Verbal News: 2024 Extra Elite 100 Outfielder (& Extra Inning Softball Blogger) Carrie Green Commits to Southern Miss

We are always excited and happy when a player we’ve covered on Extra Inning Softball verbally commits to the continue playing at the collegiate level.

You can only imagine, then, how great it is for us to see players who’ve written or blogged for Extra Inning to get to take that path to the next level.

That happened this week when Carrie Green, a speedy outfielder from Georgia announced that she’s be playing for Southern Miss this week… she went public with it through social media including this Twitter post:

Very excited to announce I have committed to the University of Southern Mississippi! Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this journey! #SMTTT @SouthernMissSB @NataliePooleUSM @BigRockHawk @IzzyWerdann @Los_Stuff @ExtraInningSB @BTurner_75 @TGA_Turner @hittingcoachJ pic.twitter.com/Z9G3u5ifCl

— Carrie Green (@CarrieGreen2024) November 23, 2022

We had heard earlier in the month from Carrie, first on Nov. 1 and then on Nov. 16… here’s what she had to say as the big decision–which was made the on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022–went public.

Here’s what the talented junior wrote previously to us earlier this month:

* November 16: What an amazing couple of weeks.  My HS season came to an end Monday night at the County banquet.  I was so excited to be named Offensive Player of the Year for Gwinnett County.  We have some of the best talent in the state so I was truly excited and humbled.  I ended up batting .525 / .583 on base with 53 hits, 47 runs scored, 16 walks and 44 Stolen Bases.  In 101 at-bats I only struck out twice and was more proud of that as I spent the season focusing on swinging away.

Below you’ll see a spotlight done this past summer on Carrie as part of our The Last Inning series as well as one of the athlete’s blogs she wrote for Extra Inning last December.

Congrats to Carrie and all athletes like her who are living the dream to play the sport they love at the next level!

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball

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The Last Inning (July 20, 2022): Spotlighting Georgia Speedster Carrie Green Plus Triple Crown Southwest Nationals And More

Originally published July 20, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball

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 Wednesday, July 20, 2022:

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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: CARRIE GREEN

OF Carrie Green, #21 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Top Gun 16U National-BW, bringing a little chaos, diving for balls, living life and enjoying every moment, PGF Nationals, what she’s looking for in a future college, Haylie McCleney. having a photographic memory and playing Athletics Mercado…

EXTRA SPOTLIGHT Q&A

Name: Carrie Green
Hometown: Loganville, GA
High School: Grayson High
Club Team: Top Gun 16U National-BW
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-5
Position: Outfield
Nickname: Carrie Green
Twitter: @CarrieGreen2024
Honors: 2021: All-Region (2021); All-County (2021); August Player of the Month; Honorable Mention All-State; Scholar Athlete; and Beta Club member.

Travel Ball Highlights/Fall Stats: Played 18U and finished with a .458 AVG and .552 OBP.
High School Fall Stats: .449 AVG, 29 RBIs, 39 runs and 30 SBs.

Tell us about your experiences with Top Gun and how you became involved with them?

I recently joined Top Gun and I love it. They (Bob Turner and Brent Wilhelm) approached me about coming to play for them and after lengthy discussion with my parents, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. The environment and coaching are amazing. The coaches and girls will do anything to help and support you.

What do you bring to the team?
I am the only slapper on my team, so I bring speed and a little chaos with the defense not knowing how to play me.

What area are you focusing on/trying to improve this summer?
I am focusing on getting more comfortable diving for balls just out of my reach in the outfield.

What is something you have faced in your life that has helped you become the person that you are today?
My mom, Christine, had an unexpected surgery where her appendix had burst. She was in bad shape, but thank God she was okay. It made me realize that I need to live life and enjoy every moment I can.

Final tune up before I leave for our last tournament @PGFnetwork Nationals. Working on hips and separation! Cali here we come! @Los_Stuff @ExtraInningSB @TGF_16_National @TGA_Nat16u_BW @hittingcoachJ @topgunfastpitch pic.twitter.com/1at1Oa7inr

— Carrie Green (@CarrieGreen2024) July 20, 2022

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Inside Pitch: 2024 Extra Elite 100 Outfielder Carrie Green Reviews Her Busy Second Half of 2021 in Travel, High School Ball & Camps

Originally published Dec. 18, 2021

Carrie Green is a talented outfielder from Loganville, Georgia who plays for the Georgia Impact 2022 – Schroyer team and was honored in September as a Top 25 player in the 2024 Extra Elite 100 rankings.

