2020 Softball Recruiting Thread

[steeleagle 2,945]

9 hours ago, slot canyon said:

Pannell committed to Coach Dean in early 2018.

Her comment was definitely a straight answer as to why she was looking elsewhere after committing to Auburn.

And i read an article early this year where she was asked a question: If you could have any teammate (no age restrictions), who would it be? KK Crocker (Auburn) was her answer.

And after Crocker decided to leave Auburn, I wonder if Pannell may have had second thoughts on if the Auburn softball program was having problems w/ players leaving, especially one she admired.

[wmsau 63]

I'm concerned about the statement of having concerns around the program since the stuff from Myers time should not connect anything with Dean.

Therefore, are the concerns with Dean, which she committed too? 

 

[gulftiger66 166]

Let's not read too much into this.  I think KK left because she thought that we were strong at middle infield and she wanted more playing time.  I loved that she was a great competitor who didn't want to ride the bench.  KK probably made a good choice leaving.  I think we've got some good new mid infielders on the team now so I'm not worried about next year.  War Eagle.  

[steeleagle 2,945]

11 hours ago, gulftiger66 said:

Let's not read too much into this.  I think KK left because she thought that we were strong at middle infield and she wanted more playing time.  I loved that she was a great competitor who didn't want to ride the bench.  KK probably made a good choice leaving.  I think we've got some good new mid infielders on the team now so I'm not worried about next year.  War Eagle.  

I wasn't insinuating anything about why KK left. Unless KK said why she was leaving, I don't like to speculate.

My comment was about Pannell making a comment of how much she liked KK at Auburn, and since KK decided to leave, Pannell may have started to have doubts about her commitment. Remember this girl committed when I think she was like 13 or 14, so who knows what a young teenagers mind is thinking.

[wmsau 63]

Well, Coach Dean has lost a top recruit that has now committed uat. Bad enough that Barnhart didn’t stick with her long time commitment to AU, uat has join all the other top programs and dismantling our long time and top recruits. This will not breed a successful program  

[slot canyon 1,333]

I believe initial signing date is November 13; just around the corner.

[wmsau 63]

Hoping we have some that will still sign with AU.

 

[Jad0003 405]

We have six commitments for 2020 - all of whom are in ExtraInning’s top 100 players. The guy who does these rankings used to FloSoftballs. 

Sydney Cox, MIF, Carolina Cardinals - ranked #93 - Don’t know much about her.

Kelsey Schmidt, OF, Beverly Bandits - ranked #77 - committed to Dean at JMU and switched her commitment when he came to Auburn.

Denver Bryant, SS/OF, TN Mojo - ranked #22 - played baseball majority of life, including on USA Junior Women’s Baseball Team.

Paige Geraghty, OF, Beverly Bandits - ranked #21 - Flipped from LA Lafayette and former Auburn hitting coach Gerry Glasco.

Shelby Lowe, P, Birmingham Thunderbolts - ranked #11 - Lefty that led her team to a PGF 16U championship in 2018 - one of the top 5 pitchers in the class.

Maddie Penta, P, PA Chaos - ranked #3 - also one of the top 5 pitchers in the class. 

While I do not necessarily agree with all their rankings, this is still the best pitching class in the country. Both Lowe and Penta are game changing, strikeout pitchers. I think Dean will be able to recreate the success he had at JMU with these two and KK Dismukes over the next few years.

The position players are solid pickups for Dean. They seem to be very athletic and fast. Both Bryant and Geraghty have come on strong over the past year. 

If you mix in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 classes, we should start seeing similar success that we did Myers, just might be led by pitching rather than hitting.

[slot canyon 1,333]

Jad0003 thanks for the update.  I did not have Sydney Cox or Paige Geraghty on my list.  Presuming this class holds up and the quality of our most recent class I believe we should have some very good players going forward. Agree that we could have a strong pitching rotation with the talent in this class especially if Dismukes  is as good as advertised.  

[Jad0003 405]

I don’t know much about Cox either. ExtraInnings said she plays shortstop and hits for a high average (.655, 5 HR, only struck out three times all season). This was school ball in North Carolina, so I am unsure of the competition level. 
 

Geraghty and Schmidt are both very fast outfielders that play for the same 18U Beverly Bandits team. Geraghty can bunt, slap, and hit for power, while Schmidt is more of a power hitter.

