University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Hermanek Adds Five to Class of 2021 on NLI Day
11/11/2020 10:11:00 AM | Softball
PITTSBURGH – The Pitt softball team received five National Letters of Intent for the class of 2021 Wednesday morning.
Kendall Brown (Phoenixville, Pa.), Haylie Brunson (Mount Pleasant, Pa.), Kylie Griggs (Perrysburg, Ohio), Maya Johnson (Columbia Station, Ohio) and Amanda "Tuta" Ramirez (Miami, Fla.) all signed to join the Panthers next season.
"I'm very proud of this class of young women and I am so humbled that they chose the Panther family," said head coach Jodi Hermanek. "What's special about this group of athletes is that they each value their education equally to their athletic passion, and in so many ways, they match the core values and character values we have in our program."
Brown, who attends Phoenixville High School, is one of three lefties in the class of 2021. Brown is a pitcher who also sees time at first base. She batted .449 with 22 hits, two homeruns, 15 RBI and recorded 61 strikeouts her freshman year. Brown hit. 380 with 19 hits, eight homeruns and 21 RBI to go along with 119 strikeouts and a 3.64 ERA sophomore year. Her homerun count tied for second in the state of Pennsylvania (5A) and the 119 strikeouts tied for sixth. Brown also finished fourth in the state with a 1.060 slugging percentage.
Brown was named an All-PAC Frontier First Team Pitcher, All-State Second Team utility player, All-Area Second Team utility player and Carpenter Cup Chester County All-Star Team player going into her junior season. Brown is also a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She played club ball for Sting Fastpitch from 2012-17 and PA Chaos from 2017-20. She was named No. 93 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking list.
"Our staff feels very lucky to add Kendall to our Panther family," said Hermanek. "Kendall is going to contribute in multiple ways. She's a natural lefty who swings a powerful bat, adding to the growth of lefties in our roster. Kendall is a pitcher and a first baseman, so her versatility is an asset to our roster. Her spin and pitch break in her pitching arsenal is one-of-a-kind on our pitching staff, which will make our staff depth dynamic and deep. Being a Panther means a lot to Kendall, with her sister a junior at Pitt, this is Kendall's second home."
Brunson, a product of Mount Pleasant Area High School (4A), is a utility player who bats left and throws right. Brunson's freshman season consisted of a .500 batting average, seven doubles, four triples, four homers and 38 RBI. She finished with a .368 batting average, four home runs, 15 RBI, six doubles and two doubles following her sophomore year. The Vikings went 19-2 in both of those seasons, combining for a 38-4 record.
Brunson received multiple accolades after both her freshman and sophomore year, including 4A First Team All-State (freshman), Cover 3 Athletics First Team All-Section (freshman/sophomore) and Tribune Review Terrific 10 All-County First Team (freshman/sophomore). She was named a team captain her sophomore year, as well as a 4A Preseason All-WPIAL recipient and a team captain junior year before the sudden halt of her season due to COVID-19.
Brunson is a member of the National Honor Society and Mount Pleasant Area High School gifted program. She played varsity basketball for three years, lettering in two and played and lettered in varsity tennis for two seasons. Brunson has played four years on the Beverly Bandits Club Team from 2017 to present. She was named No. 59 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking list.
"Haylie is a natural corner infielder and left-handed hitter who gives us that left-handed power presence that our line-up needs," stated Hermanek. "She's got great zone control and a strong eye. Defensively, Haylie will step in to primarily train as a corner, however, she is also a great outfielder. She has the attributes of a Panther as she's passionate about the weight room, setting goals and beating them, and she's is a great person and teammate."
Griggs attends Perrysburg High School (D1) where she is a right handed third baseman/utility player of the Yellow Jackets. Griggs recorded a .374 batting average with nine steals and seven home runs, which both lead the team. She totaled 48 runs scored, breaking the Perrysburg single-season school record. The stats after her sophomore season were just as impressive, batting .416 as a leadoff hitter with nine stolen bases and a team-best 10 home runs. Her 10 homers also broke the school single-season record.
