IPFW Inks Five to National Letters of Intent

Fort Wayne, IN – IPFW head softball coach Amy Tudor has announced the signing of five current high school seniors to National Letters of Intent: Miranda Kramer of Burlington, Iowa; Stephanie Beuther of Chandler, Arizona; Kayti Hanson of Elk River, Minnesota; Danielle Pugh of Columbus, Ohio; and Brooke Shell of Hartford City, Indiana.

“We are very excited and proud to sign these five, talented young ladies,” said Tudor. “All five of them come from great families and have a great work ethic. We are thrilled to add speed with our two slappers, power with our right-handed hitters, and a lefty pitcher who also can hit from the left side to our 2012 class. We expect big things from this class on the field, in the classroom, and in the Fort Wayne community.”

Kramer, a left-handed pitcher from Burlington, Iowa, was named First Team All-State, and the Most Valuable Player of the Mississippi Athletic Conference last season after sporting a 16-7 overall record with a 1.36 ERA. In 159 innings she struck out 207 batters, while allowing just 31 earned runs. She was equally strong at the plate, batting .463 with six home runs, a dozen doubles, and three triples while scoring 20 times and driving in 37. As a sophomore she had a 1.10 ERA, striking out 201 batters in 146.1 innings of work, while hitting five home runs and driving in 38 while batting .358 en route to being named the All-Hawkeye Player of the Year, and 4A Second Team All-State. In the summers she plays for the Southeast Iowa All-Stars.

“In Kramer, we are getting a quality, well-trained pitcher,” said Tudor. “She has great presence on the mound and is used to throwing a lot of innings. She is left-handed that is well-prepared for the next level. She also brings another left-handed hitter to our line-up who is athletic enough to play other positions as well.”

Beuther is a four-year varsity starter at Hamilton High School, playing first base, third base, and outfield. In both her sophomore and junior seasons she was named to the All-Region First Team and Honorable Mention All-State after batting .416 as a sophomore, and .452 last season. She earned Second Team All-Region honors after her freshman season in which she batted .397. She also plays her summer ball with the Arizona Hotshots, who qualified for the ASA/USA Nationals last season.

“We saw Stephanie late in the process, but as soon as we saw her, we knew that we needed to add her to our roster,” said Tudor. “She swings the bat very well and can play first base or outfield. She is a mature kid who has a great work ethic, and who has faced a lot of great pitching which should aid her at the next level.”

Hanson, a middle infielder from Elk River High School, was a key member of the Minnesota State High School Class AAA Championship team. She started at second base during her eighth grade and freshman seasons, and moved to shortstop for her sophomore and junior seasons. She led her team in stolen bases in 2010, and received the team's Golden Glove Award in 2006, 2009, and 2010. She is a 2009 and 2010 All-Conference award winner, and has been selected as a 2011 team captain. During the summers, she is a member of the Minnesota Blizzard, and was named the National World Series of Softball MVP.

“The first time I saw Kayti play, she made a diving play to end the ball game,” said Tudor. “She is gritty, fast, and a clutch player. She will bring speed to our line-up and can play either shortstop or second base.”

Pugh, a catcher/corner infielder from Columbus, Ohio, was named First Team All-League, and Second Team All-District, batting .378 last season. She batted .500 as a sophomore and was named the Columbus Dispatch Player of the Week during the year, and was named First Team All-League as a freshman after batting .402. She also plays her summer softball for Ohio Classics Black.

“Dani is a great size kid who is very athletic,” said Tudor. “She doesn't mind getting dirty and will play anywhere. She catches and plays the corner while adding power to our line up from the right side.”

Shell, an outfielder from Blackford High School, was named to the First Team All-Central Indiana Conference in 2010. She has led her team in stolen bases in her sophomore and junior seasons, and has a career batting average of .423. She was also a member of the Red Chix, which won the 2010 NSA 18U Class A World Series.

“Brooke has good bat control at the plate which is needed for a slapper,” said Tudor. “Brooke first impressed assistant coach Mandee Luers with her slapping abilities, and I got to see her later at our prospect camp. We are excited to sign a quality Indiana kid in this class.”

IPFW kicks off its 2010 season on February 19 when the team travels to Terre Haute, Indiana, to take on the Sycamores of Indiana State University in a three-game series.

~Dons~

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

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