Lady Vols Softball

Word on the 'boro boulevard it's down to Auburn and Miss St. for McCrary.

I wish her all the best, with Seggern getting the extra year this year, Morgan getting one next year and a couple of corner infielders coming in next year, just got squeezed out. Hope she's successful wherever she goes. If it's one of those two, they have the spots open in the lineup for her to fit in.
 
Family are alums at Clemson and the opportunity to be the first ever signee is forever.
Without going into schools just yet - 2 Big Ten schools, 1 SECW and 1 ACC school. Tennessee is not a factor as of right now. One of the Big Ten School is the clubhouse leader.
 
KiKi Milloy is second team AA, too.

Rogers and Alexander should both be first team, but they are both second team because Mary Haff and Megan Faraimo (UCLA) got first team. I guess they felt compelled to do so for Haff because she was co-POY in the SEC (Fouts also first team) but there's no reality where those two are better pitchers than Rogers and Alexander.

Meanwhile, UCLA has four first-team AAs and Oklahoma three, along with OU having two on the second-team.
 
Said it when they were here that Odicci Alexander is the type of player we overlook. Played for Beverly Bandits but smaller pitcher who didn’t t have the accolades or rankings.

Beverly Bandits used to be well represented at tournaments in the southeast. Always a tough team. Haven't seen any of them in the past year. Maybe Covid cut into their travel decisions, I don't know. Also went to their website and they're down to five teams between 12u thru 18u. At one point I think they had 10+ teams. I know that there were some california teams that had studs who sent their kids to GA or AL to play with the Big 4 SE programs this past year. Bolts, Vipers, Bullets, Impact.

The south was open pretty much all during covid for travel ball. First tourney we went to there was an email saying parents had to watch from behind the outfield fence. That lasted about 87 seconds. That was almost a year ago and it's been wide open since. Will be interesting to see how the recruitment is affected as maybe some west coast girls who didn't have the means to flee the ridiculous lockdowns have not progressed, vs the southeast girls who maybe stopped for a month or two, but have been playing regularly since June 2020. At that age it makes a difference.

While the showcases haven't had the coach attendance like in the past, it's still hard nosed competitive softball against the best of the best. Going to the Sparkler in July, hope to see coaches there.

Recruitment will be interesting the next 2-3 years.
 
Beverly Bandits used to be well represented at tournaments in the southeast. Always a tough team. Haven't seen any of them in the past year. Maybe Covid cut into their travel decisions, I don't know. Also went to their website and they're down to five teams between 12u thru 18u. At one point I think they had 10+ teams. I know that there were some california teams that had studs who sent their kids to GA or AL to play with the Big 4 SE programs this past year. Bolts, Vipers, Bullets, Impact.

The south was open pretty much all during covid for travel ball. First tourney we went to there was an email saying parents had to watch from behind the outfield fence. That lasted about 87 seconds. That was almost a year ago and it's been wide open since. Will be interesting to see how the recruitment is affected as maybe some west coast girls who didn't have the means to flee the ridiculous lockdowns have not progressed, vs the southeast girls who maybe stopped for a month or two, but have been playing regularly since June 2020. At that age it makes a difference.

While the showcases haven't had the coach attendance like in the past, it's still hard nosed competitive softball against the best of the best. Going to the Sparkler in July, hope to see coaches there.

Recruitment will be interesting the next 2-3 years.
Bandits is still solid, their 2021 team is solid and can play with anyone coast to coast. My daughters west coast team came to the South and played in NV a good bit. Coaches will be all over the place all summer trying to secure kids from 21-22 with the portal causing chaos at any moment on any roster and looking ahead to 23 class.
 
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Beverly Bandits used to be well represented at tournaments in the southeast. Always a tough team. Haven't seen any of them in the past year. Maybe Covid cut into their travel decisions, I don't know. Also went to their website and they're down to five teams between 12u thru 18u. At one point I think they had 10+ teams. I know that there were some california teams that had studs who sent their kids to GA or AL to play with the Big 4 SE programs this past year. Bolts, Vipers, Bullets, Impact.

The south was open pretty much all during covid for travel ball. First tourney we went to there was an email saying parents had to watch from behind the outfield fence. That lasted about 87 seconds. That was almost a year ago and it's been wide open since. Will be interesting to see how the recruitment is affected as maybe some west coast girls who didn't have the means to flee the ridiculous lockdowns have not progressed, vs the southeast girls who maybe stopped for a month or two, but have been playing regularly since June 2020. At that age it makes a difference.

While the showcases haven't had the coach attendance like in the past, it's still hard nosed competitive softball against the best of the best. Going to the Sparkler in July, hope to see coaches there.

Recruitment will be interesting the next 2-3 years.
Give some reports on travel ball along the way.
 
Be interesting to see what she's does against OU. Opening game.
Right now, she’s pitching like she’s on a mission. If she throws line she did here she will keep them in it, one mistake by OU could be the difference.
 
Give some reports on travel ball along the way.

One thing I can tell you is don't get hung up on the player rankings done by these third party sites I won't name. It's so political and they do not have the boots on the ground like other sports do to see the girls actually play. The dirty little secret is that travel ball orgs "donate" or pay dues to these recruiting sites and, miraculously, their players seem to get a bump up in the rankings. For those old enough to remember, do you remember the "who's who" lists? And for those now, you do know that those "40 under 40" lists are heavily weighted by their company's involvement with the Chamber, local news, etc.

So when you see TN has received a commitment from #4, #44, #104, or #204 - don't read too much into it. I saw the 2023 rankings last week from one and literally was jaw dropped by how many excellent players were 100-200, and even more floored by some they put in the top 50.

No TB this weekend, played the last 3 and taking a break. Sparkler should be fun at the end of this month. Think we fly out on the 26th or 27th.
 