Griggs earned First Team All-League NLL at the conclusion of both freshman and sophomore seasons. Her team won the OHSAA Sectional Championship (freshman/sophomore), OHSAA District Championship (freshman/sophomore) and won the OHSAA Regional Championship her freshman year while Perrysburg was named runner-up her sophomore year. The Yellow Jackets finished 30-3 her freshman season, making the state semifinals while the team finished 21-8 the next season.
Griggs is a four-year varsity letter winner in basketball, receiving a plethora of accolades including All-State Honorable Mention, First Team All-District (7) and First Team All-League her sophomore and junior years. Griggs played club ball for Michigan Finesse (2017-18), Beverly Bandits Demarini – Moran (2018-19), Beverly Bandits Demarini – Dorsey (2019-20) and currently plays for Beverly Bandits Premier – Conroy/Skeens. She was named No. 126 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 1 national ranking list.
"Kylie plays the kind of third base that fits our Panther system; with quick feet, a quick transfer, arm speed and tenacity," Hermanek states. "She's got the mindset and athleticism to play a corner at this level. Her athleticism shows in her range and quick play on short-game. Kylie is versatile as she plays a strong outfield too. Offensively, she is going to compete with power and speed and will steal bases and score runs. Griggs already lives the lifestyle of an athlete through her discipline in nutrition and training, and her the off the field skills align with our values as a team."
Johnson hails from Saint Joseph Academy D1) in Cleveland, Ohio, where she is a left handed pitcher. Johnson was a sectional champion her freshman year after the Jaguars went 17-11. Her sophomore year was a record breaker for her and SJA, as she broke three school records, including most wins as a pitcher in a single-season (19), most strikeouts in a season (279) and lowest ERA in a season (1.03). SJA broke the all-time win record for a season with a 21-6 mark, as Johnson accounted for 90% of those wins as the winning pitcher. Johnson and her teammates won the conference and sectional championship that year and earned district runner-up.
Johnson was named Honorable Mention All-District and Team MVP her freshman year and NFCA National Player of the Week, All-County First Team, County Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-District, Second Team-All State, First Team All-Conference, Conference Pitcher of the Year and Team MVP following her sophomore season.
Johnson is a member of the National Honors Society and is a member of the Engineering and Design Honors Program at SJA. She is a certified athletic training student aid and the debate club president. Johnson used to fight competitively in kickboxing, holding multiple state and national titles and competed for Team USA at the World Kickboxing Championships, earning a bronze medal. She played club ball for the Ohio Lasers Gold (2016-20) and currently plays for PA Strikers National Team 18u Hayes. She was named No. 41 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking list.
"I am so excited to have Maya in our Pitt family," said Hermanek. "She fits in with what we are building in our locker room and bullpen culture. Maya is a hard throwing left-handed pitcher that is going to compete even harder in the circle. She's got a great arsenal of pitches with great break, changes speeds, and is an intelligent pitcher. Combine that with her mind-set, goal setting and work ethic; I have big visions for her career."
Right handed catcher Ramirez comes from Doral Academy Prep School (7A) in Doral, Fla. In 26 games her freshman year, Ramirez batted .397 with six homers and a slugging percentage of .706. Sophomore year, she hit for .364 with seven homeruns, drew 19 walks and recorded a .742 slugging percentage in 27 games. Ramirez had a hot start to her junior campaign before COVID-19 shut it down, as she batted .524 with six homeruns, seven walks and a 1.428 slugging percentage in eight games. Ramirez was a district champ in both full seasons and a regional champion and state tournament final four team her sophomore year.
