TCS Zoom into June 2016Jun 12, 2016 by FloSoftball Staff
2017 Lauren Espalin finds the right fit
2017 Lauren Espalin finds the right fit
Over 350 college coaches will descend upon the Triple Crown Sports Zoom Into June Invitational, which features 432 teams from 10U-18U, this weekend in South
Over 350 college coaches will descend upon the Triple Crown Sports Zoom Into June Invitational, which features 432 teams from 10U-18U, this weekend in Southern California.
Many of those college coaches will be out at the 12U and 14U games where much of the recruiting is done these days with a lot of top players committing to colleges before they ever play a game for their high school teams.
Lauren Espalin, a 2017 catcher for Bruce Richardson's So Cal Athletics, is one of the high profile 18U players that has yet to commit despite having a number of offers, so Zoom Into June is another opportunity for her to get seen.
"For me, it doesn't really matter which conference I go to," Espalin said. "It's just finding the right fit for me. It's finding the place where I'm comfortable. I want it to be a second-home kind of feel where if I'm not with my family, it's a place where I really want to be. I want it to be an environment where it's kind of like my travel ball team where it's like my second family and I would do anything for these people. When I find that, which is really most important to me, that's when I'm going to figure it out.
"Honestly, I've been to East Coast schools and I've been to schools close to here and California and I really don't have a preference. If the school I fall in love with happens to be on the other side of the country, then that's where I'm going to end up."
Espalin said she doesn't get nervous playing in front of all the college coaches that end up at a big showcase such as Zoom Into June.
"My mom always made sure it was drilled into my head that 'it's just a game,'" Espalin said. "They are just people in the stands. They don't effect how I play as an athlete or a person. They are just people in the stands, just another audience member. When I play, in general, I just try to block out everyone in the stands. Unfortunately, I always hear my mom."
Espalin, who helped Orange Lutheran reach the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals last weekend, said she is looking forward to helping the So Cal Athletics make a run at a PGF national title.
"It's really nice to be able to come back to my travel ball team," said Espalin, who had a two-run single in the So Cal A's 7-3 win over TC Stars Gold on Saturday at Diamond Valley Park in Hemet. "Our travel ball team is really close. It's really like a second family, so it's nice coming back from high school and really getting in the flow of things with everybody. We actually get a long well together on and off the field. Our defense is doing really great right now. Our hitting is being really timely. We're getting those hits when we need them. It's just nice to come back to travel ball and have that same feeling as high school. You're getting everything you need to get done and you're getting in the flow of things."
Espalin said the key to her teams success is paying attention to the little things.
"I think, honestly, we really pride ourselves on our defense, and just making sure we do all the little things right," Espalin said. "We're always working on our defense in practice. Honestly, our defense is what's going to keep us in games when our hitting is not the best. That's what we really pride ourselves on ... making sure we do the little things. Everybody is always giving 100 percent all the time. It's great."
Espalin said she has learned a lot from Stanford-bound catcher Montana Dixon, whom she shares time with behind the plate for the So Cal Athletics.
"Working with our pitchers and working with Montana has helped me out a lot as a catcher and as a person," Espalin said. "I've learned from her. She's really knowledgeable. She helps me behind the plate when I'm struggling. When my throw needs to be adjusted by a milimeter and whatnot she helps me get acclimated. With the pitchers, she's like, 'You're doing this on the drop curve, just to get that little bit more to get that strike or do this on the screwball or make sure you get on top on the rise ball.' It's just really nice to have someone that I look up to on the field and that will help me learn as a player and as a person, especially having her be my same possession. It's cool because I can go to her and say, 'What do you suggest I do on this play or what do you suggest I do on this ball or how I need to frame it.'"
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/OCSidelines/status/741791767448555522" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Conrad, who also struck out four in two scoreless innings of work in East Cobb Bullets' 8-0 win over TC Stars Gold, said she likes the way the team is coming together against some of the better competition they have faced at Zoom Into June.
