Virginia Scrappers feeling the heat of summer softball 

TROUTVILLE — There certainly can be tension in high school softball games.

But playing in Amateur Softball Association tournaments in the summertime is even more stressful.

The Virginia Scrappers, who are based in Roanoke County, played this week in the ASA/USA Girls Class A 18-and-under fast pitch national championship.

The tournament, which began Monday and concludes Sunday, has drawn 89 teams and 1,315 players to the Botetourt Sports Complex in Troutville, the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem and Darrell Shell Park in Roanoke County.

Players take pride in their high school seasons. But college coaches are busy with their own season in the spring, so they don’t often get out to high school games to eye potential recruits.

College coaches do show up at the summer tournaments of the ASA and other organizations, though. That’s why players find their Scrappers games more stressful.

“College coaches are at all of our games,” Scrappers pitcher/first baseman Ruthie Williams, a rising senior at Northside, said Thursday after her team played its final game of the tournament. “Travel [ball] is going to affect your future, rather than high school.”

Coaches from NCAA Division I schools such as Virginia Tech, Radford, James Madison and UNC Wilmington have attended this week’s tournament, as well as coaches from Division III schools such as Roanoke, Ferrum, Lynchburg and Babson (Mass.).

While some players in this tournament have already committed to colleges, the rising seniors on the Scrappers have yet to do so.

“You play your best and you hope somebody you know is watching you,” said Scrappers pitcher/third baseman Taylor Asimakopoulos, a rising senior at Cave Spring.

The Scrappers have played in tournaments almost every weekend this summer, making trips to North Carolina, South Carolina and the Tidewater area.

“You have to be on the top of your game all the time so you can get good looks” from colleges, said Scrappers pitcher/first baseman Christene Phillips, a rising senior at Floyd County.

The Scrappers also have players from Carroll County, Salem, William Byrd and Staunton River high schools. This was their final tournament of the summer; they will play in additional tournaments in the fall.

Class A is the second-highest level of ASA 18-and-under softball. Many elite prospects play at the “Gold” level, whose national championship recently took place in Florida.

Former James River and Virginia Tech great Angela Tincher pitched for the Scrappers for several years before joining an 18-and-under Gold team from Northern Virginia. Former Bath County standout Jailyn Ford of JMU used to pitch for a Gold team from Williamsburg.

The ASA is one of several softball organizations. Other college recruits and prospects have been playing this week at Premier Girls Fastpitch’s 18-and-under national championships in California.

The tournament in this area might not be a magnet for Division I recruiters from around the country, but it does have talented players.

“You’re still going to have some great teams,” Virginia Tech coach Scot Thomas said. “You’re going to have some teams at the [Class] A level that probably should be playing Gold.”

“It’s very good quality, especially for Division II, Division III [prospects],” Roanoke College coach Mike Mitchell said.

Not only does this tournament give Mitchell the chance to see players from 27 states, but it also provides a good measuring stick to evaluate the Scrappers.

“You get to see what they’ll do against the competition you will face every day [in college],” Mitchell said.

The Scrappers boast five 2013 All-Timesland first-team picks, as well as two 2012 All-Timesland picks. One of their players, William Byrd graduate Danielle Powell, has concluded her freshman season at Lynchburg College.

But the Scrappers went 0-4 in this week’s tournament. They were eliminated Thursday with a 3-0 loss to MC Madness White from Medina County, Ohio.

“Travel ball is just a totally different level [from high school],” Phillips said. “It’s like going from elementary to college.”

The hitting depth at this tournament was better than what the players faced in high school.

“They can all hit, 1 through 9” in the lineup, Asimakopoulos said.

Other area teams at this tournament include the Virginia Extreme Force and the Salem Wildcats.

Next summer, this area will host about 140 teams for the ASA Class A 16-and-under national championships.

That tournament, Thomas said, will be “flooded” with Division I coaches. That’s because there are many more uncommitted players in the 16-and-under group. Also, there is no 16-and-under Gold level.

Playing for the Scrappers isn’t cheap, not with uniforms, tournament fees and travel expenses. Families hold fund-raisers, and the annual dues for the 18-and-under team are $750.

There are also Scrappers teams at younger age levels.

Players don’t suit up only to gain exposure.

“I love the Scrappers,” said Williams, who has been playing in the Scrappers organization for seven years. “I love playing softball.

“This is my summer. This is all I do. This is all I want to do.”

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