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 Friday, July 21, 2023:
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THE FINAL PITCH: TAYLOR NELSON
Maryland-committed 2024 3B/MIF Taylor Nelson recently talked to Dugout Chatter about Firecrackers Brashear, Aliso Niguel High, the Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July, OC Batbusters-Stith, dealing with divorce, Maryland, psychology, English, Sis Bates, “The Silent Patient,” Saint Motel, “Manifest,” “The Maze Runner” and playing violin.
THE FINAL PITCH Q&A
Name: Taylor Nelson
Hometown: Aliso Viejo, CA
High School: Aliso Niguel High
Club Team: Firecrackers Brashear 18U
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-4
Position: 3B/MIF
Nickname: “All Day Tay.” My recreational coach, who coached me all throughout my childhood, gave me that name because of my grit and resilience on the field.
Twitter/Instagram: @t_nelson2024/@taylornelson2024
Honors: Named Team Captain for upcoming 23/24 high school season; two-time 1st Team All-League; one-time 2nd Team All-League; three-time Scholar Athlete; Captain’s Award; Coach’s Heart and Hustle Award; 4.6 GPA; and three-time Esprit de Wolverine Recipient.
Travel Ball Fall 2022/Spring-Summer 2023 Stats: .430 AVG and 8 home runs.
High School Stats: In League — .407 AVG, .960 OPS and .924 fielding percentage.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? I joined the Firecrackers organization going into 14U, competing with Firecrackers Brashear/TDR where we traveled and competed around the country. After that team disbanded, I tried out for Sean (Brashear’s) 16U team, which I was then blessed to become a part of. After a year of great production and hard work from our 16U team, I was moved up to the 18U team. Surrounded by incredible coaches and a great group of girls this year, I could not be luckier to be a part of this program.
Tell us about your high school team and how you did? As a junior this recent year, my high school team showed very well with an overall 24-5 record in Division II. While we only made it to the quarterfinals of CIF, I truly believe that our team showed the best we ever have during this season. The camaraderie amongst the girls seriously brought us all together and Coach (Randie) Baldwin continued to work and train us to be the best athletes we could be. This season was without a doubt successful.
Can you tell us about your experience in the 18U National Power Pool at the recent Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July? Because we are such a competitive program with a great record, we knew we would face a lot of well-respected opponents, who continue to work just as hard as we do. Over the course of two weeks, we played a total of 15 games, which to any team is obviously a lot. Going 5-2 in the tournament was definitely a win for us, especially winning three out of the four games we played just on Saturday alone. Saturday was definitely an all-around good day for me; I hit the ball consistently and had the opportunity to make a lot of plays at third. I am proud to say that we have so much resiliency as a team and just play for each other all the time rather than just ourselves.
Which player/team has been your toughest opponent and why? It is no secret that (OC) Batbusters-Stith 18U is one of the best teams in the country. I think all of the athletes on the team work extremely hard and definitely come out ready to compete every game. They are strong all around; pitching, hitting, fielding and base running. We always know we need to bring our A game when we play them.
What have you faced/overcome in life that has made you the person you are today? My parents recently went through a divorce, which without a doubt was not easy on me. Trying to balance school, sports and what was going on in my home life made focusing very difficult. This hardship in my life has taught me that it’s okay to reach out for help and has definitely made me a more compassionate and understanding person to those around me. I believe that God has a plan through all the ups and downs.
Why did you choose to commit to Maryland? Maryland has two aspects that were very important in my goals for choosing a college — a high academic school (ranked in the top-20 of public universities for academics) and they are a Power 5 in the BIG 10. Getting this opportunity was definitely a personal, huge accomplishment. Going out for my official visit last September, I knew immediately that this competitive program would be something I could fit into. While it was absolutely beautiful and the facilities and high-academic programs were important to me, I felt really comfortable with the coaching staff and their goals for the future of Maryland. I am extremely excited to work with Coach (Mark) Montgomery, (Laura) Heberling, (Emerald) Doria and (John) Garris in the near future.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I am extremely interested in the field of psychology or potentially science. I think the brain and human mind are very interesting concepts and potentially being able to identify or help someone with mental challenges would feel rewarding. I find science to be fascinating as well, specifically involving chemical elements. Pursuing a career such as a toxicologist is definitely something I would consider.
What’s your favorite subject to study in school and why? Although I can see myself being a psychologist or scientist in the near future, my favorite subject in school has always been English. I feel connected to the topic as I write and believe that the words flow easily to me. I became extremely interested in many of the novels I read in my AP Lang class this year like “The Great Gatsby.” Overall, English has always been my strength and something I enjoy learning about the most.
Who is your sports hero and why? Sis Bates is without a doubt my sports hero. Not only is she a great athlete both on the field and in the box, but her presence and demeanor is what stands out to me the most. She is always supporting her teammates and demonstrating what it really means to be a part of a team. Although she is not the biggest athlete, she knows what it means to bring the power onto the field.
What’s your favorite book to read and why? I just read “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. This book was very interesting as it surrounds both psychology and crime. I am definitely into thriller books and was able to finish this one in four days. It kept me on the edge of my seat and left me speechless at the end.
What’s the best hype song and why? My favorite hype song would have to be “My Type” by Saint Motel. It always puts me in a good mood and gets me ready to get out on the field and do what I love.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? I am obsessed with the show “Manifest.” There are four seasons that I’m pretty sure I watched in an entire week. My family and I would always watch together when a new season would come out and I’m really sad it’s over. But I will keep binging it!
What’s your favorite movie and why? I love “The Maze Runner” trilogy. All three movies are thrilling and full of action. While I would not consider myself a horror fan, I love thrillers and exciting movies that keep me entertained. But I also love comedies and romances and “La La Land” would have to be a close second.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I have played the violin for six years. I really enjoy it and have always felt it come naturally to play. It’s very relaxing!
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NEWS & NOTES
***The USA Softball GOLD Nationals for 18U & 16U are July 17-23 in OKC. Wichita Mustangs (18U) and Oklahoma Pure Fastpitch 06 Premier-Melson (16U) are the defending champions. Follow the tournament online HERE.
***The PGF Nationals for 18U Premier, 18U Platinum, 16U Premier & 16U Platinum are July 22-29 in Orange County, CA. Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier (18U Premier), Rock Gold-Manetta (18U Platinum), Georgia Impact-Caymol (16U Premier) and Breakers Labs-Carter (16U Platinum) are the defending champions. Follow the tournament online HERE.
***Alliance Nationals for 14U & 12U from July 23-29 are at Grand Park, IN. Texas Bombers Gold-Malpass (14U) and Impact Gold 2K9 National (12U) are the defending champions. Follow the tournament online HERE.
***The Alliance Nationals for 18U & 16U from July 23-30 are at BLD Chino Hills/Rosetta Canyon/BLD Perris/BLD Riverside/La Puente Sports Complex, CA. OC Batbusters-Stith (18U) and Mojo 2023-Lunsford (16U) are the defending champions. 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 …
I'm getting tickets for … #Barbieheimer pic.twitter.com/w9dM5T1gAO
— Wild Laughs (@wild_laughs) July 18, 2023
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)
