*Below are the names of the athletes signed to schools in some of the conferences across the country. This list is a work in progress, so feel free to send additional signing information to garland@studentsports.com.

 

SEC

	Steve Johnson for ESPN RISE
	Ryan Iamurri, Univ. of Alabama signee, played in the 2009 Under Armour All-America Game.

University of Alabama:
Kaila Hunt
Ryan Iamurri
Jackie Traina
Jordan Patterson

University of Arkansas:
Jayme Gee
Breanna Lynn Hutchinson
Macy Burr
Chloe Oprzedek
Amanda Geile
Jennifer Rambo
Clarissa Navarro

Auburn:
Hilary Mavromat
Alyssia Palomino

University of Florida:
Kasey Fagan
Cheyenne Cole

University of Georgia:
Morgan Montemayor
Julia Echols

University of Kentucky:
Lauren Cumbess
Ellen Weaver

LSU:
Kaley Coonce
Tammy Wray
Simone Heyward
Whitney Miller

Ole Miss:
Mallory McNeal
Natalie Nimmo
Rebecca Taylor Cantillo
Allison Brown

Tennessee:
Madison Shipman
Courtney Thomas
Ellen Renfroe
Melissa Davin
Tory Lewis
Chelsea O'Connor

Big 10

University of Illinois:
Jenna Mychko
Alex Booker
Jessica Perkins

University of Indiana:
Kristy Pasley
Shelby Gogreve

University of Iowa:
Kayla Massey
Katie Kroeger
Nikki Gentile
Brianna Luna

University of Michigan:
Lyndsay Doyle
Mandy Gardner
Caitlin Blanchard
Brandi Virgil
Nicole Sappingfield

Michigan State:
Cassee Layne
Sarah Bowling
Samantha Findling

Northwestern:
Samantha Albanese
Marisa Bast
Mari Majam

Ohio State:
Evelin Carillo
Leesa Gresham
Kasie Kelly
Melissa Rennie

Penn State:
Jordan Wheatley
Kasie Hatfield

Purdue:
Danielle Fletcher
Lindsey Raines
Laura Hurndon

University of Wisconsin:
Stephanie Peace
Mary Massei

Big 12

Baylor:
McKenzie Robinson
Chelsea Kovich
Shlebi Redfern
Claire Hosack

Iowa State:
Sara Rice
Breeana Holliday
Sara Davison
Evan Folks

University of Kansas:
Kendra Cullum
Ashley Newman
Elsa Moyer
Kristin Martinez
Laura Vickers
Collen Hohman

University of Nebraska:
Tatum Edwards
Taylor Edwards

University of Oklahoma:
Javen Henson
Destinee Martinez
Brittany Williams
Haley McGregor

Oklahoma State:
Tarrah Ettinger
Arianna Morrison
Morgan Hawkins

Texas:
Rachel Fox
Brejae Washington
Taylor Thom
Karina Scott
Mandy Ogle

Texas A&M:
Nicole Morgan
Amber Garza
Taran Tyler
Cassie Tysarczyk
Emily Albus

Texas Tech:
Kristin Martinez
Laura Ann Phillips
Brittany Talley
Kermitria Ward
Taylor Powell

 

*Stay tuned for updates on the list including signings from other conferences, information on the players and ESPN RISE Rankings of the best recruiting classes.

 

Who do you think has the best recruiting class? Email your answer to: garland@studentsports.com

 

 

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By Caitlin Ray

Caitlin Ray is a 2010 catcher/first baseman out of Kansas who plays for the Kansas Renegades Gold and Augusta High School. Below she shares her busy holiday schedule.

 *****

	COURTESY OF CAITLIN RAY
	Caitlin Ray will stay busy over the holidays!

It has been awhile since my last update.  I thought I would have more time once the fall softball season was over but it has been the exact opposite this year.  I continue to hit once or twice a week and lift weights three times a week.  My trainer has gone out of his way to find weight exercises that I can do to improve me as a catcher.  I have noticed a real improvement in my pop to pop time and overhand throwing speed. 

