Former Blaze Gold Coach
LORYN JOHNSON
selected as the #10 pick over-all in the 2010 NPF Draft. She will suit up along Cat Osterman with the Tennessee Diamonds
The Texas Blaze has decided to merge three 14u teams down to two in the hopes both can qualify for the top 14u Nationals tournament--ASA A NATIONALS. Texas Blaze White (former Kirk) has already secured a bid to the 2010 tournament.
The Blaze is very proud of it's former players who have moved to play at the next level. We invite you to keep up with their progress. Links are available in the NEWS->COLLEGE section of this site.
The Blaze will no longer use coaches names to identify teams, rather a color will be chosen. This move is to de-emphasize the coaches and place more emphasis on both the kids and organization.
BLAZE ALUMNI BLAIRE LUNA SET TO DEBUT FOR TEXAS
The Texas softball team may be opening the season unranked, but there's plenty of hype surrounding freshman pitcher Blaire Luna.
"I think the words I would use to describe this squad is 'absolutely under the radar,'" coach Connie Clark said. "We're young, we're talented, and we're building."
Last season, Brittany Barnhill was Texas' ace, going 26-14 with a 2.70 ERA and making plenty of contributions with her bat, as well. But Barnhill has transferred, leaving questions over who would assume the pitching role.
Clark didn't have to look far to find Luna, who led Bowie High School to the Class 5A state tournament two of the past three years and three straight Region IV finals.
Last season, Luna won 27 games, had 316 strikeouts and a 0.55 ERA, leading Bowie to the regional final . As a junior, she had an 0.22 ERA and pitched Bowie to the state championship game.
That résumé impressed Clark so much that Luna is already drawing a pretty significant comparison.
"I haven't seen movement like Blaire has got since Cat (Osterman) was here," Clark said. "She's somebody special."
Osterman, who pitched at Texas from 2002-06, left as the NCAA's career leader in strikeouts and ERA. She won an Olympic gold medal in 2004, a silver medal in 2008 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest college pitchers of all time.
Luna, who grew up idolizing Osterman and even learned a few pitches by watching tapes of the former Texas pitcher's delivery, said even though they throw similar stuff, she's wary of letting high expectations affect her performance.
"I try not to talk to her (Luna) about it too much because Blaire Luna needs to be the next best thing, and be great as Blaire Luna," Clark said. "No one needs to compare themselves to Cat because that's trying to fill too big of shoes."
BLAZE ALUMNI SELECTED USA SOFTBALL PLAYER TO WATCH!
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Georgia Tech redshirt senior second baseman Jen Yee (North Delta, British Columbia) and sophomore shortstop Kelsi Weseman (Hutto, Texas/ Blaze Gold) are among the 50 players selected today by the Amateur Softball Association of America to USA Softball's Player of the Year "Watch List."
CLICK HERE for full article
Note: Kelsi Weseman's dad Gary partnered with JB Slimp to start the Blaze back in 2003. Gary coached with Blaze from 2003-2008
The team record was 18-3-3 with a 6-2-2 record against registered Gold teams!
