AUSTIN – On the recommendation of Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, and in consultation with Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott, the University Interscholastic League is altering its schedule of events due to the outbreak of the swine flu in Texas.

Effective immediately, all UIL interscholastic competition is suspended until May 11. The health and safety of our student activity participants is of the utmost importance, said UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt. Taking every possible precaution to prevent the further spreading of this disease is an important contribution to the welfare of our great state, and altering the schedule of our events is a way to keep our participants safe.

As this is a fluid situation, the UIL tentatively releases the following schedule for UIL regional and state events affected by this situation.

No interschool games will take place until May 11 for either softball or baseball. Below is an altered playoff schedule for both sports.Softball Baseball District Certification April 28 May 19 Bi District Deadline May 16 (1 game or 2 out of 3) May 23 (1 game or 2 out of 3) Area Deadline May 19 (1 game only) May 26 (1 game only) Regional Quarterfinal Deadline May 23 (1 game or 2 out of 3) May 30 (1 game or 2 out of 3) Regional Semifinal Deadline May 26 (1 game only) June 2 (1 game only) Regional Final Deadline May 30 (1 game or 2 out of 3) June 6 (1 game or 2 out of 3) State Tournament June 4-6 June 10-13

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lubbock Christian (Tenn.) softball team is the favorite in the 2009 NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Lady Chaparrals, who won their first national title last year in their inaugural season, received 20 of the possible 23 first place votes and 650 total points.

LCU returns all but one player from last year’s national championship team. The Lady Chaps will be led by four returning seniors, including infielders Raquel Hawkins, Honda Rodriguez and Ginalee Davis and pitcher/outfielder Kelly Griego.

Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) earned the other three first place votes and compiled 630 total points. The Sea Lions will return three key players from last season, including seniors Melissa Gomez and Kayla Luttmers and junior Tyler Lent and Jell Schaefer.

California Baptist received 608 total points at No. 3 while Saint Gregory’s (Okla.) earned 581 total points at No. 4 and Dickinson State (N.D.) compiled 550 total points at No. 5.

Mobile (Ala.), last year’s national tournament runner-up, received 546 total points for the sixth spot. Oklahoma City (534 points), Simon Fraser (B.C.) (492 points), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) (444 points) and Columbia (Mo.) (438 points) rounded out the top-10.

The first regular season poll will be released on Tuesday, March 17.

2009 NAIA Softball Preseason Top 25 Poll – Jan. 27

RANK		2008 FINAL RANK		SCHOOL					1ST PLACE VOTES			TOTAL POINTS

1		9			Lubbock Christian (Texas)		20				650
2		2			Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.)		3				630
3		1			California Baptist							608
4		6			Saint Gregory's (Okla.)							581
5		8			Dickinson State (N.D.)							550
6		4			Mobile (Ala.)								546
7		3			Oklahoma City								534
8		14			Simon Fraser (B.C.)							492
9		10			Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)							444
10		12			Columbia (Mo.)								438
11		24			Lee (Tenn.)								431
12		13			Bethel (Ind.)								429
13		11			William Carey (Miss.)							409
14		15			Houston - Victoria (TX)							366
15		7			Shorter (Ga.)								344
16		17			Martin Methodist (Tenn.)						334
17		20			Oregon Tech								318
18		16			Warner (Fla.)								301
19		18			SCAD (Ga.)								232
20		19			Biola (Calif.)								187
21		22			California State-San Marcos						178
22		23			Georgetown (Ky.)							166
23		RV			Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)							160
24		RV			Central Methodist (Mo.)							153
25		NR			William Penn (Iowa)							106

Others receiving votes: Walsh (Ohio) 98; Bellevue (Neb.) 83; Concordia (Ore.) 73; Morningside (Iowa) 64; Indiana Southeast 63; Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) 60; Saint Xavier (Ill.) 57; Brenau (Ga.) 41; William Woods (Mo.) 40; Oklahoma Christian 34; College of Idaho 21; Madonna (Mich.) 18; Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 13; Evangel (Mo.) 11; Bacone (Okla.) 8; Grand View (Iowa) 7; Faulkner (Ala.) 6; Concordia (Calif.) 4; Milligan (Tenn.) 3; Belhaven (Miss.) 3; Minot State (N.D.) 1; Aquinas (Mich.) 1; St. Francis (Ill.) 1; Park (Mo.) 1; Lindenwood (Mo.) 1; Friends (Kan.) 1; Ohio Dominican 1; Campbellsville (Ky.) 1; Notre Dame (Ohio) 1; Northwood (Texas) 1.

BY DAVE LIEBER- FT. WORTH STAR TELEGRAM

Former Keller High School girls softball coach Maureen “Moe” Fritz was in a class by herself.

She led the Lady Indians to two state titles and a national championship. She was named USA Today High School Softball Coach of the Year. She threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Texas Rangers game.

For all her success, she is no longer the team’s coach.

On March 27, she signed a renewal contract for this school year. Ten weeks later, she signed a letter that read: “I Maureen Fritz resign from my coaching position at Keller High School at the end of the 2007-2008 school year contract.”

She now teaches at Indian Springs Middle School.

Several parents asked The Watchdog what happened to Fritz. I filed an open-records request with the Keller school district and received access to a foot-high stack of documents. But the district had other records that it didn’t want to release and asked the Texas attorney general’s office to rule that they were exempt from the Texas Public Information Act.