Here’s what we said about her in her bio:

T-21—Carrie Green, OF, Georgia Impact
Carrie is a lefty slapper who can direct the ball with accuracy but has impressive pop to keep defenses on their toes. Defensively, she’s outstanding in the grass leading one club coach to say: “This kid is something special and will go Power 5 all day if she wants to. Carrie’s been playing up with an 04 team and 2022’s for the last two years and still manages to be one of the best outfielders I’ve ever seen in any age group.” For the Spring/Summer club seasons she hit .456 with an on-base percentage of .500 and scored 59 runs hitting leadoff. At PGF Nationals in bracket play she hit .500 in bracket play and .482 overall. Carrie plays at an efficient level, too, successfully stealing 90 percent of her attempts and rarely making a mistake on defense (98% fielding percentage). She’s starting for Grayson (Georgia) High this Fall for the second year in a row and at the club level with play 18U with her Impact team.

Carrie has blogged for Extra Inning Softball previously; for example, click on this link to read about how the early part of her Summer went:

Inside Pitch: “My Summer (Vacation) So Far”… 2024 Extra Elite 100 Outfielder Carrie Green Recaps Her Latest Camps & Tourneys

If you want to see the level of dedication it takes to play at the high-end levels of high school and travel ball softball, read Carrie’s latest blog below as she recaps how the second half of 2021.

Her busy softball-related schedule included the athlete going from club play to high school to attending college camps to off-season work to more camps!

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Transition from Travel to High School

July 26^th – August 1^st

Travel ball ended with PGF in California. My fourth trip there and I love it even more every time.  The weather, the people and, most definitely, the food!  For the first time my mom came with me and we got to visit some of my favorite places like Disneyland, Santa Monica, and Laguna Beach. We had so much fun together, I loved being her tour guide.  In pool play we went 2-2 and I finished batting .428.  For our first bracket game, we drew SoCal Athletics Marinakis and what a game it was!  Our pitcher (Anslie Pettit, 2023, Troy Commit) pitched a one-hit game, we backed her up defensively and offensively to win 4-0.  The next game we did not play up to our potential, losing 3-0 so we had to do it the hard way.  We won the next two games before losing our third game on Thursday to a very good Breakers team 8-7.  While it was a heartbreaking loss, more than anything, I was proud of our team for our fight and I would not want to win or lose with anyone else.  The memories we made will stay with me forever.  Back to Georgia we went.

 August – Mid-October   

Georgia is one of the few states that plays high school softball in the Fall.  We go straight from the spring/summer grind right into high school competition. While it is exhausting, I love getting the opportunity to play for and represent my school.  This year, I am getting to play different positions. Normally a left fielder, I started the season in right field and then was asked to play shortstop and second base.  I look back now and have to admit I am really proud of my growth in those positions.  I have a newfound respect for kids that play shortstop, it is not easy.  I did find my groove at 2^nd base and really enjoyed playing there.  High school ball is different in that you are playing or practicing with your team every day, with games 2-4 times a week and sometimes on the weekend.  I have school from 7:10 am to 2:10 pm, then it’s either practice or a game, homework in between or after practice and before a lesson or workout.  It’s a lot but I would not have it any other way.

This year we only returned three starters: myself, Nia McKnight (2024) and Emma Davis (2022, Georgia Southern commit).  We started out a bit rocky losing our first four games but turned it around finishing 2^nd in our region.  We learned to play as a team and for each other.  One of my favorite moments was hitting a walk-off home run to win 5 to 3. We were tied at 3 with two outs in the bottom of the 7^th. My teammate, Emma, hit a single to bring me up to bat. All I was thinking was to put the ball in play and make something happen.  I saw the inside change up approaching me I knew that was the pitch. I swung and knew instantly it was gone.  I was ecstatic as I rounded first base and saw the ball go over the fence.  The best feeling though was looking at home plate and seeing my teammates waiting for me.  To be able to come through for my team in that moment is a feeling I will never forget.

