PGF Nationals this week features the older age divisions of 18U and 16U; 14U, 12U and 10U will battle for the titles next week.

The “Premier” age division, meaning the best of the best, played at Huntington Beach Sports Complex—primarily the 18U’s—while the 16U’s mostly competing at the Fountain Valley Sports Complex.

Line Drive Media’s Brentt Eads is on site and is reporting this week and next from the event.

If you have interesting notes, news, top performances, etc., email him at Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com.

Here is yesterday’s report… we’ll continue to link previous articles as well:

• PGF Nationals (July 21, 2026)

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HOTSHOTS ON FIRE

We’re down to the Elite 8 in the winner’s bracket for each age division.

Some compelling games tomorrow including former champions Arizona Rising – Appel playing an always competitive Beverly Bandits – Trackwell/Meredith team, which has also won its share of titles.

But the one I’m really eyeing is the Hotshots National – Nelson playing LTG Henderson/Carda

Why? Because this Hotshots team is unstoppable right now; or they have been so far this week.

In the first bracket game for the team from Texas, the Nathan Nelson coached team shutout the BSC Briggs squad, which is quite good, by a score of 9-0.

Today, in bracket game No. 2, the Hotshots destroyed another quality team in the Iowa Premier, 18-1.

That means in the first two games of bracket play, the Hotshots have outscored their two opponents 27-1.

That brings us to our PLAYER OF THE DAY… 2026 catcher/outfielder Stevie South who is signed with the Univ. of Texas.

The Magnolia, Texas resident went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.

But could have also given the honor to Ariel Arumbula, the 2026 first baseman headed to Texas Tech who set the stage for the rout with a first inning grand slam. Ariel finished 1-for-3 with five RBIs.

And Jayde Palmer, a 2028 shortstop/catcher from Orange Beach, Ala. who is the only uncommitted player on the team, went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and three RBIs.

The pitcher of note was Addison Thompson, the Michigan signee from Edmond, Okla. who went 2.1 innings and only gave up one hit while striking out three.

*** Also, kudos to the Top Gun, Beverly Bandits and Unity organizations, which have teams left still in the winner’s brackets in both age divisions.

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THURSDAY’s SCHEDULE

18U – Winner’s Bracket Games

* Arizona Rising – Appel vs. Beverly Bandits – Trackwell/Meredith
(Huntington Beach, Field 1 @ 12:30 pm)
* Hotshots – National – Nelson vs. LTG Henderson/Carda
(Huntington Beach, Field 2 @ 12:30 pm)
* Explosion – Carrillo vs. Illinois Chill
(Huntington Beach, Field 3 @ 12:30 pm)
* Unity – Johnson/VB vs. Top Gun National
(Huntington Beach, Field 4 @ 12:30 pm)

 
16U – Winner’s Bracket Game

* Top Gun National vs. Georgia Impact Premier – Crenshaw/Burrell
(Fountain Valley, Field 3 @ 12:30 pm)
* BSC Bengals – Briggs vs. Firecrackers – Pantages
(Fountain Valley, Field 4 @ 12:30 pm)
* Arizona Storm – Captain vs. Unity – Amsler/Johnson
(Fountain Valley, Field 5 @ 12:30 pm)
* Birmingham Thunderbolts vs. Beverly Bandits – Moran/Lewis
(Fountain Valley, Field 2 @ 12:30 pm)

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WEDNESDAY WINNER’S BRACKET SCORES

18U – Winner’s Bracket “A” Games

* Arizona Rising – Appel 9, University Bay Area – Tatro 1
* Beverly Bandits – Trackwell/Meredith 3, USA Athletics Gold – Rogers 0
* Hotshots – Nelson 18, Iowa Premier – Dickel 1
* LTG – Henderson/Carda 2, Beverly Bandits – Otto 1

18U – Winner’s Bracket “B” Games

* Texas Blaze – Robertson 3, Lady Dukes – Lamar 2
* Tennessee Mojo – Ramsey 6, Nebraska Gold – Singleton 2
* Georgia Impact – Taylor 6, Universal – Macias 2
* Lady Magic – Munoz 9, California Cruisers 1

16U – Winner’s Bracket “A” Games

* Arizona Storm – Captain 5, Mojo – Pardue 2
* Unity 16U – Amsler/Johnson 6, Extreme 16U – Woofter 0
* Birmingham Bolts – Buzzell/Parker 3, Rhode Island Thunder – Lotti 1
* Beverly Bandits – Moran/Lewis 2, Wildcats – Holcombe/Knight 0

16U – Winner’s Bracket “B” Games

* Top Gun National 7, Illinois Chill 0
* Georgia Impact – Crenshaw/Burrell 7, Armour Elite 28/29 Lynch 3
* BSC Bengals – Briggs 8, Explosion – Kim 3
* Firecrackers – Pantages 2, Texas Blaze – Robertson 1

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MOST INSPIRING PLAYER

Julia Caruso is everything that is right about softball players on and off the field.

