It appears softball is set to sign at least three players in this recruiting class.
Alexandria Gibson has tweeted she intends to sign with YSU today. Appears she is a pitcher from Jaworski territory - North Tonawanda, NY.
The Indy Star is reporting YSU has signed Darcella Blakey of Indy Scecina (East side Indy Catholic high school). Scecina is a strong softball program, losing the last two years in the post-season to the eventual state champ. In looking at Blakey's fielding stats, it would appear she is an outfielder - not many putouts or assists.
http://stats.nsnsports.net/team/player/16/35288Story:
Sarah Dowd, an outfielder from Pottstown PA Owen J Roberts High School has signed with YSU. Very nice article here from the local paper - she already sounds like a Valley native.
http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20121114/SPORTS01/121119616/-1/SPORTS/college-signing-ojr-s-dowd-driving-on-to-youngstown-st-BUCKTOWN — Sarah Dowd should fit right in with the Youngstown State University softball team next season. The hard-hitting Owen J. Roberts center fielder, who set a school record for a single season batting average last spring, signed a National Letter of Intent to study and play softball at the NCAA Division I member school in Ohio during the first day of the Early Signing Period before classes began Wednesday morning. There she’ll be joining a squad that ranked high in several national hitting statistics last year, including 13th in the country in batting average.
Youngstown head coach Brian Campbell saw Dowd play at a showcase event in Quakertown last November and she visited the school and found that there was a lot to like about the school of over 15,000 not far from the Pennsylvania border.
“I saw the school and talked to the coaches and I just loved it,” said Dowd. “The campus is amazing and the people are friendly and genuine and I like the atmosphere.”
Last year Dowd played only 12 games for the Wildcats after returning from a pre-season knee injury, but made quite an impact on the team on its run to another District 1-AAAA playoff spot and on the school record book. She picked up 22 hits in the 12 contests, including three doubles, five triples, and two home runs. She knocked in 15 runs and scored 11 and recorded a remarkable 1.612 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage).
Her .564 batting average was a single-season school record and that moved her up to fifth place on the all-time Wildcat batting average list at .381. She now has 51 hits, 35 RBI, and 27 runs with a season to go.
She was named the team’s Offensive MVP and earned a spot on The Mercury’s All-Area first team and the Southeast Pennsylvania second team.
“Sarah has worked and willed herself into an elite high school softball player,” said OJR head coach Kevin Kirby. “Her tireless work ethic, along with her desire to be great, have enabled her to become one of the best softball players in our area. Sarah has demonstrated incredible improvement each and every year. As a result, I believe she is as good of a hitter as we have ever had here at OJR.
“Sarah is a very coachable young lady who is a tremendous role model for the younger players on our team and in our school district. Sarah plays and practices hard, she does not take anything for granted; using every moment on the field as an opportunity to help her team improve. Youngstown State is getting an excellent softball player, but more importantly, they are getting an even better person. I am excited to work with Sarah this spring.”
After her senior season at OJR, Dowd will be joining a team that set a school record with its .313 team batting average last season and also placed in the top 35 in the nation in runs scored per game, doubles per game, and slugging percentage while going 29-21-1 overall and 12-10 in the Horizon League. Campbell was named the League Coach of the Year.
“Their offense is fantastic,” said Dowd. “He knows a lot about the game. He’s fantastic.”
And Dowd hopes to jump right into center field and be a part of that offensive production.
“If I earn my spot … definitely, he said,” Dowd added. “But that’s up to me.”
Dowd – the daughter of Jim and Polly Dowd and older sister of Mitchell - has been a member of National Honor Society, Wildcat Ambassadors, and Best Buddies at OJR. She has been playing softball since second grade and at the travel level since sixth grade. She also played field hockey in middle school and her freshman year in high school, but had to make a choice of sports.
“I had to pick the one I love more,” she said.
She’ll be leaving this morning for Long Beach, Calif., to play with the TNT Gold travel team, which placed 17th at the ASA Gold Nationals. Her schedule can hit 180 games per year, but she still manages to hit over .450 against some of the best pitchers in the country, according to father Jim.
“I work a lot during the week on hitting and my defense,” added Dowd, who is planning on a major in secondary education or psychology. “I’ve always been someone who could put the ball in play. The last four years, since I went to Diamond Dreams, I’m hitting the ball harder and learned to hit it where the fielders aren’t playing, and I appreciate that.”
