Also, on New Year’s Day 2023, we’ll list all 15 of the top stories of the year as well as run 15 more that were considered.
We’ve surveyed the softball community and talked internally as well to come up with what were the most impactful and relevant stories of the year pertaining to the world of fastpitch softball.
Where applicable, we are providing the text to the original articles and/or references when the story first happened.
To provide comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].
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Today’s Story of the Year: #13:
High School & Club Coaching Great Mark Campbell Remembered in Collegiate Classic Bearing His Name
Mark Campbell had great success at Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) High and with the OC Batbusters travel club program.
Too often in life, the great ones make an impact but over time their memory fades.
Thank goodness that wasn’t the case with longtime club and high school coach Mark Campbell.
The softball world was shocked when he died way too young in 2019 after making an impact as a winning coach, sure, but also as a father, husband and developer of people.
In 2022, Premier Girls Fastpitch honored Coach Campbell by launching the initial Mark Campbell Collegiate Classic that was held and featured top DI teams including two of the winningest teams in DI history: UCLA and Oklahoma.
Year 2 will be held from Thursday, February 9 to Sunday, February 12, 2023 and will again feature top programs from across the nation including Duke, Liberty, Loyola Marymount, Oklahoma, San Jose State, Stanford and Washington.
The 18 games will be held at Bill Barber Park in Irvine, Calif.
*** Click HERE to go to the event website and get more information.
The competition will be great, but most importantly, it’s a wonderful opportunity to remember the man who meant so much to softball, but especially to those he came in contact with and left indelible memories.
Here’s a wonderful video tribute to Coach Campbell and action from the 2022 Classic:
And here are two articles we did leading up to the inaugural event last year…
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Tournament Primer: Everything to Know About the 2022 Mark Campbell Collegiate Classic
Originally published February 11, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball
The When
February 11-13, Irvine, California
The What
This tournament makes its debut in 2022 and is named after former club and high school coach Mark Campbell, who passed away in 2019. Campbell was the co-owner of the OC Batbusters and a highly-successful coach prior to his passing three years ago, in 2019. The tournament field includes three California-based teams, as well as defending national champion Oklahoma and Mississippi State out of the SEC.
The Who
Oklahoma
UCLA
Mississippi State
Loyola Marymount
UC San Diego
A Blurb
Saturday’s Oklahoma vs. UCLA matchup is the only face-off between consensus top-4 teams in opening weekend. The Sooners enter the weekend 1-0 after beginning their season with a perfect game over UC Santa Barbara. UCLA begins the year with the same record after recording a no-hitter in their season opener against CSUN.
A Hidden Gem
Mississippi State pitcher Annie Willis — Willis is at the top of the pecking order in the circle for the Bulldogs this year, and her arm will be a valuable commodity for her club. The 2018 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year while at Troy, Willis owns a 2.35 ERA and 26 wins since she got to Starkville beginning with the 2020 season. Opposing batters hit just .169 against her during the shortened 2020 campaign and batted a respectable .246 against her last season.
A Breakout Star
UCLA pitcher Holly Azevedo — Azevedo’s no-no on Thursday night makes this one easy. She’s been the oft-forgotten member of the Bruin pitching staff for virtually her entire career, but is now in a position where Thursday’s impressive performance could be the start of something impressive for the finale of her career. The Bruins need a reliable second arm in the circle, and while Thursday night to open the season comes with a lot of qualifiers, her performance was impressive.
A Team to Watch
Oklahoma — It’s Oklahoma; need we say more? The Sooners slaughtered UC Santa Barbara in their season opener, and the Sooner offense was still clicking on all cylinders. It almost seemed like the squad simply didn’t miss a beat after last season’s national championship. Jocelyn Alo is also now just six home runs away from tying Lauren Chamberlain’s all-time NCAA record.
A Storyline
The matchup of Oklahoma vs. UCLA will dominate the conversation this weekend and after the game is played. Top-4 matchups don’t come around every day, and it’s a rare, early challenge for both teams.
Marquee Matchups
Mississippi State vs. Oklahoma, Friday, 2/11 @ 6:30 pm PT
Mississippi State vs. UCLA, Saturday, 2/12 @ 1:00 pm PT
UCLA vs. Oklahoma, Saturday, 2/12 @ 4:00 pm PT
Players to Watch
Mia Davidson, Mississippi State – Davidson’s career at HailState has been one of the best in program history – and she’s still going. The SEC Freshman of the Year in 2018, she earned All-American honors in 2019 and has been named an all-region player in each year of her career that the award was presented. For her career, she owns a .348 batting average with 69 home runs and 175 RBIs.
Morgan DeBord, Loyola Marymount – As a true freshman in 2021, DeBord led the squad with a .345 batting average and finished in the top three on the roster with 16 RBIs, eight stolen bases, and 19 runs scored.
Bobbi Aguirre, UC San Diego – Infielder Aguirre led the Tritons last season with a .371 batting average and finished second on the squad with three home runs. She scored fifteen runs, recorded 20 RBIs, and posted four stolen bases last season.
