Willis Softball
There is so much fun to be had at a VYPE Media Day!
From team and individual pictures, social media shout-outs, and video interviews it is all there for the student-athlete to feel like a superstar! VYPE traveled out to Willis for the Willis ISD 2021-2022 VYPE Spring Media Day.
Check out the Behind the Scenes Video and Photo Gallery!
ALISA SNEED IS A BALL OF FAST-TWITCH ENERGY.
The Conroe senior is a national recruit for softball, an all-district hooper, and has been to the regional track meet in the relays. She is the pride of the Tigers.
Sneed committed to the University of Texas during her junior year for softball and is tremendously dangerous on the diamond. It’s hard to put a finger on what she does best... she’s just really good at everything. She’s a mensa as it relates to a sporting IQ in any sport.
VYPE caught up with Sneed on the eve of her senior softball season, getting inside her helmet, and seeing where she has come from and where she is headed.
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VYPE: What have you worked on the most in the offseason?
SNEED: My hitting, for sure. I’m just concentrating on seeing the ball come out of the pitcher’s hand and hitting the ball all over the field.
VYPE: What did you love about the University of Texas?
SNEED: I love Austin. I can’t wait to get up there. It’s a culture fit for me. I’m really connected to the coaches there.
VYPE: What is the best part of your game?
SNEED: Just my IQ. My defense is pretty good as well. I’m always looking to make that game-changing play.
VYPE: What do you do outside of softball?
SNEED: Everything. Virtually every other sport. When I’m not playing, I’m painting, drawing, or binging shows. I love to be outside and being active.
VYPE: How does basketball help you on the softball field?
SNEED: Basketball gives me great endurance going into the softball season. It also keeps my hand-eye coordination sharp...dribbling, passing and playing defense.
VYPE: The future for Alisa Sneed is, what?
SNEED: Accelerated math is fun and pretty easy. I also like chemistry. Being either a civil or chemical engineer is where I’m headed.
VYPE: Who is your favorite softball player?
SNEED: Bella Dayton. She plays with so much enthusiasm, and it’s contagious. She is locked in. When she gets walked...she’s fired up. She makes a big play... she’s pumped. A teammate hits a home run... she’s so excited for them.
With the Winter season well underway, the second series of our campus-coordinated media days has officially neared its end.
Recently, our team traveled to Tomball High School for their 2025 Spring Media Day.
We caught up with Tomball Girls Track & Field's Peach Booker, talking about the upcoming season and more. Check out the interview below!
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE REPUTATION OF MAGNOLIA WEST HAS SKYROCKETED DUE TO THE SHEER DOMINANCE THEY DISPLAYED WHILE STILL IN CLASS 5A.
The 2023 State Champs and 2024 State Semifinalists now make the jump to 6A, with the goal of maintaining their well-earned status.
Leading the charge for the Mustangs is returning senior and second-team all-district selection Caldwell McFaddin. He will be key at third base and could also contribute in the bullpen.
McFaddin was there to witness the beginning of the team’s rise to prominence, and now he aims to ensure that they stay at the top.
“It’s been an emotional ride, to say the least,” he said. “We’ve been in the
playoffs every year of my high school career and have been to State twice. I have a very tight-knit group of friends that I play with, and we all treat each other like brothers. We’re excited to keep that going and hopefully win another championship.”
Considering the team’s success, it begs the question: How did they achieve this from a player’s perspective?
“Coach Earles preaches a ‘no drama’ mentality,” said McFaddin. “Buying into that has been key to our success. No matter what, we treat each other with respect and lock in when we need to. We live by the D.I.R.T., which stands for ‘Discipline, Investment, Response, and Team over Self.’ That’s how we’ve been able to develop this culture and stay so close.”
That same focus on culture is what drew McFaddin to commit to Baylor in the fall of 2023, before officially signing in November.
“The fact that they put God first in everything they do there really resonated with me as a Christian,” he said.
“Also, I love Coach Mitch Thompson, and he’s a big reason I committed to Baylor. He’s not interested in just picking up 15 JuCo kids from the portal to win. He wants to build the program from the ground up with family values.”
“He explained that he wasn’t just going to be my coach for four years; he was going to be my friend and mentor for the rest of my life. That really changed my perspective, because I hadn’t heard that from any other coaches during the recruiting process. All of that made me gravitate toward that decision.”
Though free time is a rare luxury for most high school baseball players, McFaddin found an altruistic way to spend his when he went on a mission trip to Costa Rica with Houston’s First Baptist Church, leading to a profound revelation.
“It’s a completely different way of life there,” McFaddin said. “I got to see how kids there play baseball. They use sticks, bottle caps, and rocks. It made me so much more grateful for the opportunities I have, like playing with pearl white baseballs every day at practice. It’s a blessing to be able to play this game to its fullest.”
Entering his final season, the future Baylor Bear will surely appreciate every moment, as he and the Dirt Boys aim for their third consecutive trip to Dell Diamond.
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