Newtown Rock 12U Lombardo

🚨 NEW PLAYER INTRODUCTION — #22 ZOE SCHAFFER 🚨

Sometimes a little rule change works out perfectly.

Thanks to a change over the last year, Zoe gets the opportunity to be a first-year 12U player one more time, and we get something even better: a player who already knows what 12U softball looks and feels like.

For a team full of girls making this jump for the first time, that experience is going to be huge.

Zoe will bring that leadership to the outfield, our last line of defense and, arguably, the best seat in the house. From out there, she can see everything developing: where the play is going, who needs to move, where the backups need to be, and she isn’t afraid to use her voice to make sure everyone knows it. When she isn’t holding down the fort in the outfield, you’ll see her supporting our infield as well.

And that steady presence doesn’t stop with her glove. A steady arm comes with a steady bat, and we’re excited to add another reliable weapon to this lineup.

But what we’ve loved most so far has nothing to do with a stat sheet.

With every practice, we’ve watched Zoe open up a little more. She’s getting a little bit louder, getting more involved, connecting with her teammates and becoming more comfortable being herself within this group. Watching that happen before we’ve even played our first game has been pretty special. 💙💛

She came to us with 12U experience, but watching her find her place, find her voice, and become part of this Rock family might just be the best part of what’s ahead.

Welcome to the Rock, #22 Zoe Schaffer. 🪨💪

🔥 RETURNING PLAYER — #8 LAILA JOSEPH 🔥

Starting our week off with another one of our OGs — #8 Laila Joseph.

Over the last year, Laila hasn’t just grown in size… she’s grown into her voice. And trust us, you can hear it.

Her voice is constant from the dugout to the outfield, cheering, communicating, picking her teammates up and making damn sure that nobody on this team ever feels like they’re out there alone. Laila genuinely wants the girls around her to succeed, and that kind of teammate is something you simply can’t teach.

But there’s something else about #8 that we’ve learned to NEVER underestimate…

When the game is on the line, we want Laila at the plate.

Pressure doesn’t scare this kid. Give her a do-or-die moment, runners on, two outs, game hanging in the balance, and somehow Laila finds another gear. She locks in, knows she has a job to do, and more times than not, she delivers.

Because letting her team down simply isn’t an option in her mind.

She’ll support them with her voice.
She’ll support them from the outfield.
And when we need it most, she’ll support them with her bat.

That’s who Laila is.

And as she heads into 12U bigger, stronger, louder and more confident, we have a feeling #8 is just getting started.

And for reasons completely unrelated to softball, staying on Laila’s good side as a Coach has always seemed like a solid long-term investment.

Welcome back, #8 Laila Joseph. 💙💛

OG. CLUTCH. TEAM FIRST.
Let’s see what 12U brings. 🪨💪

🔥 RETURNING PLAYER — #9 CIARA “CC” CRITES 🔥

Some players you coach for a season.

And then there are the ones you’ve had the privilege of watching grow up right in front of you. 💙💛

CC is one of our OGs, heading into her second season with the Rock, but this coaching staff has been with this kiddo for the last four years. So when we say we’ve watched her grow, we mean it, literally AND figuratively.

And somewhere along the way, that kid turned into an absolute FORCE.

For the last year and a half, CC has made her home behind the plate, and if you’re thinking about testing her at home… well…

Ever run full speed into a brick wall? No? Perfect. Keep it that way.

CC is strong, tough and fearless behind the plate, and she brings that same power into our lineup. She can drive the ball, come up big when we need her and quick on the base paths.

But the best thing about CC has nothing to do with how hard she hits or how tough she is behind the plate.

Because as big as the presence is…

the heart is even bigger.

CC loves her teammates immensely. She loves her coaches just as much. She’s the kind of kid who gives everything she has to the people wearing the same jersey beside her, and after four years, getting to continue watching her become the player and person she’s growing into is pretty damn special.

She’s bigger. She’s stronger. She’s tougher.

But she’s still our CC.

And now we get to see what this OG does in 12U.

Welcome back, #9 Ciara “CC” Crites. 🪨💪

🔥 NEW PLAYER INTRODUCTION — #10 SOFIE HAGERTY 🔥

It’s always a little more exciting welcoming a player you’ve already seen in action.

We faced #10 Sofie Hagerty this spring, and she definitely gave us a reason to remember her. At the plate, Sofie doesn’t waste much time. She’s aggressive, confident, and if she likes that first pitch, she’s coming after it with power.

This time around, we won’t be trying to figure out how to defend her.

We get to put her in our lineup.