But the office said that the records — e-mails and memos — were public information. It also scolded the school district for missing the legal deadline to file its appeal.

The e-mails show that in her final days as head coach, Fritz, once a top collegiate player, ran into one opponent she couldn’t beat: the Keller school district bureaucracy.

The e-mails detail a strained relationship with her boss, longtime district Athletic Director Bob DeJonge.

Fritz declined to be interviewed for this column. A United Educators Association lawyer told me the reason: Fritz still works for the district.

Here’s what records show:

Positive reinforcement ordered in lieu of ‘threat’

In April, Fritz wrote a list of expectations for her players. The last paragraph stated, “Failure to follow the guidelines will result in head coach asking student-athlete to pick up personal belongings and leave the dugout.”

When DeJonge saw it, he sent Fritz an e-mail:

“The bottom of the letter is more of a threat than it is an encouragement to the players. Threatening kids with removal from the dugout is not consistent with our expectations of encouragement, ownership and responsibility. I also don’t think you or your staff would be in a very good position to be accountable for supervision of the kids that were removed.

“In short, I want you to remove the bottom paragraph and in its place list the benefits of staying involved in the game and supporting your teammates. Thanks. Bob.”

Handling of playoff game criticized

In early May, Fritz hosted a playoff game. Afterward, DeJonge wrote to her: “Did you inform anyone and did you have the form indicating mandatory charges for rental, game workers, umpires, security, etc.? Please give me some details. Bob.”

Two hours later, he wrote: “I understand that the booster club was not notified of the playoff game. This would have been a much-needed revenue source for the club in support of our teams. I need you to address this along with not notifying anyone else.”

She replied: “I apologize. I thought they knew about the games. The staff, school, maintenance and training did.”

In a second note, she added: “I did not realize until Friday night that the concession stand was not open. I was going to run it myself, but when I opened the concession stand it was totally cleaned out. Again, I am sorry.”

And in a third note, she answered: “No. I did not have this form. This was the first playoff game that I have ever hosted, most likely my last. My apologies. Moe.”

DeJonge wrote back that he would have his assistant “send you the form we use for playoff games. I am very disappointed that we are doing this after the fact. What did you tell the two schools that the fee would be? Did you have security? And where is the gate money? Did you pay the workers or are there pay sheets to be processed? It also would have been easy to arrange for the boosters to staff the stand since the president has a daughter on your team.”

The coach answered that in six years of coaching in the district she had never seen a fee form and didn’t know one existed. She added that she had not been trained to host a playoff game.

DeJonge’s reply: “I am very disappointed in the lack of attention to protocol.”

Rental vans not approved

District officials weren’t happy when they learned that Fritz had rented vans to drive her players to a tournament and then wanted reimbursement. The rental company she used was not an approved vendor. On May 19, she signed a letter acknowledging that the district’s purchasing director had explained the rules.

Ineligible player on bus

DeJonge wrote to Fritz to ask whether an academically ineligible player had traveled on the team bus to games, though she didn’t play.

When several days passed without an answer, DeJonge wrote, “Please send me your response to the question.” A day later he wrote again, “I need a response to my last e-mail.”

Her one-word reply, sent after another day, was not what he wanted to hear:

“Yes.”

Following protocol

The athletic director told me: “You can tell in those e-mails that none of those were deal-breaker-type e-mails. They were just expectations of ‘here’s how we do things.’  . . .  She, like everybody else, had certain expectations and guidelines.”

He added: “Gosh, her record speaks for itself as far as her success as a coach. People get to a time and place in their careers where you think it’s time to do something different. I think collectively we came to that conclusion, and I supported her decision to do that. And she’s moving on.”

By CHARLES WILSON | Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – Being a girl hasn’t kept Logan Young from playing baseball with the boys for nine years, and she and her parents don’t think that should change now that she’s in high school.

The 14-year-old and her family have filed a federal lawsuit over an Indiana High School Athletic Association rule that prohibits the Bloomington South freshman from trying out for the high school baseball team because she is female.

“In this day and age, a girl should have the opportunity to participate on an equal footing with the boys in high school sports and the IHSAA precludes that,” Fishers attorney Tae Sture said Monday.

“Our feeling is, quite frankly, there’s no rational reason for it,” he said.

An IHSAA rule prohibits girls from trying out for baseball if their school has a softball team on the basis that the sports are comparable. But the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis argues that baseball and softball aren’t really the same sport, so girls should be able to try out for baseball.

The suit seeks to have the IHSAA rule thrown out based on the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and Title IX, the federal law that mandates equal educational opportunities for boys and girls.

The suit, filed by Logan and her parents, Marie-Elisabeth and Russell Young of Bloomington, names the IHSAA and the Monroe County Community school district as defendants.

Logan has played third base and outfield in coed community baseball leagues since age 5. She also plays volleyball and basketball.

Her family contacted the IHSAA in May to see whether Logan could participate in baseball during the 2008-09 season. Commissioner Blake Ress said she couldn’t because Bloomington South has a softball team, the lawsuit said.

The Associated Press left a phone message Monday seeking comment from Ress.

The high school, which has a female kicker on its football team, supports Logan’s desire to play and is seeking a waiver so she can try out for baseball, said Bloomington South athletic director J.R. Holmes.

But the lawsuit argues that a waiver — which requires showing extreme hardship — shouldn’t be necessary.

