Happy Independence Day (July 4^th) to all our softball fans and followers in behalf of our staff at Line Drive Softball!

While it may be a holiday and/or day off for many, the travel softball world is going full speed ahead including two of the biggest travel ball tournaments of the summer in Colorado Sparkler and Boulder IDT, but there are others going on.

Through the weekend, we’ll highlight top performances—team and individual—so send me what you’re most proud of and we’ll look to share on our site.

Email me info to: Brentt.Eads@LineDriveSoftball.com for publishing consideration.

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.@IowaPremierFP are your 18u TV Power Pool champs! 7-1 finals over Strykers National Esparza! 🏆 #IPlayTCS pic.twitter.com/Tele4AuzSP

— CO 4th of July (@COSparkFire) July 4, 2024

Last week while at The Patriot Games in Windsor, Colorado, we profiled one of the most dynamic players I’ve seen in all my years covering softball, Goose Hutchens—a 2027 grad who plays for the Iowa Premier 18U team coached by Greg Dickel.

*** Click HERE to what we wrote about Goose last week on Day 2 of action at the Patriot Games when Line Drive named her as the “Player of the Day.”

Player of the Day, yes, but Hutchens, a third baseman for the Iowa Premier made a strong case for herself as a Player of the Summer candidate.

The 15-year-old from Oklahoma is a Top 15 player—and perhaps the No. 1 overall prospect—in her class and she is a future star—shoot, by the way she looked today, she’s already one now.

I (Brentt Eads) rarely, if ever, say this about a young player but Goose is truly a franchise-type player who has the “IT factor” with her talent and athleticism in sports, a 4.1 GPA and a charisma that has her already signing autographs for younger players she trains and works with at camps.

Goose has taken it up several degrees this week in Colorado including a great performance at the Triple Crown Fastpitch 18U National Power Pool TV Bracket.

In the title game, the standout infielder hit a big grand slam to help her team to the title… here’s what Coach Dickel said about the team’s performance via Facebook:

Here’s a clip of her televised grand slam and the best part—in my opinion—is the reaction of the person recording the clip!

But that’s only half the story for Goose’s week; the day prior to the championship game, she had five homers in one day to help her team advance. That mean she hit six bombs in four games against some of the best pitching in the nation at the 18U level.

Wow.

I asked Coach Dickel about the impact this tremendous talent is having on his team and softball in general.

“Goose is the most talented player I have coached on my 20 years of coaching at this level,” he began. “You know some of the kids I’ve coached and she’s at the top.”

“Goose is a generational player and I’m very glad she’s on our team!”

Dickel recaps the situation behind the title-clinching grand slam.

“We were up 3-1 in the top of the 7^th,” he recalls. “She came to the plate with bases loaded and I told her to look change, and react to hard stuff.”

“On the third pitch of the at bat, Goose sat on a chang- up and hit it straight center about 300 feet into a 20-mph wind blowing straight in.  She two-hopped the 310 slow pitch fence and, if the wind was calm, it would have left the stadium entirely.”

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Congrats to the Mojo-Lewis team which won its first two games at the Colorado Sparkler and then three yesterday to advance and will play today on ESPN3 at 4:30 MDT in the TV bracket against Athletic – Mercado/Hovermale.

Helping lead the charge is Addison DeRoche, the Maine Gatorade State Player of the Year and a standout 2027 who you may remember from our article last month titled: Amazing Accomplishment: Freshman Pitcher Addison Deroche Wins Maine State Title Saturday with 21 Strikeout Performance! (June 17, 2024).

Addison got two of the three wins in the circle on Wednesday.

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Finally, what I love about my job the most is the relationships I get to have with the wonderful softball athletes, their families, coaches and teammates.

Take for example, Ava Tapia, a 2026 catcher who plays with the Firecrackers – Brashear 16U team… I had joked with her last month that she would have to dedicate her first two home runs of the Summer to me.

Her father, Eric, wrote me Tuesday night:

“So Ava delivered the two home runs she was supposed to dedicate to you… No. 1 was at the Patriot Games and No. 2 was a walk-off grand slam In the Alliance Super Cup Championship… enjoy and thanks for motivating her!”

The only negative with the walk0off was Ava her bat, but even that was remedied as she was able to procure a new one.

Here’s more from the athlete herself:

“Patriot Games was great for me defensively, but it definitely started out a little rough for me offensively. I was overthinking my at-bats and just really needed to get out on a field and take some live BP to try and fix a few things. I batted 3-10 with 2 singles and a HR. I would’ve hit a second HR but while in flight my ball hit the dome roof over CF which is an automatic out.”

“During my two days off between Patriot Games and Alliance Super Cup, I was able to work with my family and make some adjustments and fix my mental approach.”

“In Alliance Super Cup I defensively caught all all three games and felt pretty good about my play behind the plate.”

“Offensively, I wanted to just go out there and help my team any way I could each at bat I had. I’m never looking to hit a home run when I go up to bat, I just want to find a way to drive in runs and help my team out.:

“That’s the same mindset I went up with when I hit my grand slam, but it definitely felt nice to be able to contribute to my team’s win with the walk off. I ended up with a .555 batting average going 5-for-9 with three singles, a double, 1 walk-off grand slam, 8 RBI’s and a walk.

“My goal in Power Pool is to keep my same mental approach I had in Super Cup.”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball