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.
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Here’s our TLI for Thursday, Jan. 13:
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EXTRA SPOTLIGHT
Sheila Forbes is a varsity player in basketball and softball at Barron Collier High in Florida, a private lessons coach and, at #53 in the 2025 Extra Elite 100, is a major reason why Tampa Mustangs 14U-Viruet is expected to be one of the toughest teams in the country.
Name: Sheila Forbes
Hometown: Naples, FL
High School: Barron Collier High School
Club Team: Tampa Mustangs-Viruet 14U
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 5-foot-5
Position: CF/2B
Twitter: @Sheila_2025
Honors: #53 in the 2025 Extra Elite 100.
Travel Ball Highlights/Fall Stats:
Started the Tampa Mustangs-Viruet fall season with 11 straight hits. Overall, had a team-high .597 AVG and .644. Also, led the team with 26 runs and 44 hits.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them?
I started playing for Coach Willie Viruet in the fall of 2017 when they were Gold Coast Hurricanes 10U. My previous team had dissolved and I heard so much about him and his program. Since then we have had a core group of girls that have all stayed together and continue to be a part of his incredible program now under the Tampa Mustangs organization since the start of 2021.
What is your daily routine/training schedule in the winter?
I am doing a lot of conditioning and endurance training now as I’m playing varsity basketball for my high school. We are practicing on the court 5-6 times with 2-3 games on average each week. In addition to this, I am doing a throwing and lifting program by Austin Wasserman to get stronger. For hitting, I am staying sharp with some tee work and front toss a couple times a week, focusing on my fundamentals. As a bonus, my parents surprised me with the Oculus VR as a Christmas present, so I could use the program Win Reality and be able to face all sorts of speeds and spins by different pitchers.
Can you talk about your coaching/instructing in your off time?
During my time off, I am working one-on-one with my dad as he always teaches me new things and pushes me to reach my max potential. He helps me focus on my mechanics and perfect the finer details of my game. I am also seeing my hitting coach once a week, just to make sure I’m on the right track. Additionally, I am coaching myself by having the opportunity to teach young kids in my neighborhood.
What should we expect from your club team this summer?
My team has a super competitive and exciting summer schedule planned. We will start off our season in Florida, playing in the Show Me the Money Tournament after which, the rest of the time, we are traveling all over the country. These tournaments include the Thunderbolts Showcase, Colorado Sparkler, Atlanta Legacy, Triple Crown SE Nationals and the Alliance Championship in LA. We are all about playing the best to be the best and we will be ready.
What should we expect from your high school team this spring?
This will be my first high school season as I am a freshman, and I will be playing varsity according to Marty. It is going to be an honor to share the field with some of the girls I grew up playing Little League and All-Stars with for many years. Our starting pitcher is a sophomore and she is. in my opinion, one of the best in the state, so I am excited for that. We are a relatively young team, so I am looking forward to the season to begin.
Do you have a secret talent/skill?
My secret talent is being able to teach myself math. In middle school, I taught myself 7th grade math over the summer between 6th and 7th grade, using FL Virtual School. Then after completing Algebra 1 in 7th grade, I taught myself Geometry over the summer going into 8th grade, using the same platform. Because Algebra 1 was the farthest my middle school taught, I had to also teach myself Algebra 2 on FLVS while in school. I am now taking Pre-Calc with juniors and seniors.
What’s your most memorable softball story?
My most memorable softball story was when I played in the 9, 10, 11 Little League All-Stars Final in Tennessee. I was 9 years old and we were playing McLean, VA. It was the bottom of the last inning, the score was tied and no one was on base. My count was 0-0 and my dad/coach gave me the sneaky bunt sign, even though I hadn’t done it in a game yet. As the first pitch came, I squared at the very last minute and got the bunt down. I ran my hardest to first base where the first basemen made a throwing error, throwing the ball all the way into right field. I turned and ran all the way around to home. As I crossed home plate, all my teammates rushed towards me along with my dad who picked me up and carried me around with so much joy.
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