Katie Rietkovich from South Effingham High School and the Angels Gold fastpitch softball team has been selected for the second year in a row to attend the Annual Queen of Diamonds Showcase South at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., Aug. 30-31.  

The 3rd Annual Queen of Diamonds Showcase is the largest college showcase for high school-age softball players, this year’s events drew nearly 2,500 applicants from 33 states and Canada. The Queen of Diamonds Showcase is designed to give players the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in front of college coaches who may be interested in recruiting them.  

This year’s Queen of Diamonds participants are mostly juniors and seniors, in addition, a group of younger promising players will have the opportunity to showcase their skills to college coaches alongside the older players who are eligible to be recruited. Players can attend position-specific skills sessions early Saturday, followed by tournament games throughout the weekend.

“The athlete who makes the QDSS cut is a very special player,” said QDSS director Kirt Whiteside.

Rietkovich, a first-team Class AAA all-state selection and first-team all-region pick, has 24 career home runs.