RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
As Extra Inning Softball gets ready to unveil our top-ranked club teams in the 14U age division next week, one team that is a near lock for the Elite 50 14U club team list is the Indiana Magic Gold team coach by Scott Bay.
With standout players from all over the Midwest—ranging from Illinois to Ohio to West Virginia to Michigan to Indiana—and fielding three Elite 100 standouts in the 2022 class, it’s no surprise that the program based in the Indianapolis area has beaten some of the top teams across the nation and has impressed in top tournaments like Colorado Sparkler where it finished 3rd out of 91 teams.
Last year, the team showed it has a fearsome offense as the Magic hit .371 collectively with 24 home runs and had an impressive on-base percentage of .428.
The team only got stronger by adding six new key players and, comprised primarily of 2022 grads, the colleges showing interest in the team’s talent include high-profile programs such as Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, Northwestern, Florida State and many others.
We caught up with Coach Bay this last week to learn more about his standout team and how things are shaping up for 2018… here’s a closer look.
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Talk about the Magic program and also your team and when both got their start…
The Indiana Magic Gold program started with Kim Clay in 2005; his daughter was a particularly exceptional softball player who played with Tennessee and finished her college career at Notre Dame. Our particular team started under me in 2015 as a 10U team. All three seasons the team has finished Top 10 in national tournaments.
Where are you based and from where do you draw your players?
The team started in 2015 and aside from one player then, all players came from the suburbs of Indianapolis. Once we started the Magic Legacy program (14U) we branched out a bit. This season, we have one player from West Virginia, one from Ohio, one from Illinois, one from Michigan and nine from Indiana. Of the 9 players from Indiana, five of those players are still from the same county in which it all started (Johnson County, Indiana). We have always been proud to compete nationally with such a tight demographic.
What was the purpose of creating the team initially and what is its emphasis on now?
In 2015 we started the team simply to compete at the highest level. We felt we had a unique group of about six young ladies, but had trouble finding the last couple high-level athletes to complete the team. We collectively decided to go with the Indiana Magic Gold brand and this plan worked brilliantly as we filled our roster that same week.
What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events?
Some of our notable successes over the last three years of play include the following:
2015 – 6th USFA World Series
2016 – 3rd USAES World Series
2016 – 1st USSSA Fall World Series
2017 – 3rd Triple Crown Sparkler
2017 – 9th USAES World Series
What do you feel makes the organization unique?
Our organization feels unique in the fact that we manage the entire organization as one big family. Our coaches and directors collaborate with each other and practice together often to mentor the younger players. We also feel it’s particularly important for our older athletes to develop their mentoring and leadership skills through the same exercise. The Indiana Magic Gold organization also prides ourselves with managing at the highest level of integrity. Players, parents, and coaches are encouraged to treat umpires, opposing teams, tournament staff, and college coaches with the utmost respect and consideration.
What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?
I played high school baseball in Indiana and college baseball in Illinois. I started coaching in the baseball world when I was only a freshman in college. I coached my nephews for several years and when my oldest daughter started playing softball, I coached her until she was around 14. I stepped back to coach my youngest daughter who was eight at the time. I have been with that group since and have about 20 years of coaching experience at this point.
How many teams are there in the organization overall?
There are 13 teams including seven in our development program (8U-12U) and six teams in our legacy program (13U-18U).
