FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton softball team received seven signed National Letters of Intent from Arianna Burns, Sophie Frost, Irie Naea, Emily Randall, Zoe Richard, Julia Valenzuela and Kelsie Whitmore.
"I am thrilled with the class of 2016," Head Coach Kelly Ford said. "The most important common denominator in this class is that each athlete expects to win.
"The physicality of this group consists of speed, power and athleticism," She continued. "But those don't mean a thing unless they also know how to compete. After lengthy discussions with each athlete, I have no doubt this class's goal is to chase many championships while representing the Titans."
The signing class is comprised of seven freshmen and includes half a dozen from California and one from Washington state.
Arianna Burns | Fr. | OF/RHP | R/R | 5-7 | Long Beach, Calif. | Lakewood HS
Burns is a four-year letterwinner at Lakewood High School under head coach Andy Miramontes. The versatile player who plays in the outfield and in the circle saw action in the PGF championship during her prep career.
Coach Ford on Arianna Burns:
"Arie was our first commit in this class. We saw her play in the PGF Championship on our field and were sold from day one. Her arm is second to none and that, combined with her reads, will make her a stellar outfielder for the Titans."
Sophie Frost | Fr. | RHP | R/R | 5-8 | Mill Creek, Wash. | Jackson HS
Frost, the only player from outside of the state of California, hails from Mill Creek, Wash., where she was a two-time All-WESCO South First Team selection and was twice named Jackson High School softball MVP. She helped her team capture the 2015 WESCO District Championship after they were the 2014 WESCO South League champions.
Individually, Frost collected 16 wins in the circle as a junior with 200 strikeouts and hit .410 in her junior year. She also led her team to a ninth place finish at 2015 PGF 18U Platinum and a third place finish at the 2015 Colorado Sparkler.
Coach Ford on Sophie Frost:
"She can make that ball spin. I loved watching her through the recruiting process frustrate hitter after hitter. I love that since day one in the recruiting process, she made it clear that she wanted to be a Titan. I can't wait to see the smile on her face when she puts on the uniform for the first time."
Irie Naea | Fr. | INF/OF | R/R | 5-6 | Garden Grove, Calif. | Pacifica HS
Naea comes to Fullerton after being named Second Team All-League as a junior at Pacifica High School. The Garden Grove, Calif., native collected Rookie of the Year honors her first year on varsity (2013-14) and was named Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman. She went on to earn First Team All-League accolades and Second Team All-County honors as a sophomore.
Coach Ford on Irie Naea:
"Irie exemplifies athleticism. I truly believe she could compete at every position on the field and make a run at being a starter at every spot. Irie is our workhorse in this recruiting class and she will impress her teammates with showing up day in and day out to put in the work that it takes to bring home a championship."
Emily Randall | Fr. | INF | R/R | 5-4 | San Jose, Calif. | Mt. Pleasant HS
Randall is a middle infielder from San Jose, Calif., who owns a .408 batting average with a total of 59 runs, 53 RBIs and 27 doubles at Pleasant High School. She recorded 26 runs with 24 RBIs and 15 doubles while hitting .452 as a junior and posted a career on-base percentage of .432 and a career-slugging percentage of .580. Defensively, Randall owns a career .953 fielding percentage with 12 double plays turned.
Coach Ford on Emily Randall:
"Emily is a smooth middle infielder. She has excellent glove control and covers an amazing amount of ground. She is our gamer in this class. Emily will make a difference every time she steps on the field."
Zoe Richard | Fr. | 1B | L/R | 5-7 | Highland, Calif. | Citrus Valley HS
Richard is a first baseman, two-time offensive MVP in 2014 and 2015 out of Citrus Valley High School in Redlands, Calif. She was selected First Team All-League, First Team All-County and MVP of the Redlands Tournament. Richard posted a .526 batting average and .591 on-base percentage as a junior, while driving in 21 runs and registering 40 hits. As a sophomore, she hit .570 with an on-base percentage of .581 and recorded 45 hits and 34 RBIs with just three strikeouts. In her rookie campaign, she boasted a .410 batting average with 32 hits and 25 RBIs, while striking out just three times.
Coach Ford on Zoe Richard:
"Zoe will bring power to the middle of the lineup and be stellar at first base. She comes from one of the top travel ball programs in the country (Corona Angels) and I expect her to bring that winning drive every day she steps on the field."
Julia Valenzuela | Fr. | C | R/R | 5-6 | La Mirada, Calif. | Bishop Amat HS
Valenzuela was a two-time Second Team All-League selection as a freshman and sophomore at Bishop Amat High School. She hit a career-high .377 in her sophomore season with one home run and drove in 11 runs as a junior. The La Mirada, Calif., native is a three-time scholar athlete maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher as a freshman, sophomore and junior.
Coach Ford on Julia Valenzuela:
"Julia is absolutely one of the best catchers in her class. Her awareness and leadership behind the plate are what drew us to her. She may be small in stature, but she plays big behind the plate. Julia will leave her mark on Titan Softball."
Kelsie Whitmore | Fr. | OF | S/R | 5-6 | Temecula, Calif. | Temecula Valley HS
Whitmore rounds out the class of 2016 as an outfielder with baseball roots. She was a two-time USA Women's National Baseball Team gold medalist at the 2015 COPABE Pan American Game qualifier in La Vega, Dominican Republic and at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. Additionally, she helped the USA Women's National Baseball Team to a silver medal at the 2014 WBSC Women's World Cup in Miyazaki, Japan. She earned a Gold Glove in baseball and the Victory with Honor award in baseball and soccer.
Currently playing high school baseball at Temecula Valley High School, Whitmore has aspirations of playing on the 2020 USA Women's Baseball Team. She will continue to keep her skills sharp on the diamond as she will do some training with Cal State Fullerton Head Baseball Coach Rick Vanderhook and the Titan Baseball team.
Coach Ford on Kelsie Whitmore:
"Kelsie will bring perspective and maturity to the program. Her baseball background provides a unique experience in particular to the mental game that she will be able to share with her teammates. She is a no nonsense, get to work, type of athlete that will be inspiring to coach."
