Some of the best young softball players from around the Southeast will be displaying their talents this weekend at Champions Park in Newberry at the 11th annual Backwards K Showcase.
The event, which first began in the fall of 2014 in Jacksonville and has been at Champions Park since November 2020, starts at 9 a.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday, with the last game scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
A total of 67 college coaches have signed up to attend, with another 10-15 expected to show up at the event, which will host some of the best 14 Elite, 16U and 18U teams around.
“We are super excited to come back to Newberry and host over 100 teams and bring the sport to the Gainesville area and get these kids on the field in front of college coaches and help them get recruited,” said owner and tournament director Ali Higgs, who was Jacksonville University’s head softball coach from 2012-14.
Champions Park has 16 turf fields and can keep all games at the same complex. This makes it much easier for college coaches to watch games and recruit players.
While a majority of the teams are from out of county or out of state, there are 11 local teams participating in the event – eight Santa Fe Inferno teams, one Newberry Nitro and one Legacy Fastpitch team.
“We have eight Inferno teams participating this weekend,” said Jason Nowling, President of Santa Fe Inferno and 18U Gold Coach. “As president of the org this gives us a great opportunity for exposure. We have a lot of local kids that make up the org as well as kids throughout the state.”
Each team is guaranteed five games this weekend.
“The Backwards K showcase is always a staple of our summer schedule,” Nowling said. “It’s one of the best opportunities our players have to perform in front of a high volume of college coaches. Events like this not only open doors for recruitment, but they also push our athletes to elevate their game against top-tier competition.”
Several area players will be participating, including Class Rural Player of the Year Addison Allaire of Trenton, Jacksonville University signee Emma Mansfield of P.K. Yonge, and Florida Gulf Coast University commit J’lyn Guyden of Santa Fe (Alachua).
Allaire, who just completed her sophomore season, was recently named No. 6 in the Extra Elite Pitchers top 100.
“One of the top pitchers in the country,” Nowling said. “Addi brings power and precision in the circle and consistently produces at the plate. She is one of the top ‘27s in the state on the recruiting boards.”
Guyden helped lead the Raiders to a district title and a Class 3A postseason appearance by batting .486 as a senior.
“A dynamic athlete in the outfield and at the plate,” Nowling said. “She is one of the top hitters in the state and has led our team the past four years in hitting. J’lyn is already committed to FGCU, thanks in large part to exposure at events like Backwards K.”
Another rising young star is Rylee Swilley of Santa Fe, who was recently named the No. 1 pitcher for her age group in the Extra Innings Softball Hot 100 and the No. 2 overall player in that same class.
“A dominant two-way player,” Nowling said. “She is one of the most highly touted 2029s in the country.”
Other area coaches include Joe Saucier of Columbia (Lake City), Will Hooper (Buchholz), and Jeffrey Blankenship (Bronson), while GHS head coach Chris Chronister helps on Nowling’s team and GHS assistant coach CJ White serves as coach of Santa Fe Inferno – White (18 Gold).
“Backwards K provides an opportunity for our girls to get in front of a large range of colleges and their coaches, from Power 4 conferences all the way to Division-III,” Saucier said. “This is going to be a big summer for our team, as last summer they started to pique some interest, but now it will be their turn to start getting some offers.”
Some of the other area players to watch for at Backwards K include Reagan Saucier (2026) – Santa Fe (Alachua) – CF; Kinley King (2027) – Columbia (Lake City) – P; Callie Blair (2027) – Santa Fe (Alachua) – SS/3B; Anislea Kelsoe (2027) – Santa Fe (Alachua) – C; and JJ Mott (2027) – Santa Fe (Alachua) -2B/SS.
“We played two weeks ago and already had a decent following of some local colleges and we believe we will see them again soon,” Saucier said. “This event is a true showcase, so they go out and showcase their abilities; it is much more laid back than a bracket play tournament where there has to be a winner.”
In addition to the exposure, the showcase brings a huge economic impact to the community.
Earlier this month (June 6-9), Premier Girls Fastpitch’s (PGF) ”Show me the Money” tournament at Champions Park had over 136 teams participating (95 from out of state).
There were an estimated 6,000-7,000 people in attendance.
Hotels, restaurants and many businesses benefit from these events.
“Typically, about 70 percent will stay in hotels, and usually we are right around 2,000 room nights per weekend,” Higgs said. “There are 15 players on a team and they go to the mall, shopping, movies and restaurants. Anyone in Gainesville will see someone with a softball uniform on. We also cater meals to the fields for them, so they don’t have to leave the fields. We are trying to help the Gainesville economy in that way as well.”
There will be a $20 gate fee (cash only) for the entire weekend. A one-time payment will be good for entry into the park for all three days. Kids 15 and under are free.
“Prior to the event, there is an individual player’s skills camp run by the actual college coaches,” Hooper said. “It’s an opportunity for players to improve their skills and knowledge while getting some direct interaction and coaching from college coaches.”
For more information, visit www.backwardskjax.com.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include more area assistant coaches.