The Lady Dukes 14U team coached by James Lamar is competing this weekend at the 2021 Veterans Tribute Showcase in Dallas, Georgia along with other top organizations primarily from the East Coast and Southeast.
According to those within the organization and coaches who have to face the team on the fields, the Lady Dukes’ 14U squad is going to be one to watch now and in the future.
“This group is going to be special,” Coach Lamar says. “I see a group of very talented players that love the game and have made a commitment to the process.”
Here’s a closer look at the Lady Dukes lineup which went undefeated last week at Scenic City and also put more than a few shots over the fences…
Scenic City Showcase ✅
5-0 ✅
8 HR’s ✅
Next Up: Veterans Tribute Invitational pic.twitter.com/4hrbsQopcj— Lady Dukes 14u National-Lamar (@DukesNat_14u) November 7, 2021
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Overview (Strengths):
Team: LADY DUKES 14U – LAMAR
Head Coach: James Lamar
Assistant Coach: Tony Vega; Jordan Doggett (Georgia, Oklahoma State) and Morgan Bruce (Ole Miss, Georgia Tech)
Hitting & Fielding Instructor: Robert Young
Individually and collectively, the East Coast team has a lot going for it; here are four reasons why many feel it is championship caliber:
- Talent: The Lady Dukes team is built on speed, power at the plate, sound defense and one of the best pitching staffs in 14U.
- Speed: Five of the Dukes starting nine players run under 2.7 which puts tremendous pressure on opposing defenses.
- Elite Instruction: The team has been trained by Robert Young, the father of Duke Head Coach Marissa Young, who focuses on players being fundamentally sound, disciplined and playing the game the right way. “He is old school,” Coach Lamar says, “so when he speaks everyone listens. The improvement and rankings of these players nationally is a large testament to the California style of training and the leadership of the coaching staff.”
- Coaching: The “biggest secret in the sauce,” according to Coach Lamar, “comes from the grit and accountability upheld by coaches Jordan Doggett and Morgan Bruce… these two former D1 standouts are excellent.”
Coach Doggett, who played for Georgia before finishing up her college career at Oklahoma State last spring is high on the talented young team.
“Last weekend was a super exciting weekend for me,” she began. “This was our first weekend with all our girls together and I was so proud of how they came out ready to play. Although we are off to a great start, there are always ways to improve, and we have a special group of girls who want to learn the game and improve their game every day.”
“The speed and offense we have is dangerous, it puts a lot of pressure on teams and gives our pitching staff and defense room to work and vice versa. Our pitching staff is lights out, they all complement each other well and I loved to see them work together this weekend. Having a team full of hardworking, stellar athletes makes this even more enjoyable.”
“For these girls to 5-0 on the weekend with eight home runs is impressive to me. The sky’s the limit for these girls and this organization, and I am so excited to be a part of the journey!”
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❗️Introducing our Fall 2021 Roster and Schedule for the first part of the 2021-2022 season ❗️ Very talented group! We are led by Head Coach James Lamar, UGA/Oklahoma State alum Jordan Doggett, and Georgia Tech alum Morgan Bruce pic.twitter.com/mfRyhyOu11
— Lady Dukes 14u National-Lamar (@DukesNat_14u) October 29, 2021
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*** Scroll down to read about the standout players that make up the team…
