01/15/2021 - 2021 Softball Factory Pre-Season All-America Tournament Deirdre continues to show as a prospect on the field. Behind the dish, she presents a soft/sure mitt showing great pocket awareness sticking pitches. Quick lateral movements allow her to center/deaden pitches in the dirt off of a soft chest. Pop times showed in the 2.09 with accuracy on her throws. At the plate she continues to shine through a squared setup. Hands are quick (67 mph exit velocity) and work through a level swing path. She stays inside the ball, utilizing all fields with gap to gap pop. At the event, she was 7 for 14 with 4 2B and a HR. Mental makeup is a plus as she is very coachable, works hard to be the best player she can be, and is a team player.
12/18/2020 - Softball Factory Academic All-American Tournament Deirdre continues to show as a prospect on the field. Behind the dish, she presents a soft/sure mitt showing great pocket awareness sticking pitches. She uses her body well through the blocking process, centering ball well out front. Pop times showed in the range of 1.94 with accuracy and carry (63 mph velocity) to her target. Receiving / blocking skills show as quality tools that will play well. At 3B, she displays clean / smooth actions. Feet are active as she displays proper footwork as she works to square ground balls up and plays through with her body. Glove action is clean and presents well out front. At the plate, she continues to shine through a squared setup. Hands are quick (76 mph exit velocity) and work to and through a level swing path. She stays inside the ball, utilizing all fields with gap to gap pop. At the event, she was 4 for 11 with 2 2B. Mental makeup is a plus as she is very coachable and works hard to be the best player she can be.
01/17/2020 - 2020 Softball Factory All-America Pre-Season Tournament Deirdre is a Softball Factory veteran and her hard work has earned her Pre-Season All American honors. Throughout the event Deirdre proved to be a coachable player that hustled on and off the field. In the box, she battles every at bat. She sees a lot of pitches and is able to draw the walk. Deirdre shows line drive power to the pull side. Behind the plate, Deirdre communicates well with her defense. She looks the ball in and does a nice job of framing the zone. She is a wall and gives her pitcher confidence to work low in the zone. Overall, Deirdre has a strong passion for the game and our staff looks forward to seeing her contribute at the next level.
11/20/2019 - Under Armour Softball Factory Fall Classic - 16U Deirdre Flaherty is a 2023 right-handed catcher and third baseman with a developed skill set. Behind the plate, she has an athletic and low primary catching stance. She shows agility in her lateral range and does a good job receiving on-time and into the zone. Her exchange is clean and she gains momentum into her throw downs to accurately hit her target. She is efficient in her footwork when fielding bunts and has good mechanics when blocking. Offensively, she has a tall and open setup. Her hands are high and her stride soft. She activates her lower half well and is on-time in her pre-pitch approach. Her barrel is on-plane and fast through the zone and she extends all the way through the ball. She has great barrel control and shows power to all fields. She consistently barrels up each pitch and would be considered a run producer. Overall, Deirdre is a hard worker and great teammate.
11/08/2018 - Softball Factory Select Training & Competition at Historic Dodgertown (Grad Years 2019-2023) Deirdre returns for the Softball Factory Select Training & Competition at Historic Dodgertown. Deirdre continues to improve her skill set and impress our coaching staff with her work ethic and dedication to the game. Behind the plate, Deirdre is a vocal leader that gives her teammates confidence. She presents a good target, looks the ball in and receives with sure hands. She makes a clean transfer and works to gain ground to her target. She reads the ball in the dirt well and leads with her glove. Being more explosive when blocking will round out her skill set. In the box, Deirdre is a RHH that uses an athletic stance with a short stride that is on time. She creates fluid rhythm, generates explosive bat speed and makes hard contact. She shows natural pop on the ball and is able to work the gaps. Overall, Deirdre has the work ethic and tools needed to play at the collegiate level.
08/02/2018 - Softball Factory Advanced Training (Grad Years 2018-2023) Deirdre joins Softball Factory for the Softball Factory Advanced Training. In the box, Deirdre has an aggressive approach. She has a square stance, uses a short stride and has centered balance. She loads her hands back, creates fluid rhythm and generates fast bat speed. She generates good lower half drive and shows power potential. Working to take a direct path to the ball will allow her to finish through the ball and see more power production. Behind the plate, Deirdre has a good presence and is a vocal leader. She frames the ball well and works to get close calls in the river. She works to get in line with her target and is able to lead out her throws. Working to get down quicker for the block will allow her to deaden and center the ball. Overall, Deirdre is a hard-working player and with continued coaching she will take her game to the next level.
07/25/2018 - Interactive Video Program - Avon (Cleveland), OH Deirdre is a 2023 right handed catcher and third baseman with a developing skill set. Defensively, she has a square fielding position and gains ground well through each play. She is short to the ball and has a clean exchange on her throws to her target. Behind the plate, she keeps her throws on line to bases and frames the ball well. She gets around the ball well when blocking and receives with quiet hands. Offensively, she has a strong base and creates great power behind her contact. She has a soft stride to the ball and stays center in her balance. She gets to extension well in her swing and drives the ball to all sides of the field. Overall, Deirdre is very coachable and has great work ethic.
Lea Ann Jarvis is the Senior Director of Softball Operations.