I attended a softball camp in October at Wichita State University and had a 1.74 second pop to pop time several times in a row.  I have also improved my overhand throwing speed from 54 to 60 mph. I have lost 15 pounds of fat and put on muscle.  Right now is really hard because my trainer keeps telling "no sugar, no sugar and I love Christmas fudge.  After Thanksgiving my summer team, Kansas Renegades Gold, started hitting on Saturdays and I catch a couple of pitchers on Sundays.  Did I mention that I don't have much of a life? 

I am going to try something new this year.  I have had a couple of younger girls (ten and under catchers) ask if I would work with them once a week to improve their hitting and catching skills.  I am really excited about this.  When I was their age, I had someone work with me and become my mentor.  I feel like I am giving back and hopefully one or both of these girls will end up loving softball as much as I do. I would do this for free but their parents want to pay me and a little extra gas money is greatly appreciated. 

I can't believe the first semester of my junior year is winding down.  I have had a great year so far and next semester promises to be even better with prom and the start of the softball season.  I have really gotten involved in extra curricular activities this year.  I don't know if I will keep it all up next year.  I may just pick one or two things that I really enjoy, like class president and National Honors Society and forget the rest. 

Wish me luck this next week.  Finals are here and I have my work cut out for me.  I am going to start attending college softball camps starting this next weekend.  I will go to Bradley University before the holidays and then Iowa State and Colorado State in January.  I have never been to any of the campuses and I am beyond excited.  I have never attended a college camp where I didn't learn something. 

Better get back to studying.  See you on the fields!

Caitlin Ray
Catcher/IF Utility
Kansas Renegades Gold
 

By Garland Cooper

TEXAS

Four athletes have signed the NLIs to become a Longhorn. They are: Kimberly Bruins out of Redlands, Calif., Taylor Hoagland from Flower Mound, Texas, Blaire Luna out of Austin, Texas, and Torie Schmidt from Yorba Linda, Calif.

Bruins, a pitcher, plays for Redlands High School and the Calif. Cruisers. Last season she batted .412 and also dominated on the mound with 227 Ks.

Hoagland is a third baseman for Flower Mound High School and the Schutt Avengers Gold. She was an All-State player this past season.

Luna pitches for Bowie High School and the Round Rock Blaze. She boasts only three earned runs in 137 innings pitched, which helped her team to the class 5A state championship game.

Schmidt is s second baseman and outfielder for the Calif. Raiders and Valencia High School. Schmidt has helped to lead her high school team to two CIF championships.


KANSAS

Kansas has signed six athletes to round out their 2009-2010 roster. The players include: Kalum Haack out of Katy, Texas, Maggie and Rosie Hull from Lawrence, Kan., Mariah Montgomery from Ralston, Neb., Alex Jones out of Edin, Okla., and Kendall Patterson out of McLouth, Kan.

Haack is a shortstop for Katy High School. In 2007 Haack was the leader in hits, RBIs, total bases, doubles and runs scored in the whole Houston area. She has been All-District the past three seasons.

The Hull sisters play the outfield for Free State High School. Maggie was First Team All-State, All-Kansas City, and All-League in 2007. In 2006 Rosie was a Second Team All-League selection.

Jones pitches for Enid High School where she has been the MVP of her league the past two years and was the Offensive Player of the Year this past season. She recorded a 0.11 ERA with a .643 batting average. She was awarded All-State honors for her efforts.
 
Montgomery has been First Team All-State the past three seasons. In 2008 she hit ten triples, a state Class B record. She also broke the school record for homeruns with seven and for RBIs with 41. She ended the season with a .414 batting average.
 
Patterson catches for McLouth High School where she has been an All-State selection for three seasons. She hit 23 doubles in 23 games and had 17 RBIs and a.810 batting average.


OKLAHOMA STATE

The Cowgirls have signed four for their 2009-2010 campaign. The athletes include: Katie Asher out of Tucson, Ariz., Kat Espinosa from Houston, Texas, Amy Graham from Hominy, Okla., and Taylor Smith from Newcastle, Okla.

Asher plays third base for Canyon Del Oro High School. She was First Team All-State as a junior and has led her team to back-to-back state championships.

