Hermanek Adds Three to 2022 Class
11/9/2021 9:54:00 PM | Softball
PITTSBURGH – Softball Head Coach Jodi Hermanek added three to the signing class of 2022 on National Letter of Intent Day.
The three players include Shelby Frazier (Cypress, Texas), Macy Hamilton (Mansfield, Texas) and Sandra Soltes (Bethel Park, Pa.).
"First, I want to congratulate these three young ladies and welcome them and their families to our Panther Family," said Hermanek. "The class of 2022 is representative of a Pitt Panther in every way; first-class character, invested academically and playing the game with passion."
Shelby Frazier | Cypress, Texas | Bridgeland H.S. | Infielder
Frazier, a middle infielder attending Bridgeland High School, has compiled a career .388 batting average in 60 varsity games played. She has totaled 51 hits and 43 RBI with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs and 19 stolen bases in two seasons at the varsity level. She compiled a .429 batting average and a 1.167 OPS her sophomore year.
Frazier helped lead the Bears to the fourth round of the Texas 16-6A state playoffs – Texas' third largest school district – a season ago. She batted .667 with a 1.000 fielding percentage during their postseason run. She is a member of the Texas Bombers Gold Academy Team, aiding them to multiple top finishes and rankings including the No. 1 ranking in the nation per NPS (2019), first place in both the 2019 Colorado Sparkler Power Pool and Kansas City World Fastpitch Championship Power Pool. Since the spring of 2020, Frazier has displayed her power with 33 home runs to date in travel ball.
Among her softball accolades, Frazier was a Second Team All-District Basketball player and led the team in rebounds and steals as a freshman. She also competed in track and field in eighth grade, competing in the 4x200 relay, 200m and high jump and placing in all three events in the second largest school district in Texas. Frazier has also been on the Honor Roll every year since sixth grade and was selected to take the SAT in seventh grade by Duke University.
"Shelby is an extraordinary athlete; she's a smooth middle infielder and powerful hitter," said Hermanek. "The passion she plays with, her love for the game and her dedication to raising the bar for herself are all reasons why our staff knows she is the right fit for the Panthers. She comes from one of the top organizations in the country in the Texas Bombers, and coached by some of the best coaches in James Burgess and Kristi Malpass that have helped guide her to this moment."
Macy Hamilton | Mansfield, Texas | Mansfield H.S. | Outfield
An outfielder attending Mansfield High School, Hamilton has helped lead the Tigers to three winning seasons at the varsity level. Freshman year, Mansfield were crowned Bi-District Champions and owned a 24-9 overall record. Hamilton bated .347 that year with an OPS of .772. Following a COVID shortened season her sophomore year where her team finished 12-7-1, she aided the Tigers to another Bi-District Championship and a 25-10-1 record junior year. She batted .426 during the regular season and .600 during their playoff run with an OPS of .886.
Her on field statistics have awarded her multiple accolades, including Second Team All-District and Academic All-District junior year while also being named a finalist for USA Today Southeast Tarrant County Player of the Year. She was also named to the Dallas Ft. Worth Fastpitch softball All-Metroplex Team a season ago and Academic All-District freshman year.
Hamilton currently plays club for the PA Strikers 18U squad, where she was ranked #86 in the country and #46 outfielder in the country by ExtraInningsSoftball. She played for Impact Gold Middlebrook 18U as a sophomore, helping win the Under Armour Southwest Championship while earning runner-up in TCS Southwest Summer Nationals. Hamilton has also played for Blaze United 14U and Texas Travelers 12U.
Hamilton is a National Honor Society member who is also a part of her high school's Athletic Leadership Council.
"Macy is a spark of personality and athletic tenacity," said Hermanek. "Competing on the left side of the plate, she balances our offensive line-up to make us more dynamic and we like how she competes with speed and aggression on the bases. She's a natural outfield who's going to leave her feet and make that awesome play for us in the field. Macy has so much pride in Pitt and has already shown how great of an ambassador she is and will be for the Panthers."
Sandra Soltes | Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park H.S. | Catcher
A local high school standout catcher, Soltes and the Bethel Park Blackhawks have endured great success on the softball field. Her team finished with a record of 15-3 freshman season and won the sectional championship, with Soltes batting .446 with 12 extra base hits (8 doubles and 4 triples) and 22 RBI that year. She followed that up with a .556 batting average, eight home runs, three doubles and 30 RBI en-route to an 18-1 record and a 6A WPIAL Championship junior year.
Soltes' junior year honors include 6A First Team All-State (catcher), 6A First Team All-Conference (catcher), Post-Gazette All-Area Team, Trib HSSN All-Star Team and Cover 3 Athletics First Team All-WPIAL. She also earned the ranking of #98 among players in the 2022 class. Soltes also was named 6A Second Team All-Conference as a second baseman freshman year. She played two years for the PA Strikers National (Hayes), earning 17th at PGF Nationals and four years with Ohio Lasers Gold and finishing runner-up at USA Softball Nationals.
Soltes is a high honor student who took fifth-place at the DECA state competition.
"How cool is it for Sandra to represent her hometown and live out her dreams with us," said Hermanek. "There is no place this athlete would rather be and we are thankful she chose Pitt. She's a sound catcher, a great defender and smooth with the arm. I have seen her offense grow through high school to a place where we see her making an impact in our line-up and it's huge that she has a year experience playing with Macy [Hamilton] on the PA Strikers, a nationally competitive organization."
Pitt's 2022 regular season schedule will be announced later this fall.
