The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Softball Team Adds Four In Fall Signing Period
11/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 16, 2004
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB softball program has signed four players during the official fall signing period, head coach Marla Townsend announced on Tuesday.
The Blazers signed Kayla Harris, Jacy Leon, Andrea Rogers, and Katie Stokes to complete the 2005 class. The class includes one NFCA All-American, a junior college NFCA All-American, and the 18U Canadian National Tournament MVP.
"I am excited about this recruiting class and look forward to their arrival on campus," said Townsend. "They each bring in numerous honors and outstanding achievements and we expect them to make an immediate impact," Townsend said.
Rogers and Stokes both played with current Blazers Holly Krzan and Amanda Antonovich on the Washington Spirit Gold Team. Leon's brother Kyle played baseball at UAB from 2002-03. Leon and Harris, meanwhile, both hail from Toronto, Canada.
Rogers, from Pasco, Wash., played catcher and third base for the WA Spirit Gold Team in recent summers and was coached by Kelly Richards, out of Tri Cities, Wash. Her team placed in the top 35 at the ASA Gold Nationals held in Marietta, Ga. Rogers batted .360 with 17 doubles, four triples, and five home runs with a total of 41 RBI. She hit .560 in her sophomore and junior seasons combined at Pasco HS with 24 doubles, nine triples, and 12 home runs. She had a slugging percentage of over 1.000 and had 88 RBI.
She led her high school team to consecutive appearances in the Washington State Tournament as Pasco finished as high as seventh out of 16 teams. Rogers was named Big Nine Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Big Nine as a catcher, and was named to the Washington All-State team. She was a member of the Tri City Herald All-Area Team and was once the Pasco High Co-MVP, sharing the honor with Antonovich. She earned each of those awards during her sophomore and junior seasons. As a junior, Rogers was named a First-Team All-Region selection and a Second-Team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). She was chosen as the Tri City Herald Athlete of the Week several times in her career.
Stokes, a second baseman, was named to the NWAACC First-Team All-East Region squad as a freshman and was a member of the Sophomore All-Star Team which competed this fall against a number of other NWAACC teams in a showcase doubleheader. She was also selected as an NFCA NWAACC All-American. Stokes was the second-leading hitter in the NWAACC as she sported a .518 average with 17 doubles and six homers.
In her two seasons for the WA Spirit Gold, she had a combined average of .322 with 20 doubles and a .502 slugging percentage. She also accumulated three triples, four homeruns, and 53 RBI. She was a First-Team All-League selection in each of her four years at Selah High School in Selah, Wash. Her team placed fifth at the Washington State Tournament during her junior year. She was her team's MVP in her final three seasons and was team captain as a senior. She also earned the Coaches Award and Dedication Award in her senior year.
Harris is a right-handed pitcher attending Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute in Whitby, Ontario. She was named MVP of the 18U Canadian Midget Tournament and led her Scarbrough Spirit team to an 11-0 record and the national championship this past summer. The All-Star team pitcher posted a 0.24 ERA and had 47 strikeouts. She finished with an 8-0 record at the national tournament. The Spirit placed eighth in the 18U division at the Canada Cup in Vancouver, Wash., earlier in the summer. The Spirit then went a perfect 5-0 at the fall Rising Stars Showcase in Plantation, Fla.
Harris hit better than .380 during both the summer and fall while pitching her way to a 55-4 record with a 0.84 ERA and finished with a 5-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Harris also played basketball and volleyball.
Leon, a Guelph, Ontario, native, plays third base for the London Lightning ASA team coached by Dave Finley and attends Bishop MacDonnell High School. Leon hit .457 in 84 games this past summer with the Lightning. She led her team in slugging percentage (.804) and had nine home runs, 37 doubles, 52 walks, and 80 RBI. She had the most RBI and highest slugging percentage at the Canadian National Championships as a freshman. She is a career .420 hitter in 18U softball since age 14 and posted a .745 slugging percentage in the summer of 2003.
Leon was her high school basketball team's MVP as a freshman and sophomore and was her school's Female Athlete of the Year during those same two years. She has been an honor roll student ever year with awards of excellence in math and physical education and is currently the Student Body President.
The Blazers open their 2005 season Feb. 4-6 in the Bama Bash held in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
