Best ever players

[Bleacherbum]

With the Chattanooga area and Nashville(middle Tennessee) area obviously the two best regions for producing quality ballplayers, who are the best to have ever played in these areas, and if they played a game against each other, who would win?

Edited March 23, 2005 by Bleacherbum

[Indian]

It would hard to say who would win a game, both areas have had dominant pitchers and players....We've talked about this before, a while back, I'd say Nashville-Middle Tennessee has produced more top talent, partly because there's a lot more schools in the mid-state than just in Southeast Tennessee. Off the top of my head, 5 players I recall from around Chattanooga that would make anybody's team are Beth Keylon, P, Hixson, TN Tech, 89 or so, Dana Reed, IF, East Ridge, UTC, around 98, Jackie McClain IF, GPS, Alabama, around 00, Amy Robertson P, Baylor, UTC, around 94, Candice Clark, IF, Red Bank, TN Tech, around 92. Not my top 5 necessarily but 5 that came to mind quickly.

[stlbrd]

Without listing all of the pitchers.....how about Camille Harris (Beech/LSU) and Courtney Mitchell (Ezell/Arkansas-MTSU). thumb

[TNT]

Without listing all of the pitchers.....how about Camille Harris (Beech/LSU) and Courtney Mitchell (Ezell/Arkansas-MTSU). thumb

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I could be wrong but I think C. Harris is originaly from Knoxville area.

[Coach23]

I feel like W. Tennessee........The Knoxville Area struggles to get much, if any, credit of the softball diamond. Just recently.....Sarah Fekete of Maryville....all state pitcher....and All conference outfielder for UT (a top 5 nationally ranked D-1 school). Other mentionables, include Gretchen Prugh (sp) of Maryville (University of Kentucky), Stephanie Humphries of Halls (UT starter prior to the Monica Abbott era); Sarah Vauhgn of Lenoir City...only a senior...but still one of the best EVER!

 

Also, props to M. Rhodes, making a name for herself and pitching great as a backup and #2 behind Abbott at UT.

[Bleacherbum]

It would hard to say who would win a game, both areas have had dominant pitchers and players....We've talked about this before, a while back, I'd say Nashville-Middle Tennessee has produced more top talent, partly because there's a lot more schools in the mid-state than just in Southeast Tennessee. Off the top of my head, 5 players I recall from around Chattanooga that would make anybody's team are Beth Keylon, P, Hixson, TN Tech, 89 or so,  Dana Reed, IF, East Ridge, UTC, around 98, Jackie McClain IF, GPS, Alabama, around 00, Amy Robertson P, Baylor, UTC, around 94, Candice Clark, IF, Red Bank, TN Tech, around 92. Not my top 5 necessarily but 5 that came to mind quickly.

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Indian, those were all great players, especially jackie Mcclain, who in my opinion is the best pure hitter to ever play in Tennessee. Middle tennessee does have more teams than southeast tennessee, but in all reality, most of the dominate players have come from about 10 teams. I do think middle tennessee has produced better pitchers which probably give them an edge. I guess thats due to the efforst of Cherie kempf and Club K.

Edited March 24, 2005 by Bleacherbum

[Bleacherbum]

It would hard to say who would win a game, both areas have had dominant pitchers and players....We've talked about this before, a while back, I'd say Nashville-Middle Tennessee has produced more top talent, partly because there's a lot more schools in the mid-state than just in Southeast Tennessee. Off the top of my head, 5 players I recall from around Chattanooga that would make anybody's team are Beth Keylon, P, Hixson, TN Tech, 89 or so,  Dana Reed, IF, East Ridge, UTC, around 98, Jackie McClain IF, GPS, Alabama, around 00, Amy Robertson P, Baylor, UTC, around 94, Candice Clark, IF, Red Bank, TN Tech, around 92. Not my top 5 necessarily but 5 that came to mind quickly.

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some of the top pitchers in Middle tennessee have been Kacy Clark, Brentwood-UCLA...Brook Siebel, Father Ryan- Northwestern/Ok State....Amanda Fine Brentwood-Ole Miss... Megan Rhodes Lipscomb- Tennessee

 

some of position players would be cortney Mitchell, Ezell-Arkansas/MTSU...Kim Blair, Page-Auburn/MTSU...Jerie Alexander, Columbia-Southwest Louisiana...Camille Harris-Beech/LSU...Michelle Tyree-Lipscomb/Georgia, Kelly Dobbins - Overton/Lipscomb

Edited March 24, 2005 by Bleacherbum

[Bleacherbum]

I feel like W. Tennessee........The Knoxville Area struggles to get much, if any, credit of the softball diamond.  Just recently.....Sarah Fekete of Maryville....all state pitcher....and All conference outfielder for UT (a top 5 nationally ranked D-1 school).  Other mentionables, include Gretchen Prugh (sp) of Maryville (University of Kentucky), Stephanie Humphries of Halls (UT starter prior to the Monica Abbott era); Sarah Vauhgn of Lenoir City...only a senior...but still one of the best EVER!