“Softball and baseball are not the same sport, so she has the right to try out,” said Sharon F. McKee, the lead attorney in the case. Under current rules, a boy wanting to play softball also would have to seek a waiver, she said.

Precedent may be on Logan’s side, according to McKee. The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in a similar case in 1989 that baseball and softball are not substantially equal sports, she said, and 24 state athletic associations already allow girls to choose between softball and baseball.

By Scott Bernarde

It’s just three feet, but it’s much bigger than that in the debate over the distance between the pitcher’s mound and home plate in high school girls fast-pitch softball.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the regulation distance from the rubber to the plate is 40 feet. A growing number of coaches, especially those in softball-strong metro Atlanta, would like to see it increased to 43 to be in line with the college game.
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“The three feet, it’s a huge difference for both the pitcher and the batter,” said Kelly Murdock, head coach at Mill Creek, one of the teams expected to challenge for the state Class AAAA championship this weekend in Columbus.

Murdock says moving back the mound will benefit players by allowing them to develop on the same infield dimensions played in college. Pitchers, for instance, would have to adjust their pitches to break at a later point to be successful in college.

The change also might shake up a high school game dominated by certain strikeout pitchers since the Georgia High School Association began sanctioning fast-pitch championships 15 seasons ago.

At least two states (Florida and Massachusetts) have adopted 43 feet on a trial basis. Florida asked to deviate from the National Federation rule because of safety concerns for the pitcher, according to Ernie Yarbrough, associate director with the GHSA, whose area of responsibility includes softball.

He doesn’t see a change happening in Georgia, “unless there’s strong documentation” it can reduce injuries.

“For us to do this, it would have to be an issue of safety, first and foremost,” he said.

A GHSA concern is the ability of small schools and others not in softball-rich areas to be competitive at 43 feet. Some programs already have difficulty finding pitchers effective from 40 feet.

It seems clear that moving the mound back to the college distance could better prepare prospects for the next level. At the same time, with spring and summer travel ball and college showcase events pitching from 43 feet, there are opportunities for top players to get experience. And with the growth of the sport in Georgia since the 1990s, this state now regularly produces a large number of major-college signees.

“While we certainly want to help promote players to play at the college level,” Yarbrough said, “that’s not our prime objective at the high school level.”

COACHES WEIGH IN

Should the mound be moved? We posed that question to coaches who had teams still alive in state playoffs last week:

Alan Maddox, head coach, Loganville

“To be honest, I am undecided on the issue. I personally would like the pitching mound to be moved back to 43 feet. I think for girls that are going to compete at the college level, they need to get used to the mound being at that distance. From a pitching standpoint, it would allow the pitcher to get more movement on the ball and allow the ball longer to break. … From an offensive standpoint, it would allow a greater reaction time for the batter and may take away some of the pitcher dominance. … However, my concerns are for those programs that may not be as competitive or may not have girls that play year-round. For some programs in the state, they are just looking for a pitcher that can throw it across the plate.”

Kristy Simpson, head coach, Kell

“I am in favor of keeping the pitching rubber at 40 feet. Moving the pitching rubber back three feet will hurt the sport because most high school players are not strong enough to be able to pitch from that distance. Also, it will reduce the level of competition throughout the entire state.”

Mike Cavey, head coach, Apalachee

“I am in favor of moving it back. I really feel that this would benefit our high school girls by playing on the same dimensions as they would in college. Three feet makes a tremendous difference both as a hitter and as a pitcher. I really don’t know how many freshmen college pitchers struggle to make the adjustment in their first year of playing college, but I would guess they really have to work extra in preparing for the adjustment.”

Brad Thompson, head coach, Vidalia

“I am in favor of 43 because the average strength of a girl is not very strong. Pitchers are too overpowering from 40. The bats are too small in diameter in relation to the ball. I feel the game would be more exciting from 43; less foul balls, which means the flow of the game would be better.”

Kelly Murdock, head coach, Mill Creek

“It’s just a shame our kids are not playing on the same dimensions that are used in college… . Pitchers pitch all summer at 43 feet [in travel ball], then have to move up to 40. It’s a disservice to the players.”

In an attempt to help college softball coaches scout new prospects, have have created a new website, Fastpitch Web Scouting.

The goal of The Fastpitch Web Scouting Website, located at www.Fastpitch.ws is to create an environment that college softball coaches will enjoy visiting. By creating an easy to use website for college coaches we will increase the amount of coaches actually using the website to look for new players.

It goes without saying that the more coaches that use the website, the more opportunities there are for high school softball players that have their skills videos featured on the site.

Please visit www.Fastpitch.WS today, and see what I am talking about.

Three weeks into the Oklahoma High School softball season there are many athletes putting up impressive early numbers.

Below are some of the top performances reported through week three:

Ashley Brokeshoulder is a right-handed pitcher out of 5A Shawnee High School. The senior hurler continues to put up impressive numbers leading the Lady Wolves to an undefeated (6-0) Shawnee Tournament Championship. She is now 11-2 on the year with over 160 Ks (averaging over 12 Ks per outing).

Sierra Bronkey is a junior righty hurler out of 6A Edmond Sante Fe High School. She stepped up in the Prague Tournament this past weekend, hitting an impressive .666 (10 for 15) with eight doubles and two singles. She was just as solid in the circle going 3-0 with an ERA of 0.00 in 20 innings. This brings her season stats up to a 5-1 record with a 0.00 ERA on the mound, and a .575 batting average (19 for 33) with 13 doubles and eight RBI’s at the plate.

