For decades, the name “Batbusters” has held a lot of weight in the travel ball community as national championship coaches like Gary Haning, Mike Stith, Mark Campbell and many others have helped develop elite players who’ve gone on to great success over the years…
… names like Amanda Lorenz (Florida) and Jocelyn Alo (Oklahoma), just to drop a few who’ve been All-Americans and become legends in the game..
When you think of the Batbusters excellence over the years, you tend to think California first, but look out for what Joe Smith is doing in the Rocky Mountain State where there are 10 impressively growing teams including the 18U which has nine DI commits heading into this Summer and several that have made Extra Elite 100 player rankings lists.
Extra Inning Softball caught up with Coach Smith to learn about the past, present and future goals of the Colorado Batbusters and how the organization is succeeding in keeping top prospects at home who may have gone outside the state in the past…
Here’s how he did it using the advice he’s received from previous greats and how “there is the Batbusters’ way and we try to live it…”
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
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When and how did the Colorado Batbusters program come into existence?
We were an independent group and back in April of 2018 when I reached out to the late Mark Campbell. Mark was awesome and after those conversations and getting to meet Mike Stith we felt that the Batbusters were the type of organization we wanted to be a part of.
Sadly, Mark passed away that next year but Mike Stith has been such a big part of our success. He has helped our whole organization and makes himself available whenever we need him. Without his guidance, there is no way we would be where we are now. Mike is a guy who truly is in it for the right reasons.
How many Batbusters teams are there now in Colorado?
We have 10 teams currently and we feel really good about all of them. They all work hard hard as culture is huge to us and I still remember Mark Campbell’s only ask of us: “No douchebag coaches!” I still laugh when I think about that but it really has been something we strive for.
There is the Batbusters’ way and we try to live it. Our 18U Gold coaching staff also coaches our 14U Gold team whom we are really excited about. We decided to do that so we could work with those kids at an early age and show them the way we do things. Chad Burgess runs our 16U Gold team and they are a very talented group as well. We also have three other 14’s, three other 16’s and another 18U team and all are coached well and full of talent.
Our 18 Gold team is also the coaching staff for our 14 Gold team; we practice them together and they also travel to most of the same tournaments. The assistants all work hard and donate their time and those guys never get the thanks and appreciation they deserve. Kudos to coaches Robert Lambardia, Al Cardona, Mark Craig and Mike Harrington for all they do!
How is it playing softball in Colorado with two of the biggest summer events in the country in your own backyard?
Colorado softball is really underrated in my opinion. We have some great players here. At times, some Colorado kids have looked out of state for teams to join. Part of our goal here with the Batbusters is to show those kids they don’t have to join out of state teams to get the national exposure they desire.
The fall high school season is also a challenge. Fall is a big recruiting period, and we miss a lot of that in September and October and have to do a sprint after the high school season to catch the tail end of that.
The other challenge is in the Summer. With high school starting the first week of August, we have organizations here having tryouts earlier and earlier (as early as June sometimes) and it definitely impacts us as those tryouts start happening prior to the summer national tournaments and can affect team cohesion.
What do you think are the strengths of the 18 Gold team?
Each year the team gets stronger and I am thankful for the players who have come before who have built this. This year’s team is the most talented yet and I think their biggest strength is character.
They are a fun group to coach and all come to the field ready to work. They are close and truly pull for each other, it’s just a special group.
On the field we have a very strong and complementary pitching staff with three D1 commits and a 2025 who will be as well. At the plate, we can beat you a lot of ways; this is the most speed we have had and, combining that with the power we have, it is going to be a fun year!
Lastly, I love the versatility we have on defense and the options it gives us. This team is young with ten 2024’s and a 2025 to go along with four really strong seniors. We have nine D1 committed players at the moment and multiple college offers out to other players.
How did you do in 2022 and what tournaments are you planning to play in 2023?
Last year we were ranked 75th in the country by Extra Inning and played an awesome schedule with over 30 games against ranked opponents. We finished in the Sweet 16 in both the Team 1 Elite invite and Top Club Nationals including going undefeated in our pool at Top Club.
We also played in the Atlanta Legacy, Sparkler Power Pool and Triple Crown Nationals and qualified for the Alliance Nationals but had to pull out due to injuries.