 

Also, props to M. Rhodes, making a name for herself and pitching great as a backup and #2 behind Abbott at UT.

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coach23, I hope that was a typo when you said W. Tennessee. That area of the state doesnt come close to the quality of players as middle or east tenn. while the players you listed may be the best ever in the knox area, I'm not sure they are the best ever in the state. Humpreys was a good pitcher, but not even among the top 5 her senior year in the state. She also was a good pitcher at UT, but not overly outstanding, on a very weak Tennessee team. Fekete does look like she belongs in the elite of tennessee, especially with her success at UT.

[Coach23]

coach23, I hope that was a typo when you said W. Tennessee. That area of the state doesnt come close to the quality of players as middle or east tenn. while the players you listed may be the best ever in the knox area, I'm not sure they are the best ever in the state. Humpreys was a good pitcher, but not even among the top 5 her senior year in the state. She also was a good pitcher at UT, but not overly outstanding, on a very weak Tennessee team. Fekete does look like she belongs in the elite of tennessee, especially with her success at UT.

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I don't disagree entirely...however, I see some other "good" and even "great" players mentioned that may or not deserve a best ever rating. I assume that being recruiting and playing for a nationally competive college team is a good...although not the only....measure of a best ever rating. Who are the top prosepects who had success nationally at the next level. Fekete at UT, McClain at Alabama, Harris at LSU.... Please understand I am NOT knocking the smaller schools....but we are talking about the ELITE! I assume we will be adding Rhodes due to her early success at UT, Vaughn and Peroni based on expectation at UT, and I will go out on a limb and say Weissinger (sp) will probably be a shoe in for this in couple of years where-ever she chooses to go! By the way the W. Tennessee comment was made to emphisize the lack of respect for Knoxville (must not have been to funny) and K-town has had it's share of state championship success although mostly due to the work of Carol Mitchell and Gibbs!

[ajc]

Camille Harris went to middle school in East Tennessee at Powell then moved to Hendersonville and played her HS ball at Beech.

[Bleacherbum]

I don't disagree entirely...however, I see some other "good" and even "great" players mentioned that may or not deserve a best ever rating.  I assume that being recruiting and playing for a nationally competive college team is a good...although not the only....measure of a best ever rating.  Who are the top prosepects who had success nationally at the next level.  Fekete at UT, McClain at Alabama, Harris at LSU.... Please understand I am NOT knocking the smaller schools....but we are talking about the ELITE! I assume we will be adding Rhodes due to her early success at UT, Vaughn and Peroni based on expectation at UT, and I will go out on a limb and say Weissinger (sp)  will probably be a shoe in for this in couple of years where-ever she chooses to go!  By the way the W. Tennessee comment was made to emphisize the lack of respect for Knoxville (must not have been to funny) and K-town has had it's share of state championship success although mostly due to the work of Carol Mitchell and Gibbs!

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I dont know that we will ever pick out a "best ever" rating....some girls actually become better college players than they ever were in high school. Peroni may very well prove to be one of the best ever, but the only thing that holds her back is the fact that she plays in A, which isnt day in and day out the best callibre of teams...plus also, she has a very strong supporting cast around her that makes her look even better. I've heard that she isnt even being counted on to pitch that much at UT, that she was mainly recruited as an outfielder, and if thats the case, the jury is still out on her to see how effective she will be.

YOu may not know about Kacy Clark...she was a great player...and to play for UCLA automatically qualifies her to be amongst the greatest. and Brook Siebel, was Big 10 Freshman of the year, and also all Conference several years during a time when the Big 10 was a better softball conference than the SEC.

 

Sorry, I mis-read your statement. I thought you were stating W. Tenn was the best....and I agree, alot of the knoxville players get overlooked. I think some of that is because they used to play other organized travel ball other than ASA. I"m not sure if that is still true or not. I agree, Gibbs has always had some tremendous teams, and some very good players.

Edited March 24, 2005 by Bleacherbum

[Bleacherbum]

Camille Harris went to middle school in East Tennessee at Powell then moved to Hendersonville and played her HS ball at Beech.

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That was Powell's loss, and Beech's gain. As a freshman on the state championship team, she was already better than 95 % of the state's players.