Kinzie Hansen, Oklahoma – Hansen led the Sooners with three hits on Thursday night in a .750 performance at the plate. She scored three runs, hit a home run and a pair of doubles, and scored that one run.
Megan Faraimo, UCLA – Faraimo will make her season debut this weekend in Irvine, and is a likely bet to get the ball against Oklahoma as well. She’s the unquestioned Bruin staff ace this year, and a lot of eyes will be on her in her first time in the circle since last season’s Super Regional round.
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Remembering Mark Campbell: the Club & High School Coach Honored in This Weekend’s Mark Campbell Collegiate Classic
Originally published February 10, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball
This weekend in Irvine, California, the inaugural Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational will take place and feature six games spread over Friday, Saturday and Sunday featuring Oklahoma, UCLA, Mississippi State, Loyola Maryount and UC San Diego.
All games for the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF)-produced event will be held on DeAnna Manning Stadium at Bill Barber Park and will be live-streamed on FloSoftball.com.
Click HEREto find game times and much more on the event.
We will have an Event Primer tomorrow before the games start but today we wanted to remember Coach Campbell, the namesake of the event, for the great leader he was, sure, but also for the great man he was and how he impacted so many.
If you’ve followed club and high school softball, especially on the West Coast, you knew of Mark and all he did for young softball players everywhere.
Mark won championships with the OC Batbusters and Victory USA at the club level and with Pacifica High in Garden Grove, California, but his lasting legacy will be the impact he had on those fortunate enough to have played for him or just simply been able to know him… including those of us at Extra Inning Softball.
Mark Campbell was one of the most influential club and high school coaches in the country, but you wouldn’t know it talking to him.
Coaching great Mark Campbell being interviewed during a PGF Nationals championship.
He was a down-to-earth coach who had a good sense of humor and was well-liked by everyone that I knew.
In March of 2019, the softball world was shocked when he was hospitalized and then suddenly passed away. Within hours, I had coaches, players and even parents calling me from all over the country expressing their sorrow and sharing “Mark” stories.
My lasting memory involving Mark will be a nice conversation I had with him literally minutes before the 2018 PGF 18U National Championship when he was helping Mike Stith coach the OC Batbusters.
Mark was as relaxed as he could be and we talked about everything except softball prior to the game that would be televised on the ESPN channels.
The coach was like that, he was a retired detective and could talk intelligently about just about everything so you’d sometimes forget how influential and successful he was in developing and coaching softball talent.
Dejah Mulipola in August of 2016 following her final appearance with the Batbusters.
Another time I went to Pacifica High and he wanted me to meet this young and always-smiling catcher with braces who would become a force for the Mariners and one Coach Stith would said would “someday play in the Olympics.”
Her name: Dejah Mulipola and she did make Team USA. Dejah was one of many players, especially catchers, who Mark would coach and develop and lead to great success on-and off-the softball field.
Campbell’s loss was felt by all those who knew him, but through his selfless work, his legacy will live on forever with all those who knew him.
Here are several Extra Inning Softball articles and tributes on Coach Campbell we published previously… note: these are published in reverse chronological order.
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UPDATED: Legendary OC Batbuster & Pacifica High Coach Mark Campbell Died Monday Morning
Originally published March 17, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Campbell won championships as a coach at the club and high school levels.
UPDATED Monday 6:10 am PST: We’re sad to report that Mark Campbell has passed away Monday morning… here’s the news from the OC Batbusters Facebook page:
We spoke to OC Batbusters organizational head Mike Stith Monday morning later after Coach Campbell’s passing as Stith was on his way to the hospital to be with the Campbell family.
Asked what his memory would be of Mark Campbell, he stated:
Mike Stith
“When you’re in our (softball) world, there’s not a lot of people you can fully trust. With Mark you could.
We’re very similar in that we don’t like being the center of attention and he was a hard ass, but that’s why our players did what they did.
We expected more of them and they of themselves and ultimately that’s who we are.”
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Originally posted Sunday evening, Monday, March 17, 2019
Breaking News: Legendary OC Batbuster & Pacifica High Coach Mark Campbell “Fighting For Life” After Surgery
One of the most successful and highly-regard coaches in the club and high school world, Mark Campbell–who has won championships coaching the OC Batbusters and Pacifica Mariners’ softball program—is in the hospital reportedly “fighting for this life” after undergoing surgery Sunday afternoon to stop internal bleeding.
The OC Batbusters put out a post on Facebook Sunday saying the following:
“Mark Campbell had a successful surgery to stop the internal bleeding. He must remain stabilized for 24 hours to deal with blood clots found in his lungs. He is fighting for his life and the family asks for your continuous prayers and positive thoughts.”
At 2:45 pm PST Sunday, the retired police officer known as a great developer of catchers in particular, had the surgery and the next day will determine the extent of his health issues.
Working with Mike Stith, who oversees the OC Batbuster organization and also the Sports Training Complex in Anaheim, California, Campbell has accomplished the following (per the STC website):
Head Coach Orange County Batbusters 14U, 2013 – Present.
