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Softball  | Softball Tournament  | 4/13/2022

Spring Kickoff Scout Notes

Dave Durbala      Russ Wohler     
Photo: Perfect Game
URBANDALE, IOWA – Twenty-eight teams converged on Greater Des Moines, Iowa to participate in the Perfect Game Spring Kickoff from April 8-10.  Teams were greeted with windy, chilly conditions, but by the time the championships in the silver and gold brackets rolled around, the sun was out.
 
16u Division

After two days of pool play, the field was split and seeded into Silver and Gold brackets. Thunder 16u Black and Iowa Outlaws Select 07 outlasted all others and faced off in the championship, with Thunder 16u Black taking the crown with a 9-1 win.



The MV-Pitcher award went to Thunder 16u Black’s Gracie Knobloch (2025, Hartley, Iowa). The right-handed pitcher and middle infielder sat at 55-57 mph with a top velocity of 60 mph. Her effectiveness in the circle was due in part to her ability to spot her pitches. Seldom did she leave the ball in the middle of the plate and stayed away from big innings. In her nine innings of work, she struck out 13. Being a pitch-to-contact type pitcher, she will be successful when she keeps the ball down and the defense is making the routine plays behind her.

The MV-Player award went to Iowa Outlaws Select 07 outfielder Marisa Newhouse (2025, Des Moines, Iowa). Hitting from the right side, Newhouse made the most of her at-bats. She had one of two hits for her team in the championship game and knocked in the only Outlaws run. On the bases, Newhouse finished second in the tournament with five stolen bases. She scored four runs, knocked in three runs and showed patience at the plate, drawing four walks.

The 16u Gold Bracket saw the Southern Iowa Savage and Spartans square off.  In the end, the Southern Iowa Savage would not be denied, scoring an 8-4 win over the Spartans to end the weekend with an unblemished 5-0 record.

The MV-Pitcher award went to Savage's Brieanna Remster (2023, Melcher-Dallas, Iowa). To say Remster put her team on her broad shoulders for their march through the tournament is an understatement.  Of her team's 22 innings played, Remster was in the circle for 17 of them. The uncommitted junior utilizes a smooth, easy delivery, with a strong leg drive that allows her to sit consistently at 59-60 mph with a top velo of 64 mph. With a full complement of pitches to work both sides of the plate in all zones, Remster will be an interesting follow to see where she ends up.

Savage teammate Jaycee Neer (2025, Indianola, Iowa) earned the MV-Player award. Neer, a catcher and outfielder hitting from the right side, utilizes all of her 5-foot-3 inch frame at the plate. Neer has a good approach at the plate and a nice swing sequence working from the ground up. With great use of her lower half and upper body tilt, she has the mechanics of a hitter looking to drive the ball into the parking lot. For the weekend, Neer hit .643 with nine hits that included three doubles and two bombs. She knocked in eight and scored six runs.

Another player making a mark and turning head this weekend was right-handed pitcher Abagail Winter (2023, Dubuque, Iowa). This uncommitted Hempstead High School junior has a very deliberate delivery that starts crouched over, stays low and she eventually releases the pitch almost as if she is bowling. It appears that the delivery, coming from an angle that hitters are not used to seeing, gives Winter an advantage that she exploits masterfully. In her 8 2/3 innings of work for Iowa Outlaws Select – Goheen, Winter struck out 20 batters, only allowed two hits and no earned runs. She utilized a fastball that topped out at 59 mph and spin pitches that showed late movement and stayed down in the zone. Winter made some quality hitters look silly this weekend, and she is going to help a team at the next level.

Sophia Bauman (2025, Grimes, Iowa) is a very athletic player that is very comfortable behind the plate, with a great skill set, but may be an even better corner infielder.  Bauman, standing 5-feet-8 inches tall with a lean frame, does not get cheated at the plate. Starting from a slightly crouched wide base, she demonstrates a slight rock forward before a good weight gather to the back hip. She then takes a stride for timing and to initiate launch sequence with hands, staying still until moving the knob. When in sequence and on time, it is a classic power swing. For the weekend, Bauman hit .846 with 11 hits to lead the tournament in both categories. She had three doubles, one triple and a bomb. She knocked in nine runs and stole two bases. With some seasoning and time in the weight room, it will be a high ceiling for this young lady.

