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Here’s our TLI for Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: BRAIESEY ROSA
Oregon-bound Braiesey Rosa, #23 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Firecrackers Brashear, getting stronger and more explosive, Alliance Nationals, Triple Crown Colorado Sparkler, Corona Angels-Tyson, Oregon, business, Marcus Mariota, Kanye West, “All American” and Hula dancer.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Braiesey Rosa
Hometown: Waianae, HI
High School: Waianae High
Club Team: Firecrackers Brashear 18U
Graduation Year: 2023
Height: 5-foot-7
Position: C/UT
Nickname: B/B-Rabbs
Twitter: @braieseyxrosa
Honors: #23 in the 2023 Extra Elite 100 and #7 Catcher in Class of 2023.
Travel Ball Fall Stats: .300 AVG, 6 HRs and 15 Hits.
High School Stats: .400 AVG and 11 HRs.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? Being a softball player from Hawaii, we don’t get a lot of opportunities to play in front of college recruiters. I was fortunate enough to meet Coach Sean Brashear at a Zoom into June camp in California. He invited me to play with his 16U Firecracker Brashear/Smith team. Since then, I moved up to his Firecrackers Brashear 18U team, which I’m currently playing now and enjoying my time competing against some of the top players in the nation.
Do you have any suggestions for training methods or apps and why? Over the past few years, I spent a lot of time in the weight room getting stronger and more explosive. I’ve also been working on my catcher and throwdowns and just making sure that everything that I did was consistent. I also went to hitting cages and just worked on my fundamentals to perfect my ability to hit the ball. Being a D1 athlete, you have to make sure that your priorities are mobility and strength and being in the weight room, training on the softball field because it makes a big difference even when no one’s watching. Being humble is key and using your actions to speak for you on the field is what college coaches look for.
Can you tell us about your experience at Alliance Nationals this summer? My experience at Alliance Nationals was a game changer for me. It was a great experience to play in Indianapolis and challenge the best of the best and show my talent in front of college coaches, which was the most coaches I saw all at one tournament.
What was your favorite fall tournament/event and why? My favorite fall tournament would have to be the (Triple Crown) Colorado Sparkler tournament. I got to play in front of my dream college, and also that was when I finally got an offer from the University of Oregon.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? I would say the toughest team we played was the Corona Angels 18U-Tyson. They have great pitchers and they have disciplined hitters. They give great competition and doen’t let up easy.
Can you tell us why you decided to commit to Oregon? I decided to commit to the University of Oregon because it was one of (my) dream schools growing up as a kid. I used to watch every Oregon softball games when I was 10 years old. During my visit there, I fell in love with the campus, facilities and I loved the way the coaching staff cares for their players like their own. Oregon reminded me of Hawaii. Smalltown, caring people and everybody treats each other like family. There was nothing that I disliked about Oregon and I feel that Oregon will be a great fit for me for the next four years that I will be living there.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I am interested in furthering my education in business and planning on making my own brand and making clothes that people and athletes would wear on (a) daily basis.
Who is your sports hero and why? My sports hero is Marcus Mariota. Not only is he from Hawaii, but he also went to the University of Oregon and played football there. He is my sports hero because no matter how much fame he got, he always remembered where he came from and he always provided and gave back to the people and his community. Giving back and remembering where I come from is a big part for me and my family because Hawaii is a small island with talented athletes that don’t get enough recognition from people all around the world.
What’s the best hype song and why? My best hype song is “All of the Lights” by Kanye West because there’s a catchy beat and it’s one of my favorite songs I like to listen to before a game.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite TV show is “All American” because it’s based on an athlete coming out of the hardship of living in a smalltown to moving to a nicer place with richer people and it relates to me a lot.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I’m a Tahitian/Hula dancer since I was 4 years (old). I enjoy performing at events and parties and love to represent my Hawaiian culture.
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