Softball Welcomes Seven For The 2013 Season
11/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 22, 2011
PITTSBURGH—Head softball coach Holly Aprile announced the addition of seven student-athletes to the PITT softball family. Joining the Panthers for the 2013 season will be Alyssa Burnett, Morgan Choe, Kathryn Duran, Taylor Henry, Carm Moffa, Tori Nirschl and Ashlee Sills.
Burnett (Brenham, Texas/Brenham) is a three-year varsity starter and three-time First Team All-District performer at third base. During her junior year, she was named the Offensive MVP, All-Brazos Valley First Team, All-Greater Houston First Team and All-State Second Team. Burnett batted .534 with 23 doubles, six triples, one home run and 54 RBI. She struck out just once in 103 at bats.
Burnett plays summer ball for the Austin Storm Gold coached by Phil Koehler and Garrett Valis. In the classroom, Burnett is a three time All-Academic First Team recipient, a three-year USAA Academic Honor Roll Student and a member of the National Honor Society.
“Alyssa will have an immediate and positive impact for us at the plate and in the field,” Aprile said. “She has a ton of power and can drive the ball to the gaps. Alyssa has great instincts on defense and is one of the most upbeat and positive individuals that I have had the pleasure of knowing.”
A multi-sport athlete, Choe (Kirtland, Ohio/Kirtland) has earned 12 varsity letters in four years at Kirtland High School. As a junior, Choe was named team captain of the softball team and this past fall as a senior she was named captain of the soccer team. In addition, she was a member of the cross-country team for two years and participated on both the basketball and track teams one year.
Choe competes for the Ohio Ice Gold in the summer coached by Chuck Short. Last summer, she led the Ice to a second-place finish at the Fast Nationals. A standout student as well, she is the senior class president and ranks second academically among her classmates.
“Morgan is a terrific athlete with great speed and lots of versatility,” April noted. “She runs the bases well, a skill that we value highly. Morgan will provide much needed depth at several infield spots and behind the plate. We are thrilled that she decided to become a PITT Panther.”
A catcher and first baseman, Duran (Poway, Calif./Poway) is a two-sport scholar-athlete. She led Poway to the 2011 Palomar League title and a second-place finish in the CIF. Duran was named the San Diego Union Tribune Athlete of the Week after she went 4-for-10 in three wins during the North County Tournament (April 19, 2011). Half of her hits were home runs during that span and she collected eight RBI.
Duran plays summer ball for the San Diego Legacy coached by Ken Weimer.
“Kathryn is a very hard worker who is eager to learn and grow in all aspects of the game,” April stated. “She can hit for both power and average and has a great arm behind the plate. We are very excited to see her develop at the Division I level.”
Henry (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) is a versatile utility player, who was named First Team All-Conference three times, Second Team All-State in 2010 and First Team All-State in 2011. She led Central Dauphin to a 2011 district championship.
During the summer season, Henry plays for Team Long Island Gold. A well-rounded student-athlete, she is also a member of the National Honor Society.
“Taylor is a leader and a true competitor,” Aprile said. “She has an outstanding work ethic and tremendous passion for the game. Her willingness to play a variety of positions and contribute wherever she is needed sets her apart from the crowd. Taylor was our first commitment in this recruiting class and she really set the tone for what I believe is an outstanding group of talented, young women.”
Moffa (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) is a First Team All-State and First Team All-County infielder. She was named to the Post-Gazette and Greensburg Tribune Review All-Star teams after she batted .481 and posted a .796 slugging percentage in her junior season.
Moffa plays for the Steel City Cyclones coached by Floyd Shroyer during the summer months. In the classroom, she is a distinguished honors student. Moffa played alongside current Panther Alexa Larkin at Greater Latrobe.
“Carm is a highly enthusiastic, energetic and tough individual,” Aprile commented. “Her effort and determination both on and off the field is impressive. I know that she will put in the work and do what it takes to succeed at this level.”
A standout outfielder Nirschl (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad) led Carlsbad to a perfect 8-0 league record her junior year. She boasted a .432 batting average, a .947 slugging percentage and accounted for 29 RBI. For her efforts she was named to the ESPN Rise All-State Underclass First Team as well as First Team All-CIF.
Nirschl was also honored as Athlete of the Week by the Union Tribune and North County Times. She competes in the summer with the San Diego Legacy coached by Ken Weimer.
“Tori is all heart,” Aprile noted. “She is gifted athletically, but her strongest assets are her determination and her commitment to being great both on and off the field. Tori runs well, has the ability to drive the ball to the gaps and covers a ton of ground in the outfield. We are really looking forward to watching her grow.”
Sills (Napa, Calif./Napa) is a three-year varsity starter in centerfield. A three-sport athlete her freshman year, she was named MVP of her softball team and the All-County Superlative Newcomer of the Year. Sills received All-Monticello Empire League honors twice.
In 2011, she was named All-County Superlative Defensive Player of the Year and led her team in batting average, on-base percentage, runs and hits per season.
Sills competes in the summer for the Sorcerer coached by Phil Mumma, Bill Sparrey, and Kim Fabian.
“Ashlee is a dynamic player with the ability to create offense in a variety of ways,” Aprile said. “She also has a ton of speed and gets a great jump on the ball in the outfield. Ashlee is always working to get better and I expect her to have a tremendous impact on our future success.”