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Right now, she’s pitching like she’s on a mission. If she throws line she did here she will keep them in it, one mistake by OU could be the difference.
I think she will pitch well just can they score enough to stay in it. Watching her at the regional she for lack of a better term has a compact throwing motion makes it looks like she is just snapping the ball at you. She does have an excellent change up. That is something Ashley needs to add a change up or power sinker to change the level of her pitches she is almost unhittable now throw in a sinker like Fouts or a real change of speed pitch and it would be totally unfair.
 
Bandits is still solid, their 2021 team is solid and can play with anyone coast to coast. My daughters west coast team came to the South and played in NV a good bit. Coaches will be all over the place all summer trying to secure kids from 21-22 with the portal causing chaos at any moment on any roster and looking ahead to 23 class.

I don't doubt they're solid. Just used to be a lot more teams, 10+. Would see them at all the showcases and major national tournaments like PGF. Just wondering if they suffered attrition due to girls going to play in "free states" this past year as IL was locked down pretty hard.

And on that note, TB is a business. And the expansion of some of these organizations has weakened the perception of them - AKA Firecrackers. They were elite, CA based, and if you saw them in your draw it was on. Then they went from 10-12 teams to a franchise across the country. And the name lost meaning. College coaches used to see if you played for the Firecrackers, you were legit D1 level. Then they figured it out. Used to be only one GA Impact team per age year. Now there are what seems like 3-4. Same with Bullets. Vipers haven't gotten quite that bad yet. Bolts are on the edge of it.

If you went a tournament 3 years ago and drew Impact in your first bracket game...might as well pack up. But now, meh, it's gotten watered down. And the people running these organizations are probably driving nicer cars than before the expansion.
 
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One thing I can tell you is don't get hung up on the player rankings done by these third party sites I won't name. It's so political and they do not have the boots on the ground like other sports do to see the girls actually play. The dirty little secret is that travel ball orgs "donate" or pay dues to these recruiting sites and, miraculously, their players seem to get a bump up in the rankings. For those old enough to remember, do you remember the "who's who" lists? And for those now, you do know that those "40 under 40" lists are heavily weighted by their company's involvement with the Chamber, local news, etc.

So when you see TN has received a commitment from #4, #44, #104, or #204 - don't read too much into it. I saw the 2023 rankings last week from one and literally was jaw dropped by how many excellent players were 100-200, and even more floored by some they put in the top 50.

No TB this weekend, played the last 3 and taking a break. Sparkler should be fun at the end of this month. Think we fly out on the 26th or 27th.
Yeah that is why I asked about first hand reports if you are willing to give some. Somehow a now departed pitcher was ranked like the #34 or #44 recruit. One in person look in fall ball and I could not believe it. Presidential elections have nothing on Softball politics from the local to the national level.
 
Majors what is the backstory on Alexander? Could she not "afford" travel ball and not get noticed? Was at a camp at UT a few years ago and as I do I started chatting up some people. One was a parent who was leaving to go to a big tournament flying to Colorado said they only stay as long as coaches were there and would leave before the tournament ended a lot of times. Was really into his daughter getting an SEC scholarship which is fine if that is your goal. The money they spent traveling would far exceed any scholarship they would get.
 
I don't doubt they're solid. Just used to be a lot more teams, 10+. Would see them at all the showcases and major national tournaments like PGF. Just wondering if they suffered attrition due to girls going to play in "free states" this past year as IL was locked down pretty hard.

And on that note, TB is a business. And the expansion of some of these organizations has weakened the perception of them - AKA Firecrackers. They were elite, CA based, and if you saw them in your draw it was on. Then they went from 10-12 teams to a franchise across the country. And the name lost meaning. College coaches used to see if you played for the Firecrackers, you were legit D1 level. Then they figured it out. Used to be only one GA Impact team per age year. Now there are what seems like 3-4. Same with Bullets. Vipers haven't gotten quite that bad yet. Bolts are on the edge of it.

If you went a tournament 3 years ago and drew Impact in your first bracket game...might as well pack up. But now, meh, it's gotten watered down. And the people running these organizations are probably driving nicer cars than before the expansion.

2020-21 Beverly Bandits - Team Rosters

They have 13 teams as of this message. If anything they are doing it right by not being a franchise organization.
 
Majors what is the backstory on Alexander? Could she not "afford" travel ball and not get noticed? Was at a camp at UT a few years ago and as I do I started chatting up some people. One was a parent who was leaving to go to a big tournament flying to Colorado said they only stay as long as coaches were there and would leave before the tournament ended a lot of times. Was really into his daughter getting an SEC scholarship which is fine if that is your goal. The money they spent traveling would far exceed any scholarship they would get.
I don't know her back story but if she was with Beverly Bandits she can play anywhere and had the means to play nationally. They funnel kids all over the midwest and south, KY is about to get a kid just like her from Bandits named Izzy Harrison, almost mirror images from height, style and speed. 2019 is the most we traveled with her CA team and it was well worth it, not just the softball but seeing the country, experiencing things outside the standard beach. It was a small fortune but worth it when my kid says the best time playing travel ball was that summer and the time we spent as a family and then she and I in CA.
 
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Yeah that is why I asked about first hand reports if you are willing to give some. Somehow a now departed pitcher was ranked like the #34 or #44 recruit. One in person look in fall ball and I could not believe it. Presidential elections have nothing on Softball politics from the local to the national level.

Honestly, it bleeds over to USA Softball, too. Look at the National Team and then look at the players that should actually be on the National Team. Just like with USA Basketball, it's highly political over there.
 
If this OU team wins it all, it’ll go down as the best team in the history of college softball. They’re just ridiculously good.
 
Last two batters didn’t stand a chance. 70 MPH and working all levels and corners is an equalizer
 

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