Bailee Cartwright is a second baseman out of Class B Moss High School. The junior speedster had another great week leading her team to the Championship at the Little River Conference Tournament this week. The leadoff hitter is now batting over .500 with one of the highest on-base percentages in the state.

Amy Graham is a righty pitcher and shortstop out of Hominy High School. The senior power-hitter continues to put up some impressive numbers this fall. She now has a .618 batting average and over 30 stolen bases.

Javen Henson, the junior shortstop out of Red Oak High School and the future Lady Sooner, continues to shine. That is, when opposing teams actually pitch to her. She spends a lot of time watching balls go by having been intentionally walked or hit-by-pitch close to half her plate appearances this fall. She has still managed to rack up an impressive .800 slugging percentage, with two homeruns, 16 runs scored and ten RBIs.

Jessica Orr, a senior cleanup hitter and second baseman out of Choctaw High School, is off to an impressive start for the Lady Jackets with a .545 batting average, six doubles, and eight RBIs.

Callie Parsons is a sophomore centerfielder out of 5A Pryor High School. She had another solid week, going 6-for-15 (.400), scoring four runs and stealing four more bases.

Kate Parsons is a junior out of 5A Pryor High School. The righty hurler proved she can also play defense and helped herself out in a five-inning game against Checotah by making 11 of the 15 outs herself.

This week’s Okla. tournament to watch:
Claremore Tournament taking place Thursday  Saturday, Sept 4-6.
The tournament will be held at Claremore High School, Rogers State University and Pecan Park in Claremore.

Two weeks into the Oklahoma High School softball season there are some bigtime stars putting up some impressive early numbers.

Here are a few of the top performances reported from week 2:

Tarra Underhill is a junior 3B out of Henryetta High School. After leading the Lady Knights in batting average as a sophomore in 2007, the power-hitter is off to a great start this fall having a spectacular week going an impressive 11-for-15 for a .733 average.

Javen Henson is a junior shortstop out of two-time Class B State Champions Red Oak High School. It’s business as usual for the 2008 UnderArmour HS All-American and future Lady Sooner as Henson is off to another great start with an .800 sluggin percentage, two homeruns, scoring 16 runs and driving in 10 RBIs through her first 25 at bats.

Hannah Martin is a senior outfiellder out of 6A Owasso High School. After sitting out the first week due to a sprained ankle, the senior speedster helped add some additional spark to the Lady Ram’s offense with a .578 average.

Bailee Cartwright is a junior out of Class B Moss High School. The junior speedster had another great week at the Tuepelo Tournament and finished the week hitting .571 with an on-base percentage of .667 and added nine stolen bases.

Amy Graham is a senior pitcher and shortstop out of Hominy High School. The Tulsa World Player of the Week from week one put up another impressive week. She went 10-for-18 with a .556 average, hit one homerun, drove in six RBIs, scored six runs and stole seven more bases. That brings her season totals to an impressive .618 average (21-for-34) and 26 stolen bases.

Callie Parsons is a sophomore outfielder out of 5A Pryor High School. The Sophomore sensation had another solid week and is now batting .490 on the season.

Katrina Loy the senior outfielder out of 4A Claremore Sequoyah High School had another great week and is leading the Lady Eagles in almost every offensive category including batting average (.478), on-base percentage (.586), sluggin percentage (.565) and walks (6).

This week’s tournament not to miss:
The Hall of Fame Shootout in Oklahoma City on Friday and Saturday Aug 29-30.

Other Tournaments:
Aug 29 Putnam City North Festival
Aug 29-30 Jenks JV Festival
Aug 29-30 Prague Festival

The high school softball season kicked off to a great start last week in Okla. The Sooner state is one of only five states that plays their high school softball season in the fall (Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska and Georgia being the other four).

With the athletes coming straight out of their summer travelball seasons, there are always some immediate impact players that never seem to slow down their progress from the summer and don’t miss a beat.

Here are a few of the top performances from week one:

Amy Graham, a senior and RHP/SS of Hominy High School, continues to prove why she has been one of the top prospects in the country and is being heavily recruited by several top programs.

She starts right where she left off the past few seasons when she hit .615 (59-for-96) with 49/52 stolen bases as a junior and .667 (60-for-90) with 76/80 stolen bases as a sophomore. Graham played in five games this week going an impressive 11-for-16 for a .688 average and stole an amazing 19 bases in 20 attempts. On the mound she recorded 37Ks in 27 innings.

Shelbi Redfearn, a junior and 3B/LF of 6A Stillwater High School, continues to put up some massive numbers. In her first five games, she went 11-for-17 for a .647 average, with 3 homeruns, 4 doubles and drove in 8 RBIs.

Courtney Singleton, a senior pitcher out of Eufaula High School, made appearances in 7 games this week with one perfect game, one no-hitter and one one-hit shutout. She ended the first week with 69 Ks, only 3 BB and only allowed 6 total hits all week.

This week the big high school Broken Arrow Tournament kicks off Friday and Saturday August 22-23 at Arrowhead Park. Always one of the bigger and better high school tournaments of the year with many top teams.