"I'm actually pleasantly surprised," Conrad said. "It was redemption for me with that team (Richardson's So Cal Athletics). I am definitely happier with what I did against that team today than what I have done in the past. It's just a growing experience pretty much in travel ball. I had a rough outing one time against them. That was the second time I played them today and it was much better." ...
Earlier in the day, Tennessee-commit Maddi Pacini went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI and Arkansas-bound Autumn Storms allowed two hits, no walks and struck out two, facing two over the minimum in six innints to lead Richardson's So Cal Athletics to a 2-0 win over Sorcerer 18G. ...
Tyson's Corona Angels put together a two-out rally in the top of the first that featured RBI singles from Washington-commit Noelle Hee, Iowa State-bound Sami Williams, Edwards and Oregon State-commit Camryn Ybarra in a 5-1 win over TC Stars Gold. ...
Seton Hall-commit Payton Beaver belted a two-run homer and Marissa Ewald had an RBI single to help Wayne Miller's Washington Ladyhawks Gold close out the day by knocking off Rico's Firecrackers, 3-0. ...
Written by Carlos Arias
Demarini Athletics Gold-Devers 5, lakewood Firecrackers-Pasco/Guerra 2
Cal Thunder 6, Nor Cal Patriots 0
Firecrackers-Brashear 4, The Next Level Gold 3
OC Batbusters-Formerly Team Mizuno 6, Acers Gold-Anderton 5
Courage-Weaver 28, 3n2 Strike Zone-Ford 0
Corona Angels Gold 3, RR Gold-Bob 3
Firecrackers-Jensen 7, So Cal Dirtdogs 18 Gold-Isbel 2
OC Batbusters-Formerly Team Mizuno 7, Demarini Athletics Gold-Devers 5
Nor Cal Patriots 4, Lakewood Firecrackers-Pasco/Guerra 3
Firecrackers-Brashear 2, Cal Thunder 0
18 Gold CA Raiders-Bruder 8, Acers Gold-Anderton 0
So Cal Athletics-Richardson 2, Sorcerer 18G 0
Bears Gold 7, 3n2 Strike Zone-Ford 3
So Cal Dirtdogs 18 Gold-Isbel 5, RR Gold-Bob 1
Corona Angels Gold 8, Firecrackers-Jensen 7
Minors Gold 5, RR Gold-Bob 0
Firecrackers-AZ 5, Nor Cal Patriots 0
Firecrackers-Brashear 11, 32 Strike Zone-Ford 0
Courage-Weaver 3, So Cal Pumas Gold 2
So Cal Athletics-Richardson 7, TC Stars Gold 3
Firecrackers-Rico 4, EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 0
So Cal Choppers 20, San Jose Sting-Rooney 1
AZ Hotshots Gold-Davis 5, The Next Level Gold 1
Minors Gold 6, Lil Saints 18 Gold 2
Firecrackers-AZ 9, Washington Ladyhawks Gold-Miller 1
So Cal Breakers 12, So Cal Pumas Gold 0
Cal Thunder 5, Courage-Weaver 5
Corona Angels-Tyson 5, TC Stars Gold 1
Sorcerer 18G 6 Firecrackers-Rico 2
So Cal Choppers 18, AZ Hotshots Gold-Davis 3
The Next Level Gold 5, San Jose Sting-Rooney 0
Corona Angels #2 17, Minors Gold 1
Demarini Athletics Gold-Devers 10, San Jose Sting Gold 8
Corona Angels Gold 2, Acers Gold-Anderton 2
EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 3, So Cal Athletics-Richardson 0
Corona Angels-Tyson 6, Sorcerer 18G 1
Artesia Punishers-Medina 11, Bears Gold 0
Lil Saints 18 Gold 5, Firecrackers-Jensen 5
San Diego Power Surge Gold-Berndes 6, A Cut Above 18U Gold 0
American Athletics 6, Nemesis Elite 18U Gold 4
AZ Hotshots Gold-Davis 9, Aces Gold-Ashley/Creamer 1
American Pastime Gold 0, So Cal Breakers 0
Absolute Blast Gold-Rhinehart 2, Arizona Storm-Mizuno 1
EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 8, TC Stars Gold 0
Washington Ladyhawks Gold-Miller 3, Firecrackers-Rico 0
So Cal Fillys 4, A Cut Above 18U Gold 0
San Diego Power Surge Gold-Berndes 4, Sudden Impact Gold 4
San Diego Power Surge 18U-Martinez 2, Nemesis Elite 18U Gold 2
