We continue our look at the most promising club teams across the nation for the 18U age division by spotlighting the teams #’s 51-80 of the Extra Elite Eighty. These are more talent-heavy squads we believe have the potential to be in the mix for national titles this summer!
Check out previous 18U rankings from earlier this week:
Teams were selected based on performances and results in events over the last year including last summer Nationals play, as well as expected strengths for this year including:
- last summer’s (2022) record at nationals & other top events,
- last fall’s performance in key tournaments,
- how each projects for the upcoming year with the talent returning,
- the addition of impactful new players.
Input was also acquired by the Extra Inning Softball staff watching teams and players in person as well as insights provided by club and college coaches across the country.
Important notes:
- We DO factor in the performance of team’s last summer because that is what everyone shoots for: to finish strong with a national title at the end of each club year!
- Additionally, we look at fall competition and early 2023 play while knowing that teams tinker with lineups and add and subtract players continually, but that this is an honor of recognization factoring in results in the past and expectations for the future.
- For example, hypothetically, if a team won a National Championship in 2022 but lost EVERY player, that will factor in and be weighted as well as teams that placed low last summer in Nationals but added talent and look strong moving forward into ’23.
- This is just a moment in time and, rest assured, teams in the Top 50 will drop and teams not in the Top 50 will enter in as the summer progresses!
- It’s a BALANCE of honoring the past and projecting the future, but it is FLUID and will change in time!
This is our first version for the year—we will update and revise during and after the 2023 summer travel ball season. Teams will have the opportunity to move higher towards the top based on play over the next six months!
To contribute any additional information, insights, modifications or content, email Carlos Arias @ los.extrainningsoftball@gmail.com.
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EXTRA ELITE EIGHTY 18U TEAMS RANKED #’s 51-80
More teams that have the talent and skills to win national titles….
