RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Two weeks from today–Sunday, November 8, 2020–we will finish the final look at the 2021 Extra Elite 100 class with the publishing of the Extra Elite College Class Rankings.
These college rankings will come out just days before the start of the Early Signing Period and all the data–player and college ratings–will be sent to universities nationwide!
So who’s doing well college-wise?
Not surprisingly, many elite programs who are Women’s College World Series regulars and annual championship contenders such as Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA and others are having strong 2021 classes and should be stocking up on talent.
But watch out for Mike White and the Texas Longhorns, who have had a great run the last year in getting multiple Top 25 players in the Class of 2021. It will be fun to see how the Big 12 plays out in future years with Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and others looking to get stronger through signings.
As we finish the 2022 Extra Elite 100 this week, don’t be surprised to see 4-5 players in the Top 25 or 30 for the Longhorns before all is finalized. It’s truly an outstanding class filling many needs, from pitching to catching to outfield talent.
Here are some previous stories we’ve done highlighting some of these great prospects who are expected to sign starting Nov. 11, 2020 with the Univ. of Texas…
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Recruiting News: Texas Picks Up Two 2021 Extra Elite 100 Top Recruits in Sophia Simpson, Katie Cimusz
Originally published Sept. 10, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Texas Bombers pitcher Sophia Simpson, ranked No. 27 in the 2021 Extra Elite 100, (from January 2020), committed to Texas over the weekend, former Texas Bombers – Jones coach Bill Jones confirmed on Monday.
“I’m extremely excited to announce that I have decided to further my academic and softball career at University of Texas at Austin!” Simpson said on Twitter.
“First, I would like to thank God for giving me the ability to play this great sport, as well as my coaches and my family helping me along the way.”
Check out this video interview we did with Sophia at PGF Nationals this summer!
The right-hander went 4-1 with a 0.18 ERA and 28 Ks in 32 innings to help the Bombers reach the PGF 16U Premier Nationals championship game this past summer.
Simpson, who was named to the 2019 PGF 16U Premier Nationals All-Tournament Team, helped Barbers Hill High of TX, reach the Regional Finals in the 5A Texas State Tournament as a sophomore. She will be playing for the Texas Bombers Gold 18U team this fall and next summer.
“Sophia is a great kid,” Jones said. “(She) throws in the 60s with a great rise and change. She started most every game for us at PGF Nationals, including the championship game.”
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Diamond Sports Hotshots head coach Mel Dumezich wrote us on Monday to say that 2021 catcher/utility player Katie Cimusz has verbally committed to the Longhorns as well.
“She is a top recruit in her class!” Coach Dumezich said of Cimusz, who plays for the Hotshots 18U Premier team.
She was ranked No. 13 in the 2021 Extra Elite 100 compiled earlier this year.
Katie made a huge jump onto the national high school scene when she helped lead her Atascocita (Humble, Texas) High team to the 6A state title in 2018. She hit 11 home runs and had 48 RBIs to earn All-State honors and District 21-6A Newcomer of the Year as a freshman.
— Carlos Arias & Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
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The Last Inning (Dec. 6, 2019): More on Texas Verbal Ashton Maloney
Originally published Dec. 6, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
We conclude this first week in December with the latest in the softball world in Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning.
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community but you can be a part of the team too!
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected] You can also send items/story ideas to Carlos Arias via email at [email protected] or via Twitter @Los_Stuff.
Here’s our TLI for Friday, Dec. 6…
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ASHTON MALONEY ON TEXAS: “FELT LIKE HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Yesterday, we told you about Ashton Maloney, the talented 2021 outfielder from Liberty (Misssouri) High who committed to Texas on Thursday.
Ashton told Extra Inning Softball’s Brentt Eads today: “I committed yesterday around 3 o’clock and I chose Texas because it felt like my home away from home.”
The Missouri Class 4A All-State player who batted .598 with 55 hits and 40 runs scored added, “When I visited on November 29-30, I just fell in love with the school and Austin.”
She was hosted by Longhorn coach Steve Singleton because the players were away on Thanksgiving break last week.
Ashton helped Ryan Taylor’s Aces Fastpitch 18U team win the Boulder IDT last summer and is a key reason the team is ranked #8 overall in the Extra Elite Eighty 18U Club Rankings at this point.
Coach Taylor said of his star outfielder, “Ashton is a big strong athlete that runs very well. She has a big arm, and power to go with her speed. She was a huge part to our success last year, and I’m excited she will continue to grow!”
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Extra Star Power: Katie Cimusz Commits to Texas… on a River Cruise!
Originally published Sept. 14, 2020 on Extra Inning Softball
It was a good week to be a Longhorn softball fan.
Texas Head Coach Mike White picked up verbals from several elite prospects across the country including a pair of Extra Elite 100 pitchers, Sophia Simpson, ranked No. 27 in the 2021 Extra Elite 100, and Ryleigh White, ranked No. 23 in the 2020 Extra Elite 100.
The outstanding hurlers committed after taking their official visits last weekend (Sept. 7-8, 2019) to Austin and also on that trip was Katie Cimusz, who looks to be their batterymate in the future.
Katie was ranked in the Top 25 of the 2021 Extra Elite 100 and should be the catcher of the future for the Big 12 school which is stockpiling young talent through transfers and signings of incoming high schoolers.
Here’s a closer look at Katie’s background and recruiting process which culminated with her committing to Coach White in a way we don’t think we’ve heard before: on the water during a river cruise!
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NAME: KATIE CIMUSZ
Hometown/ST: Atascocita, Texas
Grad Year: 2021
Position(s): Catcher/Utility
Club Team: Diamond Sports Hotshots 18U Premier
High School: Atascocita High
GPA: 4.73 weighted
College: Texas
Top Honors/Accomplishments: Ranked in the Top 20 in 2021 Extra Elite 100, two-time Texas All-State (6A), 2018 WFC Offensive MVP, 2018 6A State Champion; District 21-6A Newcomer of the Year, Texas 6A All-Tournament team.
Preferred College Major: Civil Engineering
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Talk about the recruiting process and how that went from start to finish?
For me it was a long and winding process just because of the rule change back my freshman year but I think that rule helped me out because at the time I was only focusing on the softball part of it.
Over the next two years, I started thinking more on the academic side and thinking about what I wanted to do, who provided that option and if I would get the best education I could get at this school.
About a year ago, I got my first invite to a Texas camp and it was one of the first camps with the new coaching staff. After that camp, I knew something was different about Texas and I loved it.
When did you commit and how did you tell the Longhorn coaches?
I committed Saturday (Sept 7, 2019). I was on my official visit and we actually were on a river cruise. As we were pulling into dock to get off, I pulled Coach White off to the side and told him, “I want to be a Longhorn and this is exactly where I want to be.”
Was there an “aha” moment when you knew Texas was right for you?
I think for me really my “aha” moment was seeing basically the whole city coming together a day before the football game and already starting preparations for it. It just made me feel like I would have the whole city to support me in fulfilling my 10-year-old self’s dream of playing at the collegiate level.
*** Scroll down to read more about Katie on and off the field!