Sofie will be holding it down at first base, bringing a strong, steady presence to the corner and another dangerous bat to an already talented group.

As we head into 12U, this team isn’t starting over. We’re building on what we’ve already created. Adding the right pieces, getting stronger in the right places, and finding players who fit exactly where this team is headed.

And Sofie is one of those players.

Sometimes the right addition doesn’t change who you are, it just makes what you already have that much stronger.

We already know what Sofie can do against the Rock.

Now we can’t wait to see what #10 can do WITH the Rock. 💙💛

Welcome to the family, Sofie. 🪨💪

🔥 RETURNING PLAYER — #25 MIA BUNYAN 🔥

Don’t let the size fool you.

There’s a reason we call #25 The Peanut Assassin. 🥜💙💛

You usually don’t see her coming… but somehow, she always finds a way to take you out.

Mia’s primary home may be in the circle and at second, but put her in left, right, or even behind the plate if we need her and one thing stays the same, runners better stay on their toes. She has the arm, instincts, and absolutely zero fear of trying to erase you from the bases.

Where she stores all that power in that tiny body? We’re still trying to figure that one out. Because while Mia may be small in stature, she plays about seven feet tall.

And good luck getting comfortable against her.

At the plate, she can step into either side of the box and keep a defense guessing. In the circle, underestimate her and that “junk” will have hitters off balance before they realize what happened.

Pitch. Hit. Field. Catch.

The Peanut Assassin finds a way.

10U learned not to underestimate #25.

Now we get to see what kind of chaos she creates in 12U.

Welcome back, Mia Bunyan. 🪨💪

🔥 RETURNING PLAYER — #12 DEMPSEY HAYES 🔥

Some players show you who they are right away. Others grow into it right in front of you.

And watching #12 Dempsey Hayes do exactly that last season was something special.

As the year went on, Demps started finding herself, her strength, her game, and most importantly, the realization that she was capable of so much more than even she knew.

When we really needed her most, she delivered in a big way. We saw her grow behind the plate, gain confidence in the field, and begin embracing moments that once might have felt overwhelming.

But maybe our favorite thing about Demps has nothing to do with a glove, a bat, or a scoreboard.

It’s her heart. ❤️

She loves her teammates fiercely, and they love her just as much right back. She loves being part of this team, and you can see how much every girl beside her means to her, and how much she means to them.

The best part? We don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of the player she’s becoming.

10U was the warm-up.
12U is where #12 starts to break out.

Keep finding out just how good you can be, Demps.

Because from where we’re standing… she’s only getting started. 💙💛

Welcome back, #12 Dempsey Hayes. 🪨💪

🔥 RETURNING PLAYER — #6 RAEGYN DEVINE 🔥

Some pitchers throw hard. Some pitchers have great stuff.

Raegyn has ice in her veins.🧊

Last season, #6 became our ace in the circle, piling up 401 strikeouts and proving over and over again that pressure simply doesn’t bother her.

And when one of our other strong arms took over in the circle, don’t think #6 was getting a break.

You’d find that arm throwing seeds across the diamond from third or holding it down at first. Wherever we needed her, Raegyn was ready because her impact was never limited to just the circle.

And neither was her growth.

She worked on her bat, and it showed. Her confidence at the plate grew, she started finding more ways to help us offensively, and just when a defense thought they had her figured out…

SURPRISE!

She’d drop that dirty little bunt down and have everyone scrambling.

We already know what #6 can do from the circle. Now we get to see what happens when she takes everything she learned last season and turns it up another level in 12U.

Pick up where you left off, kid. Take the ball. Lead the way. And stay ice cold. 🥶🔥

Welcome back, #6 Raegyn Devine. 💙💛

PLAYER INTRODUCTION — #2 CARMELLA LOMBARDO 🔥

Back where she belongs: leading off, locking down shortstop, and commanding the infield. Last season, we watched #2 grow right before our eyes into the captain of our infield, finding her voice, her confidence and her presence on the field.

Carmella plays with an edge. She wants the ball hit her way. She wants to be in the middle of the big moment. And when she gets on base? Well she really lived our motto of ONE was never enough.

Give Carmella an inch and she was taking 60 feet. She was always hunting the next base, forcing rushed throws, creating chaos and keeping defenses on their toes. Drop your guard for even a second and… too late. And #2 was gone.

But what excites us most isn’t what she’s already done.

It’s what comes next.

A faster game. Bigger moments. More responsibility. And another season to grow into the leader we already see emerging, both in the field and at the top of our lineup.

Last season was only the beginning.

12U… meet #2. She’s just getting started. 🔥

Welcome back, Carmie. 💙💛🥎