PLAINVILLE - Shannon Smith remembers becoming a bit “freaked out’’ pitching at her first showcase tournament. As she prepared to go into her windup, she spotted a coach from perennial college power UCLA. The Milford teen was so nervous that she needed to be calmed down by her teammates.
A rising freshman at the time, Smith knew at that moment that she and her teammates on the Rhode Island Thunder Gold summer squad were under the scrutiny of some of the best college programs in the country.
“It was nerve-wracking,’’ said Smith, who has pitched Milford High to the Division 1 state final and state semifinals as a freshman and sophomore.
“But, now, once I’m out there I don’t even know which coaches are watching. I’m just focused on the game.’’
These showcases - invitational tournaments in which scores of college coaches assemble to scout future recruits - have become more routine for Smith’s teammates, too.
As the Thunder Gold has turned into one of the elite 18-and-under summer travel teams in New England, Division 1 college coaches have become mainstays behind backstops at their games. The Thunder Gold travel to the most competitive tournaments, looking to gain maximum exposure and, players hope, college scholarships.
Lately, Thunder Gold, which calls the Plainville Athletic League fields home, has had overwhelming success in its mission.
Seven of the 14 players on its roster are verbally committed to Division 1 schools, including King Philip Regional rising seniors Meg Rico (George Washington) and Olivia Godin (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Grafton’s Emily Felbaum (Boston University) and Milford’s Nicole Silva (Bucknell), who recently graduated from Mount St. Charles Academy in Rhode Island.
The seven uncommitted players are either entering their sophomore or junior years of high school, and are still weighing their options.
Smith has received interest from schools like Kentucky, Northwestern and Ohio State, among many others. Nicole Lundstrom, who will be a junior at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional, recently made an unofficial visit to Tennessee.
“One hundred percent of our kids will go play college ball and receive athletic scholarships,’’ said manager Dave Lotti, whose team was 19-8 this summer before traveling to the Demarini Invitational in Glen Ellen, Ill., this weekend .
“Our kids can play with anyone in the country, without a doubt.’’
The level of play is significantly more competitive than what players see during their high school seasons. Polar Crush Gold, a Worcester-based travel team that features Franklin’s Ellen Czuba and Natick’s Lexi Gifford, has a similarly talented roster, and may face off against host Thunder Gold at the New England’s Finest showcase next month.
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