These seven will help the softball program continue their successes of this past season.
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Queens University of Charlotte is proud to announce the addition of seven newcomers to the softball team. They are Jillian Carroll, Laura Morgan, Anna Weavil, Brandy Jester, Maria Goode, Brttany Harrell, and Kelsey Newberg. These seven players will be looked upon to help the team continue the success they had this past season.
Head Coach Stacey Schramm states that “this group of student athletes who are joining the program are going to add a tremendous amount of talent. They join Ashton Williams, a shortstop and Megan Lathbury, a third baseman (both signed in November) to round out the 2009-2010 incoming class. I truly feel that this group will help bring home another conference championship and take us deeper into the NCAA regionals."
Jillian Carroll, a 5’4” catcher, is a native of Danvers, Massachusetts, where she will be graduating from Danvers High School. Carroll switched over to playing softball once she got to high school after playing baseball all of her life. She also played for the Raiders 18U club team ran by Raiders Softball, Inc. She can also play the second base, third base, and short stop positions on the field. Carroll is a four year varsity starter for her high school team. She helped her team become the 2009 Northeast Conference Champions completing an undefeated season at 20-0. They were also the champions for the 2008 and 2007 seasons. Carroll also earned Northeast Conference All-Star Starting Catcher honors. Carroll not only played softball at her school, she also played basketball and tennis. Her academic honors include being a member of the World Language National Honor Society and being an honors student.
A native of Morganton, N.C., is Brittany Harrell. She will be graduating from Freedom High School where
she is the catcher for the softball team there. The triple sport athlete also plays field hockey and runs for the cross country team. Harrell is the RBI leader on her team and was named to the All-Conference team her junior and senior year. She was also a member of the Junior and Senior State Team and the recipient of the 2008 Golden Glove Award for her high school team. In addition, the senior captain was the 2009 World Cup Representative in the Netherlands.
“Brittany Harrel and Jillian Carroll will fill the void of Mary Lee Giurintano at the catching position. Brittany has a cannon for an arm, while Jillian will bring intensity and passion to the field. “
Brandy Jester is a pitcher transferring to Queens from Wheeling Jesuit University. She is originally from Georgetown, Del. Her high school awards include being named the All-Conference First Team Pitcher three times and the All-State First Team Pitcher for three years. Her high school team was the 2005 Delaware State Champions and the 2006 Delaware State Championship Finalist. In 2007 her team was the Delaware State Semi-Finalist and Jester was named the Delaware State Journal Player of the Year and the Gatorade Pitcher of the Year. During her senior year in high school she was the 2008 PONY National Runner-Up. During Jester’s stint at Wheeling Jesuit University, she was named to the WVIAC All-Conference First Team and the WVIAC All-Tournament team for two years. Jester won the WVIAC Freshman Player of the Year Award in 2008. She was also named the WVIAC pitcher of the week once her freshman year and once her sophomore year. Jester is a model student as well being named to the Dean’s List while at Wheeling Jesuit.
Another pitcher coming to the Royals roster is Kelsey Newberg of New Britain, Conn., where she attends
New Britain High School. Newberg was a four year starting pitcher on her high school softball team and the defensive specialist on the volleyball team. She is also a three year member of the Connecticut Rapids travel softball team. Her awards include being named to the All-Herald Team all four years of her high school career. She was also named to the All-Central Connecticut Conference North Team for four years and the All-State Hartford Courant Second team during her junior year. This year she was named to the All-State Connecticut High School Association First team. This New Britain High School holds several records for pitching. Some of her stats include 452 innings pitched with 590 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.77 over a four year period. Newberg has excelled in other areas as well. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Mock Trial Group, and the Youth Government.
“Brandy Jester and Kelsey Newberg will be a great addition to the pitching staff. As a junior transfer, Brandy will add experience and leadership to the squad immediately. Both are true competitors, and not strictly pitchers. Brandy will make an impact in the offensive line-up (as she hit over .300 last season at Wheeling Jesuit University) and Kelsey will compete for a position in the outfield when she is not on the mound. “
A centerfielder by the name of Laura Morgan will come to us hailing from Cunningham, Tenn. She played golf and softball at Montgomery Central High School. Morgan was named to The Leaf-Chronicle 2007-2008 All-Area Softball First Team and the All-District 11-AA Team in 2007. She also earned the team MVP Award, the 2009 Golden Glove Award, and the 2009 Team “ESPN” Award. Morgan has also excelled academically while in high school. She has received the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Distinguished Scholastic Achievement Award all four years of high school. Morgan also won the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Student-Athlete Award of Merit for attaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher all four years. The 2008-2009 Ms. Central for Montgomery Central High School is also a member or the student government, he National Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Clarksville Youth Leadership.
Anna Weavil is outfielder coming from Kernersville, N.C., where she attended Glenn High School. In
addition to playing softball, Weavil also played volleyball and basketball. In softball she has accumulated 80 wins over her high school career, recorded a batting average of .500 during her sophomore and junior seasons, and stole 28 bases this past season alone. She is a three time Piedmont Triad 3A All-Conference and North Carolina District Five All-District selection. Weavil made the North Carolinas All-State team as a junior. Her play in the outfield has helped her team become the Piedmont Triad 3A Conference Champions for a consecutive four years and they were conference tournament champions for three years. Her academic awards include her being a Junior Marshal, a member of the National Honor Society, and being given the Top 10 Junior Award by Kernersville Rotary Club.
Another transfer by the name of Maria Goode will be coming to us from Francis Marion University. Goode will be playing in the outfield for the Royals. She is a local originally from Charlotte, N.C., where she attended Providence High School. During her junior and senior year of high school, Goode was named to the All-Conference First team. Since arriving at Francis Marion, She has been on the Dean’s List.
“Laura Morgan, Anna Wievel, and Maria Goode will add much needed depth to the outfield. Anna and Maria also bring speed to the line-up, something that we definitely lacked last season. “