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The Beverly Bandits—under the direction of Bill Conroy—has become one of the top club organizations not only in the Midwest, but across the nation.
A few weeks ago, Extra Inning Softball profiled one of the 14U teams, the Beverly Bandits Futures led by Ramsey Harkness, which has a three SEC commits including one of the first 7th graders to commit, outstanding pitcher Keagan Rothrock.
Today, in our series of looking at talented and/or fast-rising teams, we head again to the Midwest to take a closer look at Matt Helbling’s 14U DeMarini squad which many feel is one of the favorites to win another National Championship at PGF.
The DeMarini team finished the fall with a 35-3 record playing against some of the best teams from across the country.
“We played mostly showcases,” explains Helbling, “which means rotating girls defensively each inning, batting our entire lineup and making sure pitchers get equal time on the mound. What I am most proud of is not our win/loss record but the fact that we competed and fought in 37 out of 38 games. It is very hard to maintain that level of competitiveness and mental toughness in a showcase environment.”
Here’s a closer look at the genesis of the team and each player on the Indiana-based program…
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When did the team start and how and why did it come to be?
Bill and I chatted a few years ago and he was interested in starting a DeMarini team in the Indianapolis area. We have grown the brand and our team thru our play on the field, competing in the best tournaments across the country for several years now.
Where do your athletes come from?
Our home base is just outside of Indianapolis, Indiana, but we have players from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana on our current roster.
What is the primary purpose of the team—is it to get exposure, win titles, player development or something else?
Bill and I felt that there was enough elite talent within driving range of Indianapolis to field a team capable of competing with anyone in the country. As a second year 14U team, our main goal is get our girls recruited; however we are also focused on competing and winning the PGF 14U title in California this summer.
What have been some of your key successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
This fall season we only lost three games while winning 35 playing in the power pools at D9, O’Fallon, Scenic City, Top 100, winning the PGF Labor Day tournament and competing very well in 37 out of the 38 games we played.
We won over 100 games last season as a first year 14U team, competing at large PGF, USSSA and ASA tournaments and showcases. We played a very tough schedule against teams that were mostly a year older than us.
We also won the PGF Midwest title in Peoria Illinois; finished in the Top 10 at ASA Nationals and also had a Top 10 finish at the Triple Crown Sports Nationals in Austin, Texas.
If you could pinpoint one thing that makes the Bandits organization unique or special, what would it be?
Bill Conroy.
Bill dedicates an immeasurable amount of time and resources to these girls. I can’t say enough about his leadership and dedication to the 14 teams we have in the organization.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
I was a three-sport athlete a long time ago (laughs) and have always been a competitive person, but I am smart enough to listen more than I talk! My daughter started playing at a young age and was very successful so I just did a lot of listening and watching to help her. When she decided to quit playing I wanted to continue giving something back to the sport, so here I am.
Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history, in your opinion?
I would say that Triple Crown Sports in Austin was a defining moment for us as we got put into the Loser’s Bracket very quickly and the coaches challenged the girls to fight. We rattled off a bunch of wins in 100-plus degree Texas heat to get ourselves back to a respectable finish.
We actually played the team that put us in the Loser’s Bracket again and lost by one run in two ITB’s, this was a proud moment as a coach, not the outcome but the fight that they showed. It seems like ever since then a light has come on and we are a tough team to deal with.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
Our focus will shift a bit this summer—the fall was mainly focused on being in the right places to get our girls seen and recruited; this summer stretch will be about competing and getting our group prepared to compete for a national title at PGF in Cali.
What do you think are the strengths of the team?
Well, it starts with our pitching… we have three very capable pitchers that complement each other well. Our team ERA thru 38 games is 1.71 and honestly, I can see it improving this coming summer.
Our offense is very dynamic with a good mixture of speed and power. We are hitting .367 as a team with eight girls hitting over .300 and scoring over six runs a game.
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
Our ability as a program to consistently compete for national titles at the highest level at multiple age groups.
Being a Bandit team, especially with all the team and organization’s recent success, the players must know that everyone is looking at them and they have a target on their backs…
These girls enjoy the pressure of being a Bandit. That is something we talked a lot about last year and this year’s group really feeds off it. We will see everyone’s ace, we will face their best lineup and their best defense, we are going to get everyone’s best shot because of who we are.
Which as competitors, is exactly what we want. We don’t get games off, the target on our backs is big because of our organization’s recent history and growing because of what this team has accomplished. The challenge for this group now becomes maintaining their love and trust in the process. That is, continuing their commitment to the time and sacrifice required to be a better player, to be a better teammate, to be a Bandit.
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Here’s a player-by-player look at the team with comments from Coach Helbling:
2B/UT Allyson Alexander (2021, Louisville)
Ally’s biggest asset is her ability to play anywhere except pitcher at a very high level. She is a true utility player. Her primary position for our team is 2nd base where her fielding skills and quick transition are huge assets to our defense. Ally has played A level softball since 10U and her experience as a hitter allows her to make adjustments quickly to almost any pitcher. Her gap-to-gap power and high on-base percentage are key reasons that Ally normally bats in the two hole for us.