The 2027 pitcher committed to Penn State is a Power 4 conference hurler, no doubt, as she throws in the 65-to-67 mph range with a riseball, curve and change-up she can go to at any count.

She competes for the Rhode Island Thunder 16U team and here’s her in action on Wednesday getting a strikeout:

But the Gatorade Softball State Player of the Year for New Hampshire is inspirational in so many other ways… especially off the field.

Julia, whose dad was an offensive lineman and her mom played field hockey there too, graduated with a GPA well over 4.0, she is her Student Body President and also plays basketball at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, which has a student enrollment of over 4,000!

Julia will have to give the graduation speech in front of all those folks and admits she’s “a bit nervous about it.”

But it’s what the in-coming senior does to serve in her community that is heart-warming.

Julia previously spearheaded a touching senior citizen prom to uplift those in their later years. This year, the organizers did a Country Western theme where the approximately 200 seniors were taught how to line dance.

For the prom, Julia and her helpers came up with a theme and catered the food. They also organized card games, bingo and other activities the elderly folks loved.

“They really get into it,” Julia says with enthusiasm. “They get all dressed up and this year with the Western theme they would get in big circles and dance around us… it was awesome!”

Additionally, Julia spends time volunteering with special needs students at her school during study hall breaks.

We caught up with her watching the older Rhode Island Thunder (18U) team before she later played in the day, having her team lose a tough one, 3-1, to an excellent Birmingham Thunderbolts team that has advanced to the Elite 8.

Here’s our interview with this fantastic student-athlete who will do great things in life in whatever she chooses to do!

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HOME RUN THREAT A-RISING

Steve Appel, whose Arizona Rising team won the 18U title last year, looks loaded again this year with talent and one he mentioned as having a great summer is Torynn Slaughter

The outstanding catcher who is committed to Alabama and is from Phoenix has 13 home runs this summer in 25 games and has taken her game to a whole other level.

We caught up with Torynn before her game this afternoon – with the coach’s permission, of course! – and this is what she had to say (sorry about the wind!):

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MORE COLLEGE COACH COUNTS

More college coach reps we saw in Orange County (Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley) today (see below the list for ones from yesterday:

• Oregon
• LSU
• North Carolina State
• Alabama
• Tennessee
• BYU
• Ole Miss
• Louisiana-Monroe
• Mary’s
• Utah State

Yesterday’s count included: Florida, Florida State, Syracuse, Northwestern, South Carolina, Pitt, Michigan State, Louisville, Tennessee and Minnesota.

Who are we missing?

Email me and I’ll add them to the list: Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com

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UNIFORM OF THE DAY

You like pink, you got it with this year’s very pink and eye-catching uniforms for the Lady Dukes 18U coached by James Lamar.

Usually blue is the predominant color for the program but Coach Lamar says he’s puts it into the hands of the athletes to decide what they want to wear.

“We try to do something every season a little bit different and the girls choose, they actually design the uniforms.”

It also has a poignant reminder of pink being the color to honor those who’ve battled breast cancer, which 2028 player Audrey Seiler appreciates as her mother had the cancer in 2022 but is fine now.

“I like how the uniforms go with the theme of remembering those with breast cancer,” she said.

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RISING STAR

Tinley Goodson is a 2028 infielder/outfielder who is vocal in the grass in supporting her teammates.

She’s also a heck of a good hitter and had a home run blast in the afternoon that helped propel her Unity – Amsler/Johnson team to the next round (Elite 8) in the Winner’s Bracket.

Here’s a photo of the home run with the ball just barely leaving the barrel of the bat:

And the reception she received from her teammates when she crossed the plate.

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KUDOS TO THE UNIVERSAL BAY AREA ACADEMIC ROCK STARS

Finally, you’d be hard pressed to find too many teams with the academic power that the team led by Jason Tatro has.

Get this… of the 18 players on the team, 13 of them have GPA over 4.0 with three players—Ayla Serrano (2026 MIF), Daisy Pallares (2026 IF) and Dakota Gaball (2028 P)—each having GPA’s in the 4.3 range!

Another fun stat: of the five whose GPAs aren’t in the 4.0-or-higher range, they are 3.50, 3.69, 3.83, 3.83 and 3.85!

Kudos and congrats to these true “student-athletes!”