Colorado Jamboree

The 5th annual Colorado Jamboree kicked off with good Sunday session. Right out of the gate, we want to thank Dave King and Elliott Finklestein from Triple Crown for helping us host the Jamboree. The Aurora Sports Complex is one of our favorite Jamboree homes and  is a beautiful softball event center that sets up extremely well for a Jamboree. The fields are superb, and the landscaping is as good as any park we see throughout the year. It is really a perfect venue.

The Jamboree itself played out in front of a substantial contingent of coaches who got to see some excellent performances from the group of players in attendance. Notable performances were turned in by many, but many college coaches remarked on the depth of talent in the younger classes. In fact one Power 5 coach said, “... this is the best group of lefty hitters I have seen in the last year” – certainly very high praise for the youngsters. And while I hate to use the term “older” for any of these young athletes, the “older” players performed extremely well too. An interesting side-note is that it appeared to many of us that the college coaches focused on the older groups more-so than at any recent OnDeck event. In our minds that is a good sign for the future of our sport.

As for the players, 2018 3B Jenna Baro and 2019 catchers Alana Cardon and Madison Weber were superb swinging the bat. All three players have excellent hitting potential with mechanics that should hold up well at the next level. 2019 Lauren Felds showed why she is one of the best uncommitted pitchers out there, with good velocity, a solid rise ball and a very good change. 2019 lefty Brooke McCorkle is a talent as well, she has all the spins and pitches consistently in the low 60’s.

2020's Yumiko Hanson and Mackenzie Jamieson both had good days. With continued work, both these players will have the chance to play D-1 softball three years from now. SS Kaylee Pond was very good thoughout the day, along with Kiana Gibson and Rachel Wicker. Pitchers Jamie Gilbert and Makena Brocki were superb and both showed a nice array of spin, solid velocity, and good location.

2021's Ella McVey, Vanessa Alexander, Hannah DiFabio were all superb. All three will be good hitters in the years to come. OF Paige Dimler garnered a great deal of attention from the college coaches. Pitchers Loganne Stepp and Kendall Mangel got rave reviews from the college coaching community and we look forward to seeing them progress. 2022 Elizabeth Joyner showed why she is simply one of the best athletes and most intriguing talents in her class and will be highly recruited before all is said and done. And finally, the youngest player in the Jamboree – Jiselle Hernandez, a 2023, shows all signs of being a talanted pitcher.

Lastly, I would like to mention 2021 C/MI Olivia Guindon, just 8 months ago, she was in a near fatal car accident on her way to a game outside of Houston. Olivia was in a coma for two weeks and had to learn to talk, walk, and eat all over again. Before the accident she was one of the best players in her class nationally. And now after seeing her perform again, there is no doubt in my mind that she is going to be one of the top players in her class once again. It was an emotional day for all of us at OnDeck as we watched this brave young lady, and we all marvel at her determination, strength of character, and progress. This is a remarkable story that will play out over the next several years, but Olivia looked very solid in her return.

Thank you to all the players for making this a successful Jamboree. We look forward to seeing you again soon and make sure to keep us updated on your progess and recruitment.

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