Softball: Rockets Announce Four Signings
12/5/2000 12:00:00 PM | Softball
TOLEDO, OH - The University of Toledo softball team added four recruits to its program, Head Coach Michelle Fagnant announced today.
Crystal Rizzuto (San Leandro, CA-St. Joseph's Notre Dame), Kate Moxim (Wauseon, OH-Wauseon), Keri Perkins (Convoy, OH-Crestivew) and Jennifer Miekle (Fremont, OH-Fremont-Ross) have signed letters of intent to attend Toledo, beginning in the fall of 2001.
Fagnant, in her second year as head coach at Toledo is excited about the recruiting class.
"We are expecting all four of them to come in and have an immediate impact on the team," said Fagnant. "We believe they have the talent to contribute from their first day on campus."
Here is a look at each of the signees:
* Crystal Rizzuto: A California native, Rizzuto is just the second female athlete from St. Joseph's to accept a scholarship to college. She attended St. Joseph her freshman and sophomore years before transferring to San Leandro for her junior year, was All-Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League in 1998 and 1999, as well as All-Hayward Area Athletic League last season. Rizzuto hit .556 as a freshman and .485 as a sophomore before batting .401 last season. In three years, she has never struck out. As a pitcher, she helped the Pilots to their first NCS playoff berth in school history (1998 and 1999) and won key games against Arroyo and Castro Valley last year.
"I've been playing softball since I was seven years old," said Rizzuto. "This is what everybody shoots for. I liked the atmosphere and the people were friendly. I am very excited about my decision to attend Toledo."
"Crystal will play multiple positions for us," said Fagnant. "We see her playing primarily at third base, but also could see some time in the outfield. She is a big offensive threat and we think she can come right in and make an impact. "
* Keri Perkins: Perkins hails from Convoy, OH and is two-sport standout (basketball and softball) at Crestview High School in Convoy, OH. She was a first team all-state pick in her junior and sophomore years and was a second-team all-state selection as a freshman. Perkins has been first team in the district and in the Northwest Conference all three years. Twice she has fanned 20 batters in a single game. Last year, the Knights rode Perkins' arm to a 28-3 record and a regional championship. She compile a 16-2 record with 213 strikeouts, a 0.40 earned run average on the mound, and a .533 batting average with 45 runs scored, 53 RBI and 20 doubles.
"I was very impressed with the campus and the facilities," said Perkins. "I really liked the coach and the girls on the team. It was my goal to get this done before the season."
"I think Keri can come in and factor immediately into the rotation," said Fagnant. "She throws hard and has an excellent change-up. She has innate ability to keep hitters off-balance and really keep them guessing."
* Jennifer Miekle: Ohio native Mielke is a two-sport standout (softball and soccer) at Fremont Ross High School in Fremont, OH.
The Little Giants went 19-3 last season and shared the Great Lakes League title with Oregon Clay. Mielke led off for Ross, hitting .355 and putting up team-leading totals of 23 runs batted in, 23 runs scored and the best on-base percentage at .538. Her three triples led the team, and her seven doubles tied for the team honors.
From her post at shortstop, Mielke directed a Ross defense that set school records for fielding percentage (.965), fewest errors (23) and fewest runs allowed per game (1.0).
"It was the school I wanted to attend from the beginning," said Mielke. "The atmosphere is great and the opportunities that Toledo provides are unparalleled. I love the coaches and the players and I am so excited about spending four years with them."
"Jen will play in the middle infield for UT," said Fagnant. "She is one of the purest and most natural infielders I have ever seen. She has great instincts when it comes to fielding ground balls and making adjustments."
* Kate Moxim: Ohio native Moxim is a three-sport standout (softball, basketball and volleyball) at Wauseon High School in Wauseon, OH. A three-year letterwinner, Moxim is a two-time honorable mention all-league pick. Last year, she was the batting champ at Wauseon and voted the team MVP following her sophomore year.
"Toledo is just a great place to be," said Moxim. "I like the tradition of the campus and the fact that the team is like a close-knit family. It is a dream come true to sign with Toledo. I always knew it was a good school. I really wanted to attend a great school and play Division I softball. UT offered the best of both worlds. The atmosphere of the school was first-rate and all the players and coaches seemed to really be enjoying themselves."
"Kate is a local athlete who will be a utility player for us," said Fagnant. "I expect to use her primarily in the outfield. She is an excellent student, who can do a lot of things well on the diamond."
2001-02 Toledo Softball Recruiting Class Name Pos. Ht. Yr. Hometown (High School) Jennifer Mielke 3B/P 5-3 Fr. Fremont, OH (Fremont Ross) Kate Moxim OF/UT 5-7 Fr. Wauseon, OH (Wauseon) Keri Perkins P/UT 5-5 Fr. Convoy, OH (Crestview) Crystal Rizzuto 3B/P 5-6 Fr. San Leandro, CA (St. Joseph Notre Dame)
