Softball brings in five
November 12, 2008 | Softball
Wisconsin softball coach Chandelle Schulte announced the five members of the 2009 signing class on Wednesday. Shannel Blackshear, Kendall Grimm, Whitney Massey, Meghan McIntosh and Maggie Strange have signed national letters of intent to play softball for the Badgers starting in the fall of 2009.
'All of these young ladies have an unrivaled passion for the game and have competed at the highest levels,' said Schulte. 'They bring in an incredible amount of intelligence on the field and are proven winners in the classroom. I look for them to have a huge impact on our program."
Shannel Blackshear, an infielder from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Ariz., was a two-time all-state selection and three-time all-southern Arizona honoree. In 2007 Blackshear was named the 'Southern Arizona Female Athlete of the Year' by the Sierra Vista Herald and was honored by Adidas Futures National Camp and one of the 'Top-100 softball players.' Blackshear has a high school batting average of .460 and has excelled in the classroom as her team received the 2008 Scholar-Athlete AIA Honor Roll.
'Shannel is an impact player all the way, she will make a difference on this team from day one,' said Schulte.
Kendall Grimm hails from Overland Park, Kan. and Olathe East High School. The two-time state champion was a first-team NFCA South Central Region and second-team NFCA All-American honoree in 2008. Grimm was also a two-time first-team all-state selection and three-time NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete. Grimm has a 4.15 cumulative GPA as a member of the Principal's Honor Roll and won the Academic Excellence Award as well as the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award in choir.
'Kendall will add immediate speed to our line-up and has a keen intelligence for the game,' said Schulte.
Whitney Massey, a three-time first-team all-league honoree and three-time team captain, hails from Everett Alvarez High School in Salinas, Calif. Massey also played for a Sorcerer Gold team that finished 13th at Gold Nationals and has been in the top-10% of her high school class throughout high school.
'Whitney lives and breathes everything Wisconsin and what we represent, ' said Schulte. 'We will be able to fill several roles on our team with her great skill set.'
Meghan McIntosh, a pitcher and teammate of Blackshear's from Buena High School, had a three year record of 47-12, a combined ERA of 0.76 and threw three perfect games. McIntosh struck out 635 batters and had 35 shutouts, while leading her team to three-straight state tournament appearances. She was a two-time first-team all-state selection, a second-team all-state honoree as a sophomore and was an All-Arizona pitcher in 2007.
'Meghan is a competitor on the mound who will challenge batters with her ball movement and composure,' said Schulte.
Maggie Strange, a three-time all-state, all-region, all-district and all-conference honoree comes to Wisconsin from Gallatin High School in Gallatin, Mo. The first-team All-St. Joe's Press award winner was a member of the Honor Roll for four years and participated in the A+ program while serving as a school officer all four years.
'Maggie is very verbal and will do well at controlling the field,' said Schulte. 'She has a tremendous arm behind the plate and a strong passion for the game.'
