Since last Wednesday (Feb. 18), when we last published our Line Drive Master Commit Spreadsheet, 43 more players in the 2027 and 2026 classes have been added to give us close to 1,800 commits since we started tracking on Sept. 1! 

And since Sept. 1, the Classes of 2026 and 2027 have seen players from all over the country–even Canada–commit.

We love hearing YOUR commitment stories, so send them in and they might get published here or on our site elsewhere! 

Today we have a special treat as Jaelynn “JJ” Clark, a 2027 lefty slapper and outfielder who’s a junior at Clovis (Calif.) North High and plays for the Grapettes program out based in Northern California, tells us how her recruiting journey went on her way to committing to Utah State…

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After playing 14U and making varsity as a freshman, I decided moving up to 18’s was the next step.

I am so thankful and grateful to the Grapettes 18U Gold (Bryan) Merrida and Adam Virchis for the opportunity to join the team and play on the national circuit.

This highly skilled team was full of college commits and I quickly learned what the recruiting process meant—it required work!

Recruiting from the player side is a whole other task and responsibility unto itself.

My first task was identifying the schools that have softball and a veterinarian program, to make my list of schools. From there, I had to be honest with myself and identify what level of play my game fits.

Once my list was set, I focused hard on those coaches and schools. Each tournament I was consistent with sending out emails and constantly updating my social media with videos and information about me and my team. 

My social media, and recruiting profile was set up so coaches could see what type of player I am.

Playing in highly competitive tournaments against some of the best arms in the country showed me that I was where I belonged.

I eagerly anticipated September 1 and was excited to receive emails at midnight and phone calls during the day. This let me know my hard work was being recognized and I was officially on the recruiting scene.

I had a few Zoom meetings and calls with coaches, and they gave me quality insight on what being a D1 athlete at their school consists of.  These conversations created excitement! It was great to know a college has you on their list and was interested in you, but you really don’t know how interested.

Everything with Utah State happened organically.

They saw me play over the summer, when watching one of their commits on my summer team play. Luckily for me, they saw our pitcher a few times and I played well in front of them each time.

Over the Fall, the coaches and I connected over the phone. They were excited about my academics and interest in their vet program. They invited me to a camp and asked that I plan to stay after.

Coach Todd Judge wasted no time after the camp to let me know he wanted me to be an AGGIE! 

We took a tour of the beautiful campus, and I knew I wanted this to be my home for the next four years.

I am so appreciative to the Utah State coaching staff for believing in me and giving me a chance to fulfill my dreams of playing on a D1 college softball team while pursuing my lifetime goal of becoming a veterinarian.

I am so excited for the next chapter, and I am ready to get to work! Go AGGIES!

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Also, here are just a few of those who shared their exciting news on social media…

If you know of a commit AT ANY LEVEL, email Brentt.Eads@LineDriveMedia.com to get the verbal added to our Master Commit Spreadsheet (see below for examples)

Here is our weekly publishing schedule:

• Sundays & Wednesday: updates on the latest verbals since the previous update + our “master list” of all those who have committed since Sept. 1 in the 2027 & 2026 classes.