Our Extra Inning Softball National Club Player & National Club Team of the Week series moved into Week 4 for the 2020 summer season with today’s edition.
The Club Player/Team of the Week features great individual and team accomplishments from the past weekend along with those who were Runners-Up with similarly strong performances.
This week’s honorees are from games and tournaments in the week of Monday, June 29 through Sunday July 5, 2020… scroll to the bottom for details to submit info for future candidates.
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National Club Player of the Week:
Ja’Naiya Thomas (Impact Gold – Jackson)
Big-time players shine in big games and that’s what Ja’Naiya Thomas, a 2021 infielder committed to Houston, did last week for KC Jackson’s Impact Gold 18U team at the Triple Crown-produced Texas Sparker tournament.
A Top 40 honoree in the 2021 Extra Elite 100, she batted .623 with three home runs and stole 11 bases for the event, but saved her best for the finish.
Ja’Naiya went 2-for-3 with a steal and a run scored in the championship game win over Scrap Yard in the finals, a 4-2 victory, following a 2-for-3 performance including a home run and 3 RBIs in a thrilling 7-6 win over Glory Adkins Gold in the semi-final contest.
For the summer, she sets the table for the powerful Impact Gold offense by batting in the leadoff spot where she is is hitting .571 with a stellar .712 on-base percentage and showcases her blend of speed and power with six home runs and 25 steals.
“Ja’Naiya is a third baseman with an elite shortstop skill set,” says Coach Jackson. “Her range and explosiveness are tremendous. I’ve seen her field balls hit behind the pitcher from her third base position! Her reaction to the ball is supernatural and she’s a true leadoff who has added clean-up hitter-type power to her game. Her short game and long game are a nightmare for opposing defenses. A single is a double or even a triple because she’s stealing second.”
It’s her battle-ready passion and aggressiveness the 18U coach says he admires most about his star infielder.
“ Jay is a very tough built kid with a bit of a mean streak in her,” Jackson continues, “and that’s what I like best about her. She gives our team that toughness needed to compete. She fears nothing and doesn’t blink an eye when a pitch is about to hit her, but her greatest attribute is that she is the ultimate teammate! She’s the biggest cheerleader for her team and teammates. After her at bats, you will find her in our dugout with a bucket and some drumsticks leading the cheers. Jay is the first to arrive and practice and the last to leave. She takes proud in being a great teammate and team leader.”
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Runners-Up / National Player of the Week
* Kylei Griffin, the 2022 MIF with Scrapyard Internationals out of Conroe, Texas, and a commit to Nebraska, continues to have a strong summer as she hit .500 in 10 games going 12-for-26 with three home runs, three doubles, a whopping 16 RBIs and didn’t strikeout once as she help her team finish 2nd at Triple Crown Texas Sparkler this past week. The 2022 Extra Elite 100 honoree also helped her team finish 3rd in the Hotshots Invitational previously.
* Allison Ha, a 2021 outfielder with Athletics – Mercado/Greg and a California All-State softball and basketball player in 2019 and 2020, respectively, shined in the leadoff position the last couple weeks, hitting a combined .523 (23-for-44) at the Top Club Nationals two weeks ago and also at the USA Softball HFL July 4th Showdown. She was especially hot last week, going 12-for-18 (.667) at the HFL July 4 Showdown.
* Axe Milanowski, a 2022 1B/C for Georgia Impact 04 Jeffreys/Townsend, had an awesome week both on defense and offense to help her team win the PGF Independence Day Invitational. At the plate she batted .520 (13-25)f or the tournament with a two-run bomb against the Clearwater Lady Bombers and is batting .528 (19-36) for the season.
Scroll down to see who else was honored as Runners-Up for the week & who took the National Club Team of the Week!
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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 on Tuesdays. The cutoff for submitting the nominations for Player & Team of the Week will be Mondays at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST.
Next week’s candidates will include play from Monday, June 15, 2019 through Sunday, June 21, 2020.
* 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 2021 or Incoming Senior)
- 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.
Email your info and photos (1-4 as available) by the cutoff of Mondays at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST to: info@extrainningsoftball.com.
