ATL Legacy: 18U Legacy
Last week, Fastpitch News was thrilled to be on site for the Atlanta Legacy event! This fantastic event showcased some of the country’s best teams, hosted dozens of collegiate coaches, and set a standard for national events everywhere.
Every ball park was unique and beautiful, every member of the staff was first-class, and the event was all round a “cannot miss”. Big thank you to everyone involved for having us!
Below are some of the teams and players that caught our eye at the crowning jewel of the event: the 18U Legacy Tournament. Find our write up from Lost Mountain and Al Bishop, here, and Hobgood, Sandy, and Shaw fields, here.
Gainsville Gold McFadyen
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Really stacked and really, really talented. That’s all there is to say about McFadyen’s 18U roster and they were one of my favorites to win the Legacy title. With the way the schedule worked, especially after rain cutting Saturday’s day short, Gold played three back-to-back-to-back games before falling to Atlanta Vipers – Holbrook in the semi-finals. Depth appeared to be a bit of an issue for Gold on a long day of play such as this as they rely heavily on stud Arkansas signee, Rylin Hedgecock.
Hedgecock was great and anchored her team in the circle. Stellar defensive play behind her helped Gold’s cause but wow, Hedgecock is talented and will be fun to watch her make an instant impact for the Razorbacks in 2020. She stifled the offenses she faced and really never gave them any chance to settle in or “get going”.
Not only can Gold pitch and play defense, they can really hit through the entirety of the lineup. They have all the pieces indicative of a juggernaut offense; speed, small game, table setters, and sheer power. Coach McFadyen received production from every player and in important moments. Rylin Hedgecock notched an impressive three-run bomb versus Lady Lightening Gold Corn; her sister, Tori Hedgecock (2021 – Arkansas), also went yard versus LLG; Katherine Grill (2020 – Alabama) came up with a huge two-run double versus the talented Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier – Thompson team; and Hallie Bryant (2020 – USF) power slapped her way to another key RBI versus the ‘Bolts just to name a few.
Simply, Gainsville Gold was fun to watch. It was easy to see how tight-knit of a group they are who just enjoys playing together. Many of them have been together for a long time and it adds such a special element when watching them competed.
In talking to some of the families, they unfortunately will not be competing at PGF due to players leaving for college. Their last appearances this summer was at TC Nationals where they played some great ball, winning their pool by way of scoring 34 runs and only allowing six. Unfortunately they lost in the first game of the Championship Bracket but all and all, they had a strong couple weeks of competition.
Florida Impact Watson
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Head Coach Billy Watson’s team went on a tear en route to the ATL Legacy championship playing four back-to-back games in the blistering Georgia heat. The Impact have a lot of nice tools on this veteran squad, most of who are going onto play at the next level.
Asley Blessin (2019 – Marshall) was fun to watch in the circle, the North South pitcher worked fast, spun the ball, and mixed speeds well. She induced a solid mix of balls for her defense while also picking up a few strike outs along the way. Blessin left with an injury versus Georgia Impact Premier – Lewis and Ali Shenefield (2019 – Rollins) took over. In a tough situation, Shenefield pitched very well and did enough to lift her team to the championship.
I also loved watching the FL Impact’s third baseman, Hannah Shemansky (2019 – FGCU). She is extremely athletic with a quick transfer and a power arm from the hot corner. Not only was she physically talented, she was a true leader on the field, it was hard to miss her presence on the diamond. She was part of an incredibly strong left side for the Impact.
In the championship, Alley Hulme (2019 – Florida State College) pitched her team to victory shutting out Atlanta Vipers – Holbrook. There wasn’t much scoring in that final matchup and was started when Shemansky dropped a beautiful bunt and an errant throw allowed Johneshia Rowe (2019 – FGCU) to score all the way from first. There was a play at the plate but the Vipers had no chance as Rowe’s elite speed was just too much. Maria Angelino (2019 – Dartmouth) also came up clutch for the Impact knocking in the final RBI of the game.
From there the defense and pitching took over, and overall, I was impressed with the Impact’s play in the field over the couple games I was able to watch them play.
The Impact mostly impressed me with their ability to continue fighting and “getting it done” any way possible, even if it was ugly. They hit well but also were not afraid to play small ball when needed; their energy was high most of the time; and they all hung in there to reach the common goal. Something that again carried them to the championship.
Other Eye-Catchers
With the schedule the way it was and the impact of the rain I did not get around to every team I had wanted to see but here are some other athletes who caught my eye:
– Skylar Trahan (2020 – South Carolina), Atlanta Vipers Holbrook
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see as much of the Atlanta Vipers as I had planned but in the championship, Skylar Trahan tossed a fantastic game. She commanded the circle with a strong mix of pitches, good velocity, and a lot of talented. The strike out pitcher kept the FL Impact off balance and in check, putting her team in a position to win the game. However, offensively they just came up short.
– Aaliyah White (2020 – South Carolina), Atlanta Vipers Holbrook
White was easily one of the fastest athletes I saw on any field during the Legacy Tournament and Showcase; just so blazing fast. She’s a solid table setter and a calm base runner who wreaked havoc on the basepaths. In the championship, she got herself into run a down and the way she was able to work out of it, cause defensive errors, and still safely advance to third while staying calm and controlled was impressive. The way it all played out truly showcased a higher level of “softball IQ” and experience that will serve her well moving forward.
– Krystina Hartley (2021 – Florida State), Tampa Mustangs Maguire
Another team I wanted to have seen more of, the Tampa Mustangs are well coached across their entire organization and Maguire’s squad is no different. They were a joy to watch for the short amount of time I was able to. Of all the incredible talent on this roster, Krystina Hartley really stood out to me. She is a complete stud at third base. Everything she does is sharp, polished, and oozes a different level of talented.
– Clarity Kummer (2020), Lady Lightening Gold Corn
Kummer stuck out to me for more than her on-field ability. I watched LLG compete versus Gainsville Gold and it was a bit of a tough game. Kummer remained extremely mentally tough, not much got to her, and she visibly took everything one pitch at a time. She stayed and communicated with her pitcher and continued to lead her field. Despite how the game was going, I didn’t see a slip or slack and she pulled eyes toward her because of that. One of those key killer intangibles that will serve her very well.
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