Hammack shines at Surf City

SANDPOINT - Sandpoint softball player Rachel Hammack, a member of the Spokane Sliders U18 Gold team, competed against some of the top teams in the nation last weekend at the Surf City Showcase Tournament in southern California.

Hammack, a third baseman, continues to catch the college scouts' eyes with her stellar defensive play. Head coach Chris Stengel says she swung the bat well, but it was her defensive gems that made her stand out.

“She made so many spectacular plays at third base," said Stengel. “I had several coaches say that she was one of the best players they saw that weekend. She was certainly one of the defensive standouts of the event."

Numerous college coaches asked Stengel for information on Hammack, who will be a junior on the Sandpoint team this spring. The Sliders played against five of the top softball programs in the country, including the Orange County Bat Busters, who have had 10 Olympians play for them.

Naturally, the showcase tournament attracts its share of college coaches, who get a first hand look at the collection of some of the top players in the country on hundreds of teams. Hammack has played in a host of tournaments this summer, practicing nearly every day in hopes of playing at the next level.

“She loves the game and is doing big things," said Stengel.