The PFP Team
Who We Are
Denise Davis
Founder & Master Instructor
Denise Davis is the founder and owner of Planet Fastpitch, LLC. Located in Uxbridge Massachusetts, Planet Fastpitch trains over 1000 players and coaches each year in a 30,000 square foot performance center that now includes an indoor softball field complete with infield clay. Committed to personalized attention, Planet Fastpitch has created a strong and positive culture in New England while offering innovative instruction in all softball skills in a supportive environment. Denise graduated from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Exercise Science and Sports Management and from The University of Rhode Island with a Master of Business Administration degree. Her softball career at Rutgers earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference, Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference and All-Northeast Region Honors, winning an Atlantic 10 Championship and a berth to NCAA Tournament. She was also a First Team All-American in Women’s Majors Fastpitch playing for the Topton VIPs. Denise served as an assistant coach at URI for 6 years and as a consultant for Boston University, UMass, Bryant University and United States Coast Guard Academy before devoting full time to research and training. She is currently a pitching coach for a roster of collegiate pitchers and has privately coached several professional and Olympic pitchers. Davis won the Small Business Association (SBA) for the 2007 Person of the Year, is a tenured speaker at the World Softball Coaches Convention, is FMS, OnBaseU, K-Baseball and K-Motion Certified and a softball research partner with Massachusetts General Hospital Orthopaedics Sports Performance Center and Figur8 Inc.
Brandice Balschmiter
Master Instructor
Brandice Balschmiter is a 2010 graduate of the University of Massachusetts earning a B.A. in Studio Arts. Brandice was a four-year starter for UMass from 2006-09 where she compiled a 126-33 record with a 0.99 earned run average. She ended her career with 1,218 strikeouts, which, at the time, ranked 21st in NCAA Division I history. Additionally, her 126 victories are currently ranked 10th nationally, her 137 complete games are tied for 11th and her 68 shutouts are tied for 14th. While at UMass she recorded 3 perfect games and compiled 10 no-hitters. The native of Newark, N.Y. was named the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year and Tournament Most Outstanding Player a record 4 years in a row, in addition to being named A-10 Pitcher of the Week a record 28 times. Brandice was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 National Pro Fastpitch Draft by the Chicago Bandits where she helped the team to the regular-season crown. She was a member of the 2009 Pan American Qualifier Gold Medal squad and an alternate for the 2010 U.S. National Team. Brandice returned to UMass in the fall of 2012 as an Assistant Coach. Prior to 2012 Brandice spent three years at Planet Fastpitch where she was an instructor.
Jenna Bradley
Master Instructor
Jenna is a 2024 graduate of the University of Massachusetts where she received a Bachelor’s of Science in Sport Management and a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Operations and Information Management and Data Analytics. A four year member of the UMass softball team, she served as captain for both her junior and senior seasons. Jenna is a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania where she graduated from Holy Cross High School and was named the 2019 Pennsylvania AA State Softball Player of the Year. She currently holds the Lackawanna League single-season strikeout record for fanning over 307 batters in her junior season. Jenna is extremely passionate about spreading her love for the game with the next generation of softball players and can not wait to be an official part of the PFP Family.
Kate Condon
Veteran Instructor
Kate is attending the University of Florida pursuing her Masters in Sport Management with a concentration in High Performance Coaching. Kate graduated from UMASS Dartmouth in 2022, receiving her B.S in Marketing, with a minor in Management, where she played softball for her four years. Kate has been coaching tournament softball since 2018 from ages 8 – 18. In 2021, Kate was invited to be the assistant coach at the 12u All American Tournament in Oklahoma City for the Northeast region as the youngest coach to be ever invited in the country.
Kate has been with PFP for many years as a Varsity School Alum and summer intern. Kate brings a positive, energetic atmosphere and enjoys working with all athletes to grow the great game of softball.
Emma Campbell
Veteran Instructor
​Emma Campbell joins the PFP staff as a Veteran Instructor, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team. A proud graduate of the Varsity School, Emma continued her academic and athletic journey at Stony Brook University, where she excelled as a middle infielder.
Emma's passion for the game extends beyond her playing career; she has demonstrated her leadership and coaching expertise at Moses Brown, where she played a key role in developing young talent. Her deep understanding of the game and her ability to inspire and mentor players make her a valuable addition to the PFP family.​
Caroline Palys
Caroline Palys is a 2025 graduate of Columbia University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in History. A four-year member of the Columbia softball team, she played as a catcher and brought leadership and energy to the field every season. Originally from Lexington, Massachusetts, she attended Lexington High School where she was named Co-MVP of the Middlesex Conference in her senior year. She also competed at the club level with the Raiders Softball travel team. Caroline is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and helping young athletes grow both on and off the field. She is thrilled to join the PFP Family and share her love for the game with the next generation of softball players.
