Marshall University Athletics
Marshall Softball Inks Five to NLIs
12/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Dec. 31, 2008
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University softball team announced the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent as released by head coach Shonda Stanton.
The five standouts, which will join the Thundering Herd in 2010 includes local Ashley Gue, Texas native Bri Anna Hope, and three West Coast players, Taylor Thompson, Brittney Ybarra and Jazmine Valle.
"We had two areas we wanted to address in this signing class," Stanton said. "One was to get back to our small ball and speed game; four of these five signees are true speed threat and will put pressure on the defense. In addition, we wanted to raise our level of internal competitiveness with more depth."
As a junior, Ashley Gue finished the year with a .389 batting average and a 4.0 GPA at Cabell Midland high school. The on-and-off the field presence that Gue brings is one of the big factors to Stanton.
"Ashley is one of the best all-around packages to come out of the area in the 10 years I have been at Marshall," she said. "Her ability to excel on the field and in the classroom is second to none. She is absolutely the caliber of athlete that we like to have wear the green and white."
Round Rock High School's Bri Anna Hope boasts as a dual threat in the field with a fielding percentage of .988 and at the plate batting .478. Among her awards include golden glove, best defensive player, big bat award and first-team all-district honors.
"Bri is a pure athlete with smooth hands," Stanton said. "She is versatile at the plate being a right-handed hitter who can also play the speed of the game from the left side. She is a talent that can really explode onto the college scene."
With the departure of Rachael Sofie and Joscelyn Bitner after 2009, Taylor Thompson and Brittany Ybarra will help fill those holes in 2010.
"Taylor is a true outfielder with great instincts," Stanton said. "She will cover a great deal of ground and provide a spark offensively with her speed."
At Graham Kapowsin high school in Washington, Thompson has the most steals in her high school league and runs 2.5 from home to first with an 11 flat around the bases. Just like Gue, Thompson carries a high GPA and is a member of the honors society.
Ybarra, the Riverside, Calif. native, has been a softball staple in the Ivy League placing all league honors in her first three years of high school with a batting average of .410.
"Brittany has great bat control, runs well and has good footwork in the outfield," Stanton said.
Rounding out the class is Jazmine Valle from Lake Elsinore, Calif., who brings a wealth of softball experience to Marshall. She has batted over .300 in high school and was honored as rookie of the year.
"Jazmine has a strong arm with power potential at the plate," Stanton said. "She will immediately challenge for a starting role on the left side of our infield."
The Marshall softball team will open up the 2009 season at the Sportco Kickoff Classic hosted by UNLV Friday, Feb. 6.
