Arionna McElroy is a talented 2024 catcher who plays for the Texas Bombers National 18U team coached by Wade Womack, the new coach for the outstanding travel ball team. Though he was only able to be with his prized junior for a few weeks in the Fall season, he nonetheless came away impressed.
“Arionna has a big-time bat and arm,” he begins. “She’s a leader with a great attitude and she runs really well.”
That last part–“she runs really well”–touches on the great all-around athleticism of Arionna, who has done everything from throwing a football 60 years in Powder Puff football to being an All-Conference sprinter in the 100-meter relay and setting a long jump record of 16-feet as a freshman.
Last year, as a sophomore at Mustang (Okla.) High, she finished 7th in State in the discus with a personal record of 122.02 feet… and that was just her first year in that particular event!
Extra Inning Softball has known about Arionna in softball going back to 2020 when she impressed at tourneys in her home state of Oklahoma. She’s been hitting out-of-the park home runs since she was 12 years old and remembers:
“I didn’t even know it until I rounded second to see my coach so happy and my team loudly celebrating at home plate!”
Jump to today and she has smacked a few more with a total of 41 home runs between travel and school ball.
“My favorite memory,” she muses, “and will always be the best part of softball for me is hitting a home run when we really need it, then coming to home plate and everyone just cheering you on… that will always be in my list of favorite memories.”
A year ago at this time, Arionna made the move to join the Bombers org and the strong 16U team which then coached by John Carpenter and she attributes that switch as the key decision that allowed her to elevate her game to play D1 softball for the Cowgirls of McNeese State in the Southland Conference.
Coach Carpenter, affectionally referred to by his players as “Carp,” says he saw the potential that Arionna possessed early on.
“Arionna is a rare combination of unlimited potential and undeniable talent,” Coach Carpenter begins. “She possesses the ‘IT’ factor on and off the field and is a leader in the truest sense of the word and she leads by her actions!”
“Arionna is big and strong with amazing power coupled with a high softball IQ. What an addition she will be to the strong growth we are seeing at McNeese under superb leadership!”
Last Fall, she visited the McNeese State campus and instantly fell in love with the school and the folks in the softball department.
“When I toured the whole campus and met the people who worked or went to the school, it just felt like home,” Arionna recalls.
“Everyone was sweet and wholehearted, plus they have nice facilities, and I knew I’d love this place and I could stay there for my four years or more.”
Here, in Arionna’s words, is how she grew in the game of softball and why she committed to the Cowgirls after “all the coaches told me they felt as if I would be a great fit for their program overall with my character and hustle.”
“I started playing softball when I was 7 and I knew I wanted to play softball at a college one day.”
“I grew up in Oklahoma and have played softball here my whole life, but I knew I needed to be challenged. My mom and I started looking for a organization with more opportunity to compete and train with players who really wanted the same as me or more.”
“That’s what happened last Summer (2022) after Coach Carp selected me to play for him on the Texas Bombers 16U Gold team.”
“Coach Carp and the Bombers team made me better as a player and person and my hunger and drive to compete grew even stronger than I ever thought it could.”
“I know if it wasn’t for the opportunity to travel with the Bombers and the relationship I had with Coach Carp I may not have found my home at McNeese. I committed back in October and the more I talk with my future coaches, the more excited I get about moving to Lake Charles get my education and play softball for such a respected program!”
… and below is the feature originally published July 18, 2022 as part of The Last Inning series produced by Carlos Arias
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The Last Inning (July 18, 2022): Spotlight on 2024 Slugger Arionna McElroy Plus More News And Commits
Get on board with 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.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at info@extrainningsoftball.com and also los.extrainningsoftball@gmail.com.
Here’s our TLI for Monday, July 18, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: ARIONNA MCELROY
2024 C/UT Arionna McElroy recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Texas Bombers 16U Gold-Carpenter, Mustang High in Oklahoma, hitting and versatility, decision making, living in the moment, the Alliance Nationals, what she’s looking for in a future college, Lynnsie Elam, powderpuff football and state tournament dingers.
EXTRA SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Arionna McElroy
Hometown: Mustang, OK
High School: Mustang High
Club Team: Texas Bombers 16U Gold-Carpenter
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-6
Position: C/UT
Nickname: Onna Mac
Twitter: @McElroy_Onna
Honors: 3.95 GPA; Superintendent and Principal Honor Rolls; and Awards in Science, Math and Reading.
Travel Ball Fall Stats: .977 fielding percentage, 75.0 caught-stealing percentage, CS% 75.00, .469 AVG, .564 OBP .564, 2.167 OPS 2.167, 1.094 SLG, 3 HRs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 16 RBIs and 8 SBs.
High School Highlights: Softball — varsity Starting LF/Catcher (2021); Regional Champs (2021); state semifinalist (2021); 1st Team All-District (2021); 2nd Team All-Conference (2021); Track & Field — second at Regionals (2022); state qualifier (2022); seventh place at state with PR 122.02 (first year discus, 2022); All-Conference sprinter 100m relay (2021); long jump record 16 feet (2021); and 200m, 400m relay (2021).
High School Stats: .971 fielding percentage, .431 AVG, .494 OBP, 1.355 OPS, .861 SLG, 5 HRs, 6 doubles, 5 triples and 15 SBs.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I joined the Texas Bombers over the winter/spring. I felt like I needed to be pushed more and this was going to be a big move for me after leaving the Athletics for so long. I really wanted a team to get me where I wanted to go for college ball. So we started to call people and we eventually came across the Texas Bombers, and after talking for a bit, they became interested in wanting me on the team. Our team works so hard and the coaches care about us so much, especially with helping us get to the next level.
What do you bring to the team? What I bring to the team is mostly my hitting, but also the fact that I can play defense anywhere my coach wants me to and being very adaptable and coachable on the field.
What area are you focusing on/trying to improve this summer? I’m focusing this summer on my decision making and the overall complete process behind the game. Because I believe that the game is mostly mental.
What is something you have faced in your life that has helped you become the person that you are today? Right now, I am learning to live in the present moment. Giving my full attention to the activity I am doing — be it training, talking with people, playing, hanging with my friends, and not caring what others think about me, whether I am a success or a failure on or off the field. My family helps me with my goals, ambitions and help me overcome any obstacles in my way.
Can you tell us about the Alliance Nationals (July 24-31 in Kokomo, IN) and what you hope to accomplish at the event? I am extremely excited to go to Indy with my team. I don’t think I started this summer off with my best self, but I am hyped up now after growing closer to my team and us getting runner-up in Super Cup and TFL Championships and ready to win Alliance Nationals!
What are you looking for in a future university? I’m looking for a school that will feel like family. I know when I join a new environment it takes me time to get comfortable with the people around me, but I feel like the more comfortable I am the better I play.
Who is your sports hero and why? I don’t really have a sports hero. I look up to my older sister. But Lynnsie Elam is my catching coach and she pushes me to be my best all the time.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? It’s no secret really. I love to play powderpuff football and can throw the football 50-60 yards!
What’s your most memorable softball story? When I hit a home run during state to tie up the game. I wasn’t a varsity player my freshman year of high school, but sophomore year came around and I earned my 4-hole starting position, and when state came around I got up to my second at bat, and hit it out of left field and it was the best feeling ever.
