Nov. 18, 2011
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State head softball coach Melinda Fischer announced the signing of six players to National Letters of Intent (NLI) to continue their athletic and academic careers at Illinois State. Fischer, who will enter her 27th season at the helm of the Redbird softball program, inked two pitchers, a pair of utility players, an outfielder and a catcher, who will join the ISU softball team in the fall of 2012.
"This class is comprised of great students that have great time management skills and understand what it takes to be successful at the next level," Fischer said. "Our two pitchers are not only strong inside the circle, but they can also help us in other areas. They have all played in successful summer programs and all but one have won a state championship in high school."
The 2012-13 Illinois State recruiting class includes: Molly Cull (Metamora, Ill./Metamora Township); Brittny Drish (Moline, Ill./Moline); Kaitlyn Knary (Moline, Ill./Moline); Hayley Marlier (Moline, Ill./Moline); Erin Rodriguez (Cornona, Calif./Santiago); and Regan Romshek (Gibson City, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley).
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| Name |
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Hometown (High School) |
Molly Cull |
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Metamora, Ill. (Metamora Township) |
Brittny Drish |
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Moline, Ill. (Moline) |
Kaitlyn Knary |
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Moline, Ill. (Moline) |
Hayley Marlier |
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Moline, Ill. (Moline) |
| Erin Rodriguez |
RHP |
R/R |
5-8 |
Fr. |
Corona, Calif. (Santiago) |
Regan Romshek |
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Gibson City, Ill. (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) |
| *2012-13 Classification |
Molly Cull | UTL | Metamora, Ill. | Metamora Township
Notable: Member of the Midland Magic...named all-state and all-conference as a junior after hitting .483 with a .683 slugging percentage...led Metamora Township to the class 3A state championship as a sophomore, hitting .402 and slugging .651...posted a .389 average and .625 slugging percentage as a freshman...hit .431 and slugged .657 for the Midland Magic...helped lead the Magic to a second-place finish at the ASA state tournament and a 13th-place showing at ASA Nationals in 2010...member of the National Honor Society...mother, Susan, played basketball at Northern Illinois, uncle, John, played basketball at Mt. Mercy and grandfather, Ray, lettered in basketball at UNI and coached basketball at Hayes High School in Muscatine, Iowa...plans to major in speech pathology.
Fischer on Molly Cull...
"Molly is a versatile athlete with the ability to play several defensive positions. She swings a consistent bat and has the potential to hit for power. Molly is an extremely hard worker who takes pride in the little things that make a big difference and is a very focused and determined player."
Brittny Drish | UTL | Moline, Ill. | Moline
Notable: Member of the Extreme Havoc...named all-area and all-metro first team, and third-team all-state as a junior at Moline after hitting .373 with seven homers and 42 RBI...2010 Chicago Tribune Honorable Mention...combined to hit .447 with 12 home runs and 90 RBI during her sophomore and junior seasons...helped the Maroons to a class 4A state title as a senior and semifinal appearance as a junior...planning to major in exercise science.
Fischer on Brittny Drish...
"Brittny is a versatile infielder who can be a game-changer with her bat. She is a great student of the game and hits for power as well as for average. Brittny has a strong arm and a tremendous passion for the sport with an energetic game personality."
Kaitlyn Knary | OF | Moline, Ill. | Moline
Notable: Member of the Beverly Bandits 18 Gold...helped the Southern Force to first-place finishes at the ASA state tournament and fifth-place finishes at the ASA National Tournament in 2010 and 2011...led Moline to the class 4A state championship by hitting a team-high .467 with five triples...named first-team all-state and all-area player of the year...hit .453 with five triples as a junior, helping the Maroons to a class 4A state semifinal appearance and earning an all-area team selection...named all-conference honorable mention and all-area as a freshman...planning to major in physical education.
Fischer on Kaitlyn Knary...
"Kaitlyn is a versatile outfielder who brings triple threat ability to our offensive lineup. She could make a great leadoff hitter and is very feisty on the bases. Kaitlyn has a good arm and the innate ability to cover a lot of ground in the outfield."
Hailey Marlier | C | Moline, Ill. | Moline
Notable: Three-year letterwinner at Moline, helping the Maroons to a class 4A state championship as a junior...hit .253 with 19 runs scored to earn all-metro honorable mention as a junior...posted a .262 batting average in 40 games as a sophomore to earn first-team all-conference and all-metro honorable mention honors...helped Moline to a class 4A state semifinal appearance in 2010...member of the National Honor Society...earned the 2011 Academic Athletic Achievement Award...planning to major in exercise science.
Fischer on Hailey Marlier...
"Hayley is a great competitor who will add depth to our catching and outfield positions. She has a tremendous passion for the sport and good leadership skills behind the plate. Hayley is fundamentally sound with her catching skills and will be able to manage our pitchers and the game very well."
Erin Rodriguez | RHP | Corona, Calif. | Santiago
Notable: Member of the California Lite 18 Gold...finished 23-4 with an 1.82 ERA for the Lite in 2011 and hit .415 with seven homers and 58 RBI...led summer team to a first-place finish at the 16U Champions Cup and third-place finishes at the 16U Premier National Tournament and 18U Aurora Fireworks Showcase Tournament...led Santiago to conference and state championships as a junior, posting a 12-2 record with a 1.59 ERA inside the circle and hit .382 with four home runs...earned first-team all-conference and all-county selections and third-team all-state honors...led Santiago to a conference title as a sophomore going a perfect 14-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 113 strikeouts...named first-team all-conference, all-area and all-county and was a second-team all-state selection...hit .315 as a freshman and earned second-team all-conference accolades...named to the all-academic team in 2011 and earned scholar-athlete recognition in 2009 and 2010...plans to major in biology.
Fischer on Erin Rodriguez...
"Erin is a versatile athlete with the ability to pitch, hit and play first base. She is a very strong hitter who could be in the lineup in a number of ways. Erin has good command of her pitches and has the ability to attack all parts of the strikezone."
Regan Romshek | RHP | Gibson City, Ill. | Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley
Notable: Four-sport athlete at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley who has lettered in softball, golf, basketball and volleyball...hit .564 for the Falcons to earn all-area and all-state honors as a junior...earned the team's most valuable player award the last three seasons and set a school record for home runs in a season...led the team to conference and regional championships as a sophomore after hitting .524...named first-team all-conference and all-area and second-team all-state..hit .427 as a freshman to help the Falcons to conference, regional and sectional titles...named first-team all-conference and all-area...High Honor Roll for four years...brother, Michael, plays football at McKendree...is undecided on her major.
Fischer on Regan Romshek...
"Regan is a versatile athlete with the ability to pitch, hit and potentially play another position. She has a good mix of pitches and possesses an exceptional changeup. Regan has a lot of untapped potential to develop in all aspects of our collegiate game. She has a consistent bat and seems to come up with the big hit(s)."
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