Espinosa is a righty hurler for Bellaire High School. In 2008 she went 20-8 on the mound with a 0.80 ERA and 291 Ks. For her efforts she was named the District MVP, First Team All-Greater Houston, and First Team All-District (third year running).

Graham plays infield and outfield for Hominy High School. She was an All-State selection this fall season and has been the MVP of the Varsity squad the past three season. Her impressive .667 batting average her sophomore year was a state leader as well as her 76 stolen bases.

Smith is a utility player for Newcastle High School. She was an All-State selection as a senior and was also the conference MVP.

MISSOURI

 Missouri has signed five to join them in 2009. They are: Rachel Hay out of Kansas City, Mo., Nicole Hudson from Webb City, Mo., Jenna Marston from St. Louis, Mo., Lindsey Muller from Stilwell, Kan., and Ashlie Oretga out of Brighton, Colo.

Hay plays for Oak Park High School and the Olathe Rockets. She was an All-District selection the past three years, and was All-Region for two years. In her high school career she has recorded an impressive .425 batting average. In 2008 alone she batted .470 with seven homeruns.

Hudson is a third baseman and outfielder for Webb City High School. She has been a First Team All-State selection since 2005 and holds several state records. She can be found in the record book under Career RBIs (185), Career Walks (77), and Career Homeruns (40).  Her career batting average is a whopping .593 and on the mound she has accumulated 73 wins and only eight losses throughout her time on the varsity squad. Her efforts helped her team to a State Championship in 2007.
 
Marston is a shortstop and utility player for Principia High School and the Mo. diamond Cats. She has been First Team All-League since 2005 and was First Team All-State in 2007 and Second Team All-State in 2008. She has over a .600 batting average the past three years of high school and recorded a .486 batting average in club play.

Muller is a utility player for Blue Valley High School and the Olathe Rockets. She was First Team All-League in 2007 and 2008 and batted .493 her senior year. In club play she was .413 at the plate this past season with nine homers.

Ortega is a shortstop and utility player for Erie High School and the Colo. Stampede. She was a member of the All-Colorado Team in 2008 and has a .431 career batting average. Her senior year she recorded a .576 slugging percentage, a .773 on-base percentage, and hit nine triples. Her efforts led her team to a 2008 Colo. State Championship.

GEORGIA

The Bulldogs bring five new players to their 2009-2010 squad. They are: Alison Owen out of Sharpsburg, Ga., Katie Rietkovich from South Guyton, Ga., Amberlie Saxton out of Jefferson, Ga., Sara Sikes from Douglasville, Ga., and Laura Trout from Summerville, S.C.

Owen is a pitcher and utility player for East Coweta High School and the Georgia Impact. Her senior year she dominated on the mound with a 12-6-1 record and a 0.65 ERA. For her efforts her team named her Pitcher of the Year. She also did well at the plate, leading her team in homeruns her senior year. She has been an All-County selection the past three seasons.

Rietkovich is an infielder for South Effingham High School and the Angles Gold. She holds several school records including single season batting average (.467), hits (46), doubles (16), homeruns (3), RBI (28), and stolen bases (20). She holds career records as well including batting average (.386), hits (151), doubles (37), homeruns (5), RBI (66) and stolen bases (56). She was First Team All-Region and First Team All-State for her efforts.

Saxton is an infielder for Mill Creek High School and the East Cobb Bullets Gold. She led her team to a State Championship this past fall season. Her team named her the Offensive Player of the Year for all four of her years on the varsity team. Three seasons she was an All-County selection and twice she was a First Team All-State selection and County Offensive Player of the Year.

Sikes is an outfielder for Chapel Hill High School and the Georgia Elite Gold. At the plate, Sikes recorded a .457 average with 30 doubles, five triples, two homers, 30 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. She was her team's Offensive Player of the Year as a senior and was the team MVP as a junior.

Trout is an infielder for Spartanburg Methodist College. She led her community college in batting average (.492), triples (9), homeruns (10), and RBI (33). She was an All-Region, and a NJCAA Second Team All-American.

