Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Softball inks four athletes for freshman class of 2011
11/11/2009 | 12:00:00 | Softball
Nov. 11, 2009
By Beth Miller
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois softball team signed four players for the 2011 season, head coach Kerri Blaylock announced Wednesday. The Salukis will welcome Kelsea Ashton, Taylor Orsburn, Jayna Spivey and Allie VadeBoncouer as four new additions to the team.
"We are very excited about our 2010 recruiting class and are fortunate to keep three very good local players at home, while adding an elite player from Northern Illinois," Blaylock. "We feel that we have addressed some of our needs and are working to replace some great players that will be graduating. All four of these young ladies were highly recruited and we feel very fortunate that they chose SIU to continue their careers."
Kelsea Ashton, of Carterville, Ill., is one of four signees for the Salukis. As a sophomore Asthon was third-team All-State, All-South and All-Conference posting a batting average of .411. She went 51-for-124 at the plate for the Lions, recording 51 runs, 13 doubles and 19 RBI. Last season Ashton was named second-team All-State, All-South and All-Conference batting .398, going 37-for-93 with 16 RBI and 29 runs scored.
"Kelsea is an athlete that grew up around Saluki softball," Blaylock said. "She has had great success at the high school level and has elevated her game this past summer. We look for Kelsea to be a true utility player for us, she can play anywhere on the field. She has very good softball skills and we look forward to using her athleticism."
Taylor Orsburn, a native of Cobden, Ill., will join the Salukis as an infielder after helping her team to back-to-back state championships the past two seasons. Orsburn led the Appleknockers in hitting all three years recording a .505 batting average. She has tallied 33 RBI and 16 doubles throughout her career, posting a 17-1 pitching record in 2009 with 144 strikeouts.
Orsburn is a two-time Southern Illinois Player of the Year as well as two-time first-team All-State. In addition, she was named All-South and first-team All-Conference on three occasions. Orsburn previously played for the Southern Express Organization and is a current member of the Midland Magic Gold.
"Taylor has been around Saluki softball since she was very little," Blaylock said. "She was a camper at a very young age and has grown and matured to become a very good softball player. We are glad that we could keep a Southern Illinois Player of the Year at home."
Jayna Spivey, of nearby Rosiclare, also signed with the Salukis for the 2011 season. Spivey carried a .450 batting average with 38 RBI as a sophomore, where she played at Johnston City High School. In 115 putouts for the Indians, she only committed one error, helping to her team to a 33-3 overall record for the regional and conference title.
Spivey has also played second base for Southern Force, an elite travel softball program, for the past three years. In 2007, Spivey helped the Force finish as the National Champion Runner-Up at the 16 and under ASA Nationals. Over the past three seasons of travel ball, Spivey has helped her team post a 42-5 overall record. She has compiled at batting average of .338.
"Jayna is a winner and she has played at an elite level since she was 13 years old," Blaylock said. "She is not large in stature, but does carry a big bat. She will play second base for us and provide gap power at the plate."
The final signee, Allie VadeBoncouer comes to SIU from Kankakee, Ill. where she has been named Most Valuable Player all three years of varsity play. She garnered All-Conference honors three seasons in a row and earned second-team All-State as a freshman while being named First-Team All-State as a sophomore and junior.
In three years, VadeBoncouer posted a .526 batting average. As a junior, she set the Illinois High School Association all-time record for most doubles in a season with 27. VadeBoncouer also played for the Beverly Bandits, a summer travel team located in Chicago, Ill.
"Allie has played at an elite level during the summer for the past three years and brings great experience with her," Blaylock said. "She can hit with tremendous power but can also hit for average. She is a very smart ballplayer and will give us great depth behind the plate. Allie is very hard nosed and that is what caught my eye the first time I saw her play."
The Southern Illinois softball team is coming off its 13th straight winning season after posting a 33-13 record last season. The Salukis finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 15-7 record, marking the eighth-consecutive season they finished in the top-three in the league.
SIU will begin their season at the Florida International Tournament, Feb. 12-14 in Miami, Fla.
