Jonker gets three recruits for 2011 season
The early signing period has proved to be useful to the Central Michigan softball team.
On Tuesday, head coach Margo Jonker announced three players that signed letters of intent to join the program for the 2011 season.
“It’s an excellent class that will continue to push our current players and certainly fight for some starting spots for next year’s team,” Jonker said.
As one sister pair departs with Brittani Merchant’s fourth year of eligibility expiring at the conclusion of the 2011 season, another will take its place.
Chelsea DeLamielleure will join her sister, freshman catcher Corey DeLamielluere, next season. Chelsea pitches and plays the infield at Canton High School.
“The two of them are very close and wanted to play for the same collegiate team,” Jonker said. “Their personalities are very different, but their passions for the game are very similar.”
Chelsea, named team MVP following the 2010 season, was named first-team All-State by both the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News in 2010.
“(Chelsea) pitched in high school, but we don’t anticipate her pitching at (CMU),” Jonker said. “She has good power and is an excellent player.”
The program prides itself on a strong pitching core and will add Sparta native Tricia Graham to that group. Her multiple strong pitches have Jonker