So Cal Breakers-Labs 2, San Jose Sting Gold 0
American Pastime Gold 7, Jets Gold 1
Corona Angels #2 1, Absolute Blast Gold-Rhinehart 0
Artesia Punishers-Medina 7, California Cruisers-AE Gold 5
Arizona Storm-Mizuno 6, Cal A's White-Iseri 3
San Diego Power Surge Gold-Berndes 4, HeyBucket Gold-Macias 1
The Next Level 7, Lil Saints 18 Gold 3
Nemesis Elite 18U Gold 4, So Cal Breakers-Labs 1
San Diego Power Surge 18U-Martinez 3, American Pastime Gold 0
Aces Gold-Ashley/Creamer 3, Jets Gold 0
Corona Angels #2 2, California Cruisers-AE Gold 0
Cal A's White-Iseri 2, Absolute Blast Gold-Rhinehart 1
Sudden Impact Gold 11, HeyBucket Gold-Macias 0
American Athletics 2, A Cut Above 18U Gold 1
So Cal Fillys 2, The Next Level 1
Many of those college coaches will be out at the 12U and 14U games where much of the recruiting is done these days with a lot of top players committing to colleges before they ever play a game for their high school teams.
Lauren Espalin, a 2017 catcher for Bruce Richardson's So Cal Athletics, is one of the high profile 18U players that has yet to commit despite having a number of offers, so Zoom Into June is another opportunity for her to get seen."For me, it doesn't really matter which conference I go to," Espalin said. "It's just finding the right fit for me. It's finding the place where I'm comfortable. I want it to be a second-home kind of feel where if I'm not with my family, it's a place where I really want to be. I want it to be an environment where it's kind of like my travel ball team where it's like my second family and I would do anything for these people. When I find that, which is really most important to me, that's when I'm going to figure it out.
"Honestly, I've been to East Coast schools and I've been to schools close to here and California and I really don't have a preference. If the school I fall in love with happens to be on the other side of the country, then that's where I'm going to end up."
Espalin said she doesn't get nervous playing in front of all the college coaches that end up at a big showcase such as Zoom Into June.
"My mom always made sure it was drilled into my head that 'it's just a game,'" Espalin said. "They are just people in the stands. They don't effect how I play as an athlete or a person. They are just people in the stands, just another audience member. When I play, in general, I just try to block out everyone in the stands. Unfortunately, I always hear my mom."
Espalin, who helped Orange Lutheran reach the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals last weekend, said she is looking forward to helping the So Cal Athletics make a run at a PGF national title.
"It's really nice to be able to come back to my travel ball team," said Espalin, who had a two-run single in the So Cal A's 7-3 win over TC Stars Gold on Saturday at Diamond Valley Park in Hemet. "Our travel ball team is really close. It's really like a second family, so it's nice coming back from high school and really getting in the flow of things with everybody. We actually get a long well together on and off the field. Our defense is doing really great right now. Our hitting is being really timely. We're getting those hits when we need them. It's just nice to come back to travel ball and have that same feeling as high school. You're getting everything you need to get done and you're getting in the flow of things."
Espalin said the key to her teams success is paying attention to the little things.
