Louisville Slugger Hit Club: Invite #3… Kelli Godin

The fourth year of the Louisville Slugger Hit Club will take place in Orange County, California from Saturday, July 28-30, 2018 and will once again produce outstanding college hitters who earn all types of honors.

Past Hit Club participants have included such current college standouts as WCWS MVP Shay Knighten (Oklahoma), National Player of the Year finalist Amanda Lorenz (Florida) and 1^st Team NFCA All-American Aubrey Leach (Tennessee) from the Class of 2015 to recently named NFCA 1^st Team All-Americans such as Nicole “Sis” Bates (Washington) and Aaliyah Jordan (UCLA) from the 2016 Hit Club to last year’s group which included National Freshman of the Year Jocelyn Alo (Oklahoma) and 1^st Team All-SEC and Conference Freshman of the Year Mia Davidson (Mississippi State).

Louisville Slugger and Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) have partnered to give 10 elite players in the Class of 2018 the chance to spend three fun and education-filled days that will include:

• spending time at Disneyland
• watching a home game at the Los Angeles Angels’ stadium in Anaheim
• participating in a rope course
• competing to see who ranks as the most impressive hitters and earns the MVP award

Extra Inning Softball is the exclusive media partner for the Louisville Slugger and in the weeks leading up to the three-day event will unveil this year’s class.

So far the standouts announced have included…

• Invite #1: Kassidy Krupit (IF/PF, Baylor)
• Invite #2: Brittany Allen (1B, Florida)

… and we’re happy to reveal today that Kelli Godin, the UCLA-bound speedster is the third publicly announced confirmed player who will attend!

Here’s a closer look at 2018 Louisville Slugger Hit Club Invite #3…

NAME: KELLI GODIN
Hometown: Seal Beach
Positions: IF/OF
Club Team: So Cal Athletics – Richardson
High School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California)
GPA: 3.6
College: UCLA
When Committed: August 2015
Height: 5-foot-6
Other sports: Track
Senior Stats: Batted .538 with 28 runs scored in 28 games.
Top Honors: 1st Team Extra Inning Softball High School All-American; PGF All-American; MaxPreps All-American; Extra Elite 100 (Class of 2018); Orange County Register 2018 Softball & Athlete of the Year; Trinity League MVP.
Preferred College Major: Psychology
Scouting Report: One of, if not the, fastest softball players in the country, Kelli has gone to state in track and this year wont the Orange County Track and Field Championships in the 100 and 200 meters and led the 400-meter relay team a win. She also placed 4th in the long jump. She is very disruptive to a defense as she can put the ball down in the dirt and beat out almost every throw. She’s clutch against top pitching and last year at PGF 18U Nationals batted .520 with 11 runs scored and seven steals.
Coach’s Comments: “Kelli is very athletic and one of the fastest players in the country. She can play any position on the softball field and will be a great strength to our lineup offensively and defensively.” – Kelly Inouye-Perez, UCLA Head Coach

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What’s your approach to hitting that you believe has made you successful?
My approach is mainly to utilize my speed by hitting the ball on the ground.

What’s been your highlight of your career and why?
Winning CIF my sophomore year!

What did you know about the Louisville Slugger Hit Club before being invited?
Primarily that top hitters got invited to it.

What’s been the #1 thing in your mind that’s helped you develop as a good hitter?
Just knowing how to use my speed and trying not to do too much when I’m up at bat.

What goes through your mind as you step into the batter’s box?
As I step into the box, I read the defense and then visualize what I am going to do (bunt or slap).

Other than the obvious, getting on base, what would you qualify as a successful at-bat?
Moving the runner over or getting an RBI.

Where will you be playing this summer?
We’re in Colorado this week for Boulder IDT and then go to Georgia for the Triple Crown Nationals and then Huntington Beach for PGF Nationals.

Who’s a player, past or present, you look up to and why?
As a slapper I look up to Allexis (Chip) Bennett and my future teammate at UCLA, Bri Perez. They are so good at what they do and I am hoping to make an impact at UCLA just like them.

When did you first realize you had the ability to play at the next level?
Probably when I started high school and colleges started to become interested in me.

What is it you love about softball if you were explaining your passion for the sport to someone not familiar with it?
The thing I love most about softball is the memories and friendships you make along the way.