Last week we wrapped up the Extra Elite 100 Club Coach Rankings and husband & wife coaches
Ken Briggs and Roseann Briggs, made the Top 25.
In their bio, we wrote in part:
The club name may be a bit new and unfamiliar to some, but give it time… the BSC Bengals (the “BCS” stands for “Briggs Softball Club”) is already impressing those who are competing for, and against, it. Ken and Roseann started the Bengals organization this year but have coached for several years in the So Cal Athletics and OC Batbusters organizations. They first began their foray into travel ball as the American Stars before moving to the Batbusters in 2011 and, while there, had several Top 10 finishes at ASA Nationals and at PGF.
This past Summer, the Briggs started the Bengals and organization and have quickly established themselves as one of the top programs in the country.
Extra Inning Softball recently caught up with the fastpitch fanatical couple who’ve been married for 28 years and have coached together for 19!
Here’s what they had to say…
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When did the BCS Bengals start and how and why did it come to be?
In the summer of 2021, after more than 15 years of coaching high-level teams in the Batbusters and So Cal Athletics organizations, we decided to start our own. Currently, we have seven teams (one 12U, two 14U, three 16U and one 18U). Three of those teams are “Briggs” teams, with me (Ken) being the head coach of the 18U Gold team, Roseann being the head coach of the 16U team and Candace Fitzpatrick the head coach of the 14u team.
Where are you based? Where do your athletes come from?
Our base of operations is officially Southern California (Chino), but players come from cities all throughout the state. We currently have an out-of-state player but have had more in the past.
What was the purpose of creating the team(s)?
The purpose of creating the club was that we wanted the freedom to see our vision of travel softball come to fruition. One of the first things we did was start a college scholarship fund. In 2021, we were able to provide two $10,000 scholarships to Briggs players (one of whom is at Mississippi State and the other at Columbia). We hope to be able to offer more scholarships every year.
In terms of the primary teams (the 16U and 18U Briggs teams), our priorities are simple: make the girls better players and help them get into college and win. We play heavy showcase schedules in the fall and summer to get the girls seen. We also are blessed to have Marlece Hornbuckle as our club recruiter, who is amazing. She has been helping girls get into college through softball for over a decade, so her contacts and relationships are extensive. She literally is working all the time for the girls, making calls to coaches and taking calls, texts and emails from the players to make sure they are on the right track.
Our success in terms of recruiting speaks for itself: from last Summer to now, we have committed players to Stanford, Florida State, Columbia, Idaho State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Riverside, University of Michigan, Penn State, University of San Diego, Utah Valley, Canisius, Oregon, Vanguard, University of Houston and Paris JC in Texas.
Every 2022 on the 18U Gold team is now committed, and three of our 2023s have already verballed (and we expect to see that number to increase between now and the end of January).
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Given the very new nature of the club, we haven’t played in many events that were tournament style. Our greatest success as a club by far is the number of girls we have going to college. But, our 14U team finished third at PGF last summer (as a 12U team), and many players, who are now on the 16U team, finished fifth at PGF (when they were still playing 14s).
Our 16U team (several of whom are still on the team, and some have moved up to the 18U team) finished third at TCS/USA Nationals. This fall, the 16U team was a quarterfinalist at the PGF Shootout, and the 14s were finalists at the Georgia Impact Veterans Tribute Invitational with three players being chosen to the USA All-American games in OKC this past summer.
What makes the organization unique in your opinion?
Our college scholarship program makes us unique. If there are other clubs doing the same thing, we aren’t aware of it! This year, we will be hosting our first annual Briggs Softball “Who’s Next” Scholarship Golf Tournament to help raise funds for our student-athletes to get to college. We also have a mental training coach, Katie Cheadle.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
I was a former college and professional baseball player and was part of the Minnesota Twins’ organization. After retiring from baseball, I began coaching at Cypress JC, Foothill High, in youth leagues and eventually transitioned to coaching softball full-time in 2000. Roseann is a former college softball and volleyball player.
Together, we have been coaching high-level travel softball for the past 17 years with the Batbusters, So Cal Athletics and now the BSC Bengals. Our daughter, East Carolina University-grad Kelsi Briggs, also coaches, and our other daughter, Ciara, current plays at LSU which makes it a family affair. Our accomplishments include several finishes inside the Top 10 at national championship competitions. We have also developed strong relationships with college softball coaches all around the country and I participate as an instructor in many college showcase camps every year. Our relationships and coaching have helped more than 150 girls receive athletic scholarships to play softball at many colleges throughout the country, including Stanford, LSU, Michigan, GCU, Columbia, ASU, Long Beach State, Utah, Arizona, Kansas and many more.
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
Currently, there are seven teams, three of which are “Briggs” teams.
What’s been a highlight so far in the program’s short history?
Getting 20 girls committed to colleges since last June has been pretty satisfying.
What is your primary focus or goal with your teams?
Making the girls better players mentally and physically, getting them into college, competing for championships at the big summer events.
What do you think are the strengths of the teams?
The 18u team played a very tough schedule during fall and won 27 games. We hit well over .300 as a team, hit 27 home runs and scored 248 runs. We also had a team fielding percentage over .960, and a team ERA of 2.30. As consistency improves, the wins should increase. The 16U team also played a very tough fall schedule as well. Due to injuries, school functions, college camps, SAT/ACT exams, COVID, and other factors, this team has not yet played a single game with every player ready to take the field, but still, we won over 20 games, and expect to play at a much higher level in the summer with everyone healthy. This team has eight players who are in the Extra Inning Elite 100 and additional players who are in the top 100 at their respective position. Keys in the fall were excellent pitching and defense and timely hitting. We’re looking forward to a fully healthy and available team this summer, because the talent is incredible.
If there is one thing that separates you from other clubs, what is it?
Again, our scholarship program is unique as far as we know. The inclusive “family” nature of the organization is also pretty special. Being able to work with and know every player in the organization is something we have been able to do this fall.
Anything else interesting or fun you’d like to share about the organization?
We do a Briggs vs. Briggs vs. Alumni each year during the holidays. Players we have coached in the past enjoy coming back for some friendly competition and seeing their old teammates. We also bring back college players to work with our teams.
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*** Scroll down to read about the standout 18U and 16U players that play with the BSC Bengals…
