Travel Ball Standouts Transitioning To Stardom

Another club softball summer season is in full swing and there are more than enough standouts who are shining on the travel circuit. And those performances with the bat or the glove can be the start of even bigger things.   Without further ado, here are five standouts on the travel softball circuit whose profiles are on the rise.    Last season's Cypress Ranch team returned to its winning ways by posting a stellar record of 18-9 this past season. Those winning ways are sure to continue if Brooklyn Manning manages to duplicate what she is doing in the travel realm to the Mustangs. Manning recently took part in the TFL Summer Championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Opposing batters did not experience positive fortunes with Manning in the circle that weekend, as she struck out 18 and posted a walks per innings pitched ratio of 1.652. Manning plays her travel ball with TX CF Intruders 16U Barnes and will surely bring that same (or even better) ferocity in the circle to Cypress Ranch.     A rising standout at Fleming Island High School in Florida, Penelope Gasbarro proudly sports the Fleming Island Storm – Elwood uniform during the months of club ball. With the glove, she plays at first base as well as catcher and defies conventional wisdom that states top-tier hitters are not typically those who sport catcher's mitts. She took part in a recent USSSA tournament in central Florida, where she batted a robust .667 at the dish. Gasbarro also plated four runs and displayed patience in the batter's box as well with a walk. She is just getting started and her continued development should have Golden Eagles fans excited for the future.     Fans of Linganore sports in Maryland have become accustomed to winning softball, including a state championship in 2022. Ashlyn Hodge is set to join the team for her freshman season in the spring and the Lancers are more than poised to continue their winning ways. During the time when she plays in the club softball ranks, she has worn the uniform of the Yellow Jackets 14U squad. Hodge also recently qualified for the USA Softball Region 2 Stars 14U team and will take part in the All-American Games in August. In June, she and her team took part in an invite at Virginia Beach, where she had four doubles and one triple.     Since softball is a fall sport in Missouri, the effort that Jayla Dickson is giving on the travel circuit is a preview of what is to come in a few months when high school play resumes. Dickson wears the uniform of the Queen City Buzz 14U squad in the travel realm. Her team took part in the Mid-Missouri State 14U tournaments, and won it. Dickson posted solid numbers: a .600 batting average plus a home run and nine RBIs. Dickson's round trip on the bases accounted for one of the six runs she scored throughout that weekend. Her bat should surely help the Tigers of Willard improve from their 15-16 record from the previous campaign.     Just as softball is a fall sport in Dickson's state (Missouri), it is also one in Peyton White's state of Georgia. She wears the green and gold of the Athletics Gold Tamborra/Olson 14U squad during the months of travel ball, and has plenty of black and gold in her future with the Trojans of 6A Carrollton. White's team made its presence known at the Champions League Showcase, where she hit .545 alongside a slugging percentage of .818. That translated into more impressive play at the Scenic City Top 25 tournament. White keeps a full athletic plate by balancing softball, basketball, track and jujitsu.

Another club softball summer season is in full swing and there are more than enough standouts who are shining on the travel circuit. And those performances with the bat or the glove can be the start of even bigger things.