TN Mojo 2027-Kilgore OF/2B/UT Harper Bales, a 2027 Extra Elite 100 candidate, is spending the weekend challenging her skills against some of the best players in the nation as an invitee to the USSSA Select 30 National Training Camp, which takes place Friday-Monday, Jan. 14-17, in Viera, Florida.
Bales, an SEFL (Southeastern Fastpitch League) Player of the Month selection for October, recently joined the Extra Inning Softball crew of bloggers and will be writing about her experiences at the Select 30 camp.
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Day 1 Select 30 Training Camp –– USSSA Space Coast Complex
And so it begins!! #S30 @USSSAFastpitch @09Mojo @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/gVT484oH9j
— Harp Bales 2027 (@bales_harper) January 14, 2022
Registration didn’t start until 5 p.m. on Friday for the 2027 Class. Once registered, a couple of my Mojo teammates and I went to “The Battle of the Bats” where you could try all the newest bats and even possibly win one. The pitching machines were a little slow, but my teammates Addison Holcomb and Brenna Edwards each were able to get one over the fence. I couldn’t get my timing down to the slow speed of the machine.
If you were lucky or have some massive skills that you could hit the ball into a trash can placed in the outfield, you walked away with a new bat. When it was our time to take the field, all the girls were evaluated on speed, overhand throwing and exit speed velocity. We didn’t get our scores today, but [I am] anxious to see how I compare to the ladies in my class.
Opening Ceremonies were AWESOME! Lauren Chamberlain gave a speech about a “Winning Culture” and what that means. We did an exercise with our S30 teams: to collaborate with each other and come up with one word to define a winning culture. All the teams did great job using words like: Perseverance, Attitude, Team, Heart and Confidence, but my favorite was “Grit.” That’s one word I have used to describe my Mojo team several times. At the end of the day, grit is what wins you championships!
Hit it hard out the gates. These athletes haven’t missed a beat! 👊💥#PlayUSSSA #S30 pic.twitter.com/G6nSutmgB9
— USSSA Fastpitch (@USSSAFastpitch) January 15, 2022
The night ended around 9:45 p.m. with a Firework show. We start back early in the morning at 8 a.m. with speed and agility, then games begin at 2:45 p.m. Excited to meet and learn from my coach for the camp, Penny Foore, assistant coach for the USSSA Pride.
— #15 Harper Bales