NEBRASKA

The Huskers will bring five athletes to round out their 2009-2010 roster. They are: Gabby Banda out of Texas, Kylee Muir from Ore., Keela Scott from Mo., Megan Southworth from Neb., and Brooke Thomason out of Kan.
 
Banda is an infielder for Angleton High School and the Texas Sudden Impact Gold. She was First Team All-County and All-District this past season.

Muir is an infielder for Lincoln High School and the Northwest Bullets Gold. She has been All-State for three seasons and was Fist Team All-League for three seasons as well. She was league MVP in 2007.

Scott is an infielder for Liberty High School and the KC Zephyrs Gold. She was First Team All-District and Second Team All-Conference for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Southworth is a catcher for Papillion LaVista High School and the Omaha Select. She led her high school team to a second place finish in the state championships this fall season after taking the title in 2006 and 2007. She was a two-time First Team All-State selection in 2007 and 2008. She put up impressive numbers her senior year batting .422 with 29 RBIs and 11 doubles.

Thomason is an outfielder for Blue Valley Northwest High School and the KC Peppers. She batted .470 in 2008 earning First Team All-Metro and All-League honors. She also recorded a .742 slugging percentage, .527 on-base percentage, nine doubles, three triples, 22 RBI, and 12 stolen bases.

**For more information, refer to each college's athletic website.

**Below are some recent signings out of Neb. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Amy Baker - C/DH - Creighton
Jenny Brown - IF/OF - Augustana
Amy Dressen - Southwest Minnesota State
Becky Dunn - P - Nebraska-Kearney
Krista Honken - IF - South Dakota State
Mariah Montgomery - IF - Univ. of Kansas
Molly Negrete - IF/OF - Nebraska-Omaha
Amanda Neumann - P/IF - Southwest Minnesota State
Kassie Nurton - OF - Wayne State
Emily Perry - OF - Creighton
Marlee Petersen - IF - South Dakota State
Lindsay Redding - OF - Nebraska-Omaha
Devon Reick - OF - South Dakota State
Megan Southworth - OF - Nebraska
Mikayla Walsh - IF - Wayne State
Tina Winter - IF - South Dakota State

By Garland Cooper

The KC Zephyrs have added their seniors to the early signing list. They all will be accepting offers from Division I schools!

KC Zephyrs Gold
Keela Scott - SS - Nebraska
Maggie Strange - C - Wisconsin
Sam West  - CF - Drake
Shelby Pohlman - OF - Dayton
Nikki Bruce - 2B - Eastern Kentucky
Patrice Jackson - 1B - San Diego State

By Garland Cooper

Early signing day is only two days away! Below are some additions to the list of seniors that will be signing their Letters of Intent on Tuesday.

MD Wagner's Gold
Ashleigh Williams - P/3B - Bloomfield College (NJ)

Midland Magic (IL)
Sydney Shelton - Southern Illinois, Carbondale
Alex Pflieger - Western Illinois
Kelsey Michelini - Western Illinois
Sara Bradley - Illinois State
Heather Austin - IUPUI
Abby Wood - Eastern Illinois
Lindsey Coleman  - SIU Edwardsville
Janele Robinson - Middle Tennessee State
Kaitlyn England - Murray State

Olathe Rockets Gold (KS/MO)
Rachel Hay - C  - University of Missouri
Maggie Hull- OF - University of Kansas
Rosie Hull - OF - University of Kansas
Brittney Lang - P/OF - Southern Illinois University
Lindsey Muller - P/3B - University of Missouri
Kendall Patterson - C/3B - University of Kansas
Janessa Swinney - OF - University of Missouri, Kansas City
Lauren Himpel  - OF - Washburn University

St. Louis Diamond Cats
Jenna (JJ) Marston - SS/CF - University of Missouri
Lauren Ackerman - C/UT - Northwestern University

San Jose Sting Gold
Keilani Ricketts-P- Oklahoma
Molly Medeiros-P- LMU
Kelly Schulze-C- UC Davis
Caitlin Breen-OF- Stanford
Kelly McDonald-3B UCSB
Bina Abbott-1B-Towson
Ali Palermo-C- Sonoma State University
Maia Monchek-OF- Purdue

What are your plans for signing day? Share your experience with ESPN RISE! Email: garland@studentsports.com
 

	KIRSTIN OLSEN
	SPARQ Tester running her 20-Yard Sprint.

