Wednesday, January 27, 2010

MC Elite Gold College Players (Part 2)

This is the second of our two part series spotlighting players in college that have played in the MC Elite Gold system. As I stated before, we feel an allegiance to these fine players and we follow them throughout their college careers. A future edition will be spotlighting some of our players that have graduated from college and catch up on what they are doing today. We have some awesome young ladies that are making huge contributions to society and are making us better people.

Let begin in the Southland Conference. Our first player is Krista Hallmark from Tomball, Texas. Krista is a sophomore at Stephen F Austin University. Krista had limited opportunities last season but is on course to get more playing time this year. She is an awesome defensive infielder with great speed. We have returning Southland Player of the Year in Kayla Gutowski. We have spotlighted Kayla in a previous release. Kayla played 1st base last season but should be extended time at catcher this season. Krista and Kayla will be joined by MC Elite Gold freshman Jillian Bussell and Brandi Dutton. Still in the piney woods is Sam Houston senior Hollie Hatcher. Hollie is from Willis, Texas. Coming off an injury last season, Hollie will provide depth and leadership to the fine Sam Houston squad. Freshman MC Elite Gold player Jene’ Gilmore will provide the MC Elite link at Sam Houston. Still in the Southland is Texas A&M Corpus Christi. They feature two MC Elite Gold players. The first is Elena Crabtree. Elena is from Montgomery, Texas and played one year at Blinn College. She was All Conference Pitcher and lead Blinn into the NJCAA playoffs. Elena was the lead pitcher for MC Elite Gold when we earned our first ASA Gold berth. Elena will be expected to provide victories for TAMU CC this season. Also at TAMU CC is senior pitcher Morgan Seals. Morgan is a lefthander pitcher from Willis, Texas. Morgan started at TAMU Kingsville before transferring to TAMU CC. Morgan will work as a closer for TAMU CC this season. She has recovered from a hand injury and is ready to save games for TAMU CC. Morgan has worked very hard to earn playing time this season. A special mention goes to friend of MC Elite Gold, Landry Moore. Landry is from Kingwood and will catch for TAMU CC and make Elena and Morgan stars this year.

Moving to the DFW area is UT Arlington. This summer Kelsey Kaiser played for MC Elite Gold. Kelsey is from Pasadena, Texas. Kelsey was spotlighted in a previous edition. Kelsey will provide hitting and fielding for UTA this season. Staying in the area is Sun Belt’s North Texas University. This team features MC Elite Gold player Anna Barren. Anna is from Magnolia, Texas. She is a very quick left-handed hitter. She plays middle infield for NT. Anna was integral in MC Elite’s Gold qualifying team. Anna played at Houston Baptist before transferring to North Texas. Joining Anna will be MC Elite Gold freshman Lesley Hirsch. Also in the Sun Belt is University of Louisiana at Monroe. This team will feature Jessica Chastka. Jessica was highlighted in a previous edition. Jessica is from College Station. Jessica will provide pitching depth for ULM this year.

How about some out of state kids… At Harvard University is freshman Ashley Heritage. Ashley is a lightning quick outfielder that should impact the Harvard squad. Ashley is from College Station and played for Billy Hick’s A&M Consol Tigers. Ashley was an integral part of our Gold Qualified team. Also part of our gold qualified team was Mallory Mitchell. Mallory is a junior at the University of Minnesota. Mallory is from Forney, Texas and plays infield. According to her coach” Mallory is one of our most improved players in the fall”.

