KC November Fall Showcase
November 3-5, 2023
Kansas City, MO
Kai Lane
Teams from all over the midwest came to Kansas City to close out their fall ball season on the turf of Central Banking Sports Complex. The nature of the tournament was competitive, each player left their best on the field and it is always wonderful to see such talent in our younger generations. Although the weather was truly the Midwest in November, cold, and rainy on Friday and Saturday, and then ’60s on Sunday, the athletes did not let that impact their outstanding performances. In the 16’s division the Aces Fastpitch 16 Black took home the title of champions, and in the 18’s the MN Waves 18U Haefner were named champions! Below we highlight athletes who had notable and impressive performances on the weekend.
Sophia Bauman (2025 Grimes, IA) of the Iowa Outlaws Select was named MV-Player of the Weekend. Bauman played a significant role in her team’s success in this tournament. The Outlaws had six straight wins, and Sophia contributed to these victories at the plate. The University of South Dakota bound right-handed middle infielder has a beautiful swing; her hands, hips, and shoulders are balanced. She keeps her hands close to her body as she commits to the pitch and does a great job of staying long through the zone with her extension. Bauman had nine total hits, eight runs scored, four home runs, fourteen RBI, and one stolen base.
Tatum Dunlavy (2024 Estherville, IA) of the MN Waves was named MV-Pitcher of the weekend. The Waves ended the tournament victorious, winning six of their seven games. Largely contributing to her team. Tatum is a competitive right-handed pitcher yet to be committed but would be a win for any coach to have on their pitching staff. Dunlavy consistently hits mid 60’s on her rise, screw, drop, and fastball. In her 14 innings pitched, Tatum gained forty-four outs, twenty-two strikeouts, allowed fourteen hits, only three walks, and three errors; her whip was 1.16! Tatum does a great job of exploding off the mound and closing the gap between her and the batter, the pitches have beautiful spin and movement; continue to keep this athlete on your radar!
Jesslyn Stairs (2025 Des Moines, IA) of the Iowa Gold Prospects 18U Baker, is an uncommitted middle infielder/ utility player who would be a valuable addition to any coach’s defense and lineup. The 5’9 lefty batter keeps her weight on her back leg with an open and balanced stance in the box. She keeps her hands at her ears to start her swing, when loading her weight shifts then she throws her hands at the ball and follows through to the end of her swing. Stairs has a lot of pop on her bat, in the box she has eight earned runs, ten total hits, three of those being home runs, eleven RBIs, and five stolen bases! Jesslyn’s athleticism does not stop in the box, she can cover the entire six-hole and if her legs can’t get her to the spot, she is laying out for everything. She moves her feet well and finishes each play with an accurate throw.
Caedence Risius (2024 Des Moines, IA) of the Iowa Gold Prospects 18U Baker is an uncommitted right-handed pitcher and corner player. Caedence had an incredible weekend at the plate, six earned runs, nine total hits, two home runs, twelve RBI, and one stolen base. Risius has a solid base as she stands in the box, she has a ‘load and go swing’. Her hands and hips move simultaneously and as the ball travels towards the plate, she throws her hands and hips at it. She does a great job of letting the ball travel through the zone, as she is successful on the inside and the outside pitch.
Aubrey Lensmeyer (2025 Ankeny, IA) of the Iowa Gold Prospects 18U Baker, is a right-handed pitcher and outfielder. The University of South Dakota commit had an outstanding weekend on the pitching mound. In her seventeen innings pitched she totaled fifty-two outs, twenty-three strikeouts, and allowed twenty-three hits. Although Lensmeyer has a higher number of hits allowed, she can trust the incredibly talented defense behind her to make the play. Not every pitcher is a girl who will blow the ball past you, pitchers who can produce ground balls or get the batter to chase are just as important. The ability to hit spots and trust your teammates is a skill that is trained over time.
Tatum Johnson (2026 Urbandale, IA) of the Iowa Gold Prospects 18U Baker is a right-handed uncommitted catcher, corner, and utility player. Standing at 5’8 Tatum is a powerhouse in the box and behind the plate. Tatum has a ton of pop off her bat, she has fast bat speed and uses her legs to push the ball, Johnson had three earned runs, and ten total hits, of those hits she had one double, two home runs, and six RBI. Behind the plate Tatum is a catcher who is valuable in her ability to receive the softball, her hands are soft, not stabbing at the ball but letting it have its movement and letting the ball come to her. She works hard for her pitcher framing and blocking, Tatum is a talented ball player who is going places!
Briley Tiller (2025 Blue Springs, MO) of the Aces Fastpitch who was named MV-Player of the weekend, is a right-handed outfielder, Briley has a fast reaction time when the ball is hit, she does a great job of reading the ball and taking a hard drop step and often beating the ball to the spot on a ball hit to her right or left. At the plate Tiller also showed off her athleticism, scoring ten runs, on twelve hits, four of them being doubles, four triples, nine RBI, and two stolen bases. Tiller has a simple and effective swing, she is balanced and does a great job of keeping her weight on her back leg and letting the ball travel, especially waiting on outside pitches, Briley is a player who is only going to grow and improve and is someone to keep an eye on!
Bree Holmes (2025 Savage, MN) of the 16U Catalyst National MN Schmoll who was named MV-Pitcher of the weekend is a right-handed pitcher, middle infielder, and outfielder. Bree had success in the box and on the mound this weekend in Kansas City. At the plate Bree had six runs, nine total hits, five of those being doubles, two home runs, and nine RBI! On the mound, Holmes had a total of sixty-two outs in her twenty innings pitched, twenty-eight strikeouts, and was consistently pitching in the upper fifties. Holmes is a player who is dedicated to her team, has a positive attitude, and a willingness to work hard. She battles every pitch and these are such incredible qualities to have at such a young age!
Maddy Feger (2026 Mexico, MO) of the Aces Fastpitch is an outfielder and corner player. Maddy is fifteen and stands at 5 '7, is a competitive batter in the box, going into her at bat with a plan, looking to drive the softball hard. She has a consistent and smooth bat path to the ball and is balanced in her legs and load. Feger had nine earned runs, and twelve hits, of those three were doubles, one was a triple, one home run, and two stolen bases! Feger is a player who is focused on getting the job done for her team and is an athlete to keep on your radar as she grows and becomes stronger in the sport!