Other tournaments in the area:
Aug 21-23 Depew Invitational
Aug 21-23 Copan Tournament
Aug 22 Kellyville Festival
Aug 22 Lawton Festival

LOWELL, MASS — The Washington Glory headed into Lowell, Mass. needing four wins to solidify their second straight NPF regular season championship but could do no better than a pair of hits in losing 4-0 in the first of a four-game series to the Riptide on Thursday night.

Jackie Pasquerella and Lisa Modglin both drove in a pair of runs off Sarah Pauly (11-5) while Eileen Canney (12-10) struck out seven in getting the complete-game shut-out victory.

Nicole Barber and LaDonia Hughes each delivered hits for the Glory who could not find a way to drive the runners home. The Glory have now be two-hit in their second consecutive game, however took a 4-1 victory over Akron last Monday as both hits were home runs.

The Glory is now tied for the top spot in the NPF with the Chicago Bandits at 29-16. Philadelphia, who was rained out in their game against Akron, will play a double header on Friday and are one game out of first place. New England moves into the fourth and final playoff spot in the NPF while Akron and Rockford are one game out of the final spot.

The Glory and Riptide play game two of this season-ending four-game series on Friday night at 7:05 at the Martin Softball Field.

Incoming Freshman Erika VanWinkle was recently featured in the 2007-2008 Best of Issue for VYPE High School Sports Magazine. VYPE High School Sports Magazine is a monthly publication which features high school athletes in all sports throughout the country. VanWinkle was featured in the February edition of the magazine as one of the top catcher’s in the area. In July, the magazine did a year end review of the top athletes in various sports and honored VanWinkle for her outstanding year on the softball diamond. According to the magazine, ” We listed Erika VanWinkle as an area player to watch. She proved us right by posting a .567 batting average, 41 RBI and 24 stolen bases.”

The Ft. Worth native graduated from Southwest High School and signed a letter of intent last December to play softball at MACU under softball coach Jerald Lewis. VanWinkle lead the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in RBIs for the season and her batting average was among the area’s best as well. She scored 43 runs for the Lady Raiders in 2008. On the year, she picked off 17 of 21 baserunners attempting to steal. A four year letterman at Southwest, VanWinkle was a four time first team All- District performer, a three time All-Region selection and was twice chosen All-State catcher by the Texas Sports Writer’s. She also excelled in the classroom as she was a member of the National Honor Society, a four year Radio Shack Scholar, a Lockheed Scholar, a UIL Scholar Athlete, and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

“Erika is the complete player on and off the field,” Head Softball Coach Jerald Lewis said. “She is exactly what you look for in a Student-Athlete. I am proud to bring “Lil’ Boot”, as she is called in some circles, to my program and I look forward to watching her grow as a person and as an athlete over the next four years.”

By: Garland Cooper
The ASA 18U Gold National Tournament just began this week and it looks like it will be a battle of huge proportions.

It is common knowledge that anything can happen at the National Tournament and even the most confident, and most experienced coaches won’t declare their team as the favorite.

Tony Rico, last year’s winning coach, is ready to see what his team can do this year after having a great summer.

“I’m just going to enjoy the ride and see what happens, he says. “If we could pull out another one it would be great, but if not it doesn’t take away from what we have done. We have had a great two-year run and they could fail this test and still get the ‘A’.”

With that said, the Firecrackers have had a great summer winning their last two tournaments: NFCA Fireworks in Aurora, Colo. and the Champions Cup out of Irvine Calif. The question is: will they win again this year?

“I like the way we are hitting right now, but it is so unpredictable that we have to prepare ourselves for the extremes: losing our first two, and taking it all,” Rico concludes.

Rico certainly has his work cut out for him with a tough bracket in an always-difficult tournament. Especially now with strong teams from all over the nation, the coveted National Championship will become more and more difficult to obtain.

On July 18th over a hundred elite athletes that were present at the Rising Stars Showcase in Plantation, Fla.

The event consisted of four tests: 20-yard sprint, Rotational powerball throw, Vertical jump and Agility shuttle. Once the athletes had completed the four tests they were given an overall SPARQ Rating that indicates the athleticism of each softball player.

Below are the Top Testers from each test including the Top Ten overall SPARQ Ratings of the weekend.

Top Testers 20-Yard Sprint
Erin Marsh-FL-2012-C-2.97
Carly Mureus-FL-2010-C-3.00
Sarah Howell-FL-2011-SS-3.07
Megan Sewell-FL-2009-OF-3.07
Melissa Lewis-NY-2010-OF-3.11
Amber Evans-FL-2009-2B-3.12
Susie Finzel-VA-2010-SS-3.14
Samantha Willins-NY-2009-2B-3.15
Brittany Smith-NY-2011-2B-3.16
Kasey Gray-FL-2011-SS-3.16
Kayla Ellingsen-FL-2008-P-3.17

Top Testers Rotational Powerball Throw
Allison Rice-AL-2009-P-43
Lexi Taylor-FL-2012-OF-42
Kayla Ellingsen-FL-2008-P-41
Melissa Lewis-NY-2010-OF-39
Mary Morris-SC-2009-C-39
Tara Fogarty-NY-2009-C-39
Caroline Carbone-NY-2009-C-38
Megan Aliigood-FL-2009-1B-37
Kelsey Lewis-NY-2009-SS-37
Deja Palmer-FL-2009-OF-37
Andrea Eaton-NY-2009-P-37
Maureen O’Kane-NJ-2009-P-37

