Banditfest Jamboree

We got 2016 started off right with a great Bandifest. We are very appreciative to Bill Conroy (Beverly Bandits) and Gerry Quinn (Illinois Chill) for helping us put together this wonderful event. The talent pool was probably the deepest yet for this event, and several players made major statements with their play. The coaching turnout didn’t disappoint as we had multiple coaches from the SEC, Big 10, ACC, Missouri Valley, Horizon, Big East, Colonial, Conference USA, Metro Atlantic, and Mid American conferences. 

2017 sleepers, Sophie VanAcker and Kiley Robb showed a talent that will certainly allow them to make significant contributions to their future college programs.  VanAcker, who was playing despite being hurt, is very good both offensively and defensively. Robb is a high level athlete oozing with potential who will only improve in the years ahead.

2018s Karli Ricketts, Carly Chovanec, and Taylor Herschbach all displayed talent that will allow them to play at a very high level in college.  Ricketts is a tremendous talent with size, strength, and athleticism and will most certainly be a coveted pitcher, with an added bonus to be a productive hitter. Chovanec exploded on our radar with a scintillating performance, she can defend, swing it, run, and throw it. Herschbach is simply an all-around athlete with a very good skill set. She showed a vast array of skills this summer, and she backed it up last week.

2019 Gabi Carra stood out with a great performance. She is a talented middle infielder with a nice offensive skill set. Four 2019 teammates that can't go without mention are Cassie Lindmark, Maggie Finnegan, Delaney Bowen, and Fiona Girardot. There is no doubt that college coaches will be flocking to their games this summer. All four are special talents who will be highly recruited.

And finally, we have to mention three very young ones – 2020 Ryleigh White,,2020 Bailey Dowling and 2021 Taylor Minnick. Ryleigh White showed tremendous improvement and a high level of talent. White is a tall and lanky pitcher hitting 64 MPH consistently and has nothing but a bright future ahead of her. We first saw Dowling two years ago at Banditfest when she was in 6th grade. She continues to improve and is going to be one of the best players in her class nationally. And Minnick shows signs of being an exceptional hitter at a very young age.

Again, we had a great time at the 2016 Banditfest. The talent level in the Midwest continues to improve remarkably, and the Chicago area is one of the best softball regions in the country. 

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