The Turnin2 organization out of Michigan has become one of the top up-and-coming programs in the Midwest and has produced excellent players who have signed and committed to programs nationwide including schools in the Big Ten, Pac-12 and MAC.
Today we learn more about Shawn Maloney’s talented team that is made up of all 15U 2023’s except one standout 2024; the squad competes well in mostly 16U events and will have multiple players who will make the upcoming 2023 Extra Elite 100 and the 101-500 rankings that kickoff on Monday, April 26, 2021.
Here’s more on the genesis of this team to watch and the coach and players who comprise it…
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When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?
I started coaching this team six years ago in 9U as the Michigan Batbusters. We made the move to Turnin2 National this past fall as it is a big-name organization with a greater opportunities for our players to train and get college exposure at the national level.
It was the greatest decision I could’ve ever made as the support, structure, and the competitive nature of the organization is helping us take our game to an even higher level. The Turnin2 the organization was started in 2013 by Rodney Robeson and Ron Pezzoni and they have worked hard to grow the organization into one of the nation’s top names.
Where are you based and where do your athletes come from?
Turnin2 is based out of Brighton, Michigan. My team is a satellite team out of Macomb, Michigan and we train in Shelby Township. My athletes travel from as far as an hour and a half away to practice and play with us.
What was the purpose of creating the team… was it primarily to showcase players, win titles, develop skills a combo or all of the above?
I started this team at 9U and developed all these girls. We have tried to improve our team every year by adding some better players. We have developed a team to win tournaments and compete on a national level.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Last summer, Michigan shut down for a while for COVID so all the top teams from our state went to the Wizards Windup ASA in Ohio and won the tourney against all of Michigan’s top teams. Then we won the D1 Fastpitch Summer Sizzler hosted by the Ohio Outlaws—it was a replacement event for the Ohio Stingrays Invitational that was canceled due to COVID.
We finished 5th Place in the Colorado Junior Sparkler in Chattanooga and also finished 4th place in the PGF Midwest Regional in Peoria, Illinois. We finished the year with a 52-16 record.
This past Fall, we went 6-0 in the Beverly Bandits Demarini Invitational in Dayton, Ohio. We also went 4-0-1 and won our pool in The Scenic City Fall Showcase. We finished 32-10-4 in the Fall playing a very strong schedule.
What makes the organization unique?
I’ll answer that with a quote from Rodney Robeson, the organization’s Director of Softball Operations:
“What makes us unique compared to other programs is that we are 100 percent focused on developing women’s softball players to play at the collegiate level. We are a College Prep Academy for women’s softball.”
“We put all of our energy, passion and internal programing into developing women’s softball players to compete at a high level. This includes having teams that will compete at a Regional and a National level around the United State. Over the past eight years we have helped over 140 softball players continue their athletic and academic careers by going onto play collegiately. Now that’s exciting!”
“We do this by offering softball specific sports training that we run out of our 18,000 square foot training facility in Brighton, Michigan which we own and operate.”
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
I actually have coached high level travel baseball for the Detroit Metro Stars which I am the current President of. We made it to the prestigious Connie Mack World Series in 2014 and then I was lured into coaching my daughters and I starting coaching softball. I have great assistant coaches and we have developed a lot of great players into major prospects.
I am also a teacher at Warren Mott High School and I have coached basketball and baseball. Now I find myself in a similar situation on the girls’ side of the game now and I am loving every minute of it.
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
There are 26.
Has there been a key moment or defining experience in the team’s history?
Not as much of one defining moment as it is many Top 5 finishes at National events and even a few outright championships. We have been blessed to have great players and coaches helping to grow our organization and passionate people to give their time and effort to be the best.
What is your primary focus or goal with this team?
Our current goal is to get as much national exposure as possible and go out and play the best of the best. We want all of our players to get recruited and committed to colleges they are interested in. There isn’t a girl on this team that won’t be playing college softball.
What do you think are the strengths of the team?
We are built around great team chemistry. These girls truly love each other. We are not just a group of random girls put together. We have really centered our team around the concept of the team over the concept of the individual. We have so much athleticism.
Our team is far more athletic than most teams we play. We have a great compliment of speed, size, and power. Our defense is the backbone of our team. We are very strong up the middle. Pitchers love to pitch behind our defense and we also have a lot of home run power up and down the lineup.
If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?
Culture and expectations! We are surrounding ourselves with great people and taking a winning mindset to the field. We pride ourselves on playing the game the right way, dominating fundamentals and teaching the young ladies how to win in softball and life. Says Rodney: “Our teams are expected to model the “3 R’s” which are Respect, Represent and Responsibility. The difference is that our young women will learn how to compete with confidence!”
How do your players do off the field?
Our team finished the first semester of school with a 3.86 GPA. We had many girls with a 4.0 or higher GPA. We are not only great athletes but we are full of great student-athletes.
*** Scroll down to learn more about the players, several of whom will make the 2023 Extra Elite rankings!