Moving back to Texas and looking at the DII Lone Star Conference we find Texas A&M Kingsville. TAMUK has been at the forefront of MC Elite players and this year is indicative of the quality of our MC Elite program. The first player to spotlight is Cassie Anderson. Cassie is a senior and is from Splendora, Texas. Cassie was leadoff and a vital cog in our 1st Gold Qualified team. To let you know the honors bestowed to Cassie here are some highlights… 2009… Daktronics First Team All American, NCFA/ Louisville Slugger 1st Team All-Region and LSC South first Team. She had a 26 game hitting streak and batted .437 including a .492 average with runners on base. Her batting averages are as a freshman .317, sophomore was .357, and junior was .437. Including in this year’s preseason honor is being named the Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year. Cassie has also been named to TAMUK’s All Decade Team. Joining Cassie at TAMUK is Kaycee Bryan. After a spectacular freshman year, Kaycee will have a great sophomore year. Kaycee was the everyday centerfielder and she batted .359 with runner on base. Kaycee is from Splendora, Texas. Filming the games will be Kaycee’s sister Shaun Bryan Pergoda. Shaun is married and currently expecting her first child. Shaun was the starting 2nd and the team’s third-leading hitter last season. Shaun is a senior this year. Shaun is from Splendora, Texas. Also in the LSC is West Texas A&M. This nationally ranked team features MC Elite Gold pitcher Shelbey Cockrell. Shelbey had a 2.92 earned run average and was 9-6 won-loss record. She had 93 K’s in 23 appearances. Shelbey is expected to be an integral part of the WT A&M and is working very hard to achieve her goals. Shelbey is from Pearland, Texas. Also in the LSC is Tarleton State. This team features senior Meagan Eldridge. Meagan is from Willis, Texas. After two stellar years at Western Texas College, she transferred to Tarleton in 2008. She hit .248 and had a .929 fielding percentage. She sat out the 2009 season with a torn ACL injury. Meagan has set her mind on having a great senior year this season.

Let cover a couple of other players with MC Elite Gold ties. One is Christina Braziel. She is a junior at Nyack University in New York State. She was honored as the CAAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman. She batted .391 with 21 RBI’s and 3 home runs. She followed that with a great sophomore year. She will be expected to lead Nyack this season. Christina is from Magnolia, Texas. From Montgomery, Texas is Whitley Hoppe. She attends Ouachita Baptist University. She will be a junior this season. After seeing limited action last season she will be expected to contribute both at the plate and in the field. Whitley was All-State at Montgomery High School.

Back in Texas is DIII East Texas Baptist University. This school has long been a popular choice for MC Elite’s players. This year junior Kaleigh Mushinski will pitch and contribute to this perennial national power. Kaleigh is a junior from Magnolia, Texas and sister of MC Elite Gold‘s Kassi Mushinski. In 2009 she had an outstanding 1.05 era in primarily a relief role. She average more than 1 K per inning. As a freshman she was All-ASC East Division Honorable Mention. Also in the American Southwest Conference is Letourneau University. This team features Cy Fair’s and MC Elite Gold’s Crissy Simmons. Crissy was part of our 2nd Gold qualifying team. As a freshman she batted .377 and was All-American SW honorable mention. As a sophomore last season she batted .301. Crissy set the career record for stolen bases last season. Just a quick stop is NAIA Williams Baptist College. MC Elite player Trish Driver is a sophomore Pitcher/ 1st from Montgomery, Texas. After a good freshman year she will be expect to have a great year this season.

Let’s have a few quick hits from the juco ranks. Our first stop is Hill College located in Hillsboro, Texas. One of our MC Elite- Hatfield players is Amanda McLaren. Amanda is from Magnolia, Texas and is a sophomore at Hill. Amanda is a left-handed batter that plays OF. Amanda will be joined by MC Elite Gold player Kourtney Fyffe. Kourtney is from New Caney, Texas and was featured in a previous edition. At San Jacinto College we featured Kacy Hobbs. Kacy played for MC Elite- Seals and is a freshman catcher from Cleveland, Texas. She play high school ball for Caney Creek High School. In East Texas we have Lon Morris College. This features Amber Muckelroy. Amber played for MC Elite-Seals and is a sophomore middle infielder. Amber is from New Caney, Texas and played at New Caney High School.

I have tried to include as many players as possible. I’m sure I’ve missed some players that played on our sister teams. I will append our highlights to include them as I get them. It is my intent to follow these players and their teams this season and let everyone know how they are doing. I never liked the fact that we have players that contribute mightily to our summer teams and then they are off to college and nobody follows them. I will try to make our alumni know that they are appreciated for what they have done for our organization and we are proud of seeing their successes.