Top Testers Agility Shuttle
Melissa Lewis-NY-2010-OF-4.42
Tristi O’Toole-NY-2009-2B-4.51
Sarah Howell-FL-2011-SS-4.56
Kayesi Hill-NY-2011-P-4.58
Sarah Aylesworth-FL-2009-OF-4.60
Amber Evans-FL-2009-2B-4.60
Samantha Ortiz-FL-2010-3B-4.63
Alexandria Washington-FL-2009-OF-4.67
Nicole Palase-NY-2011-P-4.67
Natalie Bellantoni-FL-2009-SS-4.68

Top Testers Vertical Jump
Melissa Lewis-NY-2010-OF-25.4
Megan Sewell-FL-2009-OF-24.6
Brittney Osborn-VA-2009-OF-24.5
Alexandria Washington-FL-2009-OF-24.4
Elizabeth Beck-FL-2009-3B-23.5
Kelsie Scott-VA-2010-OF-23.4
Kayla Ellingsen-FL-2008-P-22.2
Amber Evans-FL-2009-2B-21.8
Courtney Delapp-FL-2010-P-21.6
Jaclyn Bruno-NY-2009-OF-21.6
Kelsey Lewis-NY-2009-SS-21.6

Top Testers Overall SPARQ Rating
Melissa Lewis-NY-2010-OF- 117.27
Amber Evans-FL-2009-2B- 101.04
Sarah Howell-FL-2011-SS-99.39
Lexi Taylor-FL-2012-OF-96.15
Alexandria Washington-FL-2009-OF-95.64
Kayla Ellingsen-FL-2008-P-95.04
Tristi O’Toole-NY-2009-2B-88.41
Nicole Palase-NY-2011-P-88.02
Natalie Bellantoni-FL-2009-SS-87.78
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Texas placed five players, the most from any other state, on the first team of the 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA High School All-America Teams, the association announced Thursday.

Pitcher Tomi Garrison from Garland High School, Catcher Calli Wood of Bryan HS, Third Baseman Taylor Hoagland of Flower Mound HS, Brenham High’s Shortstop Emily Albus, and Utility player Kelsea Orsak from Pearland HS were the five chosen from the Lone Star State.

Broad Run (VA) finished the season as the No.1 team in the nation in the final USA Today/NFCA High School Poll and had one player named to the first team, pitcher Caitlin Delahaba. The other pitchers named were Masuk’s (CT) Rachele Fico and Kenzie Fowler of Canyon Del Oro (AZ). Fowler wasn’t the only Dorado named an All-American as third baseman Katie Asher was selected to the second team.

Along with Wood, the second catcher named to the first team was Sheldon‘s (CA) Lindsey Ziegenhirt. One other player from California was named to the first team, and that was UCLA signee Andrea Harrison.

The first team’s first baseman was Erin Falkenberry, from Pendleton Heights in Indiana. The slugger finished the 2008 season with a .510 batting average, 12 homeruns, 55 runs batted in. Next season, Falkenberry will play at Butler University.

The final infield spot on the first team was given to second baseman Taylor Tooley from Barrington (IL). This past season the junior hit .474 with seven homeruns and 43 RBIs.

For the second straight year, Shadle Park (WA) had two players named to the first team. The Spokane high school also had two players named to the honorable mention team. Outfielder Allie Burger was selected to the first team for the second straight year and pitcher Samantha Skillingstad was named to the first team after being a second teamer last season. China Frost and Danielle Lynn were the other two Highlanders named to an All-America team.

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA High School All-Americans
First Team
Position Name School
Pitcher Caitlin Delahaba Broad Run HS (VA)
Pitcher Rachele Fico Masuk HS (CT)
Pitcher Kenzie Fowler Canyon Del Oro HS (AZ)
Pitcher Tomi Garrison Garland HS (TX)
Catcher Calli Wood Bryan HS (TX)
Catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt Sheldon HS (CA)
First Base Erin Falkenberry Pendleton Heights HS (IN)
Second Base Taylor Tooley Plainfield Central HS (IL)
Third Base Taylor Hoagland Flower Mound HS (TX)
Shortstop Emily Albus Brenham HS (TX)
Outfielder Allie Burger Shadle Park HS (WA)
Outfielder Lisa Finizio Indian Hills HS (NJ)
Outfielder Andrea Harrison Pacifica HS (CA)
Utility Kelsea Orsak Pearland HS (TX)
At-Large Audrey Broyles Pembroke Pines Charter HS (FL)
At-Large Samantha Skillingstad Shadle Park HS (WA)

Second Team
Position Name School
Pitcher Sara Buchholz Gulliver Preparatory School (FL)
Pitcher Hadley Clark Owensboro Catholic HS (KY)
Pitcher Tess Sito Elyria HS (OH)
Pitcher Jessica Spigner Valencia HS (CA)
Catcher Kelsey Cooper Mary G. Montgomery HS (AL)
Catcher Emily Slack East Islip HS (NY)
First Base Katarina Menendez Hauppauge HS (NY)
Second Base Alyssa Sceppaguercio Immaculate Heart Academy (NJ)
Third Base Katie Asher Canyon Del Oro HS (AZ)
Shortstop Laura Vickers Olathe East HS (KS)
Outfielder Kendall Grimm Olathe East HS (KS)
Outfielder Tisah Mahon North Davidson (NC)
Outfielder Breja’e Washington Cajon HS (CA)
Utility Krystina Poloni Pearl River HS (NY)
At-Large Amber Garza Elkins HS (TX)
At-Large Stephanie Kirkpatrick Plainfield Central HS (IL)

