Nov. 19, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
With the Illinois State softball team coming off one of its most successful seasons in team history in 2007, Redbird softball head coach Melinda Fischer used her team's recent success and notoriety to bolster her squad's lineup Monday with the signing of five new recruits to National Letters of Intent (NLI) to join the team in the fall 2008. The five-member class is familiar with Illinois State's softball program, as four of the five are from the state of Illinois.
The Illinois State softball team's 2008-09 recruiting class includes: Rebecca Baltikas (Homer Glen, Ill.), Jordan Birch (Monroe, Wash.), Caitlin Kopp (Normal, Ill.), Brianna Lizen (Frankfort, Ill.) and Megan Warner (Milan, Ill.).
Fischer is excited about the potential that each member of this year's recruiting class has to offer once the group joins the team next fall.
"This is a class that we're very excited about," said Fischer. "Our staff did a great job of identifying talent and of identifying our needs, as well as finding the players that will help us the best and the quickest.
"All of our signees have strong backgrounds in ASA (Amateur Softball Association) and high school programs, and they are very academically sound in the classroom, as well."
Recognizing the high level of softball talent that exists at the high school level in Illinois, Fischer and her staff recruited heavily throughout the state as they went after this year's recruiting class.
"I believe that the state of Illinois has tremendous softball talent; it always has," said Fischer. "All-area players, all-conference players, all-state players...those are the type of athletes that we want to stay in the state of Illinois, and hopefully, become a Redbird."
|
REDBIRD ALL-ACCESS |
2008-09 ILLINOIS STATE SOFTBALL SIGNEES
Rebecca Baltikas
Homer Glen, Ill. | 5-7 | Lockport Township HS | R/R | Infield
Plays on the Beverly Bandits summer league team with fellow signee Brianna Lizen ... a two-sport athlete, competing in basketball and softball ... started all three years in softball and two years in basketball ... softball team was 30-3 junior year and 28-2 freshman year ... named all-conference at shortstop junior year ... batted .480 freshman year and .400 as a sophomore ... named softball team captain sophomore year ... plans to major in special education with a specialty in deaf and hard of hearing.
Fischer on Rebecca Baltikas...
"I think that Rebecca Baltikas can play any position on the field that you would need her to play. She comes from a very strong softball program, on both the high school and summer team level. She will bring a wealth of potential to our team. Her bat will contribute significantly to our lineup."
Jordan Birch
Monroe, Wash. | 5-9 | Monroe HS | L/R | Pitcher/Second Base
Plays summer softball for the Lake Breeze Gold in the state of Washington ... represents the Illinois State softball team's first-ever signee from the state of Washington ... a two-sport athlete who has started in softball all three years ... played volleyball freshman and sophomore year ... pitched two perfect games junior year, the first perfect games in Monroe softball history ... also pitched a Monroe single-season record three no-hitters junior year ... set school pitching records for shutouts (13), strikeouts (271) and wins (23) junior year ... named softball team MVP junior year after earning second-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors ... Seattle Times All-Area Pitcher junior year ... pitched two no-hitters sophomore year en route to earning all-conference and all-area honorable mention plaudits ... plans to major in psychology.
Fischer on Jordan Birch...
"Jordan has the ability to come into our program and contribute right away for us in the circle. She also brings an upside in terms of her hitting. We look for her to contribute as both a hitter and pitcher."
Caiti Kopp
Normal, Ill. | 5-7| Normal Community West HS | R/R | Utility
Plays on the Midland Magic in summer league softball ... a three-sport athlete who participates in softball, basketball and cross country ... started all three years in softball ... softball team captain junior year ... All-Big 12 Conference sophomore year ... three-time Big 12 Conference Scholar-Athlete and Honor Athlete ... hit .392 as a sophomore with 40 hits and 18 RBI in just 102 at-bats ... helped Normal Community West to a team-record 15-game winning streak sophomore year ... high school softball team finished second in the Big 12 Conference sophomore year ... plans to major in molecular biology.
Fischer on Caiti Kopp...
"We've known Caiti for a number of years. She will help us in a utility-type role. Caiti is a perfect fit to be a Redbird since she is a local talent, and she has a lot of potential to be a great Redbird softball player."
Brianna Lizen
Frankfort, Ill. | 5-8 | Lincoln Way East HS | R/R | Catcher
Teammate of fellow signee Rebecca Baltikas on the Beverly Bandits summer team ... led her high school team to a super-regional championship junior year and a state tournament appearance ... her high school team was sectional and regional champion sophomore and junior year... high school team won the conference championship her freshman year ... threw out 13-of-16 would-be base-stealers junior year ... plans to major in elementary education.
Fischer on Brianna Lizen...
"Brianna does a tremendous job of catching behind the plate. She is very fundamentally sound. As she gets into a Division I program and gets more experience working with Division I pitchers, she is going to be a tremendous asset to our program."
Megan Warner
Milan, Ill. | 6-0 | Sherrard HS | R/R | Pitcher
Plays summer softball with the Quad City Dynamite Dreamers ... owns school record for strikeouts in a season (293) and ERA (0.23) ... tied school record for most strikeouts in a game with 22 ... set the Illinois High School Association record for most consecutive strikeouts with 35 during junior season ... three-time team defensive MVP ... three-year first-team all-conference selection ... three-time Moline Dispatch all-area team member ... high school team was regional champion freshman, sophomore and junior year ... had a 12.17 strikeout per game ratio junior year ... plans to major in exercise science.
Fischer on Megan Warner...
"Megan Warner has a tremendous upside, and I feel that she has the ability to pitch a lot as a freshman. She throws the ball hard, and that is something important at this level. Megan has so much potential to be a hitter and another position player, as well."
 |
