Get on board with Dugout Chatter’s regular feature, The Final Pitch!
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
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Here’s our TFP for Wednesday, June 21, 2023:
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THE FINAL PITCH: GRACYN TUCKER
Georgia Tech-bound IF Gracyn Tucker recently talked to Dugout Chatter about Georgia Bombers Gold-Lewis, Lassiter High, her toughest opponent, daily struggles, choosing Georgia Tech, real estate attorney, math, the Oklahoma Sooners, “Jane Eyre,” Soulja Boy, “Survivor”, “Coraline” and folding eyelids backwards.
THE FINAL PITCH Q&A
Name: Gracyn Tucker
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
High School: Lassiter High
Club Team: Georgia Bombers 18U Gold-Lewis
Graduation Year: 2023
Height: 5-foot-9
Position: IF
Nickname: Most people call me G-Money. An old teammate’s dad from 12U called me that name one time and it just stuck throughout my years and now all my coaches and teammates call me G-Money.
Twitter/Instagram: @GracynTucker
Honors: Four-time 1st team All-State; four-time 1st Team All-Region; four-time 1st Team All-County; GADC 6A Player of the Year (2021); CCSD Athlete of the Week; two-time 6A GA state champion; three-time Offensive MVP; Team Captain (2022); and two-time USA Softball All-American.
Travel Ball Fall Stats: .485 AVG and .678 OBP
Travel Ball Summer Stats (so far): .320 AVG and OBP-.433 OBP.
High School Stats: Career — 138 games, .409 AVG, .453 OBP, 1.117 OPS, .472 RSP, 146 runs, 184 hits, 40 doubles and 134 RBIs.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I play for the GA Bombers 18U-Lewis and we are one of the top-ranked teams in the country. My team consists of players that range from 2023s-2025s and we are stacked offensively, defensively sound and have a phenomenal pitching staff. I became involved with the team in the fall of 2021 when Patrick Lewis called me and asked me to join the team and I am happily finishing off my travel ball career with these supportive people!
Tell us about your high school team and how you did? My high school team and our stats were one for the books! My freshman year, we were one round away from the Elite 8 in Columbus, GA, but fell short. We were determined to do better the next year and came back with a vengence. So, my sophomore year, we made a run for it and made it all the way to Columbus and beat our rival two times and won the 6A GA state championship. That feeling was so surreal and amazing that we did it AGAIN my junior year no problem and swept through the tournament, making us back-to-back 6A GA state champions. My senior year, we fell a little short and got 3rd place, but that is still an accomplishment. No one notices the hard work that was done behind the scenes, but with the special bond we all had with each other and with our coaches pushing us, it made the journey a whole lot easier.
Which player/team has been your toughest opponent and why? If I’m being honest, the toughest opponent I’ve faced has always been myself. The game of softball is 10 percent skill and 90 percent mental, and it is always so hard trying to fight your inner thoughts telling you that you aren’t good enough or to just quit. Continuously telling yourself positive thoughts that you are good enough is so important because this is a game of failure and mental toughness.
What have you faced/overcome in life that has made you the person you are today? Life is a daily struggle, in one way or another. I have been fortunate in my life, thus far, as not to have one life event to pinpoint. Life is about failure recovery—big or small. I have learned to ask for help. Having God as my ultimate guide and an amazing support system with family and friends has provided me with a safety net and room to mature. I can make mistakes and learn from them.
Why did you choose to commit to Georgia Tech? There were a ton of factors that played a part in aiding my decision to choose Georgia Tech. I am a huge homebody and only being 30 minutes away from my house doesn’t hurt! I was also looking towards my future after softball and what each school had to offer, and Georgia Tech’s academic rigor was one that would prepare me for any challenge that I could possibly be faced with. So, even though I am a student first and an athlete second, I still wanted to choose a school that was competitive in the softball aspect and Georgia Tech most certainly offers that. I also fell in love with the campus and being in a major city like Atlanta can provide so many opportunities for an individual, and I wanted to be there for them all. The coaching staff was also a major factor in my decision because I knew they would push me to be a better person both on and off the field. Georgia Tech has been my dream school since I was in 7th grade, and I’ve always known that this is where I wanted to be ever since I stepped foot on that dirt at my first camp in 2018.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I am extremely interested in finance and real estate. I want to work as a real estate attorney at a major law firm or as a financial advisor in a corporate office. My mom and I love to go and look at houses all the time so I think it would be fun to help others when they’re looking for a new home while making sure the process is done quickly and legally. I also love math and working with numbers so I think helping others manage their money would be fun!
What’s your favorite subject to study in school and why? I have always loved math! It comes naturally to me, and I’ve always been willing and able to help others and even tutored some people when it came to Algebra and Pre-Calc. I am not the brightest with Geometry though, LOL!
Who is your sports hero and why? To be honest, I haven’t really had one until recently when I saw the post-game interview of the Oklahoma Sooners talking about the Lord and how their faith has guided them through their journey. The real joy is playing for each other and knowing that happiness comes from within and stems from the lord. The girls on that team showed leadership and their love for the Lord and shared it with the country and I really admire that.
What’s your favorite book to read and why? You know, I am not a big fan of reading and I have always tried to get into it, but it never stuck. However, there was one book I read in school called “Jane Eyre” (by Charlotte Bronte) and I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was one of the only books in school I enjoyed reading. It had so many plot twists and genuinely kept me on my toes, which I find hard to do when dealing with books!
What’s the best hype song and why? I LOVE the song “Turn My Swag On” by Soulja Boy. Tell ‘Em and every time it comes on in the car, I immediately turn the radio up. The beat is just so good, and it hypes me up like no other song does. I love listening to it before games and sometimes even when I’m in the box hitting, I will start to sing that song to clear my mind.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? I love the show “Survivor”! I enjoy watching the contestants trying to survive in the wild and then having to go to competitions in the grueling weather. Even though there are a lot of physical and strength aspects to the show, there is also a strategic aspect and if you can’t succeed in both areas of the game, you could get voted off. I just love the suspense the show gives!
What’s your favorite movie and why? I have always been a huge fan of the movie “Coraline.” I watch it when I’m sick, tired, sad or even happy. It has been my comfort movie for so long that I can’t even remember the first time I watched it. I love the music that’s in it and I think the detail that was put into it is so intricate that each time I watch it, it gets better. I swear I should know every line in the movie by now because of how often I watch it.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I can fold my eyelids backwards, but that is about all the secret skills I have!
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NEWS & NOTES
***Top Club Nationals is Wednesday-Saturday, June 21-24, in OKC. Follow the tournament online HERE.
OC Batbusters-Stith is the defending 18U champion, Hotshots National-Jones is the defending 16U champion, Texas Glory 2K26 and Texas Glory-Naudin shared the 14U title last summer and Hotshots National 09 is the defending 12U champion.
***The inaugural Patriot Games Thursday-Saturday, June 22-24, in Windsor, CO, features teams in 14U, 16U and 18U competing for championships.
Follow the tournament online HERE.
***The 2023 Scenic City Summer is Thursday-Sunday, June 22-25, in Chattanooga, TN. Teams in 14U, 16U and 18U will compete for championships.
Follow the tournament online HERE.
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HSOTD
Today’s Hype Song of the Day is …
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BTITW
Today’s Best Thing In The World is …
Prepare yourself.
Nick Fury is back in #SecretInvasion, streaming Wednesday on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/LiKMJ0GgQZ
— Secret Invasion (@SecretInvasion) June 19, 2023
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff)
