RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning!
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at [email protected] and also [email protected].
Here’s our TLI for Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022:
*****
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: RYLEE MICHALAK
RHP Rylee Michalak, #40 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball aboiut Intensity Premier-KOD, the meaning of her name, what she brings to the team, making spins tighter, the PGF Nationals, Beverly Bandits Premier-Conroy, politics, Tom Brady, Lil Wayne, “The Circle” and juggling and baking.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Rylee Michalak
Hometown: Hamilton, NJ
High School: Notre Dame High
Club Team: Intensity 18U Premier-KOD
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-4
Position: RHP
Nickname: Ry, Skittle6
Twitter: @RyleeMichalak
Honors: PGF All-American finalist; All-Area; All-Conference; #40 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100; and Notre Dame High MVP (2022).
Travel Ball Summer Stats: 82.2 IP, 25 earned runs, 1.007 WHIP, 2.11 ERA, 90 Ks and .191 batting average against.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? After playing Intensity with my old team, Miss Suz (O’Donnell) and Coach Brit (O’Donnell) saw me pitch. I began going to pitching lessons with her and was able to form a close bond with her and Coach Kevin (O’Donnell) right away. I took lessons with her for the whole next season and came over to Intensity the fall of my freshman year. I played two years on Coach Brittany’s 16U National team and will be playing for Coach Kevin’s team this upcoming season. I am so happy I made the choice to come to Intensity, because I have made amazing friendships, have great mentors that I have had the chance to look up to and coaches, who truly care about the well being of every player.
Can you talk about the meaning of your name? My full name definitely shows my culture a lot. My first name is Irish and means courageous and valiant, and Michalak shows off my Polish roots. My parents actually heard the name “Rylee” on a TV show that my mom used to watch and they both fell in love with it and decided to make that my name!
What do you bring to the team? I am a player that will always be cheering my teammates on and picking everyone up when they’re down. Not only do I pack a huge punch on the mound, I am also filled with energy and will always be thanking my defense for having my back. I talk on every pitch and always have a smile on my face. I bring positivity, support and lots of love and passion to my team.
What areas are you focusing on/trying to improve this fall? This fall, I am focusing on making all of my spins tighter. I’ve gotten my movement more consistent, using my different pitches at any count. Now, I want to focus more on tunneling and getting my spin rate up. I also want to keep lowering my walks and emphasize getting ahead in the count, especially now that I’ll be playing against the best 18U teams in the country. I’m proud of how far I’ve come from my freshman year until now, and I can’t wait to keep growing.
Can you tell us about your experience at PGF Nationals this summer? I had a great time playing at PGF Nationals this past summer. I had the opportunity to pitch against some of the best 16U teams out there and had a blast with my girls on and off the field. This tournament brought so much emotion out of every girl and it was amazing to see each and every player fight to keep going, not for themselves or their stats, but for the team. We finished in the top 16 and I couldn’t have asked for much more. It was anyone’s game down until the last pitch and I’m so thankful for the friendships, lessons and memories that came out of PGF and this season all around.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? I believe that Beverly Bandits (Premier)-Conroy was our toughest opponent. They found a way to make things happen and I really loved getting to face such a competitive group. They didn’t rely on big hits to score and they made every at bat serve a purpose. It really pushed me as a pitcher when I went in the game to pitch against them.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I’m interested in politics and broadcasting. I’ve had a love for politics since I was in 5th grade and have never had a problem with public speaking or talking to crowds. I find politics entertaining and really like discussing different aspects of it. I think that in the future I could do a good job as a political commentator and maybe even run for office one day.
Who is your sports hero and why? My sports hero is Tom Brady. You can see how much love he has for the sport whenever he steps on the field, whether it’s for a game or just for practice. He inspires me to never stop working hard when I set my eye on a goal and to always do everything with a purpose and with passion.
What’s the best hype song and why? Lil Wayne “Got Money” is my favorite hype song because it always gets me going and gets me ready to attack. It’s on all of my pregame or workout playlists because it makes me go all out on every pitch or rep.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite TV show to binge is probably “The Circle” on Netflix. Me and my parents binge it together whenever there’s a new season and it’s always something we have to look forward to. Even if it was a hectic week with practices or work and school, we try to set aside time to relax and watch at least an episode or two.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? My secret skills are that I can juggle and that I am surprisingly good at baking. My 6th grade English teacher taught my class to juggle on our breaks and now I use it as a way to loosen up before games or to work on hand-eye coordination. I also have always loved baking and am always up for a challenge when it comes to trying new things. I’ve gotten pretty good at it and love being able to just whip something up if I want something sweet.
Scroll down to see more highlights …