Michigan Softball gets huge 2022 Commitment
Lilly Vallimont (Trenton, MI - Cabrini HS), the #1 rated catcher and #5 overall player in the country, has committed to Michigan after having been committed to Northwestern since age 13. Great addition to an already strong 2022 class.
https://mgoblue.com/news/2022/1/18/softball-wolverines-add-vallimont-to-incoming-freshman-class.aspx
January 18th, 2022 at 11:18 PM ^
Thanks for sharing this and welcome to Michigan, Lilly! Can't wait to take my daughter to see Lilly and team win the WCWS next year!
Tangentially, committed at/since 13? Seems crazy to me, but perhaps softball recruiting is a different animal. Anyone on the board have experience with softball recruiting to an elite D-1 program?
January 19th, 2022 at 2:52 AM ^
Not just softball. A lot of baseball coaches will say if you don’t have an offer by your sophomore year, it ain’t happening. Classes fill very early.
A Major League 1st round pick from a few years was my neighbor, and he was committed to (coincidentally) Northwestern since before his freshman year. It’s a very early process for baseball and softball.
January 19th, 2022 at 8:43 AM ^
I find that very interesting, especially since baseball (even post-HS) requires a lot "projection." A skinny, undeveloped pitcher with a 75 mph fastball can wind up being a first-round draft pick years later after starring at a backwater like Ball State. There are instances (Caris LeVert) like this in basketball but they're less common.
It would seem that the earlier schools commit to these kids in baseball the more often they would, presumably, miss badly.
January 19th, 2022 at 8:49 AM ^
Yes my daughter played softball through college. Not a UM level player but your right they fill their classes early and top players are usually committed by the time they are 14-15
January 19th, 2022 at 9:29 AM ^
Thanks all for the follow-up on my question.
I tend to agree with blueueheron here - while there are certainly those 1-2% of players that by 14-15 years old are clearly headed for D-1, it still seems wild to me that the end of one's sophmore year is that critical other than showing well against your peers and getting on program's radars.
January 19th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
"A lot of baseball coaches will say if you don’t have an offer by your sophomore year, it ain’t happening."
This is absolutely NOT correct.
There are MANY MANY baseball players that don't get offers until their Junior year for many good Division 1 programs (MVC, MAC, Big East, etc.). There are also a ton of great HS baseball players that get offers for excellent Division 2-3 programs their Senior year.
January 19th, 2022 at 11:35 AM ^
Both of my girls played at a medium high level and played with girls that were getting scholarship offers in late middle school / early HS.
Lilly played for the Beverly Bandits which are probably the premier team in the MidWest. They're kind of the IMG of softball located in a Chicago suburb. Most of their 16U players receive D1 softball scholarships.
Her stats are truly impressive and as Coach Hutch said, "She is just an outstanding all-around player -- a catcher by nature, but she can play a lot of positions -- and she's a bona fide hitter. She loves every aspect of the game and loves to work really hard on every aspect. I think she's the type of teammate who elevates all of those around her. She's a great Michigan Woman, and we're thrilled to keep her home."
Best of luck to Lilly and Go Blue!
January 19th, 2022 at 3:04 PM ^
When I was covering minor sports, and this was a long time ago, coaches told me that the softball process went down all the way into summer rec leagues for 11-12 year olds.
This was most true for the pitchers. One high school coach told me he knew who would be pitching at the competitive high schools years in advance. The girls need a lot of experience to hone their play and they mature physically a lot earlier than boys.
Since then, there's been tremendous organization of the travel leagues. A coach like Hutch would know about every player on every roster in the major travel leagues. Relationships start in middle school.
That's not to say that late recruitment doesn't happen. Even at Michigan, sometimes a minor recruit who isn't ranked nationally breaks through. But in those cases, it's going to be someone who played in the travel leagues and might have been stuck not getting enough playing time or who needed a little more time to play at a higher level.
I think Meghan Beaubien committed to Michigan while in pre-school.
January 19th, 2022 at 9:03 PM ^
WRONG! Meghan was in the womb and verbally committed.
January 18th, 2022 at 11:46 PM ^
Welcome Lilly
January 19th, 2022 at 12:53 AM ^
It's not uncommon for elite baseball recruits to commit at age 15. But yeah, committing at age 13 sounds pretty crazy. 7th grade?!
January 19th, 2022 at 2:19 AM ^
Sucks for Northwestern!
Welcome to Michigan, Lilly Go Blue! ?
January 19th, 2022 at 7:05 AM ^
Alright Cabrini Monarchs. My high school.
The mgoblue story says Trenton High School though. I don't know where OP got Cabrini.
January 19th, 2022 at 7:19 AM ^
Transfer from Cabrini to Trenton last year per here.
January 19th, 2022 at 8:37 AM ^
Oops...didn't notice that she'd transferred hs. My bad!
January 19th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
I was confused too. We played Cabrini in CYO and in high school.
January 19th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
My daughter played a doubleheader against Cabrini and split back 10 years ago or so. I remember walking up to the field and seeing a board mounted on the backstop of all their accomplishments, pretty impressive.
Nice get coach Hutch
January 19th, 2022 at 5:19 PM ^
I wonder if NIL had any play here. Maybe not but an interesting thought.
Most of us (myself included) are focused on revenue sports, but how NIL shakes out in the smaller sports will also be interesting.
January 20th, 2022 at 5:49 PM ^
LGB!! NC!!