The Missouri softball team signed five athletes to National Letters of Intent. In-state recruits include Megan Christopher, Marla Schweisberger and Lisa Simmons , while Rhea Taylor is from Buford, Ga., and Abby Vock is from Morrison, Ill.
“We are very excited about our five early signees,” Tigers coach Ehren Earleywine said. “With six seniors graduating, it was important to sign a big class to fill that void. This class is very versatile and athletic and will compete for starting positions early on.”
Christopher, a catcher from Wright City High School R-2, holds 10 school records including home runs in a season (eight) and career (15). She hit .434 and made the all-state team twice. She also played basketball and ran track in high school.
Schweisberger, a Wendy’s High School Heisman State Nominee, hit .400 and was selected to the all-conference team four times at Raytown South High School. She garnered first-team All-State honors as a catcher from the United States Slow Pitch Softball Association. She started for three years on the soccer team and as been a member of the National Honor Society for three years.
Simmons led the Boonville Pirates to a state title in 2006, winning 21 games on the mound and notching 226 strikeouts, both school records. She also set school career records for wins (47) and strikeouts (459). She made the all-region team three times as a pitcher and won the Missouri River Valley Conference Most Valuable Player award as a senior.
Taylor, an outfielder, hit .352 in high school and stole 37 bases, including seven in one game. Her Peachtree Ridge High School team made the final four of the Georgia state tournament. She also made a name for herself on her summer team, the Brownsville Lady Jackets, which qualified for the RBI World Series Championships six consecutive times and was ranked 13th in the country.
Vock, a right-handed pitcher from Morrison High School, hit .401 in high school and helped her team to two straight conference and regional titles. Her summer team, the Quady City Thunder, finished second at the ASA Northern Nationals in 2004. Her older sister, Michaele Vock, is a freshman infielder with the Tigers.
COLUMBIA COLLEGE SOFTBALL: The Cougars signed two players on Monday. Kensie Cavanah, a four-time all-conference and all-district pitcher from Marceline High School, hit .387 with 55 stolen bases and won 58 games as a pitcher with 667 strikeouts. Kacey Rehagen hit .391 and had an earned run average of 1.14 on her way to all-state honors at St. Elizabeth High School.
STEPHENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The Stars dominated Central (Mo.) Christian 80-28 on Monday night to move to 3-4 on the season. Michelle Skala led all scorers with 17 points, and Jo Marquez and Tia LaFavor added 12 points each.