Bryant seems to be an incredible athlete that makes outstanding plays in the field and hits for a lot of power.

Both Bryant and Geraghty both jumped significantly in the rankings since last year, so I guess they had very good years at the 16U level. 
 

Like I said In my earlier post. Lowe and Penta are two of the top pitchers in the class. They are the aces for their club and high school teams, so they pitch a lot of innings. Lowe might get some support on the Thunderbolts this year with Alabama commit, Jaala Torrence, moving up. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Dean rest their arms next fall like he has done with KK this fall.

[wmsau 63]

Jad003, good updates and I had those commits listed as well and they will help our program. However, we can't lose the kind of high quality commits in the '21 and '22 classes the caliber of Barnhart (to Alabama over Auburn) and Pannell who are both in the top five players within their respective classes. Don't need rankings if you've had the pleasure of seeing these two play the game to see how special they are. It is what it is. Pannell committed to Dean, not Myers and now has removed her commitment. Those are just hard to overcome. 

Appreciate your input and thanks for the information on the '20 recruits. 

[Jad0003 405]

I can’t argue with not losing top recruits - especially two of the caliber of Barnhart and Pannell. 

We still have a number of really good recruits in the 2021 and 2022 class at the moment. These classes were majorly affect by the recruiting rules though and some turnover, even if they committed to Dean, might be expected.

I’m hopeful Penta and Lowe can have an immediate impact to prove to recruits that Dean can win. This could go a long way in getting someone like Pannell back on the commit list. 

[wmsau 63]

Jad003, very true and hopeful of that. Even when they sign on the line, that may send a message before they even arrive on campus.

[Jad0003 405]

Agreed. 
 

November 13th cannot get here soon enough. 

[Jad0003 405]

FloSoftball doing their rankings now. Flo does a true top 100 whereas ExtraInnings Softball shows ties and has more like 125 - 130 players in their top 100.

Sydney Cox at #100 (#93 for EIS)

Kelsey Schmidt at #96 (#77)

Paige Geraghty at #63 (#21)

Denver Bryant at #20 (#22)

Shelby Lowe at #8 (#11)

Maddie Penta at #2 (#3)

Another 2020 player who has visited Auburn recently is 3B Zoe Laneaux from Georgia Impact - Lewis. She is ranked #48 for EIS and #23 for Flo. She has also visited South Carolina, Arkansas, and Mississippi State (where she was once committed).

You can probably find some truth somewhere between the two rankings. I think ExtraInnings put a little more emphasis on recent success in either 18U or 16U whereas Flo put more emphasis on ceiling and competition level (18U vs 16U). This would explain why Lowe was the 3rd best pitcher in Flo but 7th in EIS, and Geraghty was #21 in EIS but #63 for Flo.

Either way I think 3-5 players will have a big impact in either their freshman or sophomore year and beyond. 

[slot canyon 1,333]

Extra Star Power: Auburn-Bound Denver Bryant Brings Baseball Swag to Mojo

 Auburn Tigers, Brittany Lewis, Class of 2020, Denver Bryant, Extra Elite 100, Tennessee Mojo

 November 5, 2019

 

Denver has been a baseball standout for years, only recently coming over to softball, but her skills quickly earned her scholarship offers.

 

Tennessee Mojo-Lewis' Denver Bryant grew up loving and playing baseball, but since she started playing softball as a freshman she transformed herself into one of the top softball prospects in the nation.

"Denver not only has a natural God-given ability, but also has developed a skill-set well beyond athletes her age due to her years playing with boys on the baseball field," Mojo coach Brittany Lewis said.

"She has spent years being the only girl on the dirt, which has created a strong confidence when it comes to playing softball. Just this past year we transitioned her to a softball glove and we are still working on adding a third finger to the softball when she throws."

The Auburn-bound 2020 SS put up huge stats this fall for Dougherty High of Albany, Georgia, batting .759 with an .824 on-base percentage and finishing with 11 homers, seven triples, 12 doubles and 36 RBIs in 54 at-bats. She is a big reason Mojo-Lewis is expected to be a major force at 18U on the national stage next summer.

 

Danielle Tait

 

"Denver is the best athlete I've ever seen or played with," Middle Tennessee State-bound 2020 P Danielle Tait said.