In a future edition I will tell you about some awesome young ladies and what they are doing today. This is the ultimate goal for any player coming thru our system… dealing with life’s hurdles and achieving a successful life.

Monday, January 18, 2010

MC Elite Gold College Players

MC Elite Updates:

This is the first of a two part series about MC Elite Gold players in college. The edition will be concerning MC Elite Gold players that competed for us during fall 2008 and summer 2009. The next edition will be to spotlight players that are upper classmen in college. A future edition will be to give an update for graduated players and what they are doing now. We will start with the 2008 fall team. We were fortunate to have a very talented group and I want you to know what they are doing today. I will start with the players that comprised our fall roster. I will include players that opted out for no college softball and those that changed teams for the summer.

Heather Haas Heather played last fall. She is from Shiner, Texas and was a power pitcher who had a state championship to her credit. Due to travel issues she didn’t play with us last summer. Heather did sign a scholarship with St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. Heather will help with the St. Mary’s staff as well as providing a powerful bat and versatility at other positions.

Cree Smith Spring High School’s All District 3rd played and earned a scholarship to Sam Houston University. Cree ultimately made the decision that she didn’t want to play softball in college and concentrate on her academics. Cree is currently enrolled at Texas State University and enjoying her college life.

Kalen Cox Kalen played last fall but decided not to play this past summer. Kalen is a very talented player and did accept an invitation to play ball at West Texas A&M. Kalen was an outstanding player from Big Sandy, Texas. She had all the tools including speed and softball smarts. She had a nice fall this year at WT A&M but ultimately decided not to play college softball. She is still attending West Texas A&M and working on her studies.

Lauren Perkins Lauren played last fall but decided to only play high school softball and concentrate on her studies. Lauren will attend a local college before completing getting her degree from Texas A&M. Lauren has been an integral part in Tomball High School’s preseason softball this fall. She is looking forward to playing her senior year and then entering college.

Shelby Smith... Shelby pitched very effectively in fall 2008. She provided a strong effort each outing. Shelby led her Huntsville High School into the playoffs the year before. She had an awesome post season including knocking off state ranked Brenham. Shelby has decided that she doesn’t want to continue playing softball and concentrate on other aspects of her life.

This concludes the players that opted not to play in the summer 2009 team. We certainly wish the best for these ladies and will still consider them as part of MC Elite. It is our common fabric and we believe

…. Once Elite…Always Elite.

OK… let talk about our Summer 2009 Squad. We had some AWESOME talent and came with one game of qualifying for Gold Nationals. I do know we provided some great colleges with great talent. I look forward to following their exploits on the softball fields. I know they will be front and center.

Nicole Sanders… Infielder from Livingston High School. Played both infield and outfield for MC Elite. Provide great bat and could play numerous positions. Nicole signed a scholarship at Arkansas Tech University. She stayed thru the fall but decided to move back closer to home. She is currently playing softball for Angelina College in Lufkin. She will be a force for them.

Jene’ Gilmore… Shortstop, 2nd from Barbers Hill High School. Jene’ had an outstanding summer and signed a scholarship with Sam Houston University. She had an outstanding fall and will get some deserved playing time this college season.

Brandi Dutton… 1st, Pitcher for Oak Ridge High School. Brandi played a huge role this summer and was a big part in our run at Regionals. Brandi signed a scholarship with Stephen F Austin University. Brandi had a good fall including battling thru a foot injury. She is ready to compete this spring.

Kourtney Fyffe… Infielder from New Caney High School. Kourtney is a two year player for MC Elite. She provide speed and outstanding defense. Kourtney signed a scholarship to play at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas. She will contribute to her team because of her outstanding talent and team attitude.

Jillian Bussell…1st base for national high school powerhouse Klein Oak Panthers. After an outstanding high school career and a great summer campaign Jill is prepared to have a standout impact season with Stephen F Austin University with whom she earned her scholarship. Jill had an outstanding fall and anxious to prove she is ready to take the Southland Conference by storm.

Ashley Heritage… All District for softball and academics at A&M Consolidated High School, Ashley is attending Harvard University. She is playing softball and getting what is widely considered as the best college education in the nation. Ashley is an awesome player but more importantly an awesome person.