Debra Dempsey
Debra Dempsey joined the team at Planet Fastpitch in September 2020. Although she was new to PFP as a staff member, she had been attending since 2013 for her daughter Sylvia's training. (Sylvia had been working with Brandice for pitching and started Futures with Denise in January 2014.) Deb's softball experience is limited to her freshman year at Framingham North High School as a catcher on the JV team. Although limited in her playing experience, she loves learning about the game, proper mechanics, and how great assessments can propel a player's ability. Debra has a special education teaching background and a master's in psychology, which helps her work at PFP. Her primary duties include organizing travel team training, event registration, rental agreements, and administrative management of programming, including Varsity, Futures, Elaine Sortino Softball School, our college recruiting events, and managing our junior staff. Deb loves working with the staff, parents, and players.
Meg Power graduated from Endicott College in 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Education. She is a catcher and was a four-year member of the Endicott Softball team, serving as a senior captain, and earning the title of 2x CCC champion. While at Endicott, Meg also became the campus’s first Team Impact Fellow, working to boost engagement and awareness for Team Impact’s incredible work to create a world where every child facing serious illness or disability feels supported by a team and is empowered through that connection.
Originally from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Meg graduated from Shrewsbury High School and was a longtime PFP Futures and Varsity program member. She is excited to rejoin the PFP family as a coach to help spread her knowledge and love for the game!
Sylvia Dempsey
Senior Instructor
Sylvia is currently a student athlete at Rhode Island College. She is pursuing a major in Psychology and has also enlisted in the United States Army. Before her time at RIC, Sylvia was a six-year member of the Varsity School and a student at Shrewsbury High School. Sylvia was also a member of the RI Thunder Gold.
Emma Wood
Senior Instructor
Emma is currently a student athlete at Rhode Island College. Emma wants to give back to her community by pursuing a career in nursing. Prior to her time at RIC, she earned All-Star honors, served as team captain, and was named team MVP twice at Holliston High School. Additionally, Emma was a three-year participant in the Varsity School. Following a move from Minnesota, Emma found a home with the Raiders.
Megan Colleran
Veteran Instructor
Megan is a 2018 graduate of UMass Amherst where she was a four-year starter and a captain of the Minutewomen her senior year. Native to North Attleboro, Meg was the Gatorade Player of the Year for Massachusetts in 2014. A longtime member of Planet Fastpitch, Meg was a part of Varsity School for 5 years and has been a part of PFP since she was 11. Planet Fastpitch holds some of the best memories for her and she is beyond excited to be on the coaching side after being on the player side for so long. Meg knew she always wanted to have softball in her life and she couldn’t think of a better place to carry on her love of the game than teaching at PFP.
Logan MacDonald
Veteran Instructor
Logan is a 2022 graduate of Babson College earning a B.S. in business administration with concentrations in finance and business analytics. A native of Wilmington, MA, Logan attended Austin Prep for high school. She was a pitcher on the Varsity team for 5 years, where she was named 3x MA All-Scholastic player of the year and was a CCL MVP and 2x state finalist for the Cougars. Logan went on to pitch for Babson College, achieving NFCA All-America Academic honors her senior year and finishing the year with the best team record in school history (34-6). Logan is a Varsity School Alum and has been taking lessons at PFP since she was 12. She is excited to stay involved in the game and carry on her passion for softball with PFP.
Shannon Smith
Veteran Instructor
Shannon Smith is a 2018 graduate of the University of Kentucky, earning both a B.S. in Kinesiology and a B.B.A. in Business Management. A four time member of the SEC Academic Honor Role, Shannon exclusively pitched for the Wildcats. During her time, Shannon finished second (at time of graduation) in Kentucky history in opponent batting average, with an opponent batting average of .202. She also finished top 10 in both strikeouts (207) and in ERA (2.75). After her four year playing career, Shannon stayed on to aid in coaching the Wildcats for one season, primarily managing bullpen workouts for the pitching staff. A Milford, MA native, Shannon completed her high school career for the Hawks with a record of 63-3, and two state championships. She is a three time winner of the Gatorade Player of the Year award for Massachusetts. Shannon is an alum of the Varsity School and began coaching at PFP as a Junior instructor while in high school.
Ellen McDonnell
Veteran Instructor
*Ellen is currently away at Law School this fall but we will see her again when she is home on breaks! We miss her!
Ellen is a 2019 graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, PA earning a degree in government and law with a minor in Spanish. A native of Warwick, RI, she earned All-State honors in her time at Pilgrim High School. At Lafayette, Ellen played four years as an outfielder/utility player and served as captain her senior year. Though spending most of her time in the outfield in college, she trained in both pitching and catching Varsity School Programs at Planet Fastpitch. A longtime member of the Planet Fastpitch family, Ellen was a member of the Varsity School for 5 years, serving as a junior instructor in high school and throughout college. As an instructor at Planet Fastpitch, she has worked to grow the Rookie School program, and coached at various camps including the Elaine Sortino Softball School. Ellen hopes to share her excitement and passion for the game with the next generation.