Marshall University Athletics
Softball Signs Three West Virginia Standouts To NLI's
11/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 26, 2007
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University softball team signed three local student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2009 season, head coach Shonda Stanton recently announced.
Clay County High School's Alysia Hively, and Huntington High School's Samantha Spurlock and Kayla Stinson made commitments to play for the Herd next season. "It is a huge plus for our program to be able to sign three of the most successful softball players from the state," Stanton said.
Alysia Hively, hails from Clay County and was a two-time first-team all-conference and a two-year all-state selectee. A 5-foot-10-inch pitcher utility player also recorded more than 1,000 kills in volleyball and was named honorable mention in basketball for the Panthers. In the summer, Hively is a teammate of Kayla Stinson with the WV Dusters coached by Rod Michaelis.
"Alysia brings in many tools as an athlete for this program in the field, at the plate, and on the mound," Marshall assistant head coach Aaron Clopton commented. "She brings a lot of natural speed and power as a pitcher. We are very excited to watch her grow and refine these tools into a solid contribution for this pitching staff."
An outstanding physical talent, Hively has been equally successful in the classroom and will graduate as one of the top students in her class. She holds a 3.9 GPA and plans on pursuing a degree in sports management and marketing at Marshall.
"Hively embodies the word student-athlete with success in both arenas out of Clay High School" Stanton said. "We are pleased to add such a mature and driven player with her commitment to excel in the classroom and on the field."
Huntington High Senior hurler Kayla Stinson will provide depth for the Herd in the circle. Stinson posted a 15-4 record for the state champions and has 401 career strikeouts. She boasted a 0.42 ERA last season, lowering her career ERA to 0.71. She was named first team all-tournament at the state championship and was a selected to the MSAC all-conference team from 2005-07.
"Kayla understands many of the intricacies of being a successful pitcher, such as approach to the game or working against hitters," Clopton said. "Kayla can move the ball all four directions and uses her off -speed stuff to be very successful. It will be a joy to watch her develop, as the local community has seen for several years now."
Stinson, Huntington High's MVP from 2005-2007 also holds a career batting average of .391 and 46 career wins.
"Kayla has grown up seeing us play and being a part of our `Lil Sis' program, so it is great to have her wear the green and white," Stanton said of her new pitching prospect. "She has the opportunity to go after back to back state titles and we look for her to bring that championship success to Marshall."
The final commitment, teammate of Stinson at Huntington High School is Samantha Spurlock, a 5-foot-5-inches outfielder and lead-off hitter for the Highlanders. Spurlock, a West Virginia class AAA All-State selection in 2007 was also selected for the all-tournament team in the Highlanders State title run. The Huntington, W.Va., native was a member of the West Virginia Mount State Athletic Conference Second Team, and hit .426 with an on-base percentage of .650. In the summer, Spurlock plays ASA ball with the West Virginia Dusters coached by Steve Hall.
"Samantha will add speed to our line-up, which is always a valuable asset," Stanton said. Similar to Stinson, she has also grown up around our program as a `Lil Sis' and will take great pride in competing for the Herd." We are excited to have her enthusiasm and work ethic in our program, Stanton added.
Huntington High's Defensive Player of the Year, Spurlock is also a member of the Latin Club, Art Honorary and National High School Honor roll.
The Marshall Softball team opens play Feb. 8 in Athens, GA., for the Red/Black Showcase hosted by the University of Georgia.