"As a pitcher, having her at short is the best thing I could ever ask for. Her range is like nothing I have ever seen before. I know that any ball that goes her way has a very good chance of being an out. And her hitting is absolutely insane. Pitching against her in practice is so hard because she can basically hit anything no matter where it is. Denver is unique because the way she plays is so effortless, but she is so amazing. She is a big leader on our team by action and it's so amazing playing with her. She is like a sister to me and I'm so thankful I've gotten to play with her these past three years."

Bryant's teammates say she effects games on offense and defense.

 

Denver (bottom left) and her Mojo-Lewis teammates.

 

"Denver is definitely a beast on and off the field," Memphis-committed 2021 OF/1B Emya Munford said. "She is a very hard worker on and off the field. She is so determined to do what she has to so she can get the job done. She is always encouraging others on the team as well. The team can count on Denver on defense and offense. She is a wonderful teammate and I couldn't ask for anyone better."

Bryant's athletic ability is another big strength that helps her make plays many cannot.

"Denver is a all-around athlete offensively and defensively," Troy-committed 2021 3B Aayanah Hughes said. "On the field, she shows out for the benefit of the team. She is not only able to make the fundamental plays, but she also makes the big plays too! She is a special piece to the team, not only because of her undeniable talent, but because of the wonderful teammate she is. She wants the best for everyone but is such a competitor and puts success above everything."

[OlderWhiskey 953]

Wow!  Some of the best numbers I've heard of.  I look forward to watching her play at J.B. Moore.

[slot canyon 1,333]

Posted by Jad003

"Another 2020 player who has visited Auburn recently is 3B Zoe Laneaux from Georgia Impact - Lewis. She is ranked #48 for EIS and #23 for Flo. She has also visited South Carolina, Arkansas, and Mississippi State (where she was once committed)"

Saw on her Instagram page she is a SC commit.

[auburnfan247 27]

Softball America just dropped their new 2022 softball recruit rankings.

Can someone who has an account go on and see where our recruits are ranked

[Jad0003 405]

1 hour ago, slot canyon said:

Posted by Jad003

"Another 2020 player who has visited Auburn recently is 3B Zoe Laneaux from Georgia Impact - Lewis. She is ranked #48 for EIS and #23 for Flo. She has also visited South Carolina, Arkansas, and Mississippi State (where she was once committed)"

Saw on her Instagram page she is a SC commit.

I guess she committed in the past few days then.

Flosoftball just did an article on 2021 Auburn commit, Jessie Blaine.

[slot canyon 1,333]

9 minutes ago, Jad0003 said:

I guess she committed in the past few days then.

Flosoftball just did an article on 2021 Auburn commit, Jessie Blaine.

I have read a couple of other articles about her with a lot of that same info.  She really sounds interesting and hope she ends up in Auburn orange and blue.  

[steeleagle 2,945]

2 hours ago, slot canyon said:

Posted by Jad003

"Another 2020 player who has visited Auburn recently is 3B Zoe Laneaux from Georgia Impact - Lewis. She is ranked #48 for EIS and #23 for Flo. She has also visited South Carolina, Arkansas, and Mississippi State (where she was once committed)"

Saw on her Instagram page she is a SC commit.

mmm. So let's see...she was a Miss St commit, then a SC commit, and now she is visiting AU? 

Does she really know where she wants to play? 

[Jad0003 405]

1 hour ago, steeleagle said:

mmm. So let's see...she was a Miss St commit, then a SC commit, and now she is visiting AU? 

Does she really know where she wants to play? 

She was a Mississippi State commit but with new recruiting rules backed off her pledge as we have noticed from a number of recruits.

She visited a few schools recently over the past few months, one of them being Auburn. Within the past day or two (after my initial post on her) she has committed to South Carolina. 

 

[TD1 227]

I saw Denver and her family at the GA State game last year in Atlanta. They were also at a few of the home games last year. 

[RHN1975 302]

I wouldn't worry about a lot of movement through the '22 class. the 20's-22's were the ones caught in the middle of the rules changes. There have been a bunch who have changed around the country. One of AU's former committs just committed to UM which is the third school she has pledged to. I think there are more open spots for the 21's at big schools than I expected there to be at this point. Big time coaches are watching 21's at showcases this fall when it seemed like their classes would fill quickly.