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BRAKETTES ANNOUNCE FORMATION OF 18-U TEAM; SET TRYOUT DATE AT DELUCA FIELD
Aug 22 - The Stratford Brakettes are expanding their program to include an elite junior competitive fastpitch softball team for the 2019 season, it was announced by Brakettes General Manager Bob Baird.
“We are not starting this as a showcase team, which has popularized the 18-under softball ranks for nearly two decades. Rather, we are looking for talented young players who are serious about playing competitive softball who may have already committed to play at a college or who will be completing their freshmen year in college and who are looking to play and are still within the age requirements,” added Baird.
The team will be known as the “Junior Brakettes” and play a 25-30 game schedule. They will participate in three or four invitational tournaments, including those at the 23U and Open levels. The Junior Brakettes will complete the 2019 season by playing in the 11th annual Women's Major Softball National Championship tournament at DeLuca Field, August 1-4.
Mary Sciglimpaglia, who was a catcher for the 2015-16 WMS champion Brakettes, will be the team's head coach. Sciglimpaglia was a standout player at Norwalk High School and St. Joseph's College in Hartford. She will be assisted by her father Rob Sciglimpaglia, who has been involved in girl's youth softball for many years.
The Junior Brakettes will conduct a tryout session on Saturday, September 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field. Candidates are asked to contact Mary Sciglimpaglia at (203) 505-4907 or via email, maryscig22@yahoo.com for additional information. They may also contact Baird at brakettesgm@gmail.com.
“This will offer many talented young players the opportunity to continue playing. The majority of 18-under teams now are strictly showcase teams. For players who prefer not to go that route again, this will provide them with an alternative. It is not our goal to raid existing showcase teams to complete our roster, but to provide additional opportunities for players. Many players don't want to play showcase once they have made a college commitment,” said Stratford Brakettes Manager John Stratton, who recently guided the team to its eighth WMS championship in 10 years.
From 1961-74 the former Raybestos Brakettes had a farm team, the Raybestos Robins. Stratton and his wife Micki Stratton (formerly Rosemary Macchietto and the first Brakettes player inducted into the National ASA Hall of Fame), both took turns assisting ex-Brakettes standout and retired Foran High coaching legend Edna Fraser, the Robins 10-year head coach. The Robins produced 18 players who went on to play for the Brakettes, including National Hall of Fame catcher Peggy Kellers of Stratford.
In addition to playing the Brakettes in a pair of doubleheaders next June and July, the Junior Brakettes will also play several preliminary games to the Stratford Brakettes.
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