"I think, honestly, we really pride ourselves on our defense, and just making sure we do all the little things right," Espalin said. "We're always working on our defense in practice. Honestly, our defense is what's going to keep us in games when our hitting is not the best. That's what we really pride ourselves on ... making sure we do the little things. Everybody is always giving 100 percent all the time. It's great."
Espalin said she has learned a lot from Stanford-bound catcher Montana Dixon, whom she shares time with behind the plate for the So Cal Athletics.
"Working with our pitchers and working with Montana has helped me out a lot as a catcher and as a person," Espalin said. "I've learned from her. She's really knowledgeable. She helps me behind the plate when I'm struggling. When my throw needs to be adjusted by a milimeter and whatnot she helps me get acclimated. With the pitchers, she's like, 'You're doing this on the drop curve, just to get that little bit more to get that strike or do this on the screwball or make sure you get on top on the rise ball.' It's just really nice to have someone that I look up to on the field and that will help me learn as a player and as a person, especially having her be my same possession. It's cool because I can go to her and say, 'What do you suggest I do on this play or what do you suggest I do on this ball or how I need to frame it.'"
East Cobb Bullets Got Rhythm
After dropping a 4-0 decision to Tony Rico's Firecrackers, Greg Schnute's East Cobb Bullets Gold brought in its ace, Mizzouri-bound Parker Conrad, who appeared to be throwing in the high 60s range, and she allowed four hits, a pair of walks and struck out six in 4.1 innings to shut out Richardson's So Cal Athletics, 3-0.[tweet url="https://twitter.com/OCSidelines/status/741791767448555522" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Conrad, who also struck out four in two scoreless innings of work in East Cobb Bullets' 8-0 win over TC Stars Gold, said she likes the way the team is coming together against some of the better competition they have faced at Zoom Into June.
"I'm actually pleasantly surprised," Conrad said. "It was redemption for me with that team (Richardson's So Cal Athletics). I am definitely happier with what I did against that team today than what I have done in the past. It's just a growing experience pretty much in travel ball. I had a rough outing one time against them. That was the second time I played them today and it was much better." ...
Corona Angels Tyson
Nebraska-bound Tristen Edwards hit a two-run homer and UCLA-bound Aaliyah Jordan added a three-run blast to lead Marty Tyson's Corona Angels to a 6-1 victory over Sorcerer 18G in a battle of So Cal and Nor Cal powers. ...Earlier in the day, Tennessee-commit Maddi Pacini went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and two RBI and Arkansas-bound Autumn Storms allowed two hits, no walks and struck out two, facing two over the minimum in six innints to lead Richardson's So Cal Athletics to a 2-0 win over Sorcerer 18G. ...
Tyson's Corona Angels put together a two-out rally in the top of the first that featured RBI singles from Washington-commit Noelle Hee, Iowa State-bound Sami Williams, Edwards and Oregon State-commit Camryn Ybarra in a 5-1 win over TC Stars Gold. ...
Seton Hall-commit Payton Beaver belted a two-run homer and Marissa Ewald had an RBI single to help Wayne Miller's Washington Ladyhawks Gold close out the day by knocking off Rico's Firecrackers, 3-0. ...
