Uncommitted2026 MIF/2B Ashannalee Titialii, today's standout spotlight athlete from So Cal. Photo courtesy of Carson High.

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.

To contribute information, insights, thoughts or content ideas, email us at losstuff34@gmail.com, DM at @Los_Stuff on Twitter or text (949) 606-3602.

Here’s our TFP for Thursday, July 13, 2023:

*****

THE FINAL PITCH: ASJANNALEE TITIALII

Uncommitted 2026 MIF/UT Ashannalee Titialii recently talked to Dugout Chatter about OC Batbusters-Hudson/White, Carson High, the 14U National Power Pool at the Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July, battling herself, discipline, future college, engineering, history, Brianna and Darian Tautalafua, biographies, Tupac, Ice Cube and Aaliyah, “Scooby Doo” and “The Vampire Diaries,” “Straight Outta Compton” and ear tricks.

THE FINAL PITCH Q&A

Ashannalee Titialii of OC Batbusters-White/Hudson. Photo by Toby Hudson.

Name: Ashannalee Titialii

Hometown: Carson, CA

High School: Carson High

Club Team: OC Batbusters-White/Hudson 14U

Graduation Year: 2026

Height: 5-foot-3

Position/s: MIF/2B

Nickname: My club team calls me “Shaun,” but I don’t care for it, but on my High School team they call me “Wu Tang,” because the first time I met and hung out with all of them I did the Wu-Tang dance from Tiktok and it kind of just stuck.

Twitter/Instagram: @A_Titialii2026/@ashannalee_titialii

Honors: 4.0 GPA; 2nd Team All-Tournament Triple Crown Don Battles On (2022); Varsity Freshman & Rookie of the Year at Carson (2023); CIF-LACS champion (2023); 1st Team All-CIF LACS (2023); 1st Team All-Marine League (2023); 1st Team All-Area (2023); 2nd Team Triple Crown Brashear Invitational (2022); and Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July 14U National Power Pool champion (2023).

Travel Ball Fall Stats: Hitting — 121 at-bats, .479 AVG, .530 OBP, 1.034 OPS and .504 SLG; Fielding — 136 total chances, 66 assists, 60 putouts, .926 fielding percentage, 10 errors and 4 double-plays.

High School Stats: Hitting — 104 at-bats, .500 AVG, .532 OBP, 1.099 OPS and .567 SLG; Fielding — 95 total chances, 0 assists, 85 putouts, .895 fielding percentage, 10 errors and 1 double-play.

Travel Ball Summer Stats (So Far): Hitting — 96 at-bats, .560 AVG, .560 OBP and .604 SLG; Fielding — 123 total chances, 64 assists, 53 putouts, .951 fielding percentage, 6 errors and 14 double-plays.

Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? My team is a very fun team, but just because we have fun doesn’t mean we can mess around. We have a really good bond because our team hasn’t really changed much. I think our bond is better than some other teams because we know each other well and what we are expected to do and what we are capable of doing. I have always been involved with Batbusters all because of a tryout that my uncle told me about in 10U for one of their teams. Over time, I began to get to know other girls from other Batbuster teams because of STC, which is our facility where we work out. I think that’s what makes Batbusters more of a family because we see people from other teams almost every day, like we’re not just individual teams from the same organizations, we all know each other and even hang out with them outside of softball. Most of my friends I met at STC.

Ashannalee Titialii of Carson High. Photo courtesy of Carson High.

Tell us about your high school team and how you did? My High School team is very special to me. I know a lot of them just from outside of school. A lot of them I grew up with or played with or against them in travel and rec ball. Some are even my cousins, but even the ones that aren’t, I call them family because that’s how close I am with most of them. In High School, I had a rough start. I made errors, was in a slump for the longest and just my attitude wasn’t the best either. But towards the middle I started getting better, including my attitude and mindset because the start of High School kind of lowered my mindset and confidence, but then I got better and was doing really good. It definitely helped me in travel too because I had to learn how to brush stuff off. In high school, it’s a different environment and vibe. In high school, your home field is on your school campus so all your friends, family, teachers and peers come to see you and your team play. But it made the games more special and FUN, especially because I think of school spirit and it just made High School way more fun and exciting.

Can you tell us about your recent experience in the 14U National Power Pool at the Triple Crown Colorado 4th of July? My experience in this year’s Power Pool was kind of different just because last year we didn’t have much delays and not such a crazy schedule. I was kind of struggling a little bit mentally because my sleep schedule wasn’t the best because of the way our softball schedule was set up. Then it’s kind of more hard to breathe up there, especially since the air is thinner and it’s WAY hotter over there than in California. It was overall fun though because this is kind of the only tournament of the year where I see teams from everywhere all over the nation and it’s kind of cool to see how other states’ uniforms or even just like pre-game rituals are and how they play or just how they do anything in general. It was even more special because we won the 14U Power Pool and, I mean, that’s a great feeling!

Ashannalee Titialii of OC Batbusters-White/Hudson. Photo by The Alliance.

Which player/team has been your toughest opponent and why? Myself, because, to be honest, it was kind of hard having to deal with my attitude not just for myself, but for my coaches and my teammates. When I am down on myself, I am not really an approachable person because I get in my head, but I still have to support my teammates and help out my team to win. I am very competitive, so I have very strong emotions when it comes to softball or just anything competitive in life. It always feels like I’m fighting myself all the time mentally because sometimes I just want to give up, but I know I can’t because that’s selfish and I need to be a team player and not just think of myself, but my team. My performance doesn’t just affect me and how people look at me, but it affects my team. That was very hard for me to face, but in the end I just think about what’s best for my team.

