Jennie Finch and Delanie Gourley Talk Dancing with the Stars Athletes!

Softball Nation went with Delanie Gourley to the Dancing with the Stars Athletes rehearsal studio where Jennie Finch Daigle and her pro dance partner Keo Motsepe talked about their performance, practice and competing.

Jennie also talks about the incredible opportunity for her to represent softball on a completely different stage.  And look out for the hint that Keo drops about the theme of a dance in their finale.

You can also check out other videos:

Delanie Gourley describes what it’s like to play for Team USA

Softball Parent Stereotypes:  You know every single one of them

Parents, college coaches are watching you too!

Danielle O’Toole’s stunning recruiting experience and how she bounced back

She’s the newly hired pitching coach at the University of San Diego. She also pitches for Team USA Softball and the Chicago Bandits. This University of Arizona graduate is living the softball dream and she says she never saw it coming.

Like so many softball families, she wanted to get a scholarship to go to college.  In her interview, she reveals that a school verbally committed to her and then took the scholarship away.

Buy Mizuno Women’s 2016 Finch Batting Gloves

Hear what she has to say about her career, recruiting and the stunning event that shook her recruiting experience.

Here’s a list of Danielle O’Toole’s Career Honors according to the University of Arizona website:

2017
NFCA All-American (First Team)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year
USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist (10 players)
All-Pac-12 (First Team)
All-NFCA West Region (First Team)
Pac-12 All-Defensive
USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist (34 players)
NPF Draft (Round 2 | #8 | Chicago Bandits)
Pac-12 All-Academic (Honorable Mention)
USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List (50 players)
U.S. Women’s National Team
ESPN.com Preseason Top 25 Players (#25)
NFCA Player of the Week (3/20-26)
USA Softball Pitch of the Week (3/20-26)
ESPNW Player of the Week (3/20-26)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (2/20-26)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (3/20-26)
2016
All-Pac-12 (First Team)
Pac-12 All-Defensive
NFCA All-West Region (First Team)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (5/9-15)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (5/2-8)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (3/14-20)
Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week (2/15-21)

Softball Standout Joins Team Mexico

 

Out of all the amazing softball players in the country, only a small group can be chosen for the the USA Junior Olympic and Olympic Teams.  For those who have excelled all their lives in the sport, that can be a difficult reality.   But for some, the dream of playing in the Olympics continues.  Eliyah Flores and her parents decided to tryout for another team.

 

 

 

 

Eliyah Flores plays for the much heralded Firecrackers Rico Team.  She tried out for the USA Junior Olympic team but unfortunately was not selected.  Her parents then asked the Mexico Softball team if they would let her tryout for the that team.

Her father Jimmy Flores said Mexico’s coaches knew who she was and were willing to give her a chance.  She was required to prove her Mexican ancestry.  She was accepted and played for the team against the SoCal All-Stars at Irvine, CA.

Eliyah is excited to play for Team Mexico since its part of her heritage, allows her to play at the international level and hopefully give her the chance to play in the Olympic Games in the future.