What To Watch For At 14U PGF Premier Nationals
PGF 14U Premier Nationals streams LIVE on FloSoftball August 2-4 from Fountain Valley Sports Park (Fields 1-4) in Fountain Valley, California. The 14U division features top returning teams and newcomers who will compete in an all-out brawl for the PGF Championship.
The PGF draw dealt a tough hand for many teams vying for the illustrious title. Top 10 teams Beverly Bandits Harkness and Firecrackers TJ face each other in the first round of bracket play in a brutal matchup.
At the top of the "A" bracket, we could see a rematch between No. 2 Corona Angels Tyson versus No.1 Batbusters Campbell 02. The two teams last saw each other at Boulder IDT where the Angels narrowly won 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
Things could get interesting at the bottom of the B bracket where we could see No. 3 Tampa Mustangs TJ and No. 4 So Cal Choppers match up in round three.
Who are the sleepers to watch for? It's no secret that the teams out of Texas and Georgia have been climbing the ladder in talent and overall presence on the national club scene.
Teams like Impact Gold, Sudden Impact, Atlanta Vipers, Georgia Impact, and the Dirt Divas are exciting teams to watch at 14U PGF Premier. They're gritty and you can bet you will see the long ball.
OC Batbusters Campbell
Last year Mark Campbell's team was one of the favorites to win PGF and this year is no different. In 2016, the Batbusters were stunned -- losing in the first round of bracket play -- yet they still finished third. I would expect that this year Campbell's team will be much sharper after winning the 16U USA Select Elite's World Fastpitch Championship. Many of his players moved up to Mike Stith's team but the core of this team is one of the best in the country. Offensively, this team doesn't have many holes. In the lead off spot, No.17 Hot 100 shortstop Tiare Jennings (2020, Oklahoma) is as clutch as they come with the ability to hit to all fields with power. On defense, Jennings has demonstrated a level of maturity and savvy that is off the charts for her class. To her right, third baseman No. 2 Hot 100 recruit Zaida Puni (2020, Oklahoma) is expected to have another spectacular PGF performance much like last year, hitting a bomb in the quarterfinals to send the Batbusters into the semifinals. In the circle, they will rely on southpaw Angelina Devoe and LSU commit Morgan Smith. This PGF the Batbusters have unfinished business attend to.
The big news today is that Zaida Puni the #2 rated player in the class of 2020 has committed to Oklahoma!
2--Zaida Puni, 3B… OC Batbusters -- Campbell (Oklahoma)
The OC Batbusters organization has a long history of producing All-American talent, from Laura Berg and Jennie Finch in the past to Sydney Romero (Oklahoma) and Amanda Lorenz (Florida) in the last few years. It's still early for Zaida Puni, but it shouldn't be long before she's added to the list of Batbuster greats. One of the top power-hitters not just in the 2020 class, but in the entire club softball scene, many experts feel Zaida could've played at the 18U level last year in that she physically looks grown-up and has the explosive bat that would allow her to succeed on the field with players four, even five years older than herself. A fierce hitter who crushes the ball because of her strength, Zaida was described by one coach as "having more power than anyone her age group, bar none." Another said of her, "She's a beast and doesn't understand yet how great she can be." That potential was on display last summer at PGF Nationals where Mark Campbell's 14U team was one of the favorites entering the tournament, but lost on the first day and had to fight its way through the loser's bracket to win eight games and finish tied for 3rd. Zaida was a major reason the team went on a winning streak as she batted .458 with a 1.042 slugging percentage and a 1.578 OPS. She led her talent-laden team in hits with 11, home runs with 4, and was second in RBI with 8. A dynamite third baseman who can make all the plays on defense, she had all the Pac-12, SEC and Big 12 power schools after her and her early favorites were UCLA and Oklahoma with UCLA being her childhood favorite. But it looks like Oklahoma's current championship dynasty was too my much for UCLA to overcome.
Coach Gasso now has
#1 Jayda Coleman, IF/OF… Texas Glory
#2 Zaida Puni, 3B… OC Batbusters -- Campbell
#9 Nicole May, P/3B… Sorcerer 16U
#16 Destinee Noury, MIF… Athletics -- Mercado
#17 Tiare Jennings, SS… OC Batbusters -- Campbell
#26 Paige Knight, P/3B… Tulsa Elite
This class will easily be the #1 rated class when it's all said and done.
