The Glen Carbon, Ill.-based Midland Magic 93's may not see many 100-degree days back home, but they didn't let the Texas heat slow them down.

The Magic beat Team Velocity 1-0 on Tuesday at Glacier Field in the Bryan Regional Athletic Complex during pool play of the ASA/USA Girls' Class A 16-Under Fast Pitch national Tournament. Under a nearly cloudless sky, Magic pitcher Rebecca Strope shut down Velocity for seven inning to earn the win, with a ton of help from the defense behind her.

"It was a classy game," Magic coach Staci Silkwood said. "Both organizations are classy and both teams played well. It was a very fundamentally sound game, with great pitching and defense all around."

The Magic travel quite a bit already as part of their schedule, playing games in Indiana, Colorado and Oklahoma. They have been traveling every weekend since June 1, but the combination of heat and humidity has added a little pressure to their games this week.

"As my coaches say, you're asking the wrong person, because I like it hot," Silkwood said. "Probably 80 percent of my girls would probably like it if it were a little cooler, but we are very well conditioned. Even some of my bigger statured players have held up since we've been here, so I'm very proud of the team."

Another kind of pressure came from the throng of college coaches sitting behind home plate. Illinois institutions Southern Illinois and Illinois State were represented among the 10 schools watching Tuesday's game.

"We're here to support these girls," Texas Southern head coach Worley Barker said. "They've given up a lot of their time to be here, so we as coaches like to give up some of ours to see them play. It's definitely more relaxing on this side of the fence, without having to worry about should you bunt or not. For us coaches, it's a way to network a little and relax before the season that starts in a couple weeks."

Part of the draw for college coaches is the level of commitment from the players. The girls have voluntarily given up their summer to play softball at a high level, showing their desire to play at the next level to any college coaches in attendance, according to Barker.

The 16-Under age bracket is often the first time colleges scout players. Barker pointed out that most schools already have 2010 classes wrapped up and many have even filled their 2011 commitments.

For many, looking at ninth- and 10th-grade girls is more important than seeing the older girls in the 18-Under bracket. As an example, Silkwood said she already had one girl committed to a school and a few others who will announce their decisions after nationals.

Coaches are not just looking for technical scouting reports on the players, but also trying to get a sense of how the players interact with teammates, how they hustle and other intangibles that often don't show up on tape.

"They're looking for the athlete," Silkwood said. "They're looking for how to stand out. They're looking at how they move and how they respond to coaching. At this high a level, these girls don't feel much added pressure, because this is why they've put themselves on this kind of team."

Another boon at the tournament for a school like TSU is location. Players can start to get a sense of what it would be like to play in Texas weather at the college level, something Barker says can be pretty important.

"I see some of these parents looking at me [when he's] laughing," Barker said. "They tell me, 'You must be from around here to be laughing in this heat.' It's a lot of fun, but it's also a tough process. The more information we can get on these players, the better."