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Here’s our TLI for Friday, Aug. 12, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: CAROLINE PATTERSON
C/OF Caroline Patterson, #30 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, helped Mojo 2023-Lunsford win the 16U Alliance Nationals title this summer and she recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Mojo 2023-Lunsford, stealing strikes, liners, Alliance Nationals, Alabama Sparks, engineering, Chipper Jones, Migos and backflips.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Caroline Patterson
Hometown: Macon, GA
High School: Tattnall Square Academy
Club Team: Mojo 2023-Lunsford
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-4
Position: C/OF
Nickname: Carol and Bear
Twitter: @CarolineEPatte1
Honors: MVP Alliance Nationals; two-time All-Region; and two-time All-State.
Travel Ball Highlights/Summer Stats: Winning the (PGF) Show Me the Money tournament and playing on Florida’s field was amazing! Getting two hits off of Jayden Heavener was a highlight because she’s the best. Alliance was my favorite though. I caught 65 innings and hit two HRs, five doubles and a triple. It can be hard to be good offensively when you are doing so much defensively. That’s why my team is so amazing, even when one of us might be struggling, the other teammates are there to pick up where we need It.
High School Highlights/Stats: We play high school in the fall, so last fall my stats were: 87 ABs, .437 AVG, .495 OBP, 1.403 OPS, .908 SLG, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 8 HRs, 34 RBI and 14 SBs. So far this season: I hit 3 HRs in our first game, was 3 for 3 with an intentional walk, then second game I was 2 for 3 with 2 HRs. I had 11 RBIs and scored six runs between the two games.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I actually played (against) Mike Lunsford and Jason Wade’s EC Bullets’ team when I lived in Mississippi and (was) playing 10U. They beat us so badly, but I told my mom after the game that I wanted to play for that team one day. When we moved to Georgia, we talked to coach Mike a few times, but it never worked out. I picked up with them a few times, like when we won the USA Championships. It finally worked out for me to play for Mojo Lunsford and between the coaching and my teammates, it’s been the best experience.
What do you bring to the team? I steal strikes for my pitchers. I like to see how much I can help my pitchers, it’s like a game inside the game. I love to run the bases too. I feel like a lot of teams don’t expect catchers to run and steal bases. It’s a great way for me to stretch my legs also.
What areas were you focusing on/trying to improve this summer? I was kind of trying to figure out what kind of hitter I want to be this summer. I found that I play best when I work to hit line drives and stay within myself.
Can you tell us about your experience at this past Alliance Nationals? I really enjoyed the format of the tournament. They made it really exciting by celebrating our team when we made the Elite Eight, signing the board when we got to the championships and then the championship game at Purdue was an amazing experience. The 7-inning games were a great part also, I like them much better than timed games.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? The Alabama Sparks game was really good. They had a pick-up pitcher from an Alabama Impact team that we faced at TCS Nationals and she is really a great pitcher. She bested us at TCS, so it felt good to get the win.
What are your goals for the future? I want to play D1 softball and get my degree in Engineering.
Who is your sports hero and why? Chipper Jones is my sports hero because he is my dad’s all-time favorite. I grew up watching him and listening to my dad explain the way he played.
What’s the best hype song and why? It changes all the time. “Pipe it Up” by Migos. “I don’t Get Tired” by Kevin Gates are my current favorites.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I can do a backflip and also figure skate pretty well.
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