Written by Carlos Arias
ZOOM INTO JUNE AT DIAMOND VALLEY PARK, HEMET
SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 18 OPEN SCORES
Demarini Athletics Gold-Devers 5, lakewood Firecrackers-Pasco/Guerra 2
Cal Thunder 6, Nor Cal Patriots 0
Firecrackers-Brashear 4, The Next Level Gold 3
OC Batbusters-Formerly Team Mizuno 6, Acers Gold-Anderton 5
Courage-Weaver 28, 3n2 Strike Zone-Ford 0
Corona Angels Gold 3, RR Gold-Bob 3
Firecrackers-Jensen 7, So Cal Dirtdogs 18 Gold-Isbel 2
OC Batbusters-Formerly Team Mizuno 7, Demarini Athletics Gold-Devers 5
Nor Cal Patriots 4, Lakewood Firecrackers-Pasco/Guerra 3
Firecrackers-Brashear 2, Cal Thunder 0
18 Gold CA Raiders-Bruder 8, Acers Gold-Anderton 0
So Cal Athletics-Richardson 2, Sorcerer 18G 0
Bears Gold 7, 3n2 Strike Zone-Ford 3
So Cal Dirtdogs 18 Gold-Isbel 5, RR Gold-Bob 1
Corona Angels Gold 8, Firecrackers-Jensen 7
Minors Gold 5, RR Gold-Bob 0
Firecrackers-AZ 5, Nor Cal Patriots 0
Firecrackers-Brashear 11, 32 Strike Zone-Ford 0
Courage-Weaver 3, So Cal Pumas Gold 2
So Cal Athletics-Richardson 7, TC Stars Gold 3
Firecrackers-Rico 4, EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 0
So Cal Choppers 20, San Jose Sting-Rooney 1
AZ Hotshots Gold-Davis 5, The Next Level Gold 1
Minors Gold 6, Lil Saints 18 Gold 2
Firecrackers-AZ 9, Washington Ladyhawks Gold-Miller 1
So Cal Breakers 12, So Cal Pumas Gold 0
Cal Thunder 5, Courage-Weaver 5
Corona Angels-Tyson 5, TC Stars Gold 1
Sorcerer 18G 6 Firecrackers-Rico 2
So Cal Choppers 18, AZ Hotshots Gold-Davis 3
The Next Level Gold 5, San Jose Sting-Rooney 0
Corona Angels #2 17, Minors Gold 1
Demarini Athletics Gold-Devers 10, San Jose Sting Gold 8
Corona Angels Gold 2, Acers Gold-Anderton 2
EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 3, So Cal Athletics-Richardson 0
Corona Angels-Tyson 6, Sorcerer 18G 1
Artesia Punishers-Medina 11, Bears Gold 0
Lil Saints 18 Gold 5, Firecrackers-Jensen 5
San Diego Power Surge Gold-Berndes 6, A Cut Above 18U Gold 0
American Athletics 6, Nemesis Elite 18U Gold 4
AZ Hotshots Gold-Davis 9, Aces Gold-Ashley/Creamer 1
American Pastime Gold 0, So Cal Breakers 0
Absolute Blast Gold-Rhinehart 2, Arizona Storm-Mizuno 1
EC Bullets Gold-Schnute 8, TC Stars Gold 0
Washington Ladyhawks Gold-Miller 3, Firecrackers-Rico 0
So Cal Fillys 4, A Cut Above 18U Gold 0
San Diego Power Surge Gold-Berndes 4, Sudden Impact Gold 4
San Diego Power Surge 18U-Martinez 2, Nemesis Elite 18U Gold 2
So Cal Breakers-Labs 2, San Jose Sting Gold 0
American Pastime Gold 7, Jets Gold 1
Corona Angels #2 1, Absolute Blast Gold-Rhinehart 0
Artesia Punishers-Medina 7, California Cruisers-AE Gold 5
Arizona Storm-Mizuno 6, Cal A's White-Iseri 3
San Diego Power Surge Gold-Berndes 4, HeyBucket Gold-Macias 1
The Next Level 7, Lil Saints 18 Gold 3
Nemesis Elite 18U Gold 4, So Cal Breakers-Labs 1
San Diego Power Surge 18U-Martinez 3, American Pastime Gold 0
Aces Gold-Ashley/Creamer 3, Jets Gold 0
Corona Angels #2 2, California Cruisers-AE Gold 0
Cal A's White-Iseri 2, Absolute Blast Gold-Rhinehart 1
Sudden Impact Gold 11, HeyBucket Gold-Macias 0
American Athletics 2, A Cut Above 18U Gold 1
So Cal Fillys 2, The Next Level 1