Click here to see Carrie’s walk-off home run:

October 13^th / October 20^th & 21st

We made it through the 1^st round of playoffs in two games winning 10-0 and 12-0.  We made it to the Sweet 16 against a good Mill Creek team.  We won the first game 6-5, lost the second one 2-1 and lost the “IF” game in a 10^th inning ITB 6-4.  While I am sad our season has ended, I am so proud of this team.  Losing 10 seniors, seven of them starters, was going to be hard.  We started out really roughly but pulled it together.  In the end, things didn’t go our way, but we left it all on the field.  I finished playoffs with a .471 batting average and five stolen bases.  For the season I was .449 with 29 RBIs, scored 39 runs and stole 30 bases.   I received 1^st Team All Region, Scholar Athlete Award, Gwinnett Diamond Club Player of the Month for August and 1^st Team All County as well as 2^nd Team All County for the Gwinnett Daily Post.  With a young team (only losing three positions) I cannot wait to see what we accomplish next year.

Camping

September 18^th

I attended the NC State Prospect camp and I loved it up there!  It is a beautiful campus and the coaches were great.  I learned about their “home run mindset” and how to apply it to my game as a slapper with speed and power.  Here is where I was timed at 2.6/2.7 contact to first base.  I have been working hard on my speed game and was excited to see it all come together.  During the off-season I hope to improve on that number.

October 17^th 

I attended Georgia States Prospect Camp. With a change on the coaching staff, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I can now say they were awesome!  They have created an amazing atmosphere and have a strong knowledge of the game.  The coaches all took the time to get to know me and the other participants as students as well as athletes.  We did hitting drills the first half of the camp along with some field work, after it was scrimmage time.  I really liked that they included everyone in the infield and outfield drills.

October 18^th

My dad drove me four hours to Alabama for the Triple Threat Clinic.  I was a little star-struck being on the campus.  We worked on bunts, chop slaps and power slaps.  With bunts we played a game to place them in between the cones, I was excited to get all four.  Next was the Chop Slap.  I have never been taught that, so this was a new skill for me.  By the end of the night, I was able to execute it.  I’m excited to try it in a game if the situation is right.   Last, we did Power Slap which I do well.  Coach (Patrick) Murphy had to leave at the end so I got a picture with Coach Aly (Alyson Habetz).  She is so energetic, I loved talking to her!

Back to Travel Ball, then Off Season Work & More Camps

Champions Nov 5^th – 7^th

Now it’s back to travel ball.  We played in Champions and Veterans and we were supposed to play in Bolts but due to an injury in our pitching staff we had to pull out.  Me and my girls played great at Champions.  We played some excellent competition going 2-2-1.  I finished batting .455, with three walks and a HBP.  I also stole four bases and made some great defensive plays.

Veterans Nov 12^th – 14^th

Next was Veterans Showcase.  With only one pitcher and players missing for different reasons we could not play in the Invitational.  We finished 5-0 scoring 34 runs and only allowing four.  I finished batting .461 with a home run.  I have recently changed hitting coaches and he is making adjustments with my swing to give me more power.

November 19^th – 21^st

I was sad that we had to miss the Bolts tournament, but it ended up being a great weekend.  We did team bonding and went to Lake Guntersville, Alabama.  We had so much fun.  We hiked through a cave, played games and just had fun together.

Now I am in off-season mode. I have a personal strength trainer, working with my speed and agility coach twice a week and of course hitting lessons.  With off-season comes camps.  I am visiting Clemson and Coastal Carolina the four weekend in December.  Then the Tennessee-Chattanooga hitting camp, December 18th.  In January I am looking to attend Troy and possibly Notre Dame.

December 3^rd-5^th

What an amazing weekend I had.  Spent Friday at Clemson and Saturday and Sunday at Coastal Carolina.  This was my second time attending Clemson and once again the coaching staff is amazing.  They are friendly, make you feel welcome and have great knowledge.  I really enjoyed the outfield drills we did too.  This was my first time being on the Coastal Carolina campus and it did not disappoint.  It is as beautiful as they say.  The camp was well run and once again I really enjoyed the outfield drills.  I can’t wait to go back.

Note: this weekend Carrie is at the Tennessee-Chattanooga camp: 

Excited to be back tomorrow for the hitting camp! @CoachFrankReed @coachK73 @cheytwn77 @skylarberkhiser @GoMocsSB @2022Impact @BrenttEads @Los_Stuff @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/UGJHBAdayP

— Carrie Green (@CarrieGreen2024) December 17, 2021

She can be followed on her Twitter page: @CarrieGreen2024