Toledo Adds Six Freshmen in 2022 Recruiting Class

TOLEDO, Ohio – Head softball coach Joe Abraham announced the signing of six student-athletes to national letters of intent on Wednesday to attend the University of Toledo beginning in the 2021-22 academic year. The Rockets' recruiting class includes Maris Barbato (Columbiana, Ohio), Becca Daoust (Jackson, Mich.), Sidney Griffith (Ashtabula, Ohio), Sophia Knight (New Philadelphia, Ohio), Emma Morgan (Washington, Pa.) and Kendra VanderLugt (Kalamazoo, Mich.).

"For anyone who knows our program, they would say this is a very typical class for Toledo," Abraham said. "It's a class with a lot of athleticism, speed and versatility on the field. Off the field, they are serious students, coachable, friendly and high-achieving."

The following is a look at Toledo's 2022 recruiting class:

Maris Barbato, 5-5, SS/C, Columbiana, Ohio – Youngstown Ursuline H.S.
Maris Barbato competed in the OHSFSCA All-Ohio Underclass Tournament as a freshman and sophomore at Youngstown Ursuline High School. She set school records with a .605 batting average, a 1.013 slugging percentage and nine triples as a freshman. She also led the Fighting Irish in hits, runs, triples, total bases, on-base percentage and tied for first with stolen bases. As a sophomore, Barbato helped Ursuline win a school-record 23 games by hitting .515 to go along with 51 hits, eight triples, five home runs, 44 runs and 19 RBI. She also was a member of the Ohio Blast travel that won the SEAA World Series Championship in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Anticipated Position: Shortstop/Catcher
Anticipated Major: Exercise Science

Why Barbato Chose Toledo: "I chose Toledo because of its very good academic and athletic reputation. I have heard and seen excellent things about the softball program and after meeting Coach Abraham, his assistant coaches, and girls on the team, I was confident it would be a good fit for me. Also, I was able to tour the college campus and facilities and it is exactly what I am looking for."

Coach Abraham on Barbato: "We didn't know Maris and happened to be watching Sidney Griffith play in the summer of 2019 when it became apparent that Maris was really good. We kind of set it aside for a while and then later that summer Maris got in touch with us. We watched her more closely last fall and it was clear that she can do it all. She is fairly small, but she has excellent power. I have watched her pull balls over the fence that were two inches off the plate. She is a good shortstop, she can catch and just pretty much do anything on the field."

Becca Dauost, 5-4, 2B/OF, Jackson, Mich. – Napoleon H.S.
Becca Daoust set a school record with a .642 batting average en route to earning first-team all-state, all-region and all-conference honors as a sophomore at Napoleon High School. As a freshman, she was an honorable-mention all-state, first-team all-region and first-team all-conference honoree.

Anticipated Position: Second Base/Outfield
Anticipated Major: Recreational Therapy

Why Daoust Chose Toledo: "I chose Toledo to further my education in recreational therapy and to continue playing softball. I also fell in love with the environment here with all the players. They are all very outgoing and just fun to be around."

Coach Abraham on Daoust: "I've watched Becca since she was just out of eighth grade. Even back then it was clear she had great speed and athleticism. She is extremely competitive and wants no part of losing. Becca seems to just come out of the blue to make plays on defense, whether it's at second base or in the outfield. She is everywhere on the field, whether it's covering first in time on a bunt, getting to second on a steal attempt or taking a base on a delayed steal. She just seems to have that natural flair for playing the game instinctively that is so hard to teach."

Sidney Griffith, 5-4, 2B/SS, Ashtabula, Ohio – Lakeside H.S.
Sidney Griffith was named Ashtabula County and All-American Conference Red Tier Player of Year as a sophomore at Lakeside High School after hitting .587 with 54 hits, 51 runs, 11 home runs, 27 RBI and 29 stolen bases. As a freshman, she posted a .543 batting average with 33 runs, 19 RBI and four homers to earn first-team all-county honors. She also slugged 22 home runs on her 2020 travel team.

