Huskers Ink Three in Early-Signing Period

Nebraska Head Softball Coach Rhonda Revelle announced the addition of three players who signed as part the early signing class and will attend the <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>University of Nebraska and become Huskers for the 2006-07 season.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Revelle, along with Associate Head Coach Lori Sippel and Assistant Coach Jennifer Ogee, traveled around the country to find student-athletes who would continue the tradition of Husker softball, both on and off the field.

 

The class consists of Whitney Barrett, an infielder from Wetumpka, Ala., Crystal Gonzales, an outfielder from Pomona, Calif., and Alex Hupp, a pitcher from Olathe, Kan.

 

Barrett hit .398 in 2005 with 28 RBIs, 53 runs scored, four home runs and 35 stolen bases while leading Wetumpka High in 10 offensive categories.  For her efforts, she earned all-state honors for a fourth consecutive season. Barrett joined her high school team as an eighth-grader and her career average is .422 and she has stolen 107 bases in four years.

 

Gonzalez has benefited from playing against some of the best talent in the nation in California. One of the top outfield recruits in the country according to Coach Revelle, Gonzalez is a two-time all-league selection and has won two ASA national championships in addition to a pair of runner-up finishes.

 

Hupp plays for Olathe East, the same high school as current Husker Trisha Tannahill. Hupp was a third-team NFCA High School All-American in 2004 and was the Kansas City Star’s 2005 Metro Player of the Year. She has excelled both in the circle and at the plate. A two-time all-state selection, she has helped lead East two back-to-back state titles in 2004 and 2005. In the circle, she is 50-1 with a 0.44 ERA and 385 strikeouts, an average of 12 per game. At the plate, Hupp boasts a .531 career average and a school-record .988 slugging percentage. She hit a school single-season record six home runs in 2005 on a team that included Teddi Ewing, now a freshman at defending national champion Michigan and Val Chapple, the NFCA National Player of the Year and a freshman at Big 12 rival Kansas.

 

Coach Revelle is excited with this year’s class and commented on each player:

 

Coach Revelle on Whitney Barrett:

“Whitney is a fiery, competitive player who is a difference maker. She is an exciting player to watch on the base paths and on the defensive side of the ball.  We are extremely happy that Whitney agreed to share her talents with the University of Nebraska softball team.”

 

Coach Revelle on Crystal Gonzalez:

“Crystal grew up playing against the best competition that the game has to offer, and is one of the top five outfielders in the nation in the 2006 class. She patrols the grass like she owns it, and adds speed to our lineup offensively. She is a very exciting player who Nebraska fans will love to watch.”

 

Coach Revelle on Alex Hupp:

“Alex is a winner!  She comes from a program (OlatheEastHigh School) that only knows winning. Alex’s pitching and hitting have been a big reasons that they have won the last two Kansas state championships. Alex Hupp is a tremendous addition to our team.”