3B/SS Haylie Brunson (2021, University of Louisiana Lafayette)
Haylie came to our team in August after we had played against her in numerous tournaments and really respected her stick as well as her defense. Haylie’s overhand throw has been clocked at 68 mph and that, coupled with her athleticism, allows her to play on the left hand side of the infield and any outfield spot for our defense. As a hitter Haylie can compete with anyone in the country—she has a beautiful swing and you can tell she puts in a lot of time in her home batting cage.
SS/3B Alexis Campbell (2021, uncommitted)
This is Lexi’s third season as a Bandit and her drive and determination are beyond reproach. She is just one of those kids that works to be the best at everything and is not satisfied with 2nd place. Lexi’s glove work and arm angles are her greatest assets and she can field short hops and backhands as well as anyone we have seen. Lexi’s bat has been huge for us in big games and she works tirelessly outside of practice on her hitting.
OF/C Savannah Fitzpatrick (2021, uncommitted)
“Fitz” came to our team early last spring and has been a key contributor for us offensively and defensively. She is a left-handed catcher with an extremely quick transition and a pop time in the low 1.7’s. As an outfielder Fitz uses her speed and arm strength to anchor the right field spot for our defense.
P/OF Isabelle Harrison (2021, Kentucky)
“Izzy” has been with us a full year now and her growth has been fun to watch.
She has matured from a hard thrower to a true pitcher who knows how to work batters and win one-on-one matchups. She is being clocked at 62 mph in game very routinely and has some devastating movement and off-speed pitches as well. Last summer Izzy had an ERA of under 2.00 and followed that up with an ERA of 0.91 this fall. Her athleticism is on full display when she is hitting or running bases for our offense. With a sub 3.0 home-to-first time and her home run power, she is an elite level softball player.
P/OF Savannah Jones (2021, uncommitted)
Savannah is the ultimate competitor on the mound as she wants the ball and won’t back down from anyone when she is pitching. Known as a “spinner” she has picked up her velocity recently and is throwing her fastball at 60 mph now and I expect that to increase even more by summer. She keeps hitters off balance and it is very difficult for teams to square her up consistently. Savannah also had an ERA of 1.53 this fall and has fielded numerous offers from Power 5 schools. She has good gap-to-gap power as a line drive hitter and is very athletic on the bases.
OF/C Carlee Kern (2022, uncommitted)
Carlee came to our team in August and she does a great job behind the plate and in the outfield for us. She is one of the more athletic catchers around and possesses some significant pop in her swing. We expect her to really work hard this winter and blossom for us this summer.
3B/1B Macy Krohman (2021, Illinois)
Macy has been a member of the Bandits DeMarini team for three years as well. She possesses raw power that is seen in her swing and throws well and has the athleticism to run a sub 3.0 home-to-first. Macy was one of the leaders on the team this fall season with a .423 batting average. Her bat control and ability to spray the ball to all fields is outstanding. Defensively Macy’s arm strength (66 mph overhand) and experience allows her to play both corners at a high level as well as any outfield position.
CF/2B Kinsey Mitchell (2021, Indiana)
Kinsey is a true offensive weapon—she is a lefty slapper/hitter for us who leads off with legit 2.62 home to first speed. She has an array of offensive weapons to choose from and does a great job of taking what the defense gives her. Defensively Kinsey’s primary position is in centerfield where she reads the ball well off of the bat and her speed and aggressiveness allow her to track down most balls hit anywhere close to her. Kinsey had fielded several Power 5 offers before committing just this last week to the Hoosiers.
Peyton Pepkowski P/OF (2021, uncommitted)
Peyton is another young lady that is new to the team. We played against Peyton last summer and I just loved her mound presence and how she went after our hitters. She throws multiple pitches and changes speeds and planes very well. I expect Peyton to begin acquiring a lot of attention from schools this summer.
Sarah Stone C/1B/OF (2021, Kentucky)
Sarah has been a Bandit now for 3 years, she possesses an extremely powerful bat that can change the score of the game at any time (40+ career HR), coupled with <3.0 H to 1st time and a 64+ mph overhand throw. Sarah’s size, strength and athleticism are remarkable, even at this level. Sarah’s primary position for us is outfield but she also plays 1st base and catcher.
3B/1B Hailey Sullivan (2021, uncommitted)
Hailey possesses another strong bat in our lineup, having hit multiple homeruns last year. We have seen Hailey develop into a very hard out at the plate over the past few months and are excited about how she strikes the ball consistently. She also plays a very aggressive third base for us and is deceptively quick and reliable defensively at either corner.
C/3B/SS Addisenn Weaver (2021, uncommitted)
Addi came to us this winter but we have played against her for years. She is a very gritty player who possesses a strong bat and years of experience behind the plate playing high level softball. We are really looking forward to having her on our team this summer and for years to come.