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 info@extrainningsoftball.com and also los.extrainningsoftball@gmail.com.
Here’s our TLI for Tuesday, Feb. 15:
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18U CLUB RANKINGS NOTES
Extra inning Softball came out with the Extra Elite Eighty 18U Club Rankings last week, but there are so many top teams and players across the country that it was impossible to talk about all of them.
Here are some of the top 18U players/teams to check out this summer:
***Fury 2022 Premier-Moyer/Perry was considered for the Extra Elite Eighty 18U Club Rankings. They have an invite to PGF 18U Premier Nationals and their featured player is Florida State-bound P Madi Balk, #38 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100 who has been clocked in the 66 mph range.
***Alabama State-bound OF Jasmine Rogers, #151 in the Class of 2022 and the #82 Outfielder, is a big bat with very good defensive skills in the outfield for Mississippi Thunderbolts 18U-Groves.
***Breakers Labs 18U-Mejia played in the PGF 18U Platinum Nationals last year and will be fighting for a spot in the Nationals this summer. UA Pine-Bluff-bound Presley Limbaugh is a power hitter for the Breakers to watch.
***Kansas-bound Prelsey Limbaugh, #33 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, is someone to keep an eye on for Impact Gold National 18U-Rodriguez. She bats leadoff for Impact Gold, can slap, hit and she has a cannon for an arm.
***Gametime Premier 18U-Self, which has seven state champions on its team. 2022 RHP Taryn Batterton helped Latta High in Oklahoma win a OSSAA Class 2A state title in 2020 and reach the state semifinals in the fall. She signed with Grand Canyon and she will help Gametime at AFCS 2.
***Azea Lightbody, whose older sister Ilencia lightbody is a freshman UT at Morehead State, is a junior at Timberland High in Missouri and starter for Louisville Lady Sluggers 18U-Lightbody. Lightbody is fast (2.7 home-to-first speed), great softball IQ, smooth fieldings skills and a strong bat. BTW, Kyle Lightbody’s Lady Sluggers collected 365 socks for the homeless last year for a community service project.
***Illinois Thunderbolts 18U, which is coached by LeMire Schmeglar, is a team that could surprise some teams at PGF Nationals this summer. The Bolts have Creighton-bound RHP Sophia Schmeglar, who has a dominant arm with a lot of spin, placement and speed and averages 10.3 strikeouts per outing.
Our fifth signee, Sophia Schmeglar! pic.twitter.com/kQtdhehmQE
— Creighton Softball (@BluejaySoftball) November 15, 2021
***Originals 22/23 earned a PGF 18U Platinum Nationals bid, but they plan on attending the Triple Crown East Coast Summer Nationals this summer. The Originals pitching staff features Park University-bound RHP Antonia “Nia” Muniz, who has competed against some of the best in the county and recently beat Oklahoma Athletics National 18U-Madden in ITB.
***Carolina Elite SC 18U-Genovese, which will be at PGF 18U Premier Nationals this summer, always has a chance to post a big victory with Tennessee-bound RHP/OF Karlyn Pickens, #5 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, in the circle.
Pickens, a 6-foot-1 senior at North Bucombe High, was the North Carolina Gatorade State Player of the Year last season.
***San Jose Sting 18U-Gold-Gron could be dangerous at AFCS this summer. A big reason is Dartmouth-bound Jackie Solomon, who hit .491 with 10 doubles, six home runs, 25 runs and 29 RBIs as a junior for Cupertino High in NorCal.
***Central Cal-based Firecrackers 18U-Wallace is deciding whether to go after PGF Nationals or Alliance Nationals this summer.
One of their team leaders is Cal State Fullerton-bound RHP Lilly Garcia, a top power hitter, pitcher and silver medalist at the WSBC for the Mexico’s Junior National Team.
***EC Bullets 18U-Glenn is a first-year 18U team after winning the Tier 2 Alliance 16U national title last year. They are currently working on an AFCS 2 berth. Campbell-bound 1B/3B Madi Gillespie is one of the top players for the Bullets.
She’s solid both offensively and defensively and has a high batting average and OBP.
