RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Hey everyone… Brentt Eads of Extra Inning Softball.
It’s that wonderful time of the year when club championships are won at the two big final national events of the summer: PGF Nationals in Huntington Beach, Calif. (there, but also all over Orange County) and the Alliance Fastpitch Championship Series, being held in Kokomo, Indina.
Both of the big tourneys are well under way in the 18U and 16U age divisions which will see champions crowned this weekend with the 14U, 12U and 10U divisions to play next week.
Extra Inning Softball is currently at both events and I will be making it to So Cal on Thursday and then stay through next week to enjoy great softball, the weather and family and friends (I lived in Southern California for 30 years).
The reason I’m not there now is because my beautiful stepdaughter, Olivia, is getting married on Wednesday in Utah so I will be there celebrating the nuptials before flying on to celebrate great softball play and players!
Speaking of Big Days, a very Happy Birthday to Bella Wellbaum, a talented 2024 pitcher and infielder who got her strong A’s – Richardson team off to a good day at PGF Nationals and the start of bracket play.
BIRTHDAY GIRL had a great day at the plate today! Nice job Bella, enjoy the rest of your day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY🥳 https://t.co/l8QOhRDzON
— So Cal Athletics Richardson (@SCAs_Richardson) July 25, 2022
Let the fun begin, as it gets serious know in bracket competition everywhere.
Our Justin McLeod has been at The Alliance Nationals since Saturday and he, fortunately, was under a nice, dry tent for the rain-splattered All-Star Game last night but did you see the home run derby before it?
Oklahoma’s national champ and record-setting slugger Jocelyn Alo was there to playfully compete with some pretty darn good young talent as Stefini Ma’ake won it all. In case you don’t know the Corona Angel power-hitter, she’s also a pitcher and we had her ranked #12 in last year’s 2024 Extra Elite 100 (remember: the updated 2024 class rankings will start next month!) and don’t be surprised if she moves into the Top 10.
Here’s what we wrote about her in September of last year in her Extra Elite 100 bio:
Stefini has been one of the top two-way players in the Class of 2024 for many years know and at 5-foot-9 she has dominated as a power pitcher and power hitter. Previously, she’s earned USA Softball All-American honors and has followed in the footsteps of Corona Angels alums Rachel Garcia and Megan Faraimo in that both hit and pitched well enough to win championships. Stefini can also play third and first when not in the circle and this summer was used more for her hitting and often was the team’s DH. In the Spring for Academy of Our Lady of Peace (San Diego, California), Stefini batted .569 with 35 RBIs in 18 games and had11 home runs and didn’t strike out once in 69 plate appearances. She did pitch 38 innings and had 35 K’s with a 2.68 ERA.
📍 INDY
It's not everyday @78jocelyn_alo jumps in to swing against your 16U/18U Home Run Derby winners 👀
Congratulations to @MyaPerez2023 & Stefini Ma’ake, thank you for putting on a SHOW 🥎😍
Big 👏 to @DeMariniFP for powering the 2022 HRD! #AFCS2022 #thealliancefastpitch pic.twitter.com/MRDHHUvFov
— The Alliance Fastpitch (@thealliancefp) July 25, 2022
*****
A cool story happening at PGF Nationals: T.J. Goelz of the Tampa Mustangs organization always is competitive and with bracket play going on, he’s got his hands full.
And not just in coaching!
T.J. told me earlier today that “We have a day off tomorrow (Tuesday) so we are jet-setting to Oklahoma City to watch (daughter) Avery play in an All-Star game–two games–and then we’ll be flying back for more bracket play Wednesday morning.
As I told T.J., that’s hard core!
Avery, as you may or may not know, plays for the Florida Gators and is on the Team Alliance squad which is a summer exhibition team playing a three-game series against an All-Star Team out of the new Sunflower Softball League.
The teams are playing tonight (Monday) and a pair of games tomorrow which the Goelz family hope to watch in person at the Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC.
As we can say for just about every player and her family that’s still getting it done between the lines right now, that’s dedication.
Keep checking back regularly as we’ll have reports from PGF and Alliance Nationals this week and next…