Special to The Flash
TarletonSports.com
STEPHENVILLE (June 27, 2017) – Going along with two signings from the fall’s early signing period, Mark Cumpian has added six more student-athletes to the mix for the 2018 softball season.
“This is one of the strongest signing classes that we have put together,” said Cumpian. “My coaching staff and I knew going into the 2017-2018 school year that if we are going to try and make a run in the NCAA playoffs then we needed to grow as a team and I feel like we did that with this very talented class.
“We had a great 2017 season but now the expectation is set even higher,” he continued. “This class is very versatile from top to bottom with a few big transfers that should come in and make a huge impact immediately. All of these young ladies are very talented, come from great families, and all have the ability to come in and make a big impact next season. I’m very excited to have them represent the purple and the white and can’t wait to see how the 2018 season unfolds.”
Here is a look at the six newest members of TexAnn Softball:
Kaylee Rodriquez | IF | Lewisville, TX | Lewisville High School
Rodriquez comes to Tarleton after a three-time all-district career for Lewisville High School, where she was also an academic all-district selection.
“Kaylee is competitor,” said Cumpian. “I have watched her grow into a fine young athlete. She is a gamer and can barrel up the softball. Defensively she is a fundamentally sound infielder who is a vocal leader on the field. I’m glad she has chosen Tarleton and I can’t wait to watch her grow over the next 4 years.”
Lexi Grimaldo | IF | Austin, TX | Bowie High School | Temple JC
Grimaldo comes to Tarleton after a one-year stint at Temple Junior College. Last season for Temple, Grimaldo hit .303 with two home runs, five doubles, and 24 RBI. Prior to her time at Temple, Grimaldo spent one season with Alabama State.
“Lexi is a very versatile athlete,” said Cumpian. “She is a very good defender with really good glove skills. Offensively she hits for average and finds ways to get the job done. She comes from a very well respected junior college program, so she understands what it’s going to take to compete in the LSC. I’m very glad Lexi has chosen to spend her last two years at Tarleton.”
Elizabeth Svienty | IF | Cedar Park, TX | Vista Ridge High School | McLennan CC
Svienty comes to Tarleton after hitting over .300 in each of her last two years at McLennan Community College. She hit .354 with 11 doubles, 29 RBI, and 14 stolen bases on her way to being named a second-team all-conference selection in 2016 before hitting .307 with 23 RBI last season.
“Elizabeth is a very fundamentally sound player who is very softball savvy,” said Cumpian. “She has a very good glove defensively and is one of the best baserunners that I have watched. Offensively she is a very good contact hitter that has good speed. She gets after it and competes at a very high level. I’m excited to see what Elizabeth does at Tarleton.”
Karli Herron | UT | Hot Springs, AR | Lakeside High School | Stephen F. Austin
Herron is set to join the TexAnns after one season each at Tyler Junior College and Stephen F. Austin. At TJC in 2016, Herron was an all-conference and all-region selection after hitting .414 with 12 doubles, 13 home runs, and 66 RBI while boasting a .734 slugging percentage. In her debut season at SFA, Herron played in 36 games. She lifted SFA to an 8-6 win over Houston Baptist with an RBI double to extend a late-inning lead.
“Karli is an all-around athlete and can play many different positions both infield and outfield,” said Cumpian. “She is a very driven athlete that competes at a very high level. She is a very good hitter offensively and can swing the bat very well. There is no doubt she will plug into our offense in some type of way. Defensively, she played outfield at her last school but I can see her making the transition back to the infield this year because she has a very solid glove and can play multiple positions on the dirt. I’m excited to see Karli get going, there is no doubt that she will make a name for herself here at Tarleton.”
Tanna Huie | OF | Paris, TX | North Lamar High School | Stephen F. Austin
Huie comes to Tarleton alongside her teammate of the last two seasons, Herron. Huie was an NFCA and NJCCA First-Team All-American in 2016 after hitting .528 with 20 doubles, nine home runs, 63 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and an .811 slugging percentage at TJC.
“Tanna is a very good athlete that has always played at a very high level,” said Cumpian. “She was one of the best hitters in NJCAA and there is no doubt she will bring plenty of offense to our roster in 2018. She is somebody we tried recruiting out of her first year of junior college but it didn’t work out then but I believe everything happens for a reason so I’m very glad she will be spending the next two years with us at Tarleton.”
Megan Rosewell | P | Grapevine, TX | FW Christian High School | Rogers State
Rosewell comes to Tarleton after spending one season at Grayson County Community College and one season at Rogers State in the Heartland Conference. Last year for Rogers, Rosewell boasted a 2.91 ERA with a 22-17 record in the circle with 62 strikeouts in 211.2 innings of work.
“Megan is a workhorse,” said Cumpian. “She commands the zone, keeps the ball down, and has very good off-speed pitches. She is a pitcher who knows how to control a game and has very good presence on the mound. She is very confident in what she does so I know she will plug right in the Coach Stefanie Phillips battery staff.”
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