This past weekend in St. Louis, over 1,000 athletes participated in SPARQ Testing. The testing took place at the St. Louis Fall Showcase on Oct. 31.

SPARQ Testing consists of four events: 20-Yard Dash, Rotational Powerball Throw, 20-Yard Shuttle, Vertical Jump. When the testing is completed, the athletes receive an overall SPARQ Rating that measures the athleticism of a softball player.

Below are the SPARQ Ratings of the most athletic girls at the tournament.

TOP OVERALL SPARQ RATINGS
Mackenzie Sykes -2010-2B-Originals (RE) -133.02
Brandee Bohr -2009-OF-S E Iowa Softball Allstars -126.75
Brianna Corwin -2010-C-Originals (RE) -120.27
Jenna Marston -2009-SS-St Louis Diamond Cats -120.12
Marissa Mersch -2011-OF-Lemont Rockers (DD) -120.09
Cynthia Miller -2010-OF-Illinois Bandits 18U Gold -118.65
Alyssa Smith -2011-2B-Oak Park Windmills (MS) -115.68
Allie Anttila -2010-OF-Illinois Chill (BE) -115.26
Staci Bonezek -2011-3B-Homer Hawks Black 16-U -113.82
Lauren Ackerman -2009-C-St Louis Diamond Cats -111.6


For more information on SPARQ and more complete results see SPARQTraining.com.
Keep checking in for the top ten testers in each event!

IN OTHER NEWS:
Lindsey Davis, a 2009 catcher for the KC Wahoos, has commited to play at the Univ. of Missouri Kansas City.

	COURTESY OF BILL WHITE
	Kellie White.

Kellie White is a 2010 graduate and pitcher/first baseman out of Overland Park, Kansas.

She plays for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School where she was selected the Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. Her sophomore year she was named the Most Valuable player for the team after helping the Saints to a 5A State Championship. That same season she also earned First Team All-State, Second Team All-Metro, Second Team All-League, Second Team All-SUN County, and Second Team All-Jonson County honors. Their State Championship was the second ever in the school's history and the first in 11 years.

White also plays for the Olathe Rockets Gold coaches by John Moppin. She helped the Rockets to a top 20 finish at ASA 18A Nationals last season and the team has been known in the community as a dominant force in the KC Metro area.
 
John Moppin (Head Coach) on White:  "Kellie is very coach-able and will do what it takes to move up to the next level.  She has a good swing and we'll make that better with a little work. Every time I see her she hits better.  She is a great softball player and will only get better as time passes. Kellie will help a good college program get better and with her help will see some post season play."
 
Ballard Patterson (Coach) on White:  "Kellie is a battle tested warrior, who leads by example not words. She is a hard worker who supports her teammates, a great pitcher/softball player, but a better person. Integrity! I am very proud and fortunate to be involved in Kellie's development."

By Caitlin Ray

Caitlin Ray is a 2010 catcher/first baseman out of Kansas who plays for the Kansas Renegades Gold and Augusta High School. 

	COURTESY OF CAITLIN RAY
	Caitlin Ray up to bat.

Hello, Everyone.  Things have been going fast and furious the last couple of weeks.  My summer team has been playing scrimmage games at colleges every weekend and this last weekend we played in the Elite Showcase Tournament in Plano, Texas.  We had several girls playing in high school volleyball tournaments so we picked up a couple of players from Butler County Community College and headed down with nine girls.  

We had a great time and everyone played somewhere every inning which was fun.  I was also able to see girls that I had played with last summer and coaches whose camps I had attended.  

I am typically very nervous the first game or two with all of the college coaches standing around but it seems to be getting easier and by the end of the first day everyone was just playing and having a good time.  I saw some incredible softball and it is always fun to hear: "This girl is going to Baylor! and "This girl is committed to OU!  I hope that someday I can be one of those girls.

