Coates will play for New Jersey team this summer

[Lynn Burke]

Coates playing in NJ this summer

Daily Press

Gloucester pitcher Stephanie Coates, who led the Dukes’ softball team to its third consecutive Peninsula District championship, will play travel ball this summer for the Jersey Intensity Gold.

The 18-and-under team, based out of New Jersey, competes against opponents from across the country. This weekend, the Gold will play in the 32-team New Jersey Summer Classic in Edison, N.J. Coates will not be able to make that tournament, but she is expected to be in Boulder, Colo., for an event next week.

The team’s coach, Kevin O’Donnell, first saw Coates at a pitchers-catchers clinic last winter at the University of Virginia.

“Playing for our team exposes them to players from other parts of the country, especially girls from California and Texas,” he said. “That’s a different caliber of ball. If you can compete against them, you can compete against anyone.”

Coates will live at home during the summer and fly to tournaments.

[rivah230]

I also understand a group of Northern Neck girls who play for the Virginia Rowdies are traveling to Colorado to play in a tournament. I know Rappahannock is represented.

Good luck to them.

:wave:

[sportsnut]

Good luck Stephanie with the New Jersey team but I thought she was doing most of her playing this summer with the 18u Revolution who is based out of Yorktown.
I also know that there are players from the Bay Rivers, Peninsula District and Matthews that will also be spending alot of time this summer traveling by planes and spending half their week and weekends on the softball field. A matter of fact the 18u Legends Gold and the 18u Va. Lady Eagles are in different parts of Colorado playing today through next Saturday or Sunday after just returning home from long weekend tournaments yesterday.What a way to spend the summer but that is what these girls love to do and give up alot of other things to do it.