Dec. 11, 2007
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State head softball coach Robin Petrini announced the signing of five players to join her squad next fall. Lisa Akamine (Escondido, Calif.), Danee Collett (Orange, Calif.), Morgan Long (Oro Valley, Ariz.), Ellen McNair (Niceville, Fla.) and Ashley Todd (Mill Creek, Wash.) have all committed to the Nittany Lions.
Akamine, a member of the ASA Worth Firecrackers Summer Team, will be joining the Nittany Lions as a pitcher. She garnered several awards during her junior season including being named to the San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic first team, All State CIF Large School first team, and the Valley League Pitcher of the Year. An all-around athlete, Akamine has also earned awards in golf and water polo.
"Lisa is coming to us after winning the ASA national championship this past summer," said Petrini. "We are very excited about her versatility and her presence on the mound. She is going to be an integral part to our success as a key member of our pitching staff. Lisa is very eager to become a Nittany Lion and we couldn't be more excited to have her join our roster."
Collett, a catcher, is a three-sport athlete at El Modena High School. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2006 for softball and was named to the All-League Team for 2006-07. Another well-rounded student-athlete, Collett also plays golf, where she was named the Rookie of the Year in 2007, and basketball where she served as team captain during her junior season. Collett has maintained a strong presence in the classroom as well, earning the Scholar Athlete award in all three sports each year.
"Danee has such a great personality and really lives and breathes softball," said Petrini. "She has the offensive power to be a force every time she comes up. We are impressed by her maturity and her command of the field from behind the plate. Danee already bleeds blue and white and will be a great fit for our program."
Long, who according to Petrini is "perhaps one of the most versatile student-athletes we have in our signing class," will join the Nittany Lions with a long list of accolades accumulated over the past three years. Her most recent accomplishments include being name second team All-Arizona, first team 4a/5a All-Star Team and first team All-Southern Arizona by the Tuscon Citizen and the Offensive Player of the Year by her high school. Off the field, Long has maintained above a 4.0 GPA and earned the President's Award for Student Athlete Excellence each year from 2005-07.
According to Petrini, "She can play the infield with very soft hands and has the speed and agility to transition into the outfield as well. She has a lot of offensive weapons to use at her disposal and will provide us with several different options in our lineup."
McNair, also a catcher, will be joining Petrini's squad from Niceville High School. For the past two seasons, McNair has been named an All-State and All-Area selection at catcher. In addition, she received the Niceville High School Rookie Award as a freshman and was named the Niceville High School Defensive Player of the year for the past two years. McNair has maintained a position on the "A" Honor Roll throughout high school, is a member of the National Honor Society and will graduate at the top of her class.
"Ellen is going to be a great addition to our roster," said Petrini. "She is a bright student and a gifted athlete that fits the Penn State mold. She is a lefty, which brings a unique angle behind the plate. Ellen has a deadly power and speed combination offensively that will be a definite force in the Big Ten."
Todd, a member of the Lake Breeze Gold ASA Summer Team, has been a varsity softball player since beginning high school. She helped her team become the 4A Wesco South Champions three years running and helped them reach the 4A State Tournament in 2005 and 2007. In 2007, Todd was named 4A Wesco South first team Shortstop and All-Area second team shortstop. Todd has also played varsity basketball for the past three years. Todd maintains a 3.8 GPA and is a member of Class Congress and Leaders of the Pack.
"We are very excited to have Ashley join us in the 2008 class," said Petrini. "We watched her really develop into a strong, determined, and very skilled athlete this summer. Her power at the plate will be invaluable to our offensive lineup. She is a tremendous student of the game and we expect her to fill a big hole for us on the infield."
Penn State, who finished 26-25 last season, looks to make another run at the NCAA Tournament. Their spring season begins Feb. 15 at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational in Austin versus Michigan. The Nittany Lions first home game will be March 26 versus St. Francis (Pa.) at 6.p.m.
--NITTANY LIONS--