Honorable Mention
Position Name School
At-Large Kandace Boudreaux St. Amant HS (LA)
At-Large Kim Cygan Barrington HS (IL)
At-Large Kara Dill Keystone HS (OH)
At-Large China Frost Shadle Park HS (WA)
At-Large Alex Jones Enid HS (OK)
At-Large Paige Ladenburger Washburn Rural HS (KS)
At-Large Alex Lagesse Beecher HS (IL)
At-Large Alyssa Leonard Bay Shore HS (NY)
At-Large Danielle Lynn Shadle Park (WA)
At-Large Katie Nichols San Marcos HS (TX)
At-Large Nicole Osovski Maine Endwell HS (NY)
At-Large Kendall Patterson McLouth HS (KS)
At-Large Lyndsey PeQueen Toms River East HS (NJ)
At-Large Lauren Sewell Pembroke Pines Charter HS (FL)
At-Large Madison Shipman Valencia HS (CA)
At-Large Jessie Stavola East Hampton HS (NY)

After an undefeated season, that featured a state title, Broad Run High School (Va.) is the No. 1 team in the nation according to the final USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll of the season.

The Spartans ended the 2008 season at 28-0 and have won 57 games in a row. During the season Broad Run had a team batting average of .400, outscored its opponents 231-3 and didn’t allow an earned run all year.

Moving up to the No. 2 spot is Butler (N.C.), followed by last week’s top team Aledo (Texas), Sheldon (Calif.), and Central Davidson (N.C.).

Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.) is the first of four teams from Florida in the final poll at No. 6. Canyon del Oro (Ariz.) is at No. 7, with Shadle Park (Wash.), Valencia (Calif.), and Mt. Carmel (Calif.) rounding out the top 10.

New Mexico’s Cibola High School is in at No. 11, Hueytown is next with a 61-5-2 record, and Tennessee’s AAA Champion Ooltewah High School is 13th. Simi Valley (Calif.) is one of the Golden State’s six teams featured in the poll at No. 14, and Hickory (Va.), fresh off its AAA State Tournament victory, is 15th.

Naples (Fla.) is No. 16, followed by Santiago (Calif.), Smithson Valley (Texas), Kennedy (Calif.), Escondido (Calif.), Coronado (Texas), Eau Gallie (Fla.), Byrd (La.), Mandarin (Fla.), and Williamston (N.J.).

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

he Aledo Ladycats remain the No. 1 team in the nation in this week’s USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll. During the last week, Aledo won two games, a 6-0 win over Waco Midway in the Texas State Semifinals, and a 4-0 victory over Nederland in the Texas 4A State Championship. In the title clinching win, Ladycat pitcher Whitney Canion improved ton 31-0-1 on the season and struck out a state record 22 batters.

Broad Run (Va.) remains as the No. 2 team in the country, followed by Butler (N.C.), who won its third straight 4A title with a 5-3 win over North Davidson. In the No. 4 position is Sheldon (Calif.), followed by, Central Davidson (N.C), Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.), Canyon del Oro (Ariz.), Shadle Park (Wash.), Simi Valley (Calif.), and Cibola (N.M.). Simi Valley saw its undefeated season come to an end with a 3-0 lost to Valencia in the Central Coast Sectional Final.

Santiago (Calif.) is ranked No. 11 this week, with Kennedy (Calif.), Hueytown (Ala.), Smithson Valley (Texas), Escondido (Calif.), and Ooltewah (Tenn.) following.

In the No. 17 spot is Valencia (Calif.), fresh off their sectional championship over Simi Valley. Another newcomer is in at No. 18 with Mount Carmel debuting after winning the San Diego Sectional Title. Rounding out the top 20 is 24-1 Hickory (Va.), and Ryle (Ky.).

Rankings 21 through 25 include: Naples (Fla.), Coronado (Texas), Eau Gallie (Fla.), Byrd (La.), and Elyria (Ohio).

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

Aledo High School (Texas) is the No. 1 team in the country for the second straight week in the latest USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll. This past week the Ladycats defeated Joshua High School in the Region 1 4A Championship to advance to the school’s first Texas State Tournament where they will square off against Nederland.

Broad Run (Va.) remains as the No. 2 team in the country, followed by Sheldon (Calif.), who moves up one spot after winning the D-1 Section Championship by defeating Elk Grove twice. This is the second straight section championship for the Huskies who finish the season at 32-2.

In at No. 4 is Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.), followed by, Butler (N.C.), Canyon del Oro (Ariz.), Central Davidson (N.C.), Kennedy (Calif.), and Shadle Park (Wash.). Both Kennedy and Shadle Park both saw their seasons come to an end this week with losses in their respective playoffs. Butler and Central Davidson, on the other hand, continue their undefeated seasons with perfect weeks.

Cibola (N.M.) and Hueytown (Ala.) move up this week to Nos. 11 and 12 thanks to losses by Santiago (Calif.), Smithson Valley (Texas), and Escondido (Calif.), who fall to 13, 14, and 15, respectively.

In the No. 16 spot is Ooltewah (Tenn.), who won the Tennessee 3A State Championship with a win over Beech High School. Following the Owls are Coronado (Texas), Eau Gallie (Fla.), Byrd (La.) and Mandarin (Fla.).