My summer team (Kansas Renegades Gold) has finished for the season but I have been lucky enough to be picked up for the next couple of weekends.  I really am not ready to stop playing so this is very good news for me.  I am going to play for the Midland Magic from Illinois in a showcase on November 1st in St Louis.  I have never played in a showcase in St. Louis so I am really pumped to be playing with girls from another state where I have never been. I am sure my next blog will be all about the St. Louis tournament.    

School is school.  I feel like I am never quite caught up but I always seem to get it done.  My mom and I listened to Meatloaf on our last road trip and I told her that I was going to make up a song called "Trigonometry by the Visor Light! She told me that I had better stick with softball.

See you on the fields,

Caitlin Ray
Catcher/IF Utility
Kansas Renegades Gold

By Garland Cooper

 Today we have two athletes from the KC Wahoos travel team and from Olathe Northwest High School. Keep an eye on these players as they continue to stand out as athletes. Below are details on their impressive careers thus far.

 *****

	COURTESY OF COACH GREG CLINTON
	Amy Pierce

Amy Pierce is a 2010 graduate from Olathe Northwest High School and also plays for the KC Wahoos.

Pierce hits from both sides of the plate and plays shortstop and centerfield. In 2008 she was named First Team All State, First Team All Sunflower League, First Team All Olathe, and Second Team All KC Metro. She also helped her team to a regional championship and a 6A state runner-up finish.

The year before in 2007 her high school finished second in their regional tournament. Pierce was named Second Team All Sunflower League.

She is an all-around athlete, having lettered in both softball and volleyball since 2007. Pierce not only excels athletically, but academically as well. She is ranked second in her class with a 4.1 GPA.

Head Coach Deb Schmidt on Pierce: "Amy is a smooth fielding shortstop. She is a great leadoff hitter who always seems to get on base."

Another player to watch from Olathe Northwest High School and the KC Wahoos is Jacinda Ramos. Ramos is a 2011 graduate and is a pitcher, outfielder, and second baseman.

	COURTESY OF COACH GREG CLINTON
	Jacinda Ramos

As a pitcher she excels on the mound with several pitches to keep batters off balance. Her repertoire includes a combination of change-ups, rise balls, curve balls, screws balls and drop balls.


In 2008 she shined on the mound and received several post-season awards. She was All State, All Johnson County, All Olathe, Firt Team Sunflower League, and was named the Sunflower League Newcomer of the Year. She also helped her team to a second place finish at the 6A state tournament after winning a regional championship. She did all this as just a freshman!

Head Coach Deb Schmidt on Ramos: "Jacinda has great mound presence and good control. The rotations on her pitches are tight and fast. She has a great work ethic and is a student of the game."

By Caitlin Ray

Caitlin Ray is a 2010 catcher/first baseman out of Kansas who plays for the Kansas Renegades Gold and Augusta High School. 

 *****

The last couple of weeks have just flown by.  I am so glad to see fall softball start up again.  When summer is over, I am ready to have a break but after a couple of weeks of down time I start to really miss playing and traveling.  

	COURTESY OF CAITLIN RAY
	Caitlin Ray with her coach, Chuck Schrader.

We (Kansas Renegades Gold) started off our season playing in the Emporia State Fall Classic.  I was a little nervous since this is a new team for me and we were only able to take fielding practice one time prior to the tournament due to all of the rain.  

We were able to defeat Allen County Community College and Johnson County Community College but were defeated by Emporia State.  

We faced ESU's freshman pitcher Jennifer Heerey and she was definitely on her game.  She is a 65+ mph pitcher and she was impressive.  I was able to hit her pitching but was not successful in getting on base.  All in all it was a great first weekend out and we know what we need to start working on this winter.  

The coach of the Renegades is coach Chuck Schrader.  I have really loved playing for him so far this season. Our Renegades pitcher, Jeneva Nelson from Perry, Okla. had a great tournament also.  She pitched both the Allen County and Johnson County games and only allowed one run each game.  

I have also been issued a new challenge.  Currently, I play catcher and 1st base but my coach would like for me to try 3rd base.  He thinks this would help me be a better utility player and play more innings when I am not catching.  I will try just about anything once.  I have been making my dad go to the fields every night and take fielding practice at 3rd.  I can't wait to try in a real game.  

