2018 Junior College Kickoff Classic and ShowcaseJan 23, 2018 by Chez Sievers
Junior College Kickoff Classic & Showcase Watchlist
Junior College Kickoff Classic & Showcase Watchlist
The 2018 Junior College Kickoff Classic and Showcase features 26 colleges, including six top 20 programs, and is streaming live on FloSoftball.
More than 20 junior college teams, including six ranked in the top 20, will compete at the 2018 Junior College Kickoff Classic and Showcase in Clearwater, FL, on Jan. 27-28.
We've compiled a list of some of the top athletes and Division I stars of tomorrow to watch at the annual showcase.
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JUCO Kickoff Classic & Showcase LIVE Schedule
| Name | Position | Year | College | Scouting Report |
| Morgan Cushman | P | Sophomore | College of Central Florida | Cushman is primed for a stellar sophomore season. Part of the 1-2 punch for the College of Central Florida, Cushman recorded 174 strikeouts last season. |
| Shayne O'Connell | P | Sophomore | College of Central Florida | O'Connell is the top pitcher to watch at the JUCO Kickoff Classic after accumulating 210 strikeouts with a 1.19 ERA in 2017. |
| Giovanni Watts | P | Sophomore | Florida Southwestern State | Watts returns as the ace for Florida Southwestern, which made it to St. George, Utah, finishing third. She held a 1.37 ERA with 104 strikeouts. |
| Riley Russell | OF | Sophomore | Florida Southwestern State | We know one thing is for sure: Russell loves to run. With over 60 stolen bases last season, Russell is projected to crush it this season. Batting .390 last season, she will be a force at the top of the order. |
| Carolina Colli | MIF/C/OF | Sophomore | Florida State College at Jacksonville | Colli mainly plays second base but could easily play shortstop, catcher, or outfielder. She is an aggressive and intense player. She will make diving, acrobatic plays as well as the routine ones. Colli has a strong arm and good range. Offensively, she handles the bat very well and hits the ball hard to both gaps and can also go yard on occasion. Considered the team leader, Colli is an impact player. |
| Noa Armirotto | SS | Sophomore | Florida State College at Jacksonville | All the way from Edegem, Belgium, Armirotto is a terrific athlete who was a member of both Belgium’s national softball and handball team programs. She will play shortstop but can also catch and roam center fielder. She has a cannon for an arm, runs well, and has good pop in her bat. Her intensity and work ethic is tremendous. She is a dynamic player and a game changer. |
| Alia Booth | 1B | Sophomore | Georgia Highlands College | Booth is a Gardner Webb University transfer who is a true lefty with power. At Gardner Webb, she was a first-team All-Big South selection and also made the all-freshman team. She currently holds a 3.60 GPA. |
| Micayla McCoy | P | Sophomore | Georgia Highlands College | With a 19-5 record, McCoy was selected to the 2017 NJCAA All-Region team. She held a 2.21 ERA with 101 strikeouts. She throws in the low 60s. |
| Shayla Smith | UTL | Sophomore | Georgia Highlands College | Smith was selected to the 2017 NJCAA All-Region team. She was a Carolyn Hamrick Advocacy Scholarship recipient. As a utility player, she has tremendous arm strength and power. Batting over .400 as a freshman, Smith will be a powerful component of the Chargers offense. She has a 3.40 GPA. |
| Chandler Sparkman | P/DP | Sophomore | Gulf Coast State College | Sparkman is a transfer from the University of South Alabama. She has good speed and mixes well. Sparkman has a great stick and will hit in the middle of the order. She will graduate in May with her AA degree. |
| Kristina Manthei | P | Sophomore | Gulf Coast State College | Manthei is GCSC's leading returning pitcher. She had a great fall and is expected to continue to build on that success this spring. She will graduate with her AA degree in May. |
| Morgan Greco | OF | Sophomore | Indian River State College | Greco batted .394 last season earning first-team all-conference honors. She will be essential to Indian River's offense. |
| Savannah Julylia | SS | Sophomore | Indian River State College | Julylia was a 2017 first-team all-conference selection. |
| Valerie Alvarado | P | Sophomore | Indian River State College | A redshirt sophomore, Alvarado was the 2016 Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year. |
| Brooke Ferguson | 2B/OF | Sophomore | Lake-Sumter State College | Ferguson is a returning all-conference infielder who has only played softball for five years. She is one of the best under-the-radar players in the state of Florida. |
| Jasmine McQuaig | P | Sophomore | Lake-Sumter State College | McQuaig had a rocky freshman season but is poised for a big sophomore year. She has put the work and will see the benefits in 2018. |
| Rachel Phelps | 1B | Sophomore | Lake-Sumter State College | Phelps was honorable mention all-conference selection as a freshman. She is a two-time captain, selected by her teammates. |
| Emma Maitland | P | Sophomore | Miami Dade College | Last season, Maitland earned first-team All-Southern Conference honors. She's been lauded as a leader to Miami Dade's freshman class. |
| Danielle deRuiter | SS/C/CF | Sophomore | Pensacola State College | A member of the Canadian junior national team in the summer of 2017, deRuiter is a true athlete who can play multiple positions. |
| Jensen Strickland | P/DP | Sophomore | Pensacola State College | Strickland made the All-Panhandle Conference team as a freshman. She throws great off-speed pitches and a solid drop ball. She made the dean's list at Pensacola State and is studying criminal justice. |
| Lia Johnson | OF | Sophomore | Pensacola State College | From Panama City, FL, this lefty leadoff possesses DI speed with tremendous acceleration out of the box and base-stealing instincts. Johnson has a 4.0 GPA and is an NJCAA Academic All-American. |
| Chelsea Peace | C/3B | Sophomore | Seminole State College of Florida | Peace is a power hitter with a strong arm and great defensive skills. |
| Kyra Gipson | P/1B | Sophomore | Seminole State College of Florida | One of Seminole State's top pitchers to watch is Gipson, who held a 2.02 ERA while hitting .298 with 25 RBIs last season. |
| Meghan Sexton | SS/OF | Sophomore | Seminole State College of Florida | Sexton played outfield last season and will take on a new role at shortstop. She will continue her softball career at Florida Southern next season. |
| Dienna White | C | Sophomore | Spartanburg Methodist College | From Arizona, White has been called the heart of her team and commands the defense behind the dish. |
| Maegan Stone | SS | Sophomore | St. John's River State College | Stone is one of the most athletic players in the state. She’s fast, has a great arm, and has become a great leader on the infield. |
| Selena Bezares | 1B/DP | Sophomore | St. John's River State College | A pure power hitter, Bezares had 11 home runs last year and is projected to top that number this season. She is an RBI machine who is clutch in pressure situations. |
| Caitly Berry | P/MIF | Freshman | Florida State College Jacksonville | From Jacksonville, FL, Berry can pitch and play middle infield. She has gap-to-gap power and occasional home run power. She will likely be the ace in the circle clocked in the upper 50s to low 60s range. Her mixes a curve, screw, drop, change, and a late-breaking rise. She has solid control and is very poised on the mound. |
| Eliza Artiles | 3B | Freshman | Miami Dade College | Artiles is quick on a bunt and has an above average arm. She has a tremendous work ethic and continues to get better every day. She's positive and vocal on the field. |
| Melissa Mayeux | SS | Freshman | Miami Dade College | Mayeux is the first woman to make the International Registration list and is eligible to be drafted by an MLB team. She's athletic and has a good glove with a strong arm. The more game time experience she gets in the game of softball the better she'll be. She's a hard worker on the field. |
| Maggie Wheless | C/IF | Freshman | Northwest Florida State College | A solid defender with a lot of athleticism, Wheless has good speed and great power offensively. |
| Marcie Bewley | OF | Freshman | Northwest Florida State College | Beweley is a quick player with an accurate arm. From the left side, she can hit for power and average and can slap. |
| Summer Frye | OF | Freshman | Northwest Florida State College | Frye possesses true lefty power from the box but throws right-handed. She's a Georgia native with solid grades. |
| Savannah Foster | P | Freshman | Pensacola State College | A former Florida Class 8A Pitcher of the Year at Niceville (FL) High School, Foster packs a strong punch in her 5-foot-3 frame. She throws a strong curveball and screwball. Could she be the next Kaitlin Lee? |
| Kiersten Moore | MIF | Freshman | Spartanburg Methodist College | With great range and terrific ball-off-bat reads, expect Moore to be a staple on defense and put up solid power numbers. |
| Kristen Gass | OF | Freshman | Spartanburg Methodist College | Gass is a leadoff slapper in peak shape who is quick on defense and offense. |
| Kelsea Friend | OF | Freshman | St. John's River State College | Friend showed lots of promise in the fall season. Her speed and softball IQ make her a tough out and a great defender. |
| Brooke Diaz | C | Sophomore | Eastern Florida State College | |
| Carina McCarver | 1B/3B/OF | Sophomore | Eastern Florida State College | |
| Gabby Orland | OF | Sophomore | Eastern Florida State College | |
| Jordan Lawlis | P | Sophomore | Eastern Florida State College | |
| Mary Waldron | IF | Sophomore | Eastern Florida State College | |
| Savana Garrison | CF | Sophomore | Eastern Florida State College | |
| Dream Aaron | C/1B | Sophomore | Indian River State College | Aaron was a 2017 first-team all-conference selected. |
| Jaden Kline | C | Sophomore | Indian River State College | Kline earned 2017 first-team all-conference after racking up 63 RBIs. |
| Michalyn Bingham | OF | Sophomore | Indian River State College | Bingham was a 2017 NJCAA All-American for IRSC. |
| Meghan Callahan | OF/C | Sophomore | Palm Beach State | |
| Stacy Pericles | P/OF | Sophomore | Palm Beach State | |
| Sydney Fugate | 1B/DP | Sophomore | Palm Beach State | |
| Aleysha N. Santiago | P | Sophomore | Puerto Rico-Carolina | |
| Andrea Peña | IF | Sophomore | Puerto Rico-Carolina | |
| Carolina Moreno | OF | Sophomore | Puerto Rico-Carolina |