RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Few organization names have as interesting of a background as that of Orion Hunter, which is based in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia that includes the cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach in the southeast part of the state.
The program hails from the area known for being the largest naval community in the world but what many don’t know is what an “Orion Hunter” actually is and how it’s tied into the softball org that carries its name.
Part of the military history that it proudly represents, the softball org is named after the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft introduced in the 1960’s that was used to find and track submarines and also became known as a tough, all-weather plane that can track hurricanes (even fly in and out of the eye of the storm to get more potentially lifesaving data).
In 1994, the Orion Hunter softball organization began and, further tying into the Navy history and location where it’s based, was started by a flight ops office on the P-3 Orion aircraft.
Today, the program has 10 teams ranging from 10U up through 23U; one that is drawing a lot of attention these days is the Orion Hunter Elite 18U softball team coached by Larry Murphy and Grayson Inman which has helped over 70 players make it to the college level—and to top conferences such as the ACC, Atlantic 10 and Ivy Leagues, among others.
One of those college-bound standouts is 2022 Extra Elite 100 pitcher Madison Inscoe who joined the program this Fall and, after committing to North Carolina State, wanted to finish her final year of club ball playing closer to home.
She chose to do so with the Orion Hunter 18U team that also rosters several friends and former teammates the standout senior has known since she was five years old, including players from her tee ball days to coach pitch, prior travel ball teammates and current players on her two-time Virginia State champion Nansemond-Suffolk Academy team.
What Inscoe, ranked #35 in the senior class, admits she didn’t realize is just how strong her travel ball team would be this Fall.
Playing against several of the elite travel ball teams across the country, the Orion Hunter 18U squad went 21-6-2, impressing college coaches who some had pegged previously as a “mid-major travel ball team.” The wins came over highly rated club teams from states such as Georgia, Michigan, Florida and Texas.
Said one SEC coach: “The early buzz around the Fall tournaments Orion Hunter played in was ‘Who is that team from Virginia?’ but soon became ‘This team has played some of the best softball I have seen this Fall!’”
In Orion Hunter’s first tournament of the season, the team won the Virginia USA National qualifier to earn a berth to USA Softball Gold Nationals in Oklahoma City next summer.
After that strong opening weekend, the team finished in the Top 8 at the Team NC Invitational while also winning its showcase brackets in the Legendary Showcase and Starz Gold Showcase—the only Virginia tournaments they played in.
Orion Hunter – Murphy/Inman also finished second in their bracket at Scenic City with a 3-1 record and recently wrapped up its Fall by placing in the top eight in their division at Veterans Invite, losing to the team that would be the eventual champions, Atlanta Vipers-Tamborra.
The addition of Inscoe further strengthened a pitching corps that includes her former 10U teammate Cierra Gawryluck, an uncommitted lefty junior, as well as another 2023 grad in right-hander Skyler Smith.
Outside the circle, the team is led by talented playmakers including a pair headed to the University of Virginia: 2023 catcher Melissa Carr, known for her big bat and strong arm and defense behind the plate, as well as 2022 signee Kassidy Hudson, an outfielder ranked 92nd overall in the 2022 Extra Elite 100 who is known for making game-saving, over-the-fence catches.
Also starring on the team is 2022 George Mason signee Maya McGowan, a tall and athletic first and second baseman with a big bat who hits for power and was #135 in the senior rankings. She also plays on the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy team that has won a pair of high school state titles with a chance to make it three next Spring.
Joining McGowan at George Mason will be middle infielder Kamryn Inman (#105 rated overall) who has been described as a “stealthy player known to get on base by any means possible and takes more bases with the steal to get into scoring position or further.” Inman has a strong short game and can also hit the longball while possessing a steady glove on defense.
Another DI bound talent is 2023 Maryland commit Bailey Murphy, whose sister Morgan Murphy pitches for Virginia. Murphy is a rock-solid leadoff hitter who can hit for average or hit the long ball, placing it with precision. She has a very high OBP and is a strong middle infielder with athleticism and a great glove.
Two more college-bound players of note who have strong all-around abilities are seniors Abby Byrum (centerfield) and Andrea Savage (third base) who will be playing next year with Division III Bridgewater College in their home state of Virginia.
Inscoe, who finished the Fall with a 1.2 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 73 innings against some of the best 18U hitters in the nation, says she has relished competing for her home state-based team as she prepares to head to North Carolina State early next summer.
“I’m just blessed to have gotten to play what is my final Fall travel season with some of my best softball friends. I’m so fortunate that these coaches asked me to join them for my final run. They have been absolutely amazing to me.”