Redbird softball coach
Melinda Fischer signed four high school recruits from Illinois in the November early signing period. The four athletes each have the characteristics that Fischer looks for when recruiting athletes to Illinois State.
These players are all great students and two of them are even number one in their class, Fischer said. This is going to be a great class for us and were excited about the versatility and depth that they will add for us in the 2005 season.
Catcher RaeAnn Ewen, a senior at Lake Park High School, has committed to Illinois State for the 2005 season. Her high school team placed second in the Class AA state tournament in the spring of 2003, and Ewen was recognized as a member of the state all-tournament team. She hit six home runs in 2003. In addition to her accomplishments on the softball field, Ewen was also a three-year member of the Lake Park football team, a team that made it to the Class 8A playoffs in 2002. Ewen comes from an athletic family, as her dad played football for the Redbirds for two years and one of her brothers plays in the Florida Marlins organization. In the summer, Ewen played for the Orland Park Sparks softball team, which placed 17th in the nation last year at Gold ASA Nationals.
RaeAnn is just a tough minded player who brings great intensity to the field, Fischer said. She likes to be in charge and has great physical talent. When shes behind the plate she shines in a leadership role.
Katie Mielke, a senior at Glenbard East High School in Lombard, has also made the commitment to ISU Athletics. Mielke was named to the all-conference and academic all-conference teams for softball in 2003. A three-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball and softball), Mielke was the MVP of each of her teams last season. She also helped lead two of her teams to regional championships in 2003 - softball and volleyball. Mielke plays summer softball with the Sharks of Stone City.
Katie is a catcher in high school but has played at the corners and in the outfield for her summer program, Fischer said. She has that versatility that we look for in our recruits. I can see her as a utility player for us, because she has a very strong and accurate arm which could help our defense in several positions.
Olympia High School senior Tiffany Prager will also take the field for the Redbird in 2005. Prager, a three-sport athlete, is no stranger to winning. In addition to starting in the infield for the back-to-back Class A state championship softball team, shes coming off a third place team finish in the cross country state championship in November. Pragers softball achievements include being a two-time all-conference, all-state and state all-tournament team pick. In 2003, she was also a member of the Illinois Coaches Association all-state first team. Her sophomore year she hit .532 with 52 hits and had the highest individual batting average in the state tournament. Just this spring, Prager hit .481 and recorded 25 RBI while recording a .991 fielding percentage. In the summer, she plays for the Oly Fire.
Both of Tiffanys parents graduated from Illinois State so Im pretty excited about keeping the ISU tradition in the family, Fischer said. Tiffany has good speed and quickness and I think shell be able to get some steals for us. Shes a lefty slapper who can also hit with power, so shell bring a lot of versatility to our offense. Tiffany is also ranked at the top of her class.
Kelley Steers, a senior at Mt. Zion High School, has also signed on with the Birds. Last season, Steers was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-American as well as a NFCA Scholar-Athlete. She also helped lead her team to regional and sectional championships while hitting .413 with 45 hits and having an on-base percentage of .535. The three-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball and softball) was also an all-conference, all-area and all-state selection in 2003. Steers, like Ewen, also comes from an athletic family as both of her brothers played basketball in college and her father played both basketball and baseball at the collegiate level. She plays for the C.I.G.S. Rebels of Decatur in the summer.
Kelley is very smart on and off the field; she ranks No. 1 in her class, Fischer said. Her overall athletic ability and her ability to hit with power will really help us next year. Primarily Kelley plays shortstop but shes played nearly every position in her softball career so I see her in a utility role.
These recruits will add a lot to our program Fischer said. Theyve all participated in winning programs and theyre each hard working and goal oriented. All of them seem to have a tremendous passion for everything they do, whether thats playing softball or doing anything else. They view things as challenges, not obstacles, and theyre anxious to experience play at the next level. Were happy that they will be doing that at Illinois State.