This past Fall, we went a combined 11-5-3 against many of the top teams in the country and played in the Bombers Exposure Weekend, Scenic City and Don Battles On.
This coming Summer we are scheduled to play in the Team 1 Elite Invite, Top Club Nationals, Triple Crown Nationals and The Alliance Nationals as well as the Sparkler and may add one more National event to go along with our local schedule. Years past our goal was to compete in these events, this year’s team is going there to win them!
What is your goal for the organization overall?
Our goal is to be considered one of the top organizations in the country. It has been great to see the confidence grow year after year. We played two Top 10 teams last year in a 10 day stretch and, in both games, we came very close to winning.
What stood out to me was how there was no intimidation and seeing our kids realize they can beat anyone in the country. That showed itself even more this fall. The growth has been fun to watch. We do a lot of organizational workouts and try to foster that competitive environment.
Another goal of ours is to play the game the right way. We are fully aware that we are not just developing softball players but also young women. Work ethic, respecting your teammates, coaches, umpires, opposing teams and the game is every bit as important as winning.
What, in your opinion, is something that separates you from other clubs or programs?
We have an amazing group of coaches. Going back to Mark Campbell’s statement, we look for coaches who truly do this for the right reasons. They are all very dedicated, knowledgeable, and just care about the kids.
One thing I observed about Mike Stith that we have tried to emulate is just his attention to detail and striving for perfection while building relationships with his kids. It’s so important to raise the bar and have kids strive for more and holding them accountable.
The “how” in this is so important.
Pushing them while showing them you care to me has always been the secret sauce to coaching. If you haven’t developed that relationship with them then all the rest will fall apart.
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Here is a player-by-player look at the Colorado Batbusters 18U team with insights provided by Coach Smith (team members listed alphabetically by last name) …
#15 Brooke Carey (3B/OF, 2023)
Brooke is committed to Campbell University in North Carolina and was one of our top hitters last year. She led the team with 23 home runs and 85 RBIs and was second overall in batting average. Brooke is very versatile defensively and is an RBI machine. Brooke was voted to the All-Summer Tournament team by Extra Inning Softball and finished 1st Team All-Tournament team in the Sparkler Power Pool and 2nd team at Top Club and Triple Crown Nationals.
#44 Lexi Craig (CIF/OF, 2024)
Lexi is a corner infielder and outfielder for us and has tremendous power and athletic fielding skills. She also possesses a very strong arm and is developing into a very good outfielder. At first base, Lexi plays as good defensively there as anyone I have seen. She was tied for the team lead in home runs this past fall and helped lead her Legend (Parker, Colorado) High team to the State title as a sophomore while herself earning All-State honors.
#21 Kay English (SS/2B, 2023)
Kay, who is committed to Colorado State, is one of the top shortstops in the country and was ranked the #69 overall player in the country by Extra Inning Softball in the 2023 Extra Elite 100. This is Kay’s third year at 18U Gold and she can do it all while serving as a fantastic leader. She hit over .450 with eight home runs and 60 stolen bases last year and is one of the most instinctive baserunners you will see. Kay was All-State at Legend (Parker, Col.) High and led her team to theSstate championship. Unfortunately, she is coming off an ACL tear she suffered in August and hopes to be back for the June/July National tournament run.
#27 Madi Eslinger (3B/C, 2024)
Madi is a third baseman and catcher for us and can also play the middle infield. Committed to Colorado State, she is a very strong hitter with a ton of power. Madi is very athletic as well and has a strong arm. She was a standout on the 16 Gold team last year and followed that up with a strong high school season at Loveland High which saw her lead Colorado in RBI’s at the Class 5A level.
#18 Mac Ferguson (P/1B, 2024)
Mac is another one of our players committed to play softball at Colorado State. She is a 6-foot right-handed pitcher who has a devastating drop ball to go along with a great changeup and curve. Mac is also a dominant presence at the plate and gives us another power bat. She was one of the top hitters at 16U Gold last year and, this past Fall, led the team in home runs and RBIs.