Ramirez was named Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Miami-Dade County her freshman year, while receiving MVP, First Team All-Miami Dade County and First Team All-State Florida following her sophomore year. She played in her first varsity softball game as a sixth grader and played JV basketball as an eighth grader. Ramirez played club ball for New Jersey Intensity 16u BOD and New Jersey Intensity 18u KOD Premier. She is ranked 50th in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking and ranked the 16th catcher in the country by Extra Inning Softball's 2021 position rankings.
"I'm grateful that Amanda Ramirez is a Pitt Panther," stated Hermanek. She will swing a big bat for our offense. I believe Amanda is going to make noise in the ACC's offensive power stats. Her mindset is homeruns and power and that's where our offense is going. I'm excited that I get to work Amanda's character in the bullpen every day. She's the type of catcher that will manage our pitching staff with her comradery and skill. She is a swag power player on the field, but off the field she's an intellect who has so many creative talents."
"These ladies are talented and intelligent and their excitement to be the Panthers' incoming Class of 2021 is what it's all about for this staff," said Hermanek. "Their passion for the game and being a Panther is not only added value for our program on the field, but even more, in the locker room and off the field. My personal goals for this class are big and I anticipate a lot of success in our program with these athletes.
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Kendall Brown (Phoenixville, Pa.), Haylie Brunson (Mount Pleasant, Pa.), Kylie Griggs (Perrysburg, Ohio), Maya Johnson (Columbia Station, Ohio) and Amanda "Tuta" Ramirez (Miami, Fla.) all signed to join the Panthers next season.
"I'm very proud of this class of young women and I am so humbled that they chose the Panther family," said head coach Jodi Hermanek. "What's special about this group of athletes is that they each value their education equally to their athletic passion, and in so many ways, they match the core values and character values we have in our program."
The Pitt softball ?? family adds another! Welcome, Kendall ??
— Pitt Softball (@Pitt_SB) November 11, 2020
?? Phoenixville, Pa.
?? Phoenixville HS
Pos. - Pitcher/1B
Another lefty to add to our depth in the circle and at first base ????#H2P | #NLISigningDay pic.twitter.com/sIN62tLnma
Brown, who attends Phoenixville High School, is one of three lefties in the class of 2021. Brown is a pitcher who also sees time at first base. She batted .449 with 22 hits, two homeruns, 15 RBI and recorded 61 strikeouts her freshman year. Brown hit. 380 with 19 hits, eight homeruns and 21 RBI to go along with 119 strikeouts and a 3.64 ERA sophomore year. Her homerun count tied for second in the state of Pennsylvania (5A) and the 119 strikeouts tied for sixth. Brown also finished fourth in the state with a 1.060 slugging percentage.
Brown was named an All-PAC Frontier First Team Pitcher, All-State Second Team utility player, All-Area Second Team utility player and Carpenter Cup Chester County All-Star Team player going into her junior season. Brown is also a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She played club ball for Sting Fastpitch from 2012-17 and PA Chaos from 2017-20. She was named No. 93 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking list.
"Our staff feels very lucky to add Kendall to our Panther family," said Hermanek. "Kendall is going to contribute in multiple ways. She's a natural lefty who swings a powerful bat, adding to the growth of lefties in our roster. Kendall is a pitcher and a first baseman, so her versatility is an asset to our roster. Her spin and pitch break in her pitching arsenal is one-of-a-kind on our pitching staff, which will make our staff depth dynamic and deep. Being a Panther means a lot to Kendall, with her sister a junior at Pitt, this is Kendall's second home."
Welcome to the Steel City, @hayliebrunson22 ??
— Pitt Softball (@Pitt_SB) November 11, 2020
?? Mount Pleasant, Pa.
?? Mount Pleasant Area HS
Pos. - INF/OF
Pitt adds a lefty bat who can play anywhere on the field ??#H2P | #NLISigningDay pic.twitter.com/B24sPIVxMs
Brunson, a product of Mount Pleasant Area High School (4A), is a utility player who bats left and throws right. Brunson's freshman season consisted of a .500 batting average, seven doubles, four triples, four homers and 38 RBI. She finished with a .368 batting average, four home runs, 15 RBI, six doubles and two doubles following her sophomore year. The Vikings went 19-2 in both of those seasons, combining for a 38-4 record.
