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ACDC may be back in black, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are back in blue!

The Dodgers have been on fire since the beginning of the season. Their record currently stands at 13-4 and they are tied with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the Majors. But of course, the number one question on everyone’s mind is how the Dodgers will finish the end of the 2012 season. Will they make it to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2009? Can Matt Kemp grab his first NL MVP trophy this season, after narrowly losing out to Ryan Braun last year?

One thing is apparent though; the Dodgers are starting off the year with a vibrant energy that can be felt echoing through the rafters of Chavez Ravine by not only the fans…but EVEN the opponents as well. New owners mean a fresh start with young athletes that are trying to take the Dodgers back to Red October, but can they actually get there?

Last year Dodgers CF Matt Kemp almost made it into the 40/40 club as only the 5th player to ever reach this prestigious mark, falling just 1 home run short. This hasn’t deterred Kemp in the slightest. During the offseason he has been working 10x harder and has come back in full “beastmode” to start the year. Heck, forget the 40/40 club, Kemp says he’s shooting for the 50/50 club (which to date has exactly ZERO members).

But one man doesn’t make a team and Kemp wouldn’t be doing so well if we failed to mention Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon. With his help he’s making it easier not only for Kemp to drive in runs but also batting partner Andre Ethier as well. Dee Gordon should also be praised for his speed on the base paths, which has allowed Kemp and Ethier to drive in runs at an exceptionally rapid rate (both have 22 RBI’s so far on the season).

With reigning Cy Young award winner, Clayton Kershaw leading a dominant pitching staff, The Dodgers expect the rest of the team to join Kemp and Ethier in going full “beastmode” and reaching the playoffs for the first time in 3 years. How far they’ll go in the playoffs is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain, Dodger Blue is back!

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The 8th Annual America’s Finest City Showcase took place last month and was an all around success. This years tounament featured top softball talent from from California and beyond including Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, New Jersey Virgina as well as every western state. The Showcase is now a musst attend for college recruiters. SportsForce was at all of the games for the AFC and got to witness some great games.

Pumas, Ventura, CA vs Case Batbusters, San Clemente, CA

Fire Crackers, Huntington Beach, CA vs. Victory Gold USA, Newbury Park, CA

Minor’s Gold, San Jacinto, CA vs. OC Elite Gold, Santa Magarita, CA

Corona Angels, Corona, CA vs. So Cal Athletics , Upland, CA

SportsForce athlete, Alysha Isaacson recently committed to the University of Dayton to play softball for the Flyers. Alysha went on an official visit to the school in September and decided to commit after “falling in love with it” according to her mother. The signing period for softball starts November 11th and Alysha will officially sign with Dayton then. Alysha currently plays club ball for Case Batbusters and High School for Hilltop High School. Visit Alysha’s profile on the SportsForce site to see what helped to propel the recruiting process.

SportsForce is constantly adding new athlete profiles to our site across all sports. We would like to take the opportunity to showcase our newest athletes each week to help them get the visibility they deserve.

Trevor McKinley is a right handed pitcher out of Steele Canyon High School. He is a member of the class of 2010 and plays club baseball for the San Diego Gamers.

Marie Bradvica is an outfielder, catcher and plays first base for the Carlsbad High School Softball Team. She plays for The Next Level Club team and is class of 2011.

If you’ve visited the Girls Lacrosse page recently you have noticed quite a few new faces. Many of the athletes attended the SportsForce 7v7 Tournament on September 12th in San Diego at Cathedral Catholic High School. Girls from over 20 different high schools enjoyed play and great competition. The tournament grew past it’s original capacity of 45 girls and fielded 8 teams and 5 goalies for a total of 61 girls! The tournament included top tier Varsity level athletes participating from San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles High Schools including La Costa Canyon, Torrey Pines, Coronado, La Jolla, Westview, Scripps Ranch, Carlsbad, Foothill, Los Alamitos, Great Oaks and Redondo Union to just name a few. Check back with the SportsForce blog for a full recap of the event. In the meantime, visit our Girls Lacrosse section to see some profiles.

This summer has been full of nothing short of amazing volleyball. Both Boys and Girls wrapped up the Junior Olympic National Championships recently with intense competition from top teams around the country. The JO’s serve a great showcase for many of the top teams and players to hundreds of college coaches from around the country. It gives college coaches a tremendous opportunity to see top caliber competition and players ability can perform under press.

Congratulations to the Nebraska Juniors 18-1 in the Girls 18 Open Division for winning their way to 18 Open Gold Division Champions. Also congratulation is in order for AVA TX 18 Performance as the Girls 18 National Gold Division Champions.

On the Boys end 18s Orange in the Boys 18- Club division and Riptides OC 18 Asics in the Boys 18-Open division won JO National Championships.

The summer isn’t complete without hundreds of various prospect camps and instructional camps that are held throughout the country. Often college programs host summer prospect style camps to build direct relationships with players and for student-athletes to showcase their skills in front of schools they are interested in. Also top caliber coaches and former and current college players put on their own instructional camps for aspiring players to learn and improve their all-around skill level and approach to the game.

As the high school season approaches we wanted to rewind the clock and remind you who were the top teams from last high school season. ESPN FAB 50 rankings named Archbishop Mitty High School #1 for girls volleyball and Mira Costa High School as #1 for boys volleyball. Can both these teams keep their title in the upcoming seasons? It will be tough competition.

FAB 50 Final Rankings

Girls: http://myespn.go.com/blogs/highschoolvolleyball/0-5-10/ESPN-RISE-FAB-50.html

Boys: http://proxy.espn.go.com/highschool/rise/fab50?sportId=10020070&seasonType=1

Finally the high school girls volleyball season will be taking off in less than a month and it will be exciting to who emerge as the top players and teams to watch.