RANKINGS
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ABOUT
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’ve earned all types of honors including Extra Inning Softball Elite 100 status as well as All-American recognition.
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 1st Team NFCA All-American Aubrey Leach (Tennessee) from the Class of 2015 to recently named NFCA 1st 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 1st 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)
- Invite #3: Kelli Godin (OF, UCLA)
- Invite #4: Skylar Wallace (IF, Alabama)
- Invite #5: Baylee Klingler (IF, Texas A&M)
- Invite #6: Rachel Cid (3B/MIF, Oregon)
- Invite #7: Skyler Shellmyer (SS/OF, Northwestern)
… and we’re happy to announce today that Ally Shipman the outstanding catcher following in the footsteps of her All-American sister Maddie Shipman to Tennessee, is the eighth publicly announced confirmed player who will attend!
Here’s a closer look at 2018 Louisville Slugger Hit Club Invite #8 of the 10 standouts who will make up the 2018 Class…
NAME: ALLY SHIPMAN
Hometown: Valencia, California
Position: Catcher
Club Team: So Cal Choppers
High School: Valencia (California) High School
GPA: 4.2
College: Tennessee
When Committed: 8th Grade
Height: 6-foot
Top Honors: Extra Inning Softball 2018 1st Team All-American – Catcher; Extra Elite 100 (top 5 ranking); 2018 PGF All-American; two-time Foothill League Player of the Year.
Key High School Stats: career: .474 batting average, 135 RBI, 40 home runs, .958 slugging percentage; as a senior batted .356 with 7 home runs, 5 triples, 34 walks, 25 RBI and a .528 on-base percentage; as a junior hit .615 with 15 home runs, 39 runs batted in and a .726 on-base percentage.
Other Universities Considered: Florida, LSU, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, UCLA, ASU, Missouri
Preferred College Major: Kinesiology
Scouting Report: Ally comes from a softball family as her father Bill has been a successful coach in the Chopper’s program and Madison was a star at Tennessee and then in the pros so she knows the game well, has excellent instincts, is fundamentally sound and is a great leader who combines advanced physical tools with a strong knowledge of the game. She’s also experienced playing at a high level as she’s played 18U for four years now.
*****
What’s your approach to hitting that you believe has made you successful?
I honestly just try to stay confident and relaxed. I actually sing a song to myself in the box to clear my mind.
What’s been your highlight of your career and why?
My sophomore year my team finished 3rd in PGF Nationals. We played five games in a row and it was honestly a blast.
What did you know about the Louisville Slugger Hit Club before being invited?
Two of my good friends (Editor: also played for the Choppers), Jessica Harper and Amanda Doyle, were both in the Hit Club.
What’s been the #1 thing in your mind that’s helped you develop as a good hitter?
Confidence! Believing in yourself and your abilities is key.
What goes through your mind as you step into the batter’s box?
I think about my plan before I step up to the plate. When I get up to the plate, it’s all about clearing my mind and singing my song.
Other than the obvious, getting on base, what would you qualify as a successful at-bat?
Executing my game plan.
Where did you play this summer?
I had tournaments in Colorado and Georgia and PGF in Huntington Beach next week.
Who’s a player, past or present, you look up to and why?
I look up to my sister, Madison Shipman. She was an amazing hitter and always had a fierce mentality on the field.
When did you first realize you had the ability to play at the next level?
I realized that I could play at the next level in 7th grade.
What is it you love about softball if you were explaining your passion for the sport to someone not familiar with it?
Softball is my escape. No matter what I have going on outside of softball, the game stays the same. Stepping out on the field is like a breath of fresh air from the rest of life.