PGF National Champions 2015
Team Mizuno 14U Head Coach 2013
PGF National Champions 2013
Head Coach Pacifica High School 2007-Present
C.I.F Division 1 Champions 2014.
Empire League Champions 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
Head Coach Victory USA 10’s 12’s 14’s 2000-2005.
ASA National Champions 2001, 2003, 2005
Head Coach Victory USA 2006-2011.
ASA National Champions 2007, 2009, 20011.
One notable softball figure who is a Pacifica alum and won a CIF title for the Mariners prior to Campbell being the head coach is Amanda Freed, who went on to win a national championship at UCLA and a Gold Medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Amanda commented upon hearing the news:
“Huge prayers for Mark Campbell and his family during this time. Mark has deeply impacted our softball community for many years not only coaching some of the most elite high school and travel ball athletes around but through his passion to prepare them for life post softball.
I hope he (and his family) know how much they are loved, appreciated, and thought of during this time.”
Below are some of the social media reports from the OC Batbusters organization and others in the club world offering thoughts and prayers.
On behalf of all of us at Extra Inning Softball, we wish the very best to Mark and his family and all those who he has made an impact on in the softball world…
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
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Please keep OC Batbuster Coach Mark Campbell in your prayers. Mark is battling for his life. As of 2:45pm pst he is in surgery. Please respect the family’s privacy. We will update you all when we know more.
Video: The Orange County Register Honors Coach Mark Campbell
Originally published March 18, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Campbell seen here coaching at Pacifica High in Garden Grove, California. Photo: Orange County Register.
The softball world, particularly the high school and club communities, is still in shock over the sudden passing of Mark Campbell, who had a long and well-respected career in the sport.
As we detailed earlier today, he not only won championships, but he touched, influenced and shaped a lot of lives in the sport.
The Orange County Register produced a brief video today mentioning his passing, and paying tribute to his successes… below is the clip.
We will continue to honor Campbell in the upcoming days and weeks…
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Video: A PGF Championship Tribute to Mark Campbell
Originally published March 24, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Campbell coached an OC Batbusters 14U team to a PGF national title and helped as assistant to Mike Stith’s 18U team which won a pair of 18U PGF titles. Photos courtesy of PGF.
Funeral services were held today in Cypress, California for Mark Campbell, the highly-successful and much loved fastpitch high school and travel ball coach who died unexpectedly last Monday morning.
Coach Campbell led his OC Batbusters 14U team to the 2015 PGF National Championship and also won a CIF Div. I title coaching the Pacifica (Garden Grove, California) High Mariners in 2014.
Mark won many other titles, tournaments and other events on the field, but where he will have a lasting impact is the lives he touched.
Gary Haning, who headed the OC Batbuster organization for over three decades, put it perfectly in his Facebook post shortly after Coach Campbell’s passing:
I was fortunate to know Mark and whenever I asked his opinion he was kind, funny, patient and honest about the strengths and weaknesses of his team and players.
Mark Campbell interviewed during PGF Nationals.
I will always remember talking to him last July 28, just about 30 minutes before the Batbusters 18U team would go out and play in the PGF National Championship game against Georgia Impact-Lewis, who would win 6-4.
Before the game, waiting to enter the stadium in Bill Parker Park in Irvine, California, I spoke with Mark for about 10 minutes and was relaxed and funny, the always witty guy who was blunt, but likeable and insightful, but easy to talk to.
He was a great developer of players and people and the responses to his passing have shown that. I’ve talked to former players and many have said the same thing: “we feel like we’ve lost a father figure.”
His brother, Craig Campbell, started a Mark Campbell Memorial GoFundMe account On March 20 and with a goal of $30,000 it was just $630 short in three short days. That’s indicative of how loved Mark was not just in the softball community but by everyone who knew him.
Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) release a wonderful video compilation this weekend of some of the coach’s on-air footage during PGF Nationals the last couple years. You’ll get a sense of who he was in these clips as announcers Darren Sutton and Amanda Freed interview Mark.
As it says in the closing slide, “Your contribution to the game will live on forever….” We would add: “The impact you’ve had in the lives of thousands will live on forever too.”
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Video: Jersey Presentation to Mark Campbell’s Family at Quest for the Best
Originally published June 19, 2019 on Extra Inning Softball
The family of Mark Campbell was presented a jersey created in his honor. The presentation took place last Saturday night during the Quest for the Best Invitational.
One of the highlights of this past weekend in club ball took place on the softball field, but it had nothing to do with runs, pitches or at-bats.
The finale for Saturday’s night’s festivities at the Quest for the Best Fastpitch Invitational, held at Cal State Fullerton and featuring 10 of the top 18U teams in the nation, was the presentation of a jersey created by 4 the Heroes, Play with Honor and Blackstar athletics to the family of the late travel ball legend, Mark Campbell.
Campbell passed away suddenly on March 18, 2019 and left a legacy of championship teams in the OC Batbuster organization, but more importantly a long-lasting positive impact on thousands of young athletes.
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