IDT Colorado Quick Look
After more than 20 years of continued success, IDT softball is once again holding the 2018 Louisville Slugger Independence Day Softball Tournament. This five-day event will be spread out through Colorado with games in Boulder, Louisville, Longmont, and Broomfield. Over 100 18U teams and coaches from all over the country have planned accordingly to make time for the Boulder tournaments right before the Fourth of July.
AASA returns to Boulder as the 2017 18U champions after sweeping the competition, finishing 5-0 to tie for first place with the Corona Angels Marty of California. Being a nationally recognized team established in 2005 and back-to-back finishes in the top five in this tournament, the 18U AASA Merrida is invited back for the 13th consecutive season to the IDT Boulder in Colorado. Players to watch for committed to some big named schools are Riley Kuderca (Arizona), Hannah Dardano (Washington), and Savannah Price (ASU).
Coming in with a 4-1 record and a top spot in both Boulder and Longmont last year, the Beverly Bandits of Illinois return as a very strong contender. As the 2017 PGF National Champs, Beverly Bandits look to gain another championship at the IDT Boulder Tournament. With everyone on their roster committed, Coach Bill Conroy is looking forward to the team he’s fielded this year. We can expect great things on the mound from Illinois’ Gatorade Player of the year and lefty pitcher, Sydney Supple (Northwestern) as well as a righty, Shannon Mortimer (Iowa State). Others to look out for on the diamond are Carson Saabye (FSU) and Kiki Milloy (Tennessee).
Representing the East, Rhode Island Thunder made a run for it in Boulder last year as well, finishing 3-1 overall. With Dave Lotti leading the charge, the Providence-based team is not one to overlook. Having the number four ranked athlete in the state of Rhode Island the sophomore infielder, Kayla Baptista (Tennessee) has a major presence in the infield. Taking care of the grass and the plate, outfielder Lauren Keleher is another key contributor who is not yet committed. Having some depth in their pitching staff, the Thunder have two outstanding pitchers to watch named Maddie Burns (Hofstra) and Kelsey Majkut (Quinnipiac).