Brunson received multiple accolades after both her freshman and sophomore year, including 4A First Team All-State (freshman), Cover 3 Athletics First Team All-Section (freshman/sophomore) and Tribune Review Terrific 10 All-County First Team (freshman/sophomore). She was named a team captain her sophomore year, as well as a 4A Preseason All-WPIAL recipient and a team captain junior year before the sudden halt of her season due to COVID-19.
Brunson is a member of the National Honor Society and Mount Pleasant Area High School gifted program. She played varsity basketball for three years, lettering in two and played and lettered in varsity tennis for two seasons. Brunson has played four years on the Beverly Bandits Club Team from 2017 to present. She was named No. 59 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking list.
"Haylie is a natural corner infielder and left-handed hitter who gives us that left-handed power presence that our line-up needs," stated Hermanek. "She's got great zone control and a strong eye. Defensively, Haylie will step in to primarily train as a corner, however, she is also a great outfielder. She has the attributes of a Panther as she's passionate about the weight room, setting goals and beating them, and she's is a great person and teammate."
The City of Champions adds another!
— Pitt Softball (@Pitt_SB) November 11, 2020
Welcome to Pitt, @kyliegriggs20! ????
?? Perrysburg, Ohio
?? Perrysburg HS
Pos. - 3B/Utility
Pitt adds an athletic third baseman with versatility to play the outfield also ??#H2P | #NLISigningDay pic.twitter.com/N0UtpGyyKG
Griggs attends Perrysburg High School (D1) where she is a right handed third baseman/utility player of the Yellow Jackets. Griggs recorded a .374 batting average with nine steals and seven home runs, which both lead the team. She totaled 48 runs scored, breaking the Perrysburg single-season school record. The stats after her sophomore season were just as impressive, batting .416 as a leadoff hitter with nine stolen bases and a team-best 10 home runs. Her 10 homers also broke the school single-season record.
Griggs earned First Team All-League NLL at the conclusion of both freshman and sophomore seasons. Her team won the OHSAA Sectional Championship (freshman/sophomore), OHSAA District Championship (freshman/sophomore) and won the OHSAA Regional Championship her freshman year while Perrysburg was named runner-up her sophomore year. The Yellow Jackets finished 30-3 her freshman season, making the state semifinals while the team finished 21-8 the next season.
Griggs is a four-year varsity letter winner in basketball, receiving a plethora of accolades including All-State Honorable Mention, First Team All-District (7) and First Team All-League her sophomore and junior years. Griggs played club ball for Michigan Finesse (2017-18), Beverly Bandits Demarini – Moran (2018-19), Beverly Bandits Demarini – Dorsey (2019-20) and currently plays for Beverly Bandits Premier – Conroy/Skeens. She was named No. 126 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 1 national ranking list.
"Kylie plays the kind of third base that fits our Panther system; with quick feet, a quick transfer, arm speed and tenacity," Hermanek states. "She's got the mindset and athleticism to play a corner at this level. Her athleticism shows in her range and quick play on short-game. Kylie is versatile as she plays a strong outfield too. Offensively, she is going to compete with power and speed and will steal bases and score runs. Griggs already lives the lifestyle of an athlete through her discipline in nutrition and training, and her the off the field skills align with our values as a team."
Welcome to the Pitt family, @MayaJohnson_SJA ?? ????
