Pannell and Abruscato Named to USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team
12/13/2022 11:49:00 AM | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY – Missouri softball freshman Taylor Pannell and Class of 2023 signee Stefania Abruscato were both named Top Performers of the 2022 USA Softball High Performance Program (HPP) National Selection Event, presented by Dick's Sporting Goods, which makes them eligible to compete for the Junior Women's National Team in 2023.
Pannell, a lefthanded pitcher from Lee's Summit, Missouri, and Abruscato, a catcher/outfielder from Hauppauge, New York, were both listed as U-17 / U-18 National Selection Event Top Performers.
Pannell and Abruscato advanced through various HPP Identifiers over the last year before ultimately showcasing their skills in a series of on-field evaluations and scrimmages at the National Selection Event held in Mesquite, Texas, Nov. 3-6.
Taylor Pannell was one of the top pitchers in the state of Missouri during her high school career. She earned first team all-state honors after posting a 21-5 record and striking out 180 batters over 157 innings during her senior season at Lee's Summit West High School.
Pannell also batted .500 during her senior campaign and was the 62nd-ranked pitcher/hitter duo in the 2022 class, according to Extra Innings Softball. She played club ball with Aces Fastpitch and fellow Tigers freshman pitcher Cierra Harrison.
Stefania Abruscato is a member of Mizzou Head Coach Larissa Anderson's 2023 Signing Class that was ranked 14th by Extra Inning Softball. Individually, Abruscato is the 13th overall ranked player in the 2023 Class, according to Extra Innings Softball.
She has been the starting varsity catcher at Hauppauge High School since the seventh grade and is a four-time New York All-State Honoree. Abruscato was tabbed a 2022 Extra Inning Softball First Team High School All-American after registering a .667 batting average with eight home runs, 35 RBI, 34 steals, 32 runs, and a .805 on-base percentage in 18 games.
She is also a four-year starter on the Eagles soccer and basketball teams. Abruscato plays club softball for New Jersey Intensity.
Stefania Abruscato's father, Tom, played college baseball and participated in a college world series and now is a three-time state winning head baseball coach at Clarke High School (Westbury, New York). Her older sister, Giuliana Abruscato, plays softball at Connecticut.
The 2022 National Selection Event Top Performers includes 90 athletes from various USA Softball regions spanning 21 states. Comprised of 18 athletes per age group, the U-13 division represents six USA Softball regions while the U-14 division highlights 11 states from five USA Softball regions. Finishing atop the U-15 division were 18 athletes from six different USA Softball regions, followed by eight regions represented in the U-16 and U-17/18 divisions.
Athletes were selected based on skill-drill rankings ranging from offense, defense, throwing, hitting and baserunning.
A total of 266 athletes from across the U.S. participated in the 2022 HPP National Selection Event, showcasing their skills in front of the U.S. Junior Women's National Team Selection Committee and HPP evaluators including U.S. Olympians and professional softball athletes. To learn more about the HPP or to get involved for the 2023 season, visit USASoftball.com.
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