Best Summer Teams

[EzellSoftball04]

Bruce408- The Nashville Eagles team of the mid to late 90's consisted of players like Courtney Mitchell, Michelle Tyree, Jennifer and Amy Wright, Jennifer Cannon. Those are some Huge names in nashville softball period.

 

The Nashville Eagles team of late consists of big names such as.... Megan Rhodes...... Yeah, well that is about all the names that are really known, and she is not playing with them this summer. I mean I am friends with a lot of the eagles, and I know 'em and like them a lot, but the calliber of that team is not as high as it used to be.

[bruce408]

The 16u Eagles have been one of the better teams as of the last two years winning the NSA & USSSA state championships last year as only 15 year olds and winning the ASA State and NSA world series in 2002. I don't think there are any teams in the state of Tennessee that can match that performance. Most all of the big time players in the Nashville area have at one time or another played in the Crieve Hall organization.

[slr52]

Ouch EzellSoftball04,

 

Teams consist of more than one player. The 16U Eagles had outstanding contributions from all players, both defensively and offensively, throughout the summer. Just because they may not get the same notoriety that one pitcher gets doesn't mean that they are not good players or don't make clutch plays when they are needed. Look at the the Titans. Their players were generally overlooked for the Pro Bowl, but as a team they may make it to the Super Bowl!

[Edited by slr52 on 1-10-03 11:11A]

 

[strikethree]

Nashville Eagles????? I Agree the mid 1990's team had some very impressive and talented players. But the Eagles of the past two seasons come on now U.S.S.S.A. state thats not a tournament I would brag about or the N.s.A. World although its impressive to say WORLD CHAMPIONS. The last two A.S.A.Nationals I've been to the N.S.A. champs have'nt finished in the top ten and last year not in the top 15. M. Rhodes is very good pitcher and the rest of the team must have had a good season but to say no other team was as good as the Eagles last year? I should say once again the FIREBIRDS or 14U NIGHTHAWKS AND EVEN T.E. ELITE when healthy were better from top to bottom. Everybody deserves a cinderella season at least once but to be considered as a top team you must prove it over a period of time.

[cornpup]

Strikethree, the 16u Nashville Eagles did win the ASA State although they finished I think fifth in the NSA State. They had a respectable team, but I don't think winning the NSA Eastern World Series is a huge accomplishment. When you only finish fifth in the NSA State but then win the Eastern World Series it makes you wonder how many quality teams were their. I would guess not many. Maybe they will prove everyone wrong this year. I think their pitcher quit the team, so if they can win without their ace this summer you gotta tip your hat to 'em. My prediction is they will be back playing B-ball and every NSA tournament they can find. Now, as for the old 18u Nashville Eagles that won the ASA 18u A Nationals, that's a pretty big accomplishment. Well, not all that big because the 18u A Nationals is really the B Nationals if you wanna get technical. The true A teams are play 18u Gold. JMO

[EzellSoftball04]

Strikethree- You are nuts if you think that the Nashville eagles were up and down a better team than the 16u T.E. Elite. I saw both play mulitple times, and I have good friends on both teams, and the T.E. Elite was much more complete!

 

Cornpup- Well seeing as when the Nashville Ealges won Nationals they didn't have "gold" ball yet, I don't see how they could have won the gold nationals. And you can tell all those college coaches at the 18u A Nationals that anyone thats anyone is at the gold tournament. Thanks

[std]

Gold has been around a lot longer than you think and there was a gold nationals the year they won 18A. I think they would have been competitive at the gold in 1997 as at least three of their players were in the gold nationals in 1996 with the Southern Attack: Brooke Seibel, Naomi Fitzgerald, Courtney McCrary

[EzellSoftball04]

I don't think there is a gold team around that could have beat that team. They were bad (meanning good). Think about how good all of those players are doing in college now.

[std]

All but one player has graduated from college, Courtney Mitchell. They were good however the Gold competition in the mid 90's was very good. Extremely select teams mostly from the soutwest. Only 36 berths. I watched Stacy Newvman (spelling) UCLA and olympic catcher hit a home run to win the 1996 gold nationals. The final 5 in that tournament would have been tough for the Eagles to beat. It would have taken their best game to win which Seibel was capable of.

[cornpup]

EzellSoftball04, like STD said, their was a Gold Nationals that year, so that's that. Also, if Gold Nationals and 18u A Nationals were played the same week, you wouldn't see many head coaches at 18u A Nationals, so that's that on top of that. One more thing, maybe you should read Strikethree's post again because what you said didn't make any since. And could you post some of the accomplishments that the players from the old 18u Eagles had in college. I know their were some great players on that team but I never heard much about them after they left for college. Thanks in advance.

[std]

The 1997 Eagles players were very successful in college:

Brooke Siebel Big 10 freshman of the year, All Big 10 as a sophmore, hip injury junior year slowed her.

Jeri Alexander and Kim Dunlap played for USL a top 10 team at the time. Michelle Tyree four year starter at Georgia and played a big roll in the team's rise in 2002. Naomi Fitzgerald four year starter at Baylor. Kristin Peck most underated player of the group played at Lipscomb. This team was possibly the most talented to ever come out of Nashville.

[alliegator11]

STD - Michelle Tyree has been successful at Georgia. She was heavily recruited by Tennessee & S Carolina & took a full scholarship to Georgia where she has started for 3 years at shortstop & is in her senior year this year. She has broken several records for games, seasons & lifetime at Georgia & has helped bring that program up & played in NCAA college world series last year.

 

The Eagles were very impressive & won championships all over the country from S Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Colorado, Arizona & the ASA Nationals which were played in California. Every player on that team was offered a college scholarship & was coached by one of the top coaches in this area, Don Lockridge.

 

The Blues this year was the first team from Tennessee to finish in the top 10 at the 18-U Nationals since that Eagles team & could return every player off that team that went to the Nationals. They have alot of tradition & over the years, they have placed in the top 10, five times at National tournaments. There are alot of good teams that play in the Middle Tennessee Area & that is starting to show in high school play with a bunch of good talent still coming up.

 

Congratulations to the 16U Eagles that won their championships last summer & any other team that has won championship. We should support all the teams on this board at any level & hope they will improve the talent at that level.