School work has taken on a whole new meaning this year.  Everyone told me that junior year is the hardest and I believe that now.  I may have over extended a little bit being the head of the prom committee, class president, sports photographer and various other committees.  I don't know what I was thinking, but I am having a lot of fun and there is not time to get bored.  Now if I could just pull my grade up in Honors English, everything would be good!

My dad and I traveled to watch Missouri State University play Central Missouri State University last weekend.  I wanted to visit the MSU campus and talk to the coaches.  I would like to thank Coach Beth Perine with MSU for taking the time to talk to me about her program and expectations around college ball.  I really learned a lot of interesting information and look forward to seeing them play again some time.  This weekend I am going to go see Wichita State University play Washburn University.  I would like to visit several other colleges and watch games this fall.  

See you on the fields

Caitlin Ray
Catcher/If Utility
Kansas Renegades Gold
 

              

By Garland Cooper

Today we have two exceptional athletes from Kan. They play for the KC Wahoos and have had great high school careers thus far. Look for these players to keep excelling on and off the field.

 *****

Stephanie Goodwin plays for the Kansas City Wahoos and Blue Valley High School out of Kansas.

The outfielder and 2011 graduate had a great season last spring having received many post-season honors. She was named First Team All State, First Team All KC Metro, First Team All Johnson County, First Team All Sun, and First Team All League. On top of that she led her team to a Regional Championship.

Goodwin received her first Varsity letter her freshman year and made an impact to the team right away. Despite her young age, Goodwin had an amazing season.

Head Coach of KC Wahoos Deb Schmidt on Goodwin: "Stephanie's age is not a hindrance as she has played up in age her whole softball career.  She has one of the sweetest swings of any player for her or any other age."

Lizabeth Buck is another top player for the KC Wahoos. She is a first baseman and outfielder for Blue Valley West High School and will graduate in 2010.

She has had two great years playing for Blue Valley West. In 2007 she was named Second Team All Johnson County and Second Team All Sun County as an infielder. She also was a First Team All League selection.

This past year she received many accolades after her high school season. As an outfielder she was named First Team All State, First Team All KC Metro, First Team All Johnson County, First Team All Sun, and First Team All League.

Buck, an all-around student-athlete, was also named an ELK Scholar-Athlete in 2007 and 2008 and maintains a 4.0 GPA in her high school. She is an impressive athlete as well and is a star volleyball player, having lettered since her freshman year.

Head Coach Deb Schmidt on Buck: "Liz has great natural abilities and is an excellent contact hitter. She brings a lot of athleticism to the field. She is a good contact hitter who also has a little extra pop in her bat."

OTHER KC WAHOOS NEWS:

Morgan Brunmeier has verbally committed to Northwest Missouri State.

Caitlin Ray is a 2010 catcher/first baseman out of Kansas who plays for the Kansas Renegades Gold and Augusta High School. 

School has officially begun and the homework is piling up.  I took several honors classes this year as well as one college class.  I definitely think I have my work cut out for me.  I am also class president this year and head of the prom committee so I think my days of sitting in front of the TV are history.  

I have started working with a weight trainer this year to see if I can improve my strength and speed.  The first thing we did was set some goals.  Of course six pack abs were on the top of my list but I also want to improve my running speed and pop to pop times.  I am really impressed with my trainer Tim at Pure Performance; he did a lot of research on how I can improve my throwing time and came up with some specific exercises to strengthen my wrists and shoulders.  

I have been training for about five weeks and can see a definite improvement and I have lost about 15 pounds.  I went to a NFCA camp in July and will attend another in October in Plano, Texas and I can't wait to see if my timing scores have improved.  I want to be at my best physical shape this year so hopefully I can attract some interest of college coaches.  As for those six pack abs, Tim has told me if I stick with the weight program I should have them by Christmas.  We will see!

The weather has been so rainy that my team has been unable to have fielding practice for two weeks but we still have indoor hitting at least once a week.  We are going to start playing three scrimmage games per weekend with other teams for the next three weeks to get us ready for October tournaments.  I am ready to start playing again.  