What have you faced/overcome in life that has made you the person you are today? One thing I overcame was my parents and coaches discipline in softball. There were multiple times where I felt like they would yell at me and make me feel like I’m having a bad day, but it was more of them explaining what I can do better. I have learned that they don’t yell at me because they don’t like me or they just pick on me. They yell at me and push me to be a better version of myself. They don’t yell at me because they think I suck, they yell at me because they know that I am better than what I am showing and I am capable of more than what I am showing. I overcame the mindset that I wasn’t good enough. Instead of getting yelled at and feeling sorry for myself, it motivated me to do better and show them what I am capable of and what I can do.

Ashannalee Titialii of Carson High. Photo courtesy of Carson High.

What are you looking for in a future college? While earning my AA college degree in High School (dual study enrollment program), I am looking for a college that is something new, that I haven’t seen before. Like a new view, but also somewhere where I feel like it’s a home and has a good environment for me to feel like I belong. I want to be somewhere where I feel like it’s OK to be me and no one thinks I am “different.” I want to be at a college that is high in expectations for their students and pushes them to be better academically. I am very competitive, so I’d want to be at a college that is very athletic and I want to have peers that relate to my competitiveness.

What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I have loved engineering ever since I was really young. I would love to build, but not just build anything. I loved to construct my own types of buildings and make them unique and slightly different from what was expected. But I also am a bit bossy and want people to know what I want and how I want it, so I think I would like to have my own architectural engineering business where I am in charge, but also am involved in my work. I don’t just want to assign it to my workers and have them do it. I also want to be involved in building my vision.

What’s your favorite subject to study in school and why? I really like history. Some people would say history is very boring, but I think otherwise. I like learning what came before me and how Earth’s civilization became what it is today and how it can change in the future. But I also like knowing how some things came to be or how they have changed in time and who changed it. But most importantly I don’t want people to forget history and what had to happen for the world to be how it is now.

Who is your sports hero and why? I’d say my cousin, who played softball for UCLA from 2015-2019, Brianna Tautalafua, and sister, Darian Tautalafua, who played at (Long Beach State) 2012-2016, who also played at my High school. Because I’ve looked up to them ever since my mom put me in T-Ball. I showed up to all of their high school games and college games. I used to sit in the stands and only watch them. They are my heroes because when I used to watch softball, I didn’t really know much and I didn’t think a sport like softball would get you anywhere. But after seeing them make it to college and make a name for themselves because of softball kind of opened my eyes and made me want to be more involved. Just seeing people back home know that someone that they know and see almost all the time and grew up with watching or playing with made it that far and made a name for themselves just makes me want to do the exact same, just bigger.

What’s your favorite book to read and why? I don’t have a favorite book in particular, but I like to read biographies on sports people because I like to know their background and how they became big and what they had to do to be seen or even heard of to make it that far.

What’s the best hype song and why? My ear for music comes from my dad. I don’t have a specific song, but I have different types of playlists. But it all depends on how I am feeling. I always listen to 90s/2000s RNB, 90s rap, Island reggae and a few oldies. But I think the one that makes me feel the most hype is anything by Tupac or Ice Cube, especially their rap songs. They’re probably my favorite artists (behind Aaliyah), but their songs just hype me up. But I also love listening to them on a daily basis.

What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite TV shows to binge on are mystery/thriller in general because I love watching shows that keep me on the edge of my seat and I love not knowing what’s gonna happen next. For example, my favorites are “Scooby Doo” or “The Vampire Diaries.” I can rewatch every episode on replay every day.

What’s your favorite movie and why? My Favorite movie is “Straight Outta Compton” because NWA is one of my favorite music groups and I love seeing what their backstory was. OR “Poetic Justice” because I just love 80s/90s romance movies.

Do you have a secret talent/skill? I can move my ears up and down. I don’t know if that’s a special talent, but whenever I show people, they’re amazed by it.

*****

NEWS & NOTES

***The Triple Crown USA Nationals and the Triple Crown Southeast Nationals are Monday-Thursday, July 10-13, in Alpharetta/Cumming, GA.

OC Batbusters-Stith (18U), Warrior Academy-Jimenez (16U) and BSC Bengals-Briggs (16U) and Athletics Mercado 2025-Tidd (14U) are the Triple Crown USA Nationals defending champions.

The Triple Crown Southeast Nationals was last contested in 2020 and Tampa Mustangs-TJ (18U), AP Gold-Locke (16U) and Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier 05-Rockey (14U) are the defending champions.

Follow the Tournament online HERE.

***The Triple Crown Southwest Nationals are Thursday-Monday, July 13-16, in Georgetown/Taylor/Austin, TX.

The Triple Crown Southwest Nationals were last contested in 2020 and Impact Gold-Jackson (18U), Hotshots Premier-Nelson (16U) and Hotshots Premier-Esparza (14U) are the defending champions.

Follow the tournament online HERE.

***The Lakewood Ranch Rodeo won the 2023 Florida Gulf Coast League title. The FGCL, the first premier collegiate league, recently announced its award winners for the 2023 summer season. And the winners are …

*****

HSOTD

Today’s Hype Song of the Day is …

*****

BTITW

Today’s Best Thing In The World is …

— Carlos Arias, Dugout Chatter (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff and Threads @los_stuff)

Previous articleNews: Triple Crown Nationals Highlights/Scores (July 12, 2023)
Next articleNews: Lady Dukes, Virginia Unity, Indiana Magic Gold Win Titles at Triple Crown Nationals (July 13, 2023)
Carlos Arias
http://DugoutChatter.net

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR