Buidling a Bullpen From Mizuno Motor City Madness

Playing baseball growing up and then progressing into pitching at the high school and college level and even coaching baseball at the high school level, the depth of a pitching staff really determines the success of a team. At a high level, it's important with some variety where a variety of arms can keep teams off balance. The more I got into coaching volleyball and now being on the writing side of volleyball I see so many parallels between the hitters of volleyball and pitchers in baseball. Being able to vary what you’re giving the defense, changing speeds, types of shots, and location. Athletes who can swing hard and put pace on the ball is great, however if you hit the same spot at the same speed over and over again eventually it quits working. Here is a team of arms from the Mizuno Motor City Madness Tournament that definitely would make quite a staff. The Starting Rotation Jenna Reitsma - FaR Out 16 Black - Outside Hitter - Class of 2021 Reitsma is pure power and aggressiveness. She is an attacker from how she takes her approach to her swing and that’s not only limited to the front row. With the ability to score from the back row and service line, she really is that type of player you always have to know where she is and what her options are considering she can hammer cross court or go line. Charli Atiemo - MiElite 16 Mizuno - Middle Blocker - Class of 2021 Such a quick snap and there were a few times where Atiemo was able to swing from the pin this past weekend. She has the athletic ability to adjust mid air and works extremely well with setter Julia Bishop. When Atiemo has a one on one matchup, she will more than likely find the floor with a quick snap. An extremely fun and dynamic player to watch. Maradith O’Gorman - FaR Out 16 Black - Right Side - Class of 2022 Committed to Michigan State Bring in the lefty! O’Gorman is a 6’1 right side with an extremely fast arm. With her approach, contact point, and velocity it makes it so tough for defenders to keep the ball in play and in system. There is just something different about a lefty, especially one as dynamic of O’Gorman. She makes quite the duo with Aubrey O’Gorman who will also be heading to Michigan State as a 6’3 middle. Raeleen Sobetski - Team Detroit - Outside Hitter - Class of 2020 Very active arm where Sobetski can swing from the middle or the pin. From the pin she can get to a high contact point and go line or cross with ease. She can be a little crafty too, finding the best open spot to score points. Team Detroit has multiple scoring options, but Sobetski can be relied on to score points from a big swing cross or line. Addie VanderWeide - MVA 17 National - Outside Hitter - Class of 2021 Consistent, powerful, and efficient. VanderWeide knows how to compete and how to win. Solid in all six rotations, she has always been playing up an age level and continues to always be one of the better players on the court. Watching VanderWeide play this weekend, she continues to take what the defense gives her whether its cross, down the line, or a split. She also continues to be reliable in serve receive and be a scoring option out of the backrow. The Bullpen - These athletes can come in any situation and find a way to put a ball away. Kiyah Franklin - Unified 16-1 - Right Side - Class of 2021 Franklin swings on the right side and has a really powerful cannon for an arm. Unified has a variety of athletes who can really compete. For an athlete like Franklin she brings an aggressiveness to the right pin that is tough to defend. Anna Smith - FaR Out 16 Black - Outside Hitter - Class of 2021 Smith gets to the service line and just rips a nasty top spin that many serve receivers do not often see. A float serve is often the most effective and used style of serving, but if you have the likes of Smith, you need to score points with her on the service line. She also has an aggressive style of play with a no fear approach to attacking. Alexa Malloy - Pittsburgh Elite 17 Elite - Right Side - Class of 2020 Committed to California University of PA Every bullpun needs a lefty that brings a spark and a fire. Malloy may only be 5’9, but she packs such a punch with her swing. A fast arm and a sharp angle, Malloy is a flat out point scorer. Pittsburgh Elite was an exciting team to watch compete with big matches against MVA and MiElite 17 Mizuno. Ava Brizard - MiElite 15 Mizuno - Outside Hitter - Class of 2022 Brizard would be the ideal closer. She’s lethal to score in all six rotations, plays with an incredible amount of intensity, and wills her team to win. She can hit a really sharp angle to zone four or blast through the split, every time I’ve seen her play over the course of the club season, she just finds a way to score points. 15 Mizuno battled each other all weekend with MI Elite winning on Saturday night, but Team Indiana coming back to win in the championship Sunday.