Haley Hughes All District 1st from Tomball High School. Haley is a three year MC Elite player that leaves a lasting legacy with our team. She is a very smart softball player and a fierce competitor. Haley doesn’t back down to a challenge. She is attending Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and playing softball. Haley has a bright future both on and off the field.

Lesley Hirsch… Lesley is a SS, 2nd from Montgomery High School. Lesley received her scholarship from North Texas University. Lesley is on track to be the starting shortstop as a freshman. In my opinion, Lesley had the most outstanding summer season on the team. My only regret with Lesley is that she only played one year for MC Elite. Lesley will play at N. Texas with her older sister, Monica.

Kayla Gutowski… Kayla returned to play ball last summer after her 1st year at Stephen F Austin University. Kayla was all conference as well as being named the Outstanding Hitter Award in the Southland Conference. Kayla has played for MC Elite for three years and she always played outstanding softball. Kayla returns to SFA to build on her past accomplishments and achieve an NCAA playoff berth.

Kelsey Kaiser… Kelsey plays softball at UT Arlington. She played high school ball at Pasadena Dobie High School. Kelsey had an outstanding summer and should be a renewed asset for UTA. Kelsey made the catch of the year last season in UTA’s victory over SFA. Look for great things from Kelsey this year.

Jessica Chastka… Although Jessica had limited playing time this past summer because of injuries, she was tremendous at Regionals. Jessica played high school at A&M Consolidated. She earned a scholarship at University of Louisiana at Monroe. She is expected to contribute a lot for the Sun Belt’s Warhawks. I will follow her exploits and keep you updated.

Trish Driver I wanted to mention Trish because of her help with our staff at Gold Regional this past summer. Trish is from Montgomery High School and plays college ball for Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Trish played for MC Elite during her high school career. When Trish isn’t pitching for Williams Baptist, she plays 1st.

I did want to mention a few other players that contributed last year but aren’t currently playing for MC Elite. We always appreciate their effort and wish the best for everyone…

Taylor Munguia Taz plays for Cy Ridge High School and has signed with Texas A&M Kingsville to play college ball. Taylor is a versatile player that is max effort every time. She played for Cy Fair Intruders this past fall.

Jordan Berry… Jordan played outfield for MC Elite the past summer. She goes to A&M Consolidated and played last fall for the Cobras. Jordan will contribute to A&M Consol’s high school district championship run.

Riley Poston… Riley played for MC Elite this past summer. Riley is a catcher and utility player. Riley is a great effort player that makes it easy to coach. Riley plays high school ball for Navasota High School. Riley didn’t play ball this fall but according to her high school coach, that will change.

This includes a wrap-up of our summer 2009 team. The other players not listed are currently playing on MC Elite Gold. I want to thank each player for their contribution and I look forward to following them thru college and further. If I missed anyone or got the information wrong, let me know. Our next installment will be on current MC Elite players playing in college.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

2010 MC Elite Gold Preseason Outlook

High School Outlook for 2010

Preseason Outlook for MC Elite Gold High School 2010

This is our first entry into the 2010 high school softball season. We will spotlight some of the MC Elite Gold players and their high school teams. We will spotlight some of our college players in a future entry.

Magnolia High School (18-4A) features two MC Elite Gold players. Senior Pitcher Katy Adair is a returning 18-4A All District performer. Katy has lead her team to the playoffs since she burst on the scene four years ago. Katy is committed to Galveston College. Senior Kassi Mushinski is a returning 18-4A All District player. She played 2nd base last season but has moved to shortstop for this season. Kassi will play college ball at Texas A&M Corpus Christi next year. Magnolia lost six starters from last season but is still expect to be a force in 18-4A this year.

Willis High School (18-4A) features three MC Elite Gold players. Junior Pitcher Sarah Debrow is a returning 18-4A All District performer. Sarah is expected to lead the talented Willis squad into the 2010 playoffs. Senior Shelby Stephens was a 1st team All District performer at 1st base last season. She will bring strength and leadership to this year’s squad. Moving into the catcher’s spot for Willis this year will be senior Candace Luna. Candace’s strong bat will be a great asset for Willis. Willis returns almost all the nucleus of last year’s squad. If this team can be consistent, they should make the playoffs.

