Women’s Softball Head Coach Christy Connoyer announced the signing of six student-athletes, on Monday, Nov. 28. The sextet penned their signatures on the dotted line on their National Letters of Intent to attend Saint Louis University and will be eligible to hit the diamond sporting Billiken uniforms beginning next fall.
Connoyer solidified her recruiting pipeline with this recruiting haul. All six players come from Missouri or Missouri-bordering states.
The class is composed of outfielder Madeline Brungardt (Baldwin City, Kan./Baldwin City), infielder Elizabeth Everingham (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Ogden), catcher/outfielder Ellie Huffman (St. Albans, Mo./Westminster Christian Academy), pitcher/infielder Laney Kneib (Webb City, Mo./Webb City), pitcher/first baseman Brianna Lore (Sullivan, Mo./Sullivan) and middle infielder Olivia Roback (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove/Kankakee Community College).
“We are excited to have six quality student-athletes join the Billiken softball program,” Connoyer said. “A combination of experience, power, versatility and overall athletic ability makes this a great recruiting class.”
Brungardt is a total-package player. The outfielder batted a team-high .514, which ranks fourth in school history, as a junior last season and also led Baldwin City in on-base percentage, walks, stolen bases and runs. Brungardt is an involved individual off the field, as well. She is a President’s Volunteer Service Award recipient and has performed more than 150 hours of volunteer service at Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics in Kansas City.
“Madeline is a solid performer who will bring consistency to our lineup,” Connoyer said. “Her skills put pressure on a defense and will allow us to create options on offense.”
Everingham garnered Illinois Coaches Association and Chicago Tribune first-team All-State plaudits last season in addition to being named Player of the Year by the Champaign News-Gazette and the Ogden Leader. Everingham broke Illinois’ 29-year-old single-season home run state record last season after swatting 19 four-baggers.
She was third in the state in RBIs (77) and doubles (25) to complement a .598 batting average, a 1.393 slugging percentage and eight triples. In the circle, she posted a 21-6 record and froze batters regularly en route to 247 strikeouts.
“Elizabeth is a talented athlete who brings great experience to our squad,” Connoyer said. “She has ‘game sense’ and is a true student of the game.”
Huffman was a second-team All-State selection who led Westminster Christian to its first sectional championship and finish fourth in the state. She batted a level .441 with two home runs and 45 RBIs.
“Ellie is a versatile athlete who has a strong arm and a strong bat,” Connoyer said. “She loves to play the game and has an exceptional work ethic. She has a tremendous attitude and is a positive force on the field. Complement those qualities with her overall athletic ability, and the sky is the limit for Ellie.”
Kneib was conference co-Player of the Year. She helped Webb City finish third in the state for a third time in her four-year career by posting a 0.91 ERA, 1.56 strikeouts per inning, a .389 batting average, a .477 on-base percentage and six triples. Kneib is an Honor Roll student and a National Honor Society member.
“Laney is an energetic player who will bring more versatility to our program,” Connoyer said. “Laney enjoys every minute of being on the field. She is a competitor with a great desire to win.”
Lore earned first-team All-State plaudits as a sophomore and senior and was a first-team All-Conference, All-District and All-Region choice all four years at Sullivan. Lore helped lead Sullivan to third place in the state this season, and the team capped off a four-year stretch during which it was 36-0 in conference and district play. The left-hander went 24-5 with a 0.84 ERA and 188 strikeouts in the circle in 2011.
Lore concluded her career third in Missouri history in RBIs (139) and eighth in home runs (15).
“Brianna is a powerful athlete in the circle and at the plate,” Connoyer said. “She throws hard, swings the bat hard and plays the game hard.”
Roback registered a .454 batting average as a freshman at Kankakee C.C., helping lead the team to third place at the 2011 NJCAA Division II national tournament. At Elk Grove High School, Roback was an All-Area and All-Conference shortstop who was named 2010 Female Athlete of the Year by the Daily Herald.
“Olivia has championship experience at the junior college level,” Connoyer said.
All six players are expected to make a great contribution to the team and campus community over their tenure at SLU. After rolling through an unbeaten fall campaign (6-0), the current cast of Billikens are set to return to the field Friday, Feb. 10 for a series of games to be played in Jacksonville, Fla.
