PEORIA, Ill. -- First-year Bradley Softball Head Coach Buddy Foster landed his first recruits as the Braves received three National Letters of Intent during the Fall Signing period. Foster will welcome pitcher/utility player Amanda Clack (Hillsboro, Mo./Hillsboro), infielder Lauren Meister (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) and outfielder Janay Mitchell (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) to the squad for the 2007 season.

"This class exemplifies the type of student-athletes we want here in the Bradley softball program," Foster said. "Not only has this class excelled on the softball diamond but they are all members of the National Honor Society and are good people. I am thrilled to have these three as my first class."

Clack was a first-team all-district and all-conference selection each of her four years at Hillsboro High School. This fall she posted a 0.57 ERA in 134 innings of work, striking out 161 batters faced, while walking just 19. In addition to her stats in the circle, Clack also owned a .447 batting average in her final prep season.

An all-metro and all-region honoree both her junior and senior seasons, she was named team MVP as a sophomore and played for the St. Louis Chaos. Clack had a 95-24 record for her club team and also owned a .355 batting average, helping the Chaos to a seventh place finish at the Colorado Louisville Slugger Invite and 17th-place showing at ASA Nationals.

"Amanda comes from a very strong summer program," Foster added. "She is someone I have followed the last few years and I believe we have gotten a very versatile player. Amanda will have the opportunity to come in here and be a part of the pitching staff and at the same time will probably be in the lineup somewhere when she is not pitching. I am excited to have someone with Amanda's versatility and expect big things from her."

Joining Clack in the Braves recruiting class are a pair of high school teammates in Meister and Mitchell. The duo helped lead Downers Grove South to a 29-9 overall record and IHSA Regional Championship last spring. Meister is a power-hitting infielder that owns Downers Grove South High School season and career records for home runs. A Chicago Tribune All-State selection last spring as a junior, she had a .455 batting average with 11 doubles and school season record 13 home runs. Meister drove in 33 runs and boasted a .964 slugging percentage.

A three-time all-conference selection she also holds the Mustangs career mark for home runs with 23 heading into her final prep season. The team's MVP in 2005, Meister earned Top Power Athlete of the Year and Gold Glove Athlete of the Year honors from the Daily Herald.

"I am thrilled to get a hitter with the kind of power Lauren possesses," Foster said. "Not only does she have power but she is also a good hitter and is someone that we feel like can come in and be a big part of the building process here. Lauren has the ability to be a mainstay in the middle of our lineup over the next four years and I look for Lauren to have a great career here at Bradley. "

A two-time all-conference selection, Mitchell is a speedy outfielder that holds school season record for stolen bases with 29. Last spring she led the county in stolen bases, in addition to posting a .326 batting average to go along with 40 runs and 10 RBI. She also garnered all-area honors in 2005 as a junior.

"Janay will help provide the speed that we are lacking," Foster said. "She is very quick and I look for her to be at the top of our lineup in the future. She has an incredible amount of potential. Janay is a fantastic person with a tremendous amount of confidence and we are thrilled she chose to come to Bradley."

The Braves return 13 of 17 letterwinners this spring, including six starting position players. Bradley's 2006 roster features just seven upperclassmen (five seniors and two juniors) and a total of 14 underclassmen. The Braves open the 2006 season Feb. 24-26 by hosting the Bradley Invite at the Dragon's Dome in Pekin. The tournament field will include Purdue, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois and IUPUI.