Anticipated Position: Second Base/Shortstop
Anticipated Major: Business Management

Why Griffith Chose Toledo: "I fell in love with the campus as soon as I stepped foot on it. It's the perfect distance from home, and the business program has a great reputation."

Coach Abraham on Griffith: "Sidney is not only a great athlete, but she has that magnetic personality where she is a natural leader. She is positive, encouraging, friendly, the whole package. All her coaches rave about her. I can't begin to count how many times various travel coaches told me in the last year that we got a really good one in Sidney. She is a five-tool type of player who can give a boost in any area of the game."

Sophia Knight, 5-7, P, New Philadelphia, Ohio – Tuscarawas Central Catholic High, Ohio
Sophia Knight earned first-team All-Ohio, first-team all-district, first-team all-county and first-team all-conference distinctions after fanning 216 batters and posting a 1.60 ERA while hitting .427 at the plate as a sophomore at Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School. She also received Team MVP honors and played in the OHSFSCA All-Ohio Underclass Tournament as a freshman and sophomore.

Anticipated Position: Pitcher
Anticipated Major: Public Health/Pre-Med

Why Knight Chose Toledo: "One reason I am choosing to attend Toledo is for the great pre-medical program. Toledo also offers a great softball program that I am looking forward to becoming a part of. I love the campus and the academic atmosphere that surrounds it."

Coach Abraham on Knight: "We think Sophia has a huge upside to her game. We first watched her last fall, which is really late in softball recruiting. We noticed that when she was on, she was shutting down really good teams. Sophia has solid speed, but her movement will deceive hitters. She has been determined to work and work and work to be ready for this level of softball and we think it will pay off for her."

Emma Morgan, 5-6, OF, Washington, Pa. – Trinity High School
Emma Morgan registered a .527 batting average as a sophomore to earn first-team all-section honors at Trinity High School. Morgan helped the Hillers to a sectional title in 2019 and was a part of a USA national softball runner-up team in 2018.

Anticipated Position: Outfield
Anticipated Major: Business and Marketing

Why Morgan Chose Toledo: "Toledo has a strong business and marketing department with a high job placement rate. I also thought the beautiful campus felt like home."

Coach Abraham on Morgan: "We've watched Emma for 2-3 years now, and she is an excellent outfielder who produces consistently at the plate. Emma really fits the type of girl we like to bring into the program, which is one where all of her coaches insist that, 'You'll never have any problems with Emma'. She is 100 percent coachable and just a joy to have around."

Kendra VanderLugt, 5-5, IF, Kalamazoo, Mich. – Otsego H.S.
Kendra VanderLugt holds school records for home runs in a season (14) and career (23) and ranks 17^th in Michigan's record books. In her sophomore year at Otsego, VanderLugt received first-team all-conference, all-district, and all-region honors. As a freshman, VanderLugt was a first-team all-conference honoree and slugged nine home runs. VanderLugt also posted impressive numbers for the Sabercats Pastor 16U team with a .541 batting average, 1.051 slugging percentage, 14 home runs and 51 RBI.

Anticipated Position: Infield
Anticipated Major: Business and Marketing

Why VanderLugt Chose Toledo: "I chose to attend Toledo for a few very important reasons. One of these reasons was because of how at home I felt with the campus and with the softball program. I was welcomed with open arms and enthusiasm and immediately felt a connection with the softball coaches. Toledo also offers a number of opportunities for me academically that I know will be great for my future."

Coach Abraham on VanderLugt: "Kendra is just a pure hitter who hits for average and a lot of power. Between watching her at our camp last summer and then toward the end of last summer and fall, she was a no-brainer for us to recruit. She plays third base for her travel team and can even pitch, although we recruited her as a position player. Kendra is just another good athlete who brings a fantastic work ethic and attitude to everything she does."

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