***Georgia Impact-Caymol earned a PGF 18U Platinum Nationals berth last summer and continues to work for a PGF 18U Premier Nationals berth. Tennessee Tech-committed RHP/UT Lexi Shelby is a riseball pitcher that averages 9.0 strikeouts per game.
***Walters State-bound OF Kailey Dixon, a lefty with speed in the outfield and 3-tool player on offense, made the SEFL All-Tournament team for Louisville Lady Sluggers 18U-Woolums at the SEFL Fall Championships last month. The Lady Sluggers placed fifth at the Tier 2 Alliance 18U Nationals last summer. They are trying to lock up a Tier 1 berth at AFCS 2 this summer.
***St Louis Chaos 18U-Alvarado is still working on a AFCS 2 berth. Missouri-committed 2023 OF Danielle Blackstun is an elite speedster that’s very good defensively in center field for the Chaos.
***Ohana Tigers 18U-Holloway/Contreras has been to PGF Premier Nationals the past three seasons and is still trying for a PGF 18U Premier Nationals berth. One of their top players is Embry Riddle-bound LHP/OF Claire Streeter, a lefty with an excellent curveball/screwball combination that hits 62 mph.
@CoachBadilla @CoachDowns42 🦅 pic.twitter.com/bMwDzq8ndG
— Claire 🌪 (@ClaireS2022) December 8, 2021
***South Jersey Mystics 18U-Jackson is currently #27 in the Alliance and still trying to earn a berth to AFCS 2. East Stroudsburg-bound C/IF/OF LauraRose “Sparky” Morelock is a great receiver behind the plate and the Mystics’ leadoff hitter.
***AZ Hotshots 18U-Delsante is still trying to qualify for PGF or Alliance Nationals. Central Arizona College-bound 3B/1B Marissa Peraza, a power-hitting corner with gap-to-gap power, is one of the Hotshots top newcomers.
She hit .500 with eight doubles, six homers, 22 runs and 26 RBIs as a junior for Fairfax High in Arizona.
***Washington Angels 18U Gold took third at the PGF 18U Platinum Nationals last season and they are qualified for PGF 18U Platinum Nationals this summer.
One of the Angels’ top players is UT Tyler-bound C Taryn Barney, who hit .561 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in the fall.
***Colorado Styxx 18U Gold qualified for the Alliance Nationals last season and is still trying to qualify for AFCS 2 this summer. The Styxx are led by Texas A&M-bound Natalia Puchino, a power pitcher with command and presence in the circle.
Puchino went 14-9 with a 1.29 ERA and 300 Ks in 157 innings and sher batted .603 with 10 doubles, four home runs, 33 runs and 35 RBIs for Severence High in the fall.
***Centex Buzz 18U Gold plays a lot fo the top teams in Texas and one of their top players is RHP Anistyn Foster, #83 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, is a true staff ace with big-time command on the mound and she’s receiving Power 5 attention.
She’s a sophomore at Bullard High in Texas.
***A player to watch in the Northeast is Frozen Ropes Hershey 18U-Albrano 2024 P Lilly Albarano, a USSSA Select 3 invitee.
Albarano is the #81 pitcher in the Class of 2024. She had 126 Ks, a 1.01 ERA and was named All-Conference as a freshman for Lowr Dauphin High in Pennsylvania.
***Clint Watson‘s team qualified for PGF 18U Premier Nationals last season and his Lady Dukes’s squad should receive a PGF 18U Platinum Nationals bid this year.
One of their top players is San Jose State-bound Jordy Johnson, who has been described by Watson as a “power outfielder,” a power hitter that can run down anything in the outfield.
***Louisiana Bombers 18U-Johnson was the runner-up at Tier 2 Alliance 18U Nationals last season and they qualified for AFCS 2 this summer.
Lousiana-Lafayette bound 3B/C Lauren Allred, #110 in the Class of 2022, is a physical player that brings power to the plate from the left side, plays elite level corner infield and she shuts down he run game behind the plate.
***Al Firecrackers 18U-Matthews play in a number of top showcases and tournaments. 2023 OF Destiny Sims, who has 2.7 home-to-first speed, batted .400 with five home runs, 32 SBs and 29 RBIs as a sophomore for Sparkman High in Alabama is a player to watch for the Firecrackers.
— Carlos Arias, Extra Inning Softball (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff)
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