#42 Emma Harrington (IF/C, 2023)
Emma is a third and second baseman primarily who is committed to the University of Northern Colorado. She brings tremendous power to our lineup and has been at 18U Gold the past three seasons. Emma is also extremely versatile defensively with a gun for an arm. The senior was one of our top hitters last year and has always been a clutch performer. Emma led her Legend (Parker, Colo.) High team to a State title in 2021.
#16 Aubrey Henshaw (OF/2B, 2024)
Aubrey is a junior who is coming off an injury that had her sidelined all Fall. This past Summer, she was one of the top hitters for our 16U Gold team before the injury in June. Aubrey is a left-handed hitter who can stroke the ball to all fields. She can turn on a ball for power but also stay on outside pitches as well as anyone in our lineup. Aubrey possesses good speed and also tracks balls really well in the outfield. She’s a very smart player who can beat you a lot of different ways.
#11 Tessa Ivy (P/OF, 2025)
Tessa is new to our organization this year and we are very excited to have her. She is a 5-foot-11 sophomore and I believe will be one of the top 2025 pitchers in the country. Tessa combines velocity, movement, and pinpoint location and her change-up, which she developed last Fall, has gotten better and better and has become a big weapon for her. Tessa is also one of the hardest working kids I know and I expect big things from her in the circle. She is also a really good hitter who was clutch all Fall season for us.
#14 Kaylee “KMac” McDonald (2B/OF, 2024):
Kaylee is new to our organization, and we are excited to have her. A very versatile player that will help us in a lot of different ways, she hits for average and has good gap power. Kaylee had a great fall high school season where she hit over .500 and she has led her team to State titles at Class 4A in Colorado two of the past three years. KMac is currently weighing a few different offers from schools.
#8 Autumn Rutherford (OF/SS, 2024)
Autumn is a true 5-tool player who can beat you with her legs as well as her power. She is committed to play softball at Colorado State and has a great arm and covers a ton of ground in the outfield. Autumn is also very versatile and can play the middle infield. She was a stud on our 16U Gold team last year and played a few national events with the 18’s last year and helped us a lot.
#1 Makenzie “Mak” Sais (OF, 2024):
Makenzie, or “Mak” as we call her, is an incredible centerfielder with exceptional speed from the left side. She was clocked at 2.6 home-to-first last year and is a slapper who can power slap as well as work the short game. Mak gets to balls in centerfield that others flat out can’t and also has a strong arm. She set a single season record in Colorado with 63 stolen bases for Frederick High in Longmont and was a 1st Team All-State selection. Mak has a few offers that she is weighing but is currently uncommitted.
#2 Jaclyn Smith (MIF, 2024)
Jaclyn, or “Jac” as we call her, is a shortstop and second baseman for us and is also committed to Colorado State University. She can do it all at the plate and is a clutch hitter who had a great year at 16U Gold last year and carried that into the Fall at 18U Gold. Jac is a very smooth infielder with a great arm and has great instincts defensively. She also brings infectious energy that other players feed off of. Jac really gives us a lot of versatility not only in the field but in the lineup.
# 24 Nevanna Smith (C, 2024)
Nevanna was ranked the #44 best overall player 2024 Extra Elite 100. She played up at 18U Gold last year and was consistently among the team leaders in batting average, home runs and RBIs while batting in the middle of our lineup. Nevanna has a rocket for an arm and had a 1.68 pop time at the Team 1 Camp this past year. She is very active behind the plate and has become one of the best receivers in the country.
#6 Lauren Stucky (P/OF, 2023)
Lauren, headed to Colorado State, is a returning player for us and was our go-to pitcher in big games last year. She has great location with her hard stuff and has a devastating change-up that keeps hitters off balance. At the plate, Lauren was one of our top hitters last year and earned 1st Team All-Tournament honors at Top Club Nationals and 2nd Team at the Sparkler Power Pool and Triple Crown Nationals.
#24 Olivia Trombley (P, 2024)
Olivia is a big and strong pitcher at 6-feet tall who is also a weapon offensively. She has garnered a ton of attention from schools and is currently weighing her options with hopes of deciding by the Spring. As a pitcher, she can locate four different pitches and gets a ton of swing and misses. As a hitter, Olivia tied for the team lead in home runs this Fall and also led the state of Colorado in home runs this past high school season while leading her Ponderosa (Parker, Col.) High team to the Elite Eight.