Hickory (Va.) saw their perfect season come to an end with a loss this past week and drop to No. 21. Plano (Texas) is at No. 22, followed by Naples (Fla.), Ryle (Ky.), and newcomer to the poll, Burlington (Ill.).

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

For the second straight week, the USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll features a new team at the top. Aledo (Texas) is the poll’s newest No. 1 team in the nation, and will look to continue their quest for a 4A Texas State Champions in their regional final game against Joshua High School. The Ladycats take over the top spot after last week’s No. 1 team, Sheldon (Calif.), lost a game to Elk Grove in their section tournament. With the loss, Sheldon drops to No. 4 in this week’s poll.

Taking over the No. 2 spot is Broad Run (Va.), who kept their perfect season alive after a 3-0 week. The Spartans are now 21-0 on the season and have won 50 straight games over the past two seasons. Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.) moves up a spot to No. 3, despite their season being over, and the aforementioned Sheldon (Calif.), is in at No. 4. The Butler Bulldogs round out the top 5 after improving to 24-0 on the season.

Rankings 6-10 feature Canyon del Oro (Ariz.), followed by Kennedy (Calif.), Shadle Park (Wash.), Simi Valley (Calif.), and Central Davidson (N.C.).

Numbers 11-14 are the same as this past week with Santiago (Calif.) at No. 11, followed by Smithson Valley (Texas), Escondido (Calif.), and Cibola (N.M.). This past week the Cibola Cougars won the New Mexico 5A State Championship with a 10-3 win over Carlsbad. Hueytown (Ala.) is in at No. 15, and is also fresh off a state championship. Last week, the Golden Gophers won the Alabama 6A State Championship with a 2-0 win over Vestavia Hills.

Coronado (Texas) is the No. 16 team this week, followed by Eau Gallie (Fla.). Ooltewah (Tenn.) moves up three places to No. 18 after a 2-0 week. Hickory (Va.) also climbs up three spots after improving to a perfect 20-0 on the season, and Plano (Texas) is in at No. 20.

Rounding out the poll is Byrd (La.) at No. 21, followed by Mandarin (Fla.), Carl Sandburg (Ill.), Naples (Fla.), and Ryle (Ky.), who returns to the poll with a 27-3 record.

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

After five weeks as the No. 1 team in the nation, Pembroke Pines Charter’s reign at the top of the USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll, has come to an end. The Jaguars lost in Florida’s 4A State Championship against Naples to end their season with a 29-1 record, and fall to No. 4 in this week’s poll.

Taking the No. 1 spot this week is Sheldon (Calif.), who improved to 25-1 on the season. This isn’t the first time the Huskies have been No. 1, as Coach Mary Jo Truesdale’s squad held the ranking in the year’s first poll on April 3.

With the loss to Pembroke Pines, Aledo (Texas) and Broad Run (Va.) slide up a spot each to Nos. 2 and 3 respectively. Canyon del Oro (Ariz.) ranks at No. 5 again this week, after winning the 4A-I Arizona State Championship. Following Head Coach Amy Swiderski’s crew is: Butler (N.C.), Kennedy (Calif.), Shadle Park (Wash.), Simi Valley (Calif.), and Central Davidson (N.C.).

In the No. 11 slot sits Santiago (Calif.), who fell from last week’s rank of No. 7, after a loss to Corona (Calif.). Smithson Valley (Texas) jumps four spots this week to 12 after improving their record to 31-2, and continues to march through the 5A Texas State Playoffs. At No. 13 sits undefeated Escondido (Calif.), followed by Coronado (Texas), who saw their season come to an end at 37-4, after be eliminated in the 5A Texas Regional Quarterfinals by Weatherford. Rounding out the top 15 is Cibola (N.M.), who drops four spots after losing their first game of the season to Rio Rancho (N.M.).

Hueytown (Ala.) is this week’s No. 16 team, after defeating Austin (Ala.) in the 6A Alabama Sub-State Playoffs. Hueytown is followed by Eau Gallie (Fla.), Plano (Texas), Byrd (La.), and Carl Sandburg (Ill.).

Rankings 21-23 features Ooltewah (Tenn.), Hickory (Va.), and Mandarin (Fla.). Elyria (Ohio) and Naples (Fla.) are Nos. 24 and 25, and are new to the week’s poll. Elyria is currently undefeated at 19-0 and Naples enters the poll after defeating the previous No. 1 team in the nation, Pembroke Pines Charter, in the 4A Florida State Championship Game.

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

Dominican College sophomore shortstop Cara Piasecki has been selected as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week for the week ending April 27, it was announced on Wednesday.

Piasecki hit .559 for the week, going 9-for-34 in the Chargers 10 games played last week. She had at least one hit in each of the 10 games and finished with seven runs, 14 RBI, four doubles and two home runs on the week.

A sophomore from Port Monmouth, N.J., Piasecki went 3-for-4 with six RBI in the first game of a doubleheader against Wilmington University on Sunday. She also had a 3-for-4 day against the University of the Sciences on Saturday and posted a 4-for-4 effort against Post last Monday.

She set a school record on April 26 with her 10th home run of the season. The Chargers have set a school record for conference victories in a season with 18, surpassing the previous school record of 15.

For her efforts, Piasecki also earned Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Player of the Week honors.