EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball Head Coach Sue Kunkle announced today that she signed seven players to national letters of intent during the early signing period.
Signing NLIs to compete for the Screaming Eagles in 2010-11 is freshman pitcher Madeline Brink (Newburgh, Indiana), freshman catcher Lauren Hatfield (Martinsville, Indiana), freshman pitcher/first baseman Kelsey Jankowski (Cedar Lake, Indiana), freshman utility player Lindsay Kivett (Plainfield, Indiana), freshman outfielder Teri Newmaster (Elberfeld, Indiana), freshman infielder/outfielder Alison Nord (Gentryville, Indiana), and freshman infielder/outfielder Amanda Whitlock (Eldorado, Illinois).
“We are excited about this class,” Kunkle said. “It is a big class with a lot of talent. We continue to get stronger and more versatile in our recruiting and feel that the addition of the seven student-athletes in this class leaves us with little holes or weaknesses in our lineup.
“With our returning players and the seven players that will join them next fall, I feel that we can continue our winning tradition for several years to come,” Kunkle added.
Brink is currently a senior at Castle High School (Newburgh, Indiana) where she has garnered three All-Conference and All-Metro honors. The Evansville Courier & Press All-Metro Player of the Year in 2009, Brink is a two-time All-State performer after setting single season school records for strikeouts (239) and strikeouts per game (12.3).
CHS’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 and 2009, Brink set the school’s single-game strikeout record (17) in 2009 and is currently the school’s career leader in ERA (0.49).
Hatfield, currently a senior at Martinsville High School (Martinsville, Indiana), earned All-Conference and All-District honors as a junior in 2009 after hitting .400 with six doubles, 16 RBIs, and a .991 fielding percentage. She also earned All-Conference accolades as a sophomore when she hit .286 with 11 doubles, three home runs, and 25 RBIs.
In 2008, Hatfield helped lead MHS to a Mid-State Conference title as well as a sectional championship and second-place finish in the regional tournament.
Jankowski is completing her final year at Hanover Central High School (Cedar Lake, Indiana) where she has earned varsity letters in softball and volleyball. The school’s offensive MVP as a freshman and a sophomore, Jankowski is a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-District selection. Jankowski helped lead HCHS to a sectional championship in 2008.
Kivett is currently a senior at Plainfield High School (Plainfield, Indiana) where she has earned varsity letters in softball and soccer. An ISCA All-Academic performer and Mid-State Scholar Athlete on the soccer field, Kivett helped lead PHS to a sectional championship in softball last spring.
Newmaster helped lead Tecumseh High School (Lynnville, Indiana) to the 2009 IHSAA Class A state championship as a junior in 2009 after helping the Braves to back-to-back second-place finishes in 2008 and 2009. The two-time All-Conference performer led THS in batting average (.435), hits (47), runs (34), and stolen bases (42-of-46).
Nord also is a senior at Tecumseh High School where she hit .364 with 36 hits and 19 RBIs as a junior in 2009. An All-Conference and All-Southwestern Indiana performer, Nord also competes in basketball, volleyball, and swimming and diving.
Whitlock is wrapping up her prep career at Eldorado High School (Eldorado, Illinois) where she has earned varsity letters in softball, basketball, soccer, and golf. An All-Conference performer in basketball and golf, Whitlock hit .455 and racked up a .950 fielding percentage on her summer ball team in 2009.