PEORIA, Ill. -- Second-year Bradley Softball head coach Amy Hayes added four players for the 2011 season during the recent Fall Signing period, as outfielder Mariah Cole (Springfield, Ill./Chatham Glenwood), infield/utility player Brianne Joseph (Post Falls, Idaho/Post Falls), pitcher/outfielder Madeline Lynch-Crumrine (Sedro-Woolley, Wash./Sedro-Woolley) and catcher/utility player KayCee Miller (Omaha, Neb./Papillion-La Vista) each signed National Letters of Intent to attend Bradley.
A 5-5 outfielder, Cole earned second-team All-State honors last year as a junior and helped her team to a second-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A Tournament. She was a Central State 8 All-Conference selection after helping the Titans to a conference title. Cole played summer ball for the Midland Magic and AXA Force.
"Mariah will be a great addition to our program," Hayes said. "We noticed her at our summer camp because she exemplifies how we want the game to be played. She is fast and plays hard and will compete for a starting spot in the outfield. A strong student, she will take advantage of everything a Bradley education will afford her."
The first Bradley softball player from Idaho since Annie Luttropp (2001-04), Joseph is a 5-5 infield/utility player. She is a three-time selection as the Inland Empire Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team all-conference pick her sophomore and junior seasons. Joseph earned second-team all-conference honors as a freshman at Post Falls High School. She was a member of the Spokane Sliders and Washington Spirit summer league teams.
"I have watched Brianne for several years and she is as steady as they come," Hayes stated. "Always at the top of the lineup because of her speed, she makes things happen. She is a versatile athlete who will push for time at multiple positions. She comes from a quality Spokane Sliders program coached by George Lynn. I have always recruited Sliders players because they play the game with purpose and passion."
Lynch-Crumrine is the first Bradley softball player from the state of Washington since Emily Nelson (2001-04). A 5-9 pitcher/outfielder, she was a first-team all-state selection as a junior and also earned Northwest Conference Player of the Year honors. She was named the Skagit Valley Herald Player of the Year in 2009 after helping the Cubs to a district championship and seventh-place state finish last spring.
A three-time first-team all-conference pick, she earned honorable mention all-state recognition as a sophomore. Luynch-Crumrine also lettered in volleyball and basketball at Sedro-Woolley. She was a member of Absolute Blast Gold summer team.
"Another player out of the Northwest who shows great promise not only as a pitcher, but also as a hitter," Hayes said about Lynch-Crumrine. "A rock for her high school team, she is gaining great knowledge and skill under Eric Balstad and his staff with Absolute Blast. Maddie immediately caught my eye and the more I watched her play, the more I liked her. She is a great addition for us and I can't wait to work with her."
Miller is the first Nebraska native to sign with the Braves since Sarah Mancuso (2002-05). She played three years at Burke High School, before transferring to state-power Papillion-La Vista for her senior year where she earned second-team all-state honors and helped the Monarchs to conference and district Championships this fall. Miller also earned all-conference honors in her only season at Papillion-La Vista.
As a junior at Burke High School, Miller hit .500 and earned honorable mention all-state recognition from the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star. She also garnered first-team all-district honors. In 2007, she was honorable mention all-state as a sophomore.
"KayCee is another player who came to our camps and really impressed us," Hayes said. "A big time athlete who can catch and play anywhere in the field. She comes from a great baseball/softball family and it shows in her effort and attention to detail. We look for big things from her in the future.
"All four of these young women represent what Bradley University and our softball program continue to build upon - strong students, great athletes and quality individuals," Hayes continued.
Bradley returned 15 of 20 letterwinners, including five of the top seven hitters and two pitchers from last year's team which finished 26-28 overall and made the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Braves are scheduled to open the 2010 season Feb. 12-14 at the 24th Annual Louisiana Classics in Lafayette, La.
