There is one who has a hard time breaking into the lineup because of the competition, however her two best friends on the team are starters and roommates. Also last year, I met and talked to her Mom and she loved the academics at UF; besides she also loved CTW and the coaching staff. With the scholarships increasing and her friendships on the team, I think she will stay.
I repeat, are we looking. What do we need to strengthen out roster. I’m thinking a quality backup catcher and pitcher in case anyone leaves or gets hurt.
Take this for what it is worth which might not be a whole lot. Overall, for the 2025 class, I had "Tim's" list, which year in and out has proven to be pretty accurate. We got none of the 25 or so kids on that list. None. Not surprising since we loaded up on extreme young talent in 2023 and 2024. Still, I would have liked one or two. We struck out. So, after that happened, I believe Tim went to plan B and offered and got commitments from Shaw and Bellaire. I have heard decent things on Shaw and she might be a diamond in the rough but she is an outfielder and will be coming into an experienced and loaded outfield. I don't see much more than spot play for her at the start. Bellaire is a catcher. Good luck with that with Jocey and Ariel ahead of her and we have a commit from another catcher in the 2026 class. I have said Matsuno is the biggest head scratcher I have seen in some time. Makes no sense to me from what I know. She apparently wasn't even offered and didn't commit until this Spring which is way late for Tim to get a commit and way late for a "quality" kid to still be available. She played with the third level Batbusters 18U team. Not Taylor's main team and not the second level team...Batbusters Maroon. She played for Batbusters Black. Batbusters are different. There is a ton of exposure for their program and kids...box scores and videos....no other travel club does it the way they do. For most of this past summer Matsuno was in the .270 range and she eventually climbed a little over .300. She made four or five errors in about the 19 or so games she played at short. Understand that playing for Black means she faced much less competition than Taylor playing for the main 18U team and she was still middle of the road at best. I just never have understood Matsuno. Perhaps a late Spring favor to someone? Not a clue.
Game Started. 1st batter 1st pitch hard single off Liv. 2nd batter 1st pitch infield fly to SS. 3rd batter 2nd pitch ground out to Cahallen at 3rd to 1st. Fourth batter line ou to L Lamar.
Gator leadoff Gabby C hard single to RCF . Townsend T with a bunt single throwing error run scored. Taylor ground out to pitcher. Gabby to 3rd. Corbie with a stand up triple and an RBI. Jocy with a fly out to LF. Keegan with a long fly to RF.
All of these girls are competitive. Nothing fun about the starters reliving their accomplishments day in and day out when you have had a bad day.
Nice play by Brook at 3rd but a giant overthrow. Tough bouncer to Rylie with a great play and out. Runner had to hold. Hard single up the middle between Liv's legs. SO for Liv. Ground out to Jocy at first.
Mia hard line draw to CF. Brook with a Single to LF. SO by Layla L. Cassidy with a FC, it should have been a DP. Gabi C with leadoff next inning. Mia out Ona sucker play throw to SS, throw to third for an easy out.
Kenleigh with a great play and throw from 3rd. Rylie with a super play and throw for out 2. Single to RF. High chopper, easy out by Rylie.
Gabi with a hard single up the middle. Gabi with a SB and on the missed throw goes to third. Townsend with a grounout to 2nd and a RBI. Taylor with a double over the LF. Taylor with a SB when the Pitcher stepped back off the mound. Corbi with a hard out to SS. Jocy with a 4 pitch walk. Keegan with a hard out to 3rd.
Lead off single that AK or Kenleigh would have had but by Brook. FC to Riley to Gabi. Tim held Gabi from doubling up the runner. Easy out Brook to 1st. Runner on first stopped halfway and returned to first. Great play in CF by Falby. Another gold glove special.
Mia with ahorrible first swing on a change up. 2nd pitch hard single to LF. Brook with a dropped foul by the first baseman. Brook with Sac to RF. Layla with a high and long Sac to RF. Cassidy with a nice single. Gabi with an infield hit to SS. Great speed! Layla Screaming liner to CF and and a RBI. Oops the umpire made everyone go back. Great decision - next pitch hit about 270 feet for a 3 run HR! Long to the fence fly out by Taylor.
Keegan in to pitch. SO on 3 pitches. Wild pitch 3rd strike. Runner on first. Walk by Keegan. SO by Keega with a 74 mph fastball. Ground out to 2nd for the third out.
Corbi leads off with a great bunt single. Jocy with a ground out to 2nd. Keegan with an easy pop out to 2nd. Mia with an easy 1 hopper to SS for the third out. End of game 1 - 5-0.
Keegan starts. 1st batter SO on a 69 mph rise ball. SO on a great drop ball. Single off Avas glove a first. High bouncer nice play by Mia to tag out the runner going to 2nd.
Kendra leads off with a close play at first on a hard grounded to third. Taylor with a scorching liner down third base. Corbi with a scorcher at 1st base for out 2. Jocy with a double to left. RBI Reagan with a HBP. AK with a ground out to SS. 1-0.
Ava in to pitch. 4 ball walk. Fly out to Kendra in CF. 4 ball walk to the third batter. Corbi with a great running catch in foul territory by Corbi. Bouncer over AK's glove picked up by Kenleigh for the 3rd out.
Kenleigh with a weak grounded to 2nd. Rylie with a screaming triple. Mia with a ground out to SS for an RBI. Ava with a high fly ball out to CF.
