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, Aug. 23, 2023:
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THE FINAL PITCH: HARLIE CHISM
Uncommitted 2025 SS Harlie Chism recently talked to Dugout Chater about Oklahoma Athletics National 2023-Madden/Clemmer, Weatherford High, Alliance Nationals, Virginia Unity-Johnson/Ross, change, future college, Sept. 1st, coaching, AP Psychology, Sis Bates, English, “Praise,” “Manifest,” “Footloose” and ear twitching.
THE FINAL PITCH Q&A
Name: Harlie Chism
Hometown: Weatherford, OK
High School: Weatherford High
Club Team: Oklahoma Athletics National 2024-Madden/Clemmer
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 5-foot-7
Position: SS
Nickname: Cheese 🧀, coaches call me this because it sounds familiar to my last name.
Twitter/Instagram: @HarlieChism/@harlie.k.chism
Honors: MVP Sydney Angle Tourney in Moore, OK; USA All-American (2019); USA 15U Team; USSSA Defensive MVP (2020); All-District Shortstop (2021); Track 4A state champion; Track two-time gold medal state 4A 3200M relay; Track silver medal state 4A 1600M relay; Track silver medal state 4A 800M relay; All-Star 1st Team Colorado Sparkler Power Pool 16U; All-Star Team Texas Bombers Invitational Fall (2022); All-District Player of the Year (2022); Alliance Super Cup MVP; and Alliance Super Cup All-Tournament Team.
Travel Ball Fall Stats: .440 AVG, .500 OBP, .960 SLG, 3 HRs and 1.000 fielding percentage.
Travel Ball Summer Stats: .462 AVG, .548 OBP, .824 SLG, 7 HRs and .981 fielding percentage.
High School Stats: .506 AVG, .595 OBP, 1.056 SLG and HR 11 HRs.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? In 2019, I played in the USA Softball All-American Games with a bunch of random girls from other teams. We meshed really well together from the beginning and decided to continue playing with each other. It’s been almost five years since we all first met. We’ve lost some girls on the way, but we’ve also gained a lot. We are a really talented group that has become family and played proud under the Oklahoma Athletics organization run by Brian Madden.
Tell us about your high school team and how you did? My High School team is a really great group and we’ve left our mark in our small town. We made a lot of accomplishments last year, by being District champs and hosting our first Regionals in a long time. We are hoping this year turns out even better by a run in the state tournament.
Can you talk about your team’s run to a 7th-place finish at 16U Alliance Nationals? In Colorado, we got to compete in the Stage 3 Alliance Super Cup and we came out on top. We were then seeded in the #1 spot for the Alliance Nationals in Chino Hills, CA. We were super stoked as this was a great accomplishment, for not only our team, but for our organization as a whole. We were undefeated and playing at our peak performance all the way up until the Elite 8. I thought we played great, but in the end the odds just weren’t in our favor and we didn’t come out on top like we expected.
Which player/team has been your toughest opponent and why? We played Virginia Unity-Johnson/Ross in the Colorado Sparkler championship and they were by far our best competition. They had a great pitching staff overall and 1-9 hit the ball very well. I loved competing against girls who were already committed very highly and girls that will potentially be at that level in the coming years.
What have you faced/overcome in life that has made you the person you are today? Change has always been my biggest obstacle. I don’t like to be uncomfortable with what I do, who I’m around or where I live. However, I’ve learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and stepping out of my comfort zone
What are you looking for in a future college? A great coaching staff. If I have to see these coaches every day, I want to love them like they are my parents. The feedback that I get is important and the way they treat their players is huge to me. I also want to find a place that I know I could live for four years, even without softball.
What are your thoughts about Sept. 1? I’m super excited about all the schools that I’ve talked to already at camps or gotten letters from. This is a date I’ve been working towards my whole life and I’m so grateful to even be in the position that I’m in, in the first place. Typically, I’d be nervous or stressed out, but I’m trusting that God has a plan for me and he is going to put me where I belong for the next four years of my life.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I’m not quite sure what I want my future occupation to be, but I do want to be involved in the coaching atmosphere or just working with athletes and students in general.
What’s your favorite subject to study in school and why? I’m taking AP Psychology right now and I’m super interested in how the mind works.
Who is your sports hero and why? Sis Bates forever and ever. She has always been my biggest role model since I first started playing softball. I love the energy she brings to the field, whether it’s her worst game or her best game. Not only is she best for her ESPN defensive plays, but she is just one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever been around.
What’s your favorite book to read and why? I don’t read many books unless it’s for English class. 😂
What’s the best hype song and why? “Praise” by Elevation Worship. It’s a very recent song, but it’s been my “go-to” song before games since it came out. It not only gets me feeling good, but reminds me who gave me my ability and who I’m truly playing for.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? I’m a huge “Manifest” girl. I love the suspense throughout the whole Netflix series. It takes three whole seasons to truly unravel why this plane went missing in the first place.
What’s your favorite movie and why? “Footloose” 2011 film will always be my favorite movie. I love Kenny Wormald, I love the dancing, but I also love the whole moral behind the movie.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? I can twitch my ears without moving any other part of my face.
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NEWS & NOTES
***Coach Steve Cornett has had a lot of success at the 16U level in recent years. Keep an eye on his 14U team, EC Bullets 2027-Cornett. …
🚨🚨🚨Roster Announcement🚨🚨🚨
Please join us in welcoming 2027 Pitcher/1B Abby Lathers to the team. @2027_Abby @Los_Stuff @ondecksoftball @IHartFastpitch @CoastRecruits @ImpactRetweets @BBOS_Nation @StriveSoftball @LegacyLegendsS1 @EastCobbBullets @BulletsCornett pic.twitter.com/1OdNiAbviG
— EC Bullets Cornett 2027 (@ECBCornett27) August 22, 2023
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SIGNING/COMMITMENT ALERTS
Sydney Becks, 2024, 3B/OF, Racers Fastpitch 05-Becks/Tallmadge High, OH, Walsh
So excited to announce my commitment to Walsh University to further my softball and academic career! #SwordsUp ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/WgnBxSxlka
— sydney (@sydneybecks2024) August 21, 2023
Ashlyn Severns, 2024, MIF, Racers Fastpitch 05-Becks/Tallmadge High, OH, Walsh
I’m so excited to finally announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at Walsh University! Swords up⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Wyu4ZzDKy3
— Ashlyn Severns (@AshlynSeverns) August 17, 2023
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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 …
Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon — a two-part movie event — begins this December
Part One: A Child of Fire – December 22, 2023
Part Two: The Scargiver – April 19, 2024 pic.twitter.com/k0aDf2YwoL— Netflix (@netflix) August 22, 2023
— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Thread @los_stuff)