The three players include Shelby Frazier (Cypress, Texas), Macy Hamilton (Mansfield, Texas) and Sandra Soltes (Bethel Park, Pa.).
"First, I want to congratulate these three young ladies and welcome them and their families to our Panther Family," said Hermanek. "The class of 2022 is representative of a Pitt Panther in every way; first-class character, invested academically and playing the game with passion."
Shelby Frazier | Cypress, Texas | Bridgeland H.S. | Infielder
Frazier, a middle infielder attending Bridgeland High School, has compiled a career .388 batting average in 60 varsity games played. She has totaled 51 hits and 43 RBI with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs and 19 stolen bases in two seasons at the varsity level. She compiled a .429 batting average and a 1.167 OPS her sophomore year.
Frazier helped lead the Bears to the fourth round of the Texas 16-6A state playoffs – Texas' third largest school district – a season ago. She batted .667 with a 1.000 fielding percentage during their postseason run. She is a member of the Texas Bombers Gold Academy Team, aiding them to multiple top finishes and rankings including the No. 1 ranking in the nation per NPS (2019), first place in both the 2019 Colorado Sparkler Power Pool and Kansas City World Fastpitch Championship Power Pool. Since the spring of 2020, Frazier has displayed her power with 33 home runs to date in travel ball.
Among her softball accolades, Frazier was a Second Team All-District Basketball player and led the team in rebounds and steals as a freshman. She also competed in track and field in eighth grade, competing in the 4x200 relay, 200m and high jump and placing in all three events in the second largest school district in Texas. Frazier has also been on the Honor Roll every year since sixth grade and was selected to take the SAT in seventh grade by Duke University.
"Shelby is an extraordinary athlete; she's a smooth middle infielder and powerful hitter," said Hermanek. "The passion she plays with, her love for the game and her dedication to raising the bar for herself are all reasons why our staff knows she is the right fit for the Panthers. She comes from one of the top organizations in the country in the Texas Bombers, and coached by some of the best coaches in James Burgess and Kristi Malpass that have helped guide her to this moment."
Macy Hamilton | Mansfield, Texas | Mansfield H.S. | Outfield
An outfielder attending Mansfield High School, Hamilton has helped lead the Tigers to three winning seasons at the varsity level. Freshman year, Mansfield were crowned Bi-District Champions and owned a 24-9 overall record. Hamilton bated .347 that year with an OPS of .772. Following a COVID shortened season her sophomore year where her team finished 12-7-1, she aided the Tigers to another Bi-District Championship and a 25-10-1 record junior year. She batted .426 during the regular season and .600 during their playoff run with an OPS of .886.
Her on field statistics have awarded her multiple accolades, including Second Team All-District and Academic All-District junior year while also being named a finalist for USA Today Southeast Tarrant County Player of the Year. She was also named to the Dallas Ft. Worth Fastpitch softball All-Metroplex Team a season ago and Academic All-District freshman year.
Hamilton currently plays club for the PA Strikers 18U squad, where she was ranked #86 in the country and #46 outfielder in the country by ExtraInningsSoftball. She played for Impact Gold Middlebrook 18U as a sophomore, helping win the Under Armour Southwest Championship while earning runner-up in TCS Southwest Summer Nationals. Hamilton has also played for Blaze United 14U and Texas Travelers 12U.
Hamilton is a National Honor Society member who is also a part of her high school's Athletic Leadership Council.
"Macy is a spark of personality and athletic tenacity," said Hermanek. "Competing on the left side of the plate, she balances our offensive line-up to make us more dynamic and we like how she competes with speed and aggression on the bases. She's a natural outfield who's going to leave her feet and make that awesome play for us in the field. Macy has so much pride in Pitt and has already shown how great of an ambassador she is and will be for the Panthers."
Sandra Soltes | Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park H.S. | Catcher
A local high school standout catcher, Soltes and the Bethel Park Blackhawks have endured great success on the softball field. Her team finished with a record of 15-3 freshman season and won the sectional championship, with Soltes batting .446 with 12 extra base hits (8 doubles and 4 triples) and 22 RBI that year. She followed that up with a .556 batting average, eight home runs, three doubles and 30 RBI en-route to an 18-1 record and a 6A WPIAL Championship junior year.
Soltes' junior year honors include 6A First Team All-State (catcher), 6A First Team All-Conference (catcher), Post-Gazette All-Area Team, Trib HSSN All-Star Team and Cover 3 Athletics First Team All-WPIAL. She also earned the ranking of #98 among players in the 2022 class. Soltes also was named 6A Second Team All-Conference as a second baseman freshman year. She played two years for the PA Strikers National (Hayes), earning 17th at PGF Nationals and four years with Ohio Lasers Gold and finishing runner-up at USA Softball Nationals.
Soltes is a high honor student who took fifth-place at the DECA state competition.
"How cool is it for Sandra to represent her hometown and live out her dreams with us," said Hermanek. "There is no place this athlete would rather be and we are thankful she chose Pitt. She's a sound catcher, a great defender and smooth with the arm. I have seen her offense grow through high school to a place where we see her making an impact in our line-up and it's huge that she has a year experience playing with Macy [Hamilton] on the PA Strikers, a nationally competitive organization."
Pitt's 2022 regular season schedule will be announced later this fall.
Highlights | Pitt vs. Virginia Tech
Friday, April 18
Highlights | Pitt at Penn State
Tuesday, April 15
Highlights | Pitt vs. Duke
Saturday, April 12
Cami Compson Home Run Highlight
Tuesday, May 21