Junior standout Meme Quinn is a returning 1st Team District 13-5A from Tomball High School. Meme was all district outfield and top of the line-up hitter. She may get some pitching time this year also. Meme has speed and utilizes it to its fullest. Tomball High School is a very talented team that only lost one starter from last year’s Area’s Finalist. Tomball recently won the Round Rock High Preseason Tournament which featured 52 teams. Tomball will be state ranked and could be playing at Austin at the state tournament. Meme has verbally committed to play college ball at Sam Houston University.

Team leader Sarah Allison returns for her senior year at A&M Consolidated High School. Sarah is All District as well as All Brazos Valley in 2009. She alternated between shortstop and catcher last season. Sarah led her team in homeruns with 6 including a .424 batting average. A&M Consol won District 12-5A last year. They lost some players to graduation and move outs but they will still compete for 1st place. Sarah has the longest current longevity with MC Elite Gold and is a vital cog in our hopes this summer. Sarah has signed to play softball at Sam Houston University this fall.

Bryan High School (12-5A) player Jennifer Saxby returns for her senior season. Jennifer was All District 12-5A last season at catcher. Jennifer will spend considerable time at 3rd this season as well as provide depth at catcher. Jennifer is also part of the Brazos Valley Academic Team. Bryan made the playoffs last season and should be a force again this year. Maturity from some of the younger players will be the determinate factor.

Barbers Hill (21-4A) features returning varsity outfielder Kelsie Lee. Kelsie provides stability in the outfield and experience at the plate. Kelsie follows a long line of outstanding Barbers Hill players and she is ready to assume that mantle. Barbers Hill won District 21-4A last season and will contend once again. They return a talented squad with an experienced pitcher.

Hayley Alexander is a 1st Team All District Shortstop from 21-4A Crosby High School. Crosby contended for 1st place until the last week of the season. They upset the talented Montgomery High School team in the playoffs. They lost some talented players but they will still be contenders.

Caldwell High School junior SS Hollie Chennault is 1st team All District 24-3A and a returning force to her high school program. Hollie was also All Brazos Valley. Hollie batted .389 with four homers, six triples, and 19 runs batted in. Caldwell hopes to return to the 3A playoffs this season. They will certainly rely on Hollie to help their cause.

Shelbe Sterling is a junior at La Grange High School. Shelbe made All District as an outfielder. She will return to the outfield as well as duty at catcher. Shelbe is a right handed power hitter that will be expect to help La Grange return to defend their 25-4A crown. La Grange went deep into last year’s playoff until getting eliminated by eventual 3A State Champion Needville by a 4-3 count.

Brittany Medina is a junior All District 14-5A first team infielder for the Conroe Tigers. Brittany is a very adept player that can play 3rd, SS, and 2nd with equal ability. Brittany is MC Elite’s most versatile player. She will help lead her high school back into the playoffs. Conroe made the 15-5A playoffs last year for the first time since the 1993-1994 season. With a little solid pitching Conroe should make the playoffs again this year.

Laura Driskill is a 1st Team 15-5A pitcher for Cy Fair High School. Laura is a sophomore and leads a very talented Bobcat squad. Cy Fair was a very young team last year. They worked to make the playoffs but made the biggest splash in the playoffs. They eliminated the #1 nationally ranked undefeated Klein Oak
Panthers in a best of three series. Laura was the winning pitcher in both games. Cy Fair was defeated in a single game Regional Semifinal game verses Spring Lions by a 4-3 count.

Jessica Snyder moves to The Woodlands High School starting lineup this spring. Jessica will see duty at 1st and 3rd. Jessica and a sophomore destined for a great season. The Woodlands seek to defend their 14-5A Championship. They have depth and experience in a relatively young club. They received a nice gift with the move in of LSU commit Paige McDuffee.

We will spotlight these and other fine players during the coming high school season.

Next entry will feature college players. It will probably be a two part feature.