— Pitt Softball (@Pitt_SB) November 11, 2020
?? Columbia Station, Ohio
?? Saint Joseph Academy
Pos. - Pitcher
The Panthers add a left-handed pitcher to the rotation ?? #H2P | #NLISigningDay pic.twitter.com/WHGmwKDjd0
Johnson hails from Saint Joseph Academy D1) in Cleveland, Ohio, where she is a left handed pitcher. Johnson was a sectional champion her freshman year after the Jaguars went 17-11. Her sophomore year was a record breaker for her and SJA, as she broke three school records, including most wins as a pitcher in a single-season (19), most strikeouts in a season (279) and lowest ERA in a season (1.03). SJA broke the all-time win record for a season with a 21-6 mark, as Johnson accounted for 90% of those wins as the winning pitcher. Johnson and her teammates won the conference and sectional championship that year and earned district runner-up.
Johnson was named Honorable Mention All-District and Team MVP her freshman year and NFCA National Player of the Week, All-County First Team, County Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-District, Second Team-All State, First Team All-Conference, Conference Pitcher of the Year and Team MVP following her sophomore season.
Johnson is a member of the National Honors Society and is a member of the Engineering and Design Honors Program at SJA. She is a certified athletic training student aid and the debate club president. Johnson used to fight competitively in kickboxing, holding multiple state and national titles and competed for Team USA at the World Kickboxing Championships, earning a bronze medal. She played club ball for the Ohio Lasers Gold (2016-20) and currently plays for PA Strikers National Team 18u Hayes. She was named No. 41 in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking list.
"I am so excited to have Maya in our Pitt family," said Hermanek. "She fits in with what we are building in our locker room and bullpen culture. Maya is a hard throwing left-handed pitcher that is going to compete even harder in the circle. She's got a great arsenal of pitches with great break, changes speeds, and is an intelligent pitcher. Combine that with her mind-set, goal setting and work ethic; I have big visions for her career."
It's official!! ??
— Pitt Softball (@Pitt_SB) November 11, 2020
Welcome to the Burgh, Amanda??
?? Miami, Fla.
?? Doral Academy Prep
Pos. - Catcher
Amanda "Tuta" Ramirez is officially a Panther ????#H2P | #NLISigningDay pic.twitter.com/bxxMfh40hI
Right handed catcher Ramirez comes from Doral Academy Prep School (7A) in Doral, Fla. In 26 games her freshman year, Ramirez batted .397 with six homers and a slugging percentage of .706. Sophomore year, she hit for .364 with seven homeruns, drew 19 walks and recorded a .742 slugging percentage in 27 games. Ramirez had a hot start to her junior campaign before COVID-19 shut it down, as she batted .524 with six homeruns, seven walks and a 1.428 slugging percentage in eight games. Ramirez was a district champ in both full seasons and a regional champion and state tournament final four team her sophomore year.
Ramirez was named Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Miami-Dade County her freshman year, while receiving MVP, First Team All-Miami Dade County and First Team All-State Florida following her sophomore year. She played in her first varsity softball game as a sixth grader and played JV basketball as an eighth grader. Ramirez played club ball for New Jersey Intensity 16u BOD and New Jersey Intensity 18u KOD Premier. She is ranked 50th in Extra Inning Softball's Class of 2021 Extra Elite 100 national ranking and ranked the 16th catcher in the country by Extra Inning Softball's 2021 position rankings.
"I'm grateful that Amanda Ramirez is a Pitt Panther," stated Hermanek. She will swing a big bat for our offense. I believe Amanda is going to make noise in the ACC's offensive power stats. Her mindset is homeruns and power and that's where our offense is going. I'm excited that I get to work Amanda's character in the bullpen every day. She's the type of catcher that will manage our pitching staff with her comradery and skill. She is a swag power player on the field, but off the field she's an intellect who has so many creative talents."
"These ladies are talented and intelligent and their excitement to be the Panthers' incoming Class of 2021 is what it's all about for this staff," said Hermanek. "Their passion for the game and being a Panther is not only added value for our program on the field, but even more, in the locker room and off the field. My personal goals for this class are big and I anticipate a lot of success in our program with these athletes.
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