PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Softball received a pair of National Letters of Intent during the spring signing period, adding 5-9 infielder Marina Groenewegen (Surrey, British Columbia/Elgin Park Secondary/College of Southern Idaho) and utility player Bailiegh Basham (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon/Lake Land College) in addition to welcoming walk-on Verita Richardson (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lake Oswego).
The first foreign player in program history, Groenewegen hit .480 this spring with 20 doubles, 25 home runs and a school season record 105 RBI. The power hitting third baseman scored 83 runs and boasted a .910 slugging percentage, while helping the Golden Eagles to a 44-19 record while earning First-Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division I All-America honors.
"Marina is a game changer," said Bradley head coach Amy Hayes. "As the first White Rock Renegade to come to Bradley, she will make an immediate impact on our program. She comes from a program of respected success and tradition in the Renegades and made some great strides at College of Southern Idaho. A tremendous hitter with a lot of power, she's going to make it exciting on the offensive side of the ball. She had other options, including Colorado State, but she wanted to be at Bradley and we are ecstatic about her joining our team."
A first-team all-conference selection as a sophomore, Groenewegen hit .307 as a freshman at Southern Idaho in 2010. She was a Region 18 all-tournament team pick and helped her team finish the year ranked 17th in the NJCAA national poll.
Basham will have three years of eligibility remaining after playing just one season at Lake Land College. She hit .449 with school season records of 11 home runs and 75 RBI, while helping the Lakers to a 43-10 record in her only season. A first-team all-region selection, Basham also was selected to the Region 24 all-tournament team and helped Lake Land to a fifth-place national finish this spring.
"Bailiegh is a really bright young woman who knows what she wants, both academically and athletically," said Hayes. "She spent one year at a quality Lake Land program under Nic Nelson and now will give us three solid years as a Brave. She's versatile, as she can catch and play third, but she will bring a swagger and confidence to our team which will help as we graduated some strong leaders in 2011. Another impact offensive force for our squad she knocked in 75 RBI's this year and at the National Championship, other teams worked around her, making it clear that she was the kid they didn't want to beat them."
Basham finished the season with a .500 on-base percentage and scored 54 runs as a freshman at Lake Land. As a senior at Mattoon High School, she hit .531 and earned All-Big 12 Conference honors in 2010.
Richardson joins the team as a walk-on after earning second-team All-Three Rivers Conference honors as a senior. She boasted a .397 batting average with four doubles, one triple and three home runs in her final prep season. Richardson scored 18 runs and drove in 16 runs in 30 contests.
"Verita is an exciting young prospect," said Hayes. "I came across her at a camp last December, and as a leader, she commanded the 5,000 sq. foot space. A strong presence at 6-feet tall with a lively personality, she brings a spark that you just can't teach. Her softball skills may need some polishing, but she has the potential to be a tremendous player for our program. Her attitude, coupled with her work ethic, makes her a win-win for any coach and I'm glad she had a strong feeling about Bradley and the home she can make here over the next four years."
The trio will join fall recruits infielder Brittany Burgess (Utica, Ill./St. Bede), designated player/utility Alyson Clemente (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley), infielder/utility Lexi Cremeens (Dix, Ill./Mount Vernon) and infielder/utility Shannon King (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty).