I have also started writing letters to colleges again.  I took about a month off to get started back to school but I am getting back to it.   I hope these coaches don't think that I am a big pain bugging them all the time.  I also need to get a video out this month.  I have had two colleges ask for a video and I don't have one!

See you on the fields,

Caitlin

By Caitlin Ray

Caitlin Ray is a class of 2010 catcher and first baseman out of Kan. She plays for the Kansas Renegades Gold and Augusta High School.

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	COURTESY OF CAITLIN RAY
	Caitlin with her sisters on the first day of school

Hello, everyone.  I can't believe that summer is over and school has started.  I always feel a little sad this time of year that another softball season has ended and I am still ready to play.  

I have been very busy since school has started.  I may have joined too many things at the end of last year because I seem to have some sort of school meeting just about every day of the week.  

I am president of my class this year and since it is my junior year, I am in charge of prom.  I have my work cut out for me.  I have attached a first day of school picture of myself and my little sisters.  I only have one more year of first day of school pictures then I will be in college.  I hope my mom doesn't plan on coming to my first day of college!  

The Tulsa Elite had a great tournament the last weekend of play in the NFCA Elite Showcase in Plano.  We won 7 out of 10 of our last games and played some really good teams from the Texas area.  All in all I had a great summer.  

Unfortunately, I have decided to play for a Kansas team this coming year.  With gas prices so high and having to drive 180 miles to practice, I need to find something closer to home.  A couple of weeks ago I tried out for the Kansas Renegades Gold and made the team.  The head coach is Chuck Schrader and he seems like a really cool guy and he is also a local high school softball coach.  

I am really looking forward to playing for Chuck and the Renegades.  We have two practices this weekend so I will hit the ground running.  We are going to play scrimmage games just about every weekend in September and then hit the tournaments in October.  Like my other teams in the past, I will primarily catch and play 1st base.  

I just want to thank my Tulsa Elite coaches Jeff Filali and Mark Ryal for coaching me the past summer and I wish my coaches and my teammates the best in the coming year.  I hope I see them soon on the softball field.   

Talk to you soon,

Caitlin Ray
Kansas Renegades Gold
C/IF Utility

Caitlin Ray is one of the top 2010 players in the Southwest with great power at the plate and a 1.75 Pop-Time (NFCA Mustang, OK).

She attends Augusta High near Wichita, Kansas, and spent the summer playing with the Tulsa Elite Gold. She has already attracted the attention of many top programs with her size and power.

Jeff Filali Coach of the Tulsa Elite Gold states, "When we found Caitlin she really stood out at the plate with great power and also being close to 5'10'' had a strong build and was very quick behind the plate. We knew instantly that she would add some power deep in the line-up and would be an asset to the team for the next few years. She has a great, consistent stick with strong power from the plate. Caitlin is developing into a great Catcher and continues to work very hard. She knows how to frame very well & has a quick release."

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Hello, Everyone.  I just got back from the NFCA Elite Showcase Tournament in Plano, Texas. I attended the skills camp and participated in the catching session. I ended up putting my name out and caught a pitcher during the pitching session.  

I thought I did okay in the catching camp hitting and throwing but I have done better on my pop-to-pop time.  I need a runner on first and then I can throw the ball consistently to second base between 1.7 and 1.8 seconds.

When I get in a situation where I just need to throw the ball to second base, I am much slower.  Oh well, something I can work on during the winter season.  

I caught Jesse Barns from the Oklahoma Titanium during the pitching camp.  Jesse had been playing 16U and just moved to 18U Gold for the Titanium.  She came and watched my team play a couple of games during the actual tournament. I wish her well in her coming season.   

My team the Tulsa Elite Easton Gold took second in our bracket and therefore did not play on Sunday but we played some good teams and had fun.  It is funny how the last tournament of the season is both sad and happy. We are all sad to see it end but happy to see a couple of weekends off before school starts.

Next up: try out time for the next season.  I have been taking a speed and agility class three times a week and I can definitely tell that I am faster running the bases.  I will also continue to hit with a trainer a couple of times a week.  I will be ready for try outs when the time comes.  

See you on the field

Caitlin Ray
Tulsa Elite Easton Gold
C/IF Utility