Nov. 24, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Head coach Robin Petrini was proud to announce two signings to the 2010 high school class for Nittany Lion softball on Tuesday. Kasie Hatfield (Tampa, Fla.) and Jordan Wheatley (Troy, Mich.) will join the squad next year.
The duo contains superb all-around athletes who ply their trade around the field. Hatfield is an athletic player who will be featured at catcher as well as a utility fielder. Wheatley will join the Nittany Lions helping in several areas including pitching, first base play and hitting.
Hatfield, out of Tampa, Fla. and Chamberlain High is a three-time FHCAA Scholar-Athlete, while being a First Team All-Conference and All-County selection as a junior in 2009. In addition, Hatfield was named to the All-State First Team while leading the team to a district championship.
"Kasie is one of those kids that will just chew glass for you," Petrini said. "She has such raw athleticism and determination when she puts her cleats on. We are looking forward to her offensive power and her knowledge of the game on defense. She is the consummate utility player and gets after every pitch. Kasie is going to be a tremendous force in the Big Ten."
Her freshman year, the squad was district and regional champions, making it all the way for the State Final Four. Voted the Rookie of the Year that season by her high school, Hatfield was the team MVP last season while making the honor roll all three years at Chamberlain.
Additionally, Hatfield is a member of the Latin Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, while serving as vice president of the Tech Honor Society. An all-around athlete, she is a three-year letter-winner in volleyball and basketball, captaining the volleyball team for the past two seasons and being named the team MVP for basketball. Hatfield will serve as the softball squad's captain for her senior year.
Hatfield is a member of the Florida Gold Coast Hurricanes club team as well as the Tampa Mustangs. With the Mustangs, her squad was the 2006 and 2007 National Runner-up in the U-14 and U-16 age groups.
Wheatley will join the fold in Happy Valley as a highly touted recruit out of Troy, Mich. A fantastic pitcher, Wheatley has amassed 925 strikeouts while posting a 0.88 ERA in her first three years in high school. Additionally, she swings a mighty bat, averaging .520 at the plate.
"Jordan provides us with several unique and outstanding qualities" Petrini noted. "She can swing a big stick at the plate, play a solid first base, and spins the ball very well on the mound. She is a true student of the game and expects more from herself than anyone else ever could. She is going to be essential to giving us quality innings on the mound and I would expect her offensive power to be utilized from day one."
The honors have rolled in for Wheatley who has earned All-State, All-County, All-Area, and All-League honors each of the past three seasons. Her squad has won the District and Regional championships all three years she's been on the squad including making three-straight State quarterfinal appearances.
A previous two-time team MVP, Wheatley will shore up the pitcher and infield position while providing the Lions with serious help at the plate as evidenced by Wheatley's outstanding numbers.
The Nittany Lions also added more immediate help to its 2010 roster as freshman Rachel Myers joined the team this fall. The Millheim, Pa. native went to Penns Valley High School and will be featured in the utility role for the season.
The Nittany Lion softball team kicks off its campaign on Feb. 12, 2010 when Penn State takes on UTEP and Colorado State at the Hotel Encanto Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. First pitch for those games will be Noon MT (2:00 p.m. Eastern).
For complete coverage of all the Nittany Lion softball this season, visit GoPSUsports.com.
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--NITTANY LIONS--