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 Thursday, Jan. 7:
*****
EXTRA SPOTLIGHT
Syracuse-bound 3B/UT Lauren Vaughn, #82 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, talks about coming back from a torn labrum and rotator cuff and what she plans to do for Wheaton North High and Beverly Bandits Premier 18U-Holloway in the future.
EXTRA SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: LAUREN VAUGHN
Hometown: Wheaton, IL
Graduation Year: 2022
Position: 3B/UT
Twitter: @laurengvaughn
Club Team: Beverly Bandits Premier-Holloway 18U
School: Wheaton North High
Honors: Two-time All-Conference, All-Area, All-State, Defensive Player of the Year, #82 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, committed to Syracuse University since 8th grade and signed in November 2021.
Travel Ball Highlights:
Has played on multiple top-20 teams in the country, has been apart of the Bandits program since 2015 and has played on both Premier and DeMarini side of the organization
High School Highlights:
Starting third baseman since freshman year, broke stolen base record freshman year, All-Conference freshman and junior year, All-Area junior year along with All-State, over .400 batting average both seasons, averaging eight home runs a season and Defensive Player of the Year for junior year.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them?
I play for the Beverly Bandits under coach Rex Mack and Seth Holloway for the 18U Premier team run by Bill Conroy. I have played for the Beverly Bandits since I was 11 years old and I would not trade my years in the program for anything. Between coaches and players, I have been shaped not only into the athlete I am today, but also who I am. The Bandits organization is highly competitive and always expects the best, but it pushes you to get the most out of your hard work. I tried out for the 12U team for the Bandits just to see where I was at as a player and I was blessed that Steve Ball (who was going to be coaching the team) was running the tryout and saw something in me. Since then I have been a part of the program.
almost 3 months post-op from my SLAP tear surgery and i can finally feel the progress being made towards recovery. this made me think of the stigma athletes always have towards mental health and i want to say that athletes struggle too. it’s ok to not be ok, ask for help please. pic.twitter.com/XG4vVxOQll
— lauren vaughn (@laurengvaughn) December 30, 2021
Can you talk about your injury and what you did to rehab?
I have always had shoulder pain, but about six months prior to my surgery in October, my pain was increasing and becoming more frequent. I was at practice in the early fall and noticed my strength in throwing had decreased dramatically and it hurt to throw. I went to see a doctor who first thought I had severe shoulder tendonitis and sent me to physical therapy for four-six weeks. I then met my PT specialist, who told me about 10 minutes into my appointment that she thought I had tore my labrum and referred me to a well known surgeon, Dr. Pulluru. He then told me he believed I had torn my labrum as well and ordered an MRI where they found a full tear on my labrum and I was having surgery a couple weeks later. During surgery, they found I had also torn part of my rotator cuff, so they repaired that as well. The healing process was very difficult physically, mentally and emotionally. I had to put in a lot of work to my physical state, but my mental state struggled just as much. I am still currently recovering, but see a lot of progress in physical therapy and with talking to therapists about different situations I have had to face during this time.
What should people know about coming back from an injury?
What people should know about coming back from an injury is that it does not last forever even though it may feel like it is always going to be as bad as it is at that time. You need to put in as much effort as you want to get out of the healing process and you also need to make sure your mental state is just as healthy as your physical. It is OK to ask for help and take your time recovering. This is your life and your journey and before you can please anyone else around you, you need to take care of yourself and do the best you can do to make you happy.
What are some of your goals this season?
Some of my goals this season is to be hitting by high school season, so I can break some records held by my old high school teammate and current player at Wisconsin-Madison, Ellie Hubbard. I do not expect to be throwing until late spring, but that is a goal I have for myself. I also want to prepare for college at Syracuse University and give myself and my team the best opportunity possible to have a healthy squad.
What should we expect from your club team this summer?
My club team this summer should be dominant and run beautifully by the coaches we have. I expect us to go far in big tournaments and have a great time before college. I believe we will enjoy our last travel ball season and try our best to beat everyone on the field.
What should we expect from your high school team this spring?
My high school experience will definitely be interesting due to my injury, but also a loss of a key player, Ellie Hubbard. I do believe we will have a lot of fun and work hard under our new coach Allie Ravanesi, who has tons of experience and love for the game. I believe we will make the most with what we have, but have a good time doing it.
Do you have a secret talent/skill?
I believe a secret talent I have is that I am surprisingly pretty good at is writing. At least that is what I have been told. It for sure does come in handy and I am glad to be in a family where we have profound writers/teachers.
What’s your most memorable softball story?
My most memorable softball story is when I made the Beverly Bandits. I remember going there on a whim just to see where I stood up to local Midwest players. Hearing that I made the team changed my life and started a progress towards different achievements as the years went on.
*****
BAD WEATHER TRAINING TIPS
The ❄️ may have cancelled @VAGloryFP training w/ @SuzyWillemssen but made it to the gym & figured out how to get work done. 💪🏼 Can't wait for Wednesday's training! 🔥🥎 @VAGloryCS @ExtraInningSB @Los_Stuff @IHartFastpitch @StriveSoftball @CoastRecruits @BBOS_Nation @Danie1Scanlan pic.twitter.com/4UbKxwdQiN
— Ari Clark (@AriClark2025) January 4, 2022
Ari Clark, a 2025 C/3B/OF for Virginia Glory 16U National-Cross/Sternbeck and Bishop O’Connell High in Virginia, didn’t let a recent Snow Day stop her. Clark, who will be at USA Softball GOLD 16U Nationals July 23-31 in Oklahoma City, took her training indoors. She gave some bad weather training tips in a recent interview.
What are you trying to do? I was mainly trying to work on my cardio and overall strength. I need both endurance for long games and all-day tournaments and strength for hitting and catching.
Can you give us some workout tips for bad weather? The most important thing is being flexible and sometimes creative. I had good weather during my family vacation in Puerto Rico, but most fields were closed, so we practiced long toss at the beach.
At home, you can do lots of bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups (if you don’t have a bar you can use a sturdy table), jump squats, crunches, and planks. For cardio, you can do high knees, jump rope, jumping jacks, go up and down steps fast, or box jumps. You can also shovel snow which will make your parents very happy. Smiling face with open mouth and tightly-closed eyes.
For softball drills, you can use tennis balls for hand eye coordination and practice your hitting motion in the mirror.
Finally, you can do stretches anywhere around the house. You can search on the Internet for 5-10 minute yoga or stretch videos to make sure you hold the stretch long enough.
*****
*** Scroll down to check out News and Notes and more Signings & Commitments!