PGF 14U Premier Nationals streams LIVE on FloSoftball August 2-4 from Fountain Valley Sports Park (Fields 1-4) in Fountain Valley, California. The 14U division features top returning teams and newcomers who will compete in an all-out brawl for the PGF Championship.
The PGF draw dealt a tough hand for many teams vying for the illustrious title. Top 10 teams Beverly Bandits Harkness and Firecrackers TJ face each other in the first round of bracket play in a brutal matchup.
At the top of the "A" bracket, we could see a rematch between No. 2 Corona Angels Tyson versus No.1 Batbusters Campbell 02. The two teams last saw each other at Boulder IDT where the Angels narrowly won 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
Things could get interesting at the bottom of the B bracket where we could see No. 3 Tampa Mustangs TJ and No. 4 So Cal Choppers match up in round three.
Who are the sleepers to watch for? It's no secret that the teams out of Texas and Georgia have been climbing the ladder in talent and overall presence on the national club scene.
Teams like Impact Gold, Sudden Impact, Atlanta Vipers, Georgia Impact, and the Dirt Divas are exciting teams to watch at 14U PGF Premier. They're gritty and you can bet you will see the long ball.
OC Batbusters Campbell
Last year Mark Campbell's team was one of the favorites to win PGF and this year is no different. In 2016, the Batbusters were stunned -- losing in the first round of bracket play -- yet they still finished third. I would expect that this year Campbell's team will be much sharper after winning the 16U USA Select Elite's World Fastpitch Championship. Many of his players moved up to Mike Stith's team but the core of this team is one of the best in the country. Offensively, this team doesn't have many holes. In the lead off spot, No.17 Hot 100 shortstop Tiare Jennings (2020, Oklahoma) is as clutch as they come with the ability to hit to all fields with power. On defense, Jennings has demonstrated a level of maturity and savvy that is off the charts for her class. To her right, third baseman No. 2 Hot 100 recruit Zaida Puni (2020, Oklahoma) is expected to have another spectacular PGF performance much like last year, hitting a bomb in the quarterfinals to send the Batbusters into the semifinals. In the circle, they will rely on southpaw Angelina Devoe and LSU commit Morgan Smith. This PGF the Batbusters have unfinished business attend to.
The big news today is that Zaida Puni the #2 rated player in the class of 2020 has committed to Oklahoma!
2--Zaida Puni, 3B… OC Batbusters -- Campbell (Oklahoma)
The OC Batbusters organization has a long history of producing All-American talent, from Laura Berg and Jennie Finch in the past to Sydney Romero (Oklahoma) and Amanda Lorenz (Florida) in the last few years. It's still early for Zaida Puni, but it shouldn't be long before she's added to the list of Batbuster greats. One of the top power-hitters not just in the 2020 class, but in the entire club softball scene, many experts feel Zaida could've played at the 18U level last year in that she physically looks grown-up and has the explosive bat that would allow her to succeed on the field with players four, even five years older than herself. A fierce hitter who crushes the ball because of her strength, Zaida was described by one coach as "having more power than anyone her age group, bar none." Another said of her, "She's a beast and doesn't understand yet how great she can be." That potential was on display last summer at PGF Nationals where Mark Campbell's 14U team was one of the favorites entering the tournament, but lost on the first day and had to fight its way through the loser's bracket to win eight games and finish tied for 3rd. Zaida was a major reason the team went on a winning streak as she batted .458 with a 1.042 slugging percentage and a 1.578 OPS. She led her talent-laden team in hits with 11, home runs with 4, and was second in RBI with 8. A dynamite third baseman who can make all the plays on defense, she had all the Pac-12, SEC and Big 12 power schools after her and her early favorites were UCLA and Oklahoma with UCLA being her childhood favorite. But it looks like Oklahoma's current championship dynasty was too my much for UCLA to overcome.
Coach Gasso now has
#1 Jayda Coleman, IF/OF… Texas Glory
#2 Zaida Puni, 3B… OC Batbusters -- Campbell
#9 Nicole May, P/3B… Sorcerer 16U
#16 Destinee Noury, MIF… Athletics -- Mercado
#17 Tiare Jennings, SS… OC Batbusters -- Campbell
#26 Paige Knight, P/3B… Tulsa Elite
This class will easily be the #1 rated class when it's all said and done.
