Birmingham Thunderbolts Fastpitch Organization:
Tennessee Thunderbolts 2027 - West is part of the Birmingham Thunderbolts organization. This team is based out of the Nashville, TN area, but has athletes from the western and eastern parts of Tennessee, as well as West Virginia. What makes this particular team so special is that they have only been together since late Fall 2021 after transitioning from another organization, and they are already turning heads at events they attend.
Most recently they had a Top 12 finish at their first Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) tournament as a team, and played well at the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Fury Invitational, until they dropped their second bracket game.
This team has lots of speed, big bats, and a great pitching staff. They have made a lot of noise since late fall of 2021 and have a little bit of everything. The more it comes together the more success they will achieve. They also have an extremely competitive schedule, not backing down from playing the best. Their schedule includes 5 PGF tournaments, 5 USSSA tournaments, concluding at the USSSA Nationals in Gulf Shores, Alabama. As this team continues to play and put things together, they are set to become a top contender in their age group.
Head Coach David West
David West is the head coach and he focuses on the growth and development of the team, as well as making sure they have a solid fundamental foundation in this time. He aims to helps them to overcome failure and adversity and learn from it, rather than give up. He has coached several years of travel ball and has a passion for the game and enjoys coaching at an elite level.
Assistant Coach Taylor Schmitz
Taylor Schmitz is the assistant coach and his focus is on keeping these young ladies focused, engaged, and ready to play their best at all times. He focuses on the small details of the game as well as helping to build up each player. He makes sure they are conditioning on the field and at home, and always staying in shape to be game ready. He is an aggressive first base coach that ensures the runners always get in to a scoring position.
Assistant Coach Sophie Dandola
Sophie Dandola is also an assistant coach for the Tennessee Thunderbolts, who attends practices and tournaments as her busy schedule allows. She is currently training other young athletes at D-Bat Nashville, as well as earning her Masters Degree in Human Resources. Sophie is a 5’10” right handed pitcher from Seaford, New York. She most recently played for Missouri, and also played for Syracuse and Hofstra. She was the 2018 the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second-Team Northeast All Region, 2018 NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 Finalist, 2018 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship Most Outstanding Player, 2018 Second-Team All-CAA, and 2018 CAA All-Rookie team.
Tennessee Thunderbolts 2027 - West : Player Roster
Madison Pinkelton - 2028
Madison has a high softball IQ and plays shortstop extremely well. She has a great bat and hits for power or contact and is able to drive in runs. She also brings speed to the bases and gets around quickly.
Reagan “Peanut” Schmitz - 2027
Reagan is the definition of big things come in small packages. She is one of the fastest kids in the 2027 age group. She gets down the line in 2.8 home-to-first speed or less. She is a great leadoff hitter and is defensively solid.
Mycah Mays - 2027
Mycah is a very strong defensive player on the corners. She is a great 4-hole hitter. She has already hit over 8 home runs in the last year, and keeps adding. She has a powerful bat that can also hit for contact and drive runs in in critical moments of the game.
Kinsley Belcher - 2027
Kinsley is an excellent first base and can stretch and dig balls out of the dirt for outs. She has a powerful bat with solid contact. Her pitching is solid, and she hits spots consistently, with great command of her off-speed pitches. She is able to consistently hit 60-plus mph.
Irelynn Beecham - 2027
Irelynn is a versatile player that can play multiple positions. She is an excellent 2 or 3 hole hitter. She is also a very talented pitcher that has great command of her pitches. She is able to easily change speeds to always keep hitters off balance. Defensively, she is solid as well, locking down third base or being able to transition in the outfield to track down balls and throw runners out.
Maddie “Mac” McAllister - 2027
Maddie is one of the hardest working players. She attends multiple lessons weekly and is always working to improve her skills. She has one of the most coachable attitudes. She is able to track down balls in the outfield to make plays, as well as catch when needed behind the plate. She has also shown she can drive runs in when needed.
Harper Delorenzo - 2027
Harper brings a lot of speed and softball IQ to the outfield. She is a lefty hitter and when she gets on base she is lightning fast. She puts a lot of pressure on the defense to get down the line and beat out throws and she is able to slap for power through the infield. She has a strong work ethic and coachable attitude.
Shea Crockarell - 2027
Shea is a strong and durable catcher that is able to frame pitches well and helps steal strikes for her pitchers. She also has a strong arm that is able to throw out any runners that try and challenge her. She is another player that is also able to hit for power. Shea has a fierce, competitive mindset and is able to be a great leader on the softball field.
Addison Arnold - 2027
Addison is a very athletic catcher that is able to move well behind the plate and has the ability to throw any runner out that tries to steal on her. She also has an impressive pop time as well as overhand throwing velocity. She is also able to transition to the outfield and track balls and make quick throws to stop runners from stealing bases).
Brooklyn Adams - 2027
Brooklyn has the ability to get on base by laying down key bunts when needed or hitting for contact and power. She is able to run down fly balls in the outfield as well as make plays on the infield. When it comes to baserunning, she is extremely aggressive and nearly unstoppable once she gets on base.
Madi Kemp - 2027
Madi a great option as a leadoff batter because she is extremely fast, but she is also able to transition to a 2- or 3-hole hitter as well because she is able to drive through the gaps to move runners and steal extra bases. When she is playing centerfield, it’s hard to get anything by her. She is able to quickly get to balls and make plays, making it difficult to score.
Abigail West - 2027
Abigail is a consistent pitcher that is able to hit her spots and keep the ball low in the zone, making it difficult for hitters. Her change-up works extremely well, consistently throwing batters off. She is versatile in that she is able to play outfield as well as first base when needed. She has come through in the clutch many times when the team needed her to hit the ball or move a runner.
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