Rita Sippy

5-foot-4, 124 pounds. RHP/SS. R/R. Throws variety pitches (fastball, changeup, curveball, dropball, riseball, screwball). 58 mph fastball. Excellent curveball (57 mph, has 6 inches of horizontal movement at times) and screwball (58 mph, 1,387 spin rate, 2.4-inch vertical break, 2.2-inch horizontal break). Throws changeup (42 mph) consistently for strikes. At SS, has athletic actions and quick release. Working on arm strength (56 mph infield, 60 mph run & gun). At the plate, is a leadoff hitter, contact hitter, is selective at what pitches swings at and gets good extension (65 mph exit, 18.9 mph hand speed). Smart baserunner, good at sliding and often gets steals (1+/game). Strong work ethic (sees pitching coach, does workouts on own). Excellent student (3.98 GPA).

— Jason Lauren, ScoutU Scout, 414-303-7607 (cell), Jason@ScoutU.com

  Athletic Strengths: Rita is a very athletic player. Her speed and knowledge of the game are off the charts. I’ve never seen a better athlete on the base paths and her softball IQ is very high. Great approach for a leadoff hitter. On the pitching side, great spin rate and command with all of her pitches. She calls her own game and has advanced recognition of batter’s weaknesses. From a position standpoint (MIF, 3B), she fields her position very well and has excellent range.   Athletic Areas to Improve: We should all be improving on our skill set. I would say for Rita, to keep building on her athletic skill set and be more consistent in the field.   Non-Athletic Strengths: Rita has a great work ethic. Outstanding person with great family values. Rita is a very coachable player and leads by example. I wish she would be a more vocal leader at times, but she leads in a quiet, get after it, mentality. — Paul Todarello, ESA 16U Prospects Coach   Rita Sippy is entering her junior year at Oak Creek and she’s played varsity softball for me for 2 years as an infielder and pitcher. Our softball program is highly competitive and annually one of the top teams in the state. Rita was a varsity starter her freshman year at 3rd base for a team that advanced to the state semi-finals. As a sophomore Rita established herself as one of the top players on our team and in our area, earning 1st-Team All-Conference and All-Area awards.   Strengths: Rita is an excellent defender with good glove skills and quick reactions. She anticipates well and has excellent range (she will likely move to SS for us as a junior). Rita has above-average bat to ball skills. She is a contact hitter who can drive the ball from gap to gap. This past season she had nearly 40 hits in 28 games and struck out no more than a handful of times. Rita does a good job of looking for her pitch and has good awareness of the strike zone; she rarely chases pitches out of the zone. Rita is one of the fastest players I have coached. Her speed allows her to turn infield contact into singles and she can stretch singles into doubles. She is a confident and capable base stealer and is an aggressive runner.   As a pitcher, Rita has a good mix of pitches that keep hitters off balance. She mixes speeds well and hits her spots confidently. Her mix of speeds and pitches often induces weak ground balls and pop-ups.   Weaknesses: Rita is an accurate thrower and has excellent transitions, but I’d like to see her improve her overhand velocity (currently around 58-60 mph). I would also like to see her improve her short game as a hitter. Rita has excellent bat to ball skills, but with her speed if she could improve her sneaky bunt she would add another element to get on base. She is a capable bunter but her approach to the sneaky bunt needs to improve. As a pitcher I also expect her to continue gaining more velocity.   Non-Athletic Strengths: Rita is an absolute pleasure to coach – easily one of my all-time favorites. She has so much fun playing the game, and that attitude rubs off on her teammates and coaches. Rita is a fierce competitor and is laser-focused during games and practices. She is willing to put work into her game away from practices, regularly hitting the gym, seeking out advanced softball specific weight training, and participating in offseason speed training. Rita is a tireless worker and will continue to elevate her game as she continues to get stronger and faster. Rita would be a positive addition to any collegiate softball team. — Jeff Trask, Oak Creek H.S. Head Coach