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We continue the National Club Player & Club Team of the Week series for the 2022 summer travel ball season which honors great individual and team accomplishments.
Today we honor those from events across the country from Monday, July 11 through Sunday, July 17, 2022.
Congratulations to all… and scroll to the bottom for details to submit info for future candidates.
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National Club Team of the Week: Stars National 18U – Coleman/Belfield
* There were a couple good candidates for National Club Team of the Week but we’re going to select the Stars, particularly for how they survived an onslaught on injuries at the 8th annual USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup held in July 11-16th Oklahoma City.The coaches for the East Coast-based travel ball team entered the week with the belief that they could compete, but realistically knew it would be quite a challenge to make a deep run in the bracket play considering the number of players not making the trip.
Not only were they missing six members from their roster, but all of those players are DI commits or signees including:
- 2022 Jules Scogna (Pitcher) – Boston University
- 2022 Morgan Pepkowski (Outfield) – Villanova University
- 2022 Libby Winters (Shortstop) – Cornell University
- 2023 Caitlin Mullen (Pitcher) – Stetson University
- 2023 Chrissy Rabenold (Middle) – UNC-Greensboro
Note that Jules Scogna, a recently named an Extra Inning Softball 2022 High School All American and Extra Elite Top 100 pitcher, along with fellow senior Morgan Pepkowski, typically hits in the top of the lineup.
To make matters worse for Co-Head Coaches, Rachel Coleman and Philip Belfield, 2022 Kennesaw State signee Stacey Deputy went down in pool play after taking a rise ball to her right index finger leaving her not available for bracket play.
Still, the event rolled on and in Game 1 of the opening round of brackets, Stars National faced the Clearwater Bullets – Klinefelter. Lefty Kalyn Kyle (a 2022 Gardner Webb signee) struck out 10 and only gave up three singles as Stars National secured a 4-0 win. Offensively, eight of the nine batters for the team got a hit.
In Game 2, Stars National faced Epic Premier – Sydney in what turned out to be all about defense. Three early errors allowed Epic Premier to score a run in the first inning and another in the second inning In the bottom of the fifth, Henzler hit a solo blast to extend the lead to 4-2. 2023 (uncommitted) pitcher, Kohana Pousson picked up the win throwing 5 innings giving up just 4 hits allowing 0 earned runs.
Game 3, played back at Hall of Fame Stadium, the Stars National bats really came alive as the team totaled 16 hits and scored 10 runs in six innings of work to win by run rule 10-1. Belfield, Nuss and 2023 Towson commit Taylor Broadbent each collected thre hits, while Henzler and Torrens had two hits each.
The Bracket B Championship game pitted Stars National against the Clearwater Bullets –Klinefelter, which, after taking the Round 1 loss to Stars National, battled all the way back through the loser’s bracket.
Pousson got the start and after four innings Stars National led 3-1. Stars National opened up the offense scoring two in the 5th, four in the 6th and four in the 7th and rolled to a 13-1 win.
The finals were back at Hall of Fame Stadium with both playing at 11 am. The two finalists—Stars National Coleman/Belfield and the Lady Lightning DPS – Corn team— were happy to have temperatures in the low ‘90’s to start the game as most of the week had been 100-degrees plus.
The Stars National fell behind 3-0, but responded in the top of the fifth to make it 3-2. Hits from Tsiouplis and Nuss in the fifth tied the game at 3-3 and it stayed knotted up through seven innings, sending the game to ITB.
With one out, Stars National’s Tabitha Thorpe singled up the middle scoring Nuss from second base. Then a “Texas-leaguer” to right field from Taylor Broadbent scored Thorpe from second. Jolie Torrens then hit a blast to right center to score Broadbent and an errant relay throw went in the first base dugout allowing Torrens to score, giving Stars National a 7-3 lead in the extra frame.
Kalyn Kyle retired LLG in order in the bottom of the eighth as she completed eight innings, with only three hits allowed and 6 Ks.
Offensive Leaders for Stars National @ the USA Softball JO Cup:
- Taylor Broadbent (12 hits, 2 doubles, 6 RBI)
- Kaylyn Belfield (13 hits, 4 SB, 4 RBI, 9 runs)
- Bella Henzler (13 hits, 1 double, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
- Rita Nuss (11 hits, 9 RBI, 7 runs scored)
- Jo Torrens (10 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI)
- Ava Tsiouplis (9 hits and 5 runs scored)
- Tabitha Thorpe (8 hits, 6 SB and 5 runs scored)
- Briyana Wright (7 hits, 4 SB and 5 runs scored)
Pitching Leaders:
- Kalyn Kyle – (30.2 IP, 27 Ks, 6 BBs, 4 earned runs, .913 ERA)
- Kohana Pousson – (16.1 IP, 9 Ks, 5 BBs, 4 earned runs, 1.71 ERA)
- Bella Nunn – (4.0 IP, 3 Ks, 7 BBs, 2 earned runs, 3.50 ERA)
- Taylor Broadbent – (3.0 IP, 2Ks, 1 BB, 0 earned runs, 0.00 ERA)
“I’m just so proud of these girls and happy for their families, especially the 2022s, to be able to go out like this,” said Coach Belfield.
“This was our final tournament of the summer and there is no better place to go out, than in Oklahoma City on this field and win the JO Cup and do it against a quality opponent in a close game. We only had 11 players and every single player had a key moment to make this championship possible. To win PGF Platinum in 2021 and now the USA Softball JO Cup in 2022, is pretty special.”
*** Scroll down to read about more top teams and players who are honored for their outstanding club play last week.
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Here are players and teams that have been recognized this year so far…
2022 Extra Inning Softball Club Players of the Week
- July 13: IF Hannah Harvey (Impact Gold 18U – Rodriguez
- July 6: P Madison Knight (PA Chaos 18U – Spina)
- June 29: P Lilly Garcia (Firecrackers 18U – Wallace)
- June 22: SS Jessica Oakland (Cal Nuggets 18U)
2022 Extra Inning Softball Club Teams of the Week
- July 13: Beverly Bandits 16U – Conroy
- July 6: Tennessee Mojo 14U – Gregory
- June 29: Hotshots National 16U – Jones
- June 22: Texas Riptide 14U – Campbell
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Here are players and teams that were honored last year, during the Summer of 2021…
2021 Extra Inning Softball Club Players of the Week
- August 12: OF Townsen Thomas (Texas Blaze United 16U)
- July 28: P/UT Lilly Parrish(Virginia Unity)
- July 21: SS Jessica Oakland (Cal Nuggets 18U)
- July 14: C Marisa Miller (AP Locke 18U)
- July 7: IF Madison Conley (Epic Premier 16U – Smith)
- June 29: P Samantha Landry (Hotshots Premier 18U – Dumezich)
- June 23: P/UT Jordyn Bahl (Nebraska Gold 18U – Singleton)
- June 16: P Jayden Heavener (Birmingham Thunderbolts – Burns)
2021 Extra Inning Softball Club Players of the Week
- August 12: Virginia Unity 14U – Johnson/Ross
- July 28: Wichita Mustangs 18U – Griggs
- July 21: Mojo 16U – Fisher
- July 14: Tampa Mustangs 14U – Seymour
- July 7: Nebraska Gold 18U – Singleton
- June 29: Tennessee Bolts 2023 14U – Sain
- June 23: Team PA Chaos 14U – Spina
- June 16: Georgia Impact – Lewis 18U
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How to Submit Information:
Each week during the summer, Extra Inning Softball will recognize a National Club Player & Team of the Week.
Those honored will typically be announced usually on Wednesdays. The cutoff for submitting the nominations for Player & Team of the Week will be Mondays at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST.
* Individually, we’re looking for standouts who excelled in the circle, at the plate or in the field so be sure to nominate your favorite performance(s) by submitting the following:
- Player Name
- Grad Year (example: Class of 2024 or Incoming Junior
- Position(s)
- Club team name with city/state
- Stats for the week (be as detailed as possible!)
- Up-to-date season stats if possible
- Recruiting information if applicable
- Any interesting background on the player
- Action and/or head shots
- If possible, contact info if we’d like more info or quotes
* Teams to be considered should include info such as record, key wins, standout performances and more for the week.