One of the young, impressive arms of the tournament belonged to Spartans righty Zoey Kirchhoff (2026, Atlantic, Iowa). Kirchhoff displayed a full assortment of pitches to work anywhere in the zone. She showed a plus rise and a late break curve, and both pitches had batters swinging and missing. In her 12 innings of work she struck out 19 batters. Her fastball topped out at 57 mph. She shows a lot of movement in her delivery which I believe aids her in building momentum but also could be a distraction to the batter.  As this young lady matures, the strength and muscle she puts on will give her added velocity, but more importantly she will gain spin rate that will translate to elite movement at the next level.

Left-handed hitting Gwyneth Llewellyn (2024, Waukee, Iowa) displayed a swing that can easily play at the next level. Starting mostly upright with a slight bend in the knees, Llewellyn utilizes a small step for timing and to start her launch. She keeps the barrel behind and through the ball and has good opposite field power, driving the ball into the left-center field gap. For her weekend of work, Llewellyn hit .769, going 10-for-13 with three doubles, a triple and nine runners knocked in.
 
-Dave Durbala

18u Division

The 18u division was full of future college talent. Nineteen highly-competitive and driven teams competed for seeding and ultimately for the championships. Bracket play Sunday lived up to the hype. Gold and Silver brackets did not disappoint with Iowa Blitz - Hesseltine winning a close game against Central Iowa Riptide for the Silver championship. The Gold bracket was claimed by the Iowa Bandits who finished with a perfect 6-0 record on the weekend.

Northwest Wolves are a competitive squad with several talented players. Bailie Kroll (2022, Urbandale, Iowa) caused defensive confusion for the other teams all weekend long. Hitting for average and speed are the major tools in Kroll’s tool belt. Using the barrel of the bat to drive the ball to all fields made Kroll a difficult out. Her advanced speed helped leg out infield singles and any overthrow was an extra base. Kroll collected 10 hits with eight runs scored and five driven in.

Wolves teammate Reagan Bartholomew (2022, Urbandale, Iowa) has a great approach at the plate. Using full hand extension, Bartholomew hits the ball and it explodes off the bat. She launched five home runs, scored eight runs and drove in 13 more.

Iowa Elite Force had a good run this weekend, finishing 2-1 in pool play before falling in the Gold bracket. A big reason behind the team's success was the play of Isabella Oberbroeckling (2024, Urbandale, Iowa). Her on-time and balanced approach helped her hit the ball where the defense wasn’t. Never trying to do too much, Oberbroeckling took what the pitcher gave her to hit and did just that. Collecting seven hits on the weekend, driving in seven runs while scoring four more, consistent play is her game. Her Force teammate, Caedence Risius (2024, Des Moines, Iowa) also was a contributor to the team's success. Risius has some pop in the barrel of her bat, smoking two home runs and two doubles. She drove in six and scored four more, these players are ones to watch for in the future.

Haley Glade (2025, Earlham, Iowa) for Central Iowa Riptide 16u Elite showcased her advanced feel for the barrel, spraying the ball all over the field. With eight hits including three home runs, Glade preyed on the missed locations of pitches. Glade’s nine RBI and five runs scored were a big reason the Riptide were finalists in the Silver bracket.

Nebraska Gold 319 - Berning is a team full of talented softball players, and Emily Koranda (2025, Marion, Iowa) is one of those key players, as she has a high softball acumen, especially inside the circle. Koranda is an all-around pitcher, whether it's hitting spots and using movement to keep hitters off balanced or she using her speed to blow the pitch by the hitter. Koranda has a game plan and sticks to it, racking up 19 strikeouts over 14 innings pitched with a 1.50 ERA and WHIP of 1.40. Koranda will be a force to reckon with now and in the future.

The Iowa Bandits scored runs at will all weekend long, the only undefeated team on the weekend finishing the tournament 6-0 and winning the Gold bracket in run-rule fashion. Emily Jones (2022, Corydon, Iowa) uses quick hands with a line drive approach to drive through the ball. Hitting three home runs, driving in eight and scoring eight runs, Jones did her part on pace to a championship. Bandits teammate Zadie Wadle (2023, Indianola, Iowa) did her damage in the circle. Wadle was responsible for half of her team's wins, with a WHIP of 0.64, an ERA of 2.50, and 29 strikeouts, Wadle showed confidence in her mix of pitches and executed the team's game plan to perfection.

The player with the other three wins for the Bandits was Madison Oetzmann (2023, Urbandale, Iowa). There is a lot to like with Oetzmann on both sides of the plate. In the circle, Oetzmann used a variety of pitches, each with movement, and the ability to locate to freeze hitters and gather 29 strikeouts with a ERA and WHIP of 1.00. At the plate, Oetzmann was equally as dangerous, an explosive swing with a true, clean bat path. She had nine hits including two home runs and drove in six.

-Russ Wohler
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