ANDERSON, S.C. - Anderson University head softball coach Tommy Hewitt has announced the addition of seven prep standouts to the Trojan softball program.
Briana "Bri" Cason (Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, Ga.), Makinley "Mak" Fletcher (Arlington Christian School, Fairburn, Ga.), Rebecca Martin (Westside High School, Anderson, S.C.), Jessica Neidigh (Brookwood High School, Snellville Ga.), Larissa Ostapiak (St. David Catholic High School, Waterloo Ontario), Rachel Rhodes (Brookwood High School, Snellville Georgia), Shelley Sweatt (Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, Ga.) all have signed national letters of intent and will join the Trojans this fall.
"This class perfectly fulfills our needs for the 2011 signing class," said Hewitt. "All seven have played at the highest level, they are strong hitters, very knowledgeable of the game and they are extremely versatile. We expect them to contribute right away and have an immediate impact on our program. These ladies will prove to be good student-athletes and of high character."
Signees
Brianna "Bri" Cason
Position: Infielder
Hometown: Suwanee, Ga.
High School: Collins Hill High School
Bio:
Teammate of fellow signee Shelley Sweatt … Named top female
student-athlete at Collins Hill High based on athletics, academics
and community service … Earned the 2010 Vincent J. Dooley
Award for character, teamwork and citizenship as well as the 2010
Rusty Sokolowski Memorial Scholarship Award … Helped lead
former coach Billy Dooley's Screamin' Eagles' program to
back-to-back GHSA Class AAAAA state championships in 2009 and 2010
and an overall record of 105-31-2 in the last four seasons …
CHHS defeated Harrison High 3-1 for the 2010 title, while posting a
33-2-1 overall record last season … Earned Honorable Mention
All-Region 7-AAAAA following both her junior and senior seasons
… Played in the 2006 14U ASA Hall of Fame tournament and has
made numerous appearances at ASA National Championship tournaments
… A 2011 honor graduate and Collins Hill High School Peer
Leader.
Makinley "Mak" Fletcher
Position: Infielder/Outfielder/Catcher
Hometown: Fairburn, Ga.
High School: Arlington Christian School
Travel Team: Georgia Elite
Bio:
Earned GISA Class AAA All-State honors as a catcher in 2010
… Helped lead the Lady Eagles to an appearance in the GISA
Class AAA Final Four last October … Named to the GISA
All-Region 1AAA team all four years … Also earned All-State
accolades her first three seasons … Played travel ball for
Georgia Elite under Coach Brett Sampson … Also lettered in
basketball, helping lead the team to its third consecutive state
championship, winning for games in the state tournament by an
average of 18 points per contest and defeating Macon's Tattnall
Square Academy, 55-39, in the title game.
Rebecca Martin
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Anderson, S.C.
High School: Westside High School
Bio:
Five-year letterwinner … Chosen to the Class AAAA/A North
team for the 2011 North-South all-star softball game …Named
All-Area both as a sophomore and a junior … Earned
All-Region accolades as a sophomore outfielder and as a shortstop
following her junior campaign … Led the region in RBI as a
junior and named the Lady Rams' "Best Offensive Player" as a
sophomore and junior … Named "Most Improved Second Baseman
following her freshman season … Also a three-year
letterwinner in swimming … Named to the Presidential Honor
Roll … A 2011 Commencement Marshall (Top 15 of class based
on GPA) and a Gold Star Student (GPA of 4.0 or higher).
Jessica Neidigh
Position: Infielder
Hometown: Snellville, Ga.
High School: Brookwood High School
Travel Team: Georgia Impact - Shaw
Bio:
Teammate of fellow signee Rachel Rhodes … Four-year
letterwinner … Named to the Gwinnett Daily Post "Super Six"
and the Gwinnett Daily Post first-team All-County following the
2010 season … Earned First-Team All-State honors following
both her junior and senior campaigns … Named First-Team
All-Region and 2010 Region 8-AAAAA Player of the Year …
Holds eight season and career school records, including batting
average - .522 (season)/.412 (career), most hits - 70 (season)/173
(career), runs scored - 49 (season)/110 (career) and stolen bases -
31 (season)/54 (career) … Helped lead the Lady Broncos to
back-to-back Region 8-AAAAA Championships in 2009 and 2010 and a
third-place finish in the 2010 GHSA Class AAAAA State Tournament
… Also helped lead Brookwood to the 2007 Region 8-AAAAA
Championship … Helped lead travel team to fourth-place
finish at the 2010 ASA Nationals and appearances in the 2006, 2008
and 2009 Nationals.
Larissa Ostapiak
Position: Pitcher
Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario
High School: St. David Catholic High School
Travel Team: Mississauga North Tigers
Bio:
5-foot-9 right-handed pitcher who posted a 1.14 ERA as a senior and
batted .380 with nine home runs … Earned Most Valuable
Player at both the 2009 and 2010 Ontario Provincial Championships,
where she sported a .125 ERA and a stellar .416 batting average
… Also named MVP of the Memorial Day Madness Tourney
… Helped lead her U18 travel squad to the 2010 Brampton Open
Blast tournament title, a Bronze medal at the Ontario Provincial
Championships and a ninth-place finish at the Canadian Midget Grand
Championships … Also played hockey in 2008-09 and 2009-10,
serving as an assistant captain for her Waterloo Ravens team
… Named Tournament Most Valuable Player in the 2009 Waterloo
Ravens Challenge Cup.
Rachel Rhodes
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Snellville, Ga.
High School: Brookwood High School
Travel Team: Georgia Impact - Shaw
Bio:
Teammate of fellow signee Jessica Neidigh … Named Most
Valuable Player of the Southern Star All-Star Showcase after
posting a .375 batting average with a home run and four RBI
… Named a Brookwood High Scholar-Athlete …
Three-year letterwinner … Helped lead the Lady Broncos to a
third-place finish in the 2010 GHSA Class AAAAA State Tournament
… The Lady Broncos claimed back-to-back Region 8-AAAAA
Championships in 2009 and 2010 … Earned Gwinnett County
All-County Scholar-Athlete Team honors … Helped her travel
squad to the 2008 ASA Southern nationals in Jackson, Miss., where
it claimed second place in the World Series and an appearance in
the 2009 ASA Nationals.
Shelley Sweatt
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Suwanee, Ga.
High School: Collins Hill High School
Travel Team: Easton Elite 18 Gold
Bio:
Teammate of fellow signee Bri Cason … Three-year
letterwinner in left field … Helped lead the Screamin'
Eagles' to back-to-back GHSA Class AAAAA state championships in
2009 and 2010 and a four-year overall record of 105-31-2 …
Notched the game-tying RBI in the fifth inning of the 3-1 win past
Harrison High in the 2010 AAAAA title game … Collins Hill
posted a 33-2-1 overall record during her senior season …
Appeared in ASA nationals in 12U, 14-U and 16-U and 2010 ASA
Georgia Impact 18-Gold Nationals in Marietta, Georgia.
