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Here’s our TLI for Monday, March 7:
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EXTRA ELITE PROFILE: CARSTEN SANDVIG
Arizon Thunderbolts 2023-Walding 2023 UT Carsten Sandvig recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about her softball journey, including her performance at the AZ Last Blast ’22, choosing Charleton Southern and recruiting tips for younger players…
EXTRA SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Carsten Sandvig
Hometown: Fountain Hills, AZ
High School: Saguaro High
Club Team: Arizona Thunderbolts 2023-Walding 16U
Graduation Year: 2023
Height: 5-foot-4
Position: UT
Twitter: @Carstensandvig
Honors: Select 50 Exos All-Showcase MVP and All Showcase Throwing.
Travel Ball Fall Stats: Batted .510, .567 OBP, 1.542 OPS, 8 HRs, 33 RBIs, 22 SBs and 50 runs.
High School Highlights: Freshman season got cut short due to COVID and I did not play sophomore year due to transferring to a new school.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them?
I joined Chris Walding’s team straight out of rec ball about four years ago. I was very nervous about the transition from rec ball to club, especially since I would be jumping right into 14U. I went to the tryout with one of my closest friends and that is when I joined Chris’s team. That has proven to be one of the best decisions of my life. Throughout the years, I have been able to play in multiple competitive tournaments and grow as a player.
Being on the same travel ball team for many years has allowed me to create an extremely close bond with my teammates and my coaches. The Bolts’ environment is very welcoming and challenging, we all push ourselves to play at our highest level and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences. I am so thankful to have been able to play with such an amazing coach and organization, which wants to push me to be my absolute best.
Can you talk about your experience at AZ Last Blast ’22?
My experience at AZ Last Blast ’22 was definitely one for the memory books. Very first pitch of our first game on Friday I hit a home run over the left field fence. It was the best way I have ever started a game, let alone a whole tournament. That game I went on to hit another home run and a double. As the tournament went on, the teams became more challenging and the games more exciting.
By the end of the first day, I had three home runs! One of my favorite parts of this tournament was being able to play a variety of teams, including a team from Canada. Each game was full of competitiveness from both sides. I am very proud of how my team played in this tournament and it was the best way to end before school ball started.
Can you talk about why you chose Charleston Southern?
Ever since I started playing club and thinking about competing at the next level, I knew I wanted to go to school in South Carolina. While looking into colleges I looked for location, size of the school, academic programs, religious aspects, and the size of the roster. When I went on my unofficial visit to Charleston Southern, I knew it was the school for me. They have an excellent health program that will help me get into nursing school in the future. I also loved that the school had a small-town feel and is in close proximity to the beach. I felt very comfortable in the area and I had a good connection with Coach Christi Musser. She was very straight forward about her program, expectations and how she sees me fitting into a role on her team. Another bonus about Charleston Southern was that I already knew some of the girls on the team and it made me very comfortable knowing that even though I would be moving across the country, I would still have some family I could rely on.
Do you have any recruiting tips for younger players?
I have a few tips for younger players in the recruiting process. First and foremost, is to take a deep breath and realize everyone has a different timeline when it comes to recruiting. Do not rush to become committed. You want to find the right school that has the environment you want to grow in. One of the best things you can do to start getting recognized by colleges is sending out emails that include your schedule, team name and number, times of your games and also your own and your coach’s contact information.
Another big tool for recruiting is being extremely active on Twitter. Post highlights of your games or practices and tag the schools you are interested in.
My last piece of advice is when it comes down to deciding where you want to commit, is to take softball completely out of the picture and ask yourself, “Would I still go here if I wasn’t an athlete?” This will really help you decide if that school is the right fit for you.
What should we expect from your club team this summer?
You should expect to see my team competing on a national level and getting the exposure needed to reach our goal of finishing top 10 in every event we enter. This summer, we have a very intense travel schedule including PGF Qualifiers in Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, Zoom Into June, Top Gun Maverick in Kansas City, Missouri, July 4th Colorado Fireworks, TC Nationals and PGF Nationals.
Do you have a secret talent/skill?
My secret talent is that I am really good at tumbling. I can do multiple tricks, including a backflip and an aerial (which is a cartwheel with no hands).
What’s your most memorable softball story?
My most memorable softball story is from my first year playing rec ball when I was 8 years old. I had just joined a new team in Scottsdale, Miss Softball, and we were in the championship game of our spring season. I was in left field and the biggest hitter on the other team was up to bat. We had two outs and a runner on second base. My coach started yelling at me from the dugout to move three steps to my left.
On the next pitch the girl hit the ball right at me and I did not even have to move my glove to catch it. As soon as the ball hit my glove and the ump called her out my coach started running at me full speed. He got to me and threw me up into the air and gave me the biggest hug ever. I had never been so proud of myself because I was able to help my team and make my coaches proud. After the trophy ceremony we all went out to get Dairy Queen ice cream, and every year after that we would go and get ice cream after the championship game. Nothing will ever be able to beat that day and it has become my favorite memory of playing softball!
*** Scroll down to read more in today’s TLI including a no-hitter, a 2024 Extra Elite 100 pitcher on the move, a Stanford Cardinal commit and more…