from the East Cobb Bullets – Caymol team in P Logan Caymol; OF JoJo Hyatt and MIF Arielle Oda to set a nice foundation along with 2018 OF Kyndall Murray from the Texas Impact and P Shelbey Kelley who hails from Louisville, Kentucky.
The newest and youngest commit is another standout from a top Southern club organization in Grace Hiller, a 2021 2B/UT player with Lowell Barron’s Birmingham Bolts team.
Grace has grown up around softball as her father, Joey, is the head coach of her Tattnall Square Academy (Macon, Georgia) high school school team.
The current freshman is busy with softball right now, but make no mistake—her future is on the softball field and she has been a member of the Birmingham Thunderbolts ’03 squad since the Fall of 2015.
Grace is a an athletic 5-foot-9 MIF who projects very well at the next level. She was a starter on the Tattnall Square Academy softball GHSA Single A Private State Runner Up team (31-6), which lost the “If game” of the State Championship series to Wesleyan on a walkoff HR in the bottom of the 8th Inning (lots of D1 commits on that Wesleyan team: Florida State, Georgetown, Louisville, and Virginia).
Grace ended her freshman season being honored as a 1st Team GHSA All Region 7A and 1st Team GHSA All State – Single A Private selection after she batted .431 to lead the team as did her 11 doubles. The infielder also scored 37 runs and knocked in 20 runners.
She’s also a clutch player who shines in the big moments: she only had three home runs on the season but all came at critical times: 1) in the Region Championship game, breaking a 0-0 tie in the 3rd inning, 2) in the 2nd Round of the GHSA Playoff series, and 3) in the 1st championship game against Wesleyan to break a 0-0 tie in the 4th inning (that is the game that forced the “If game”).
With the Bolts last summer, playing in the 14U championship game at PGF, Grace was 1-for-1 with a double.
As for her college future, her coach/father states, “Grace is extremely excited about her opportunity to compete in the ACC at Clemson. She loves Coach Rittman and Coach Jamieson and is excited about the plans for the program and the softball facilities. She felt like Clemson was the best fit for her athletically and academically. It was exactly the type of place she was looking for.”
DIAMOND SPORTS HOTSHOTS LOADED FOR 2018
There won’t be too many 14U teams that will be as talented top to bottom as Nathan Nelson’s Texas team that has seven players already committed to major programs.
His team will be one of the favorites in every tournament it competes in including PGF Nationals this summer.
And expect the upcoming 2022 Extra Elite 100 rankings to be loaded with his athletes.
Here’s the list of the players who are committed right now and don’t be surprised to see several of them atop the 100 list! We’ll detail them more as we launch the Elite 100…
- UT Kennedy Powell (2022, UCLA)
- P/1B Savannah Geurin (2022, Oklahoma)
- C Maci Bergeron (2022, LSU)
- P/ 1B Emma Strood (2022, LSU)
- UT Ashlyn Jones (2022, Texas A&M)
- MIF Madyson Manning (2023, Oklahoma)
- MIF Cecilia Vasquez (2022, Louisiana Lafayette)
INDIANA MAGIC GOLD HEATING UP
The Indiana Magic program is doing well these days—qualifying for PGF Nationals—and getting a lot of attention from top to bottom with the two 14U teams and the 16U team getting a ton of interest from Power 5 schools down to smaller D1’s.
Since December, the Magic Gold program has done well too, getting four more players committed:
- 2B Piper Belden (2019, Univ. of Indianapolis)
- P Lauren Sandor (2020, College of Charleston)
- SS Elana Ornelas (2019, Louisville)
- OF Kendyl Weinzapfel (2019, Austin Peay)
NO PRESSURE: JUST HAD TO PICK ONE OF HER COACHES’ ALMA MATERS
Arizona State got a good pitcher in 2021 hurler Mac Morgan of the DeMarini Aces, but she must have felt caught in the middle as she also had it down to South Alabama.
Why?
Because her husband-and-wife co-coaches Ryan and Taylor Taylor went to, yes, Arizona State and South Alabama, respectively.
Joked Coach Ryan: “Bragging rights in the house now!”
Mac is a powerpitcher who has been clocked in the high 60’s, even hitting 70 mph at one camp, according to Ryan.
“She has the ability to throw a very heavy ball with excellent off speed,” he continues. “She was clocked at 67-70mp at camp while demonstrating excellent control. The speed you can’t teach, but Mac’s work ethic will take her to the next level. She has a true desire to step on the field and dominate.”
ILLINOIS CHILL KEEPS 2021 CLOSE TO HOME
Gerry Quinn of the Illinois Chill does a great job of getting his players promoted to top schools in the Midwest and his latest is 2021 MIF Brooke Kuffel who has commited to Loyola-Chicago.
“Brooke is a talented multi-sport athlete who possesses exceptional tools,” says Coach Quinn.
“ Her overhand was recently measured at 68 mph at a college camp and, to go with her cannon, she has soft hands and offensively had power hitting potential.”
TOP 2021 CATCHER HEADS TO CAROLINA
Thanks to Coach Jason Gusaeff who let us know that one of the Top 50 2021s in the country, catcher Annie Kate Dalton, who plays on hits Georgia Impact – Gusaeff team, just committed to North Carolina.
Extra Inning scouted her last summer and came away very impressed as she’s been clocked with measurable of a 1.7 range pop time and an overhand throwing speed of 63 mph.
She’s also an explosive hitter who has a ball exit speed at 73 mph and Coach Gusaeff told Extra Inning Softball that she led the Impact in RBIs last year and can play the corner positions as well.
Annie Kate had also attended several SEC camps before settling on being a Tar Heel.
GEORGIA POWER TEAM GETS FIRST COMMITS
Thanks to the parent who wrote us in behalf of the Georgia Power Softball Club to say, “We wanted to share our great news. We have had our first commits on our team, GA Power DeMarini Gold – Worley. Both girls verballed this past December and we are looking forward watching them play at the next level.”
2B Sarah Squillace (2021, Mercer)
Sarah attended the Faster2First Camp in Myrtle Beach this past October. She made her High School Varsity team as a starting freshman and was named to the 2nd All-County Team for Cherokee County which is one of the toughest counties in the state. Cherokee County hosts the current State Champions in 6AAAAAA and State Runner-Up in 7AAAAAAA.
P/1B Kailey Rusk (2020, Kennesaw State)
Kailey was named the 1st Team All Region and Pitcher of the Year in her Region 4-AAAA, and lead her team to the State Playoffs. She also received All-County 1st Team honors.
MORE COMMITS:
* According to Bill Conroy who oversees the Beverly Bandits, Haylie Brunson, a 2021 IF/OF, becomes the first player ever from the Bandits to verbally commit to attend school and play softball on an athletic scholarship at the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
* LOVE IT when players right in to let us know of their good news! Here’s a recent one: “My name is Jenna Veber and I am a 2019 P/1B. I play for the Kane County Xplosion and I recently verbally committed to play for Murray State University.”
* Reagan Hamilton, a 2020 catcher with Jim Ziese’s So Cal Choppers team, has committed to Pacific.
* Thanks to Dan Santelli who writes to let us know that 2B/OF Rachel Carney, a 2019 with Newtown Rock Gold- Garvey out of Pennsylvania, has committed to Colgate University
* Finally, we end with where we started: the Iowa Premier and Greg Dickel’s program which continues to crank out commitments: just last night 2020 pitcher Jena Lawrence committed to Creighton in the Big East.
Congrats to all the new verbals, their families and coaches who get to live their dream of playing at the next level!
*** To send in content—including story ideas, player and team recommendations, recruiting news, cool photos and videos or anything else softball related, email us at: [email protected].