USA Junior Women's National Softball Team loaded with MaxPreps All-Americans

Six players who were named MaxPreps Softball All-Americans in 2012, and a California high school senior, have been named to the 2013 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team.

The team, to be coached by Cal State Northridge head coach Tairia Flowers, will compete in the International Softball Federation (ISF) X Jr. Women's World Championship, July 1-7, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

Along with Flowers, four-time Olympian Laura Berg (head coach at Oregon State), Trisha Ford (head coach at Fresno State) and Lisa Dodd (head coach at UNLV) will join the coaching staff in Canada.

The USA team won the World Championship Gold Medal in 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa.

"Our staff is excited to lead these ladies into the World Championship arena this summer as we look to keep the tradition of USA Softball at the top of the podium alive," said Flowers, via email. "Being a part of this program is life changing and I am thrilled to work with this talented group of young athletes from all over the country. To represent your country in your sport is the highest honor and together we will work hard to be the best we can be and bring home the gold."

In all, 17 members - and three alternates - were named to the USA team, including former MaxPreps All-Americans Erin Gabriel (now playing for the University of Tennessee), Cheridan Hawkins (Oregon), Haley McCleney (Alabama), Paige McDuffee (UCLA), Sierra Romero (Michigan) and Jailyn Ford (James Madison).

The USA team, composed of players 19 and younger (as based on Dec. 31) who are primarily college freshmen, includes Ali Aguilar of Casa Roble (Orangevale, Calif.). Kelli Hanzel of Klein (Texas) was named one of three alternates.

"We sought players who are not only talented but who were praised highly by both collegiate and travel softball coaches for not only their abilities, but their work ethic," noted Flowers.  "We also looked for athletes who would be able to complement their teammates on and off the field."

The USA team members with MaxPreps A-A backgrounds didn't take long in making major impacts on the college scene as freshmen this spring. Here's a brief look:

- Hawkins has taken the Pac-12 by storm and was named the Conference Pitcher of the Month for March. In 20 games, Hawkins has a 15-3 record with a 1.32 ERA and has 159 strikeouts in 106 innings. She's a main reason the Ducks are ranked No. 7 in the latest NFCA Top 25 Poll. She pitched a no-hitter against Arizona last weekend.

Before arriving in Eugene last fall, Hawkins was a two-time All-American at Anderson (Calif.). As a junior, she was MaxPreps California Small Schools Player of the Year when she struck out 515 batters. As a senior, she led California in strikeouts with 400 (ranked fourth nationally).

- Gabriel is 5-1 with 38 strikeouts in 29 innings for No. 5 ranked Tennessee. Prior to becoming a Volunteer, she was a two-time Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year and once struck out 34 batters in a 16-inning high school game. She is also the lone member of the 2011 USA Junior Women's gold medal team.

- McCleney has been so successful at Alabama, that two-time All-American Kayla Braud was moved from leadoff to the No. 2 spot in the batting order. At Alabama, McCleney leads the team in hits, runs, batting average (.481), doubles (10) and is second in steals with 27. She has yet to be caught stealing.

Prior to leading off for the No. 4 rated Crimson Tide, McCleney was a two-time A-A for Mortimer Jordan High School (Morris, Ala.) where she hit .692 as a senior with 65 stolen bases in 66 attempts. She hit nine home runs and struck out just once in 130 at bats and scored 64 times. As a junior, McCleney batted .606 with 62 runs, 80 hits, four home runs and 35 stolen bases.

- McDuffee was the MaxPreps Softball Player of the Year in 2011 as a junior and was Texas' 2011 Gatorade Softball Player of Year after leading The Woodlands (Texas) to a 44-1 record and a state title. During that magical season, McDuffee posted a 37-1 record, a 0.97 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 202 innings pitched. Due to a partially detached muscle in her left forearm, McDuffie did not pitch her senior season at The Woodlands.

At UCLA, McDuffee was selected as the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week for Feb. 11-17 when she tossed the 102nd no-hitter in UCLA history in just her second collegiate start. For the 18th-ranked Bruins, she is 5-2 with a staff-leading 1.55 ERA. She has pitched 54 innings.

- Romero ranks among the NCAA's top home run hitters with 17 for No. 9-ranked Michigan and has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week four times (Feb. 11, March 4, March 25, April 1). She has 56 RBIs and is hitting .412, and leads the Wolverines with eight doubles and 46 runs scored.

Before going to Ann Arbor, Romero set a Riverside County home run record with 45 while playing for Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.). She hit 21 as a senior and was a finalist for Miss California Softball. In addition to her 21 round-trippers, Romero batted .556 and recorded 54 RBIs.

- Ford might be the main reason James Madison is 33-10, as she has posted a 17-2 pitching record and is hitting .412 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. The freshman has struck out 159 batters in 123 innings and has pitched six shutouts this season.

She was a standout at Bath County (Hot Springs, Va.) before attending James Madison. She lost just once in 25 games as a senior and pitched six no-hitters to go along with 335 strikeouts, 11 walks and a 0.38 ERA in 167 innings pitched.

- Aguilar is having an outstanding senior season at Casa Roble, hitting .491 with 19 RBIs, four home runs and 12 stolen bases. A four -year starter, she has signed with Washington.

- Named as an alternate to the USA squad, Klein's Hanzel is hitting .367 and has driven in 17 runs and 13 of her 22 hits have been for extra bases. She has struck out just once this season.

Also named as alternates were South Florida's Erica Nunn from Apex (N.C.) and Arizona's Nancy Bowling from Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.).

"We have an excellent pitching staff, a mix of power and speed and with the end of the college season nearing they will be experienced," said Flowers. "This team will represent our country in all aspects."

Plans for Team USA are to begin training in mid-June and play in an exhibition game in Glenville, W. Va. on June 24.  Then they will head to Brampton (just outside Toronto) to begin training for the ISF Junior Women's World Championship (July 1-7).

Madi Schreyer of Woodinville (Wash.) has been named to the host Canadian Junior Women's team. She earned MaxPreps All-American honors in 2012 after leading Woodinville to the Washington state title. She was unbeaten (21-0) last season as the Falcons went 26-0. She will attend Stanford University.

Other members of the USA Junior Women's National team include:

Mysha Sataraka - UCLA freshman from Punahou (Honolulu)
Kelsey Stewart - Florida freshman from Maize (Kan.)
Emily Crane - Missouri freshman from Troy-Buchanan (Troy, Mo.)
Andrea Hawkins - Alabama freshman from Bay City (Texas)
Sierra Lawrence - Michigan freshman from Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.)
Danica Mercado - Oregon freshman from Great Oak (Temecula, Calif.)
Jessica Plaza - Stanford freshman from Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Erin Shireman - Texas freshman from Pearland (Texas)
Lee Ann Spivey - South Florida freshman from Flagler Palm Coast (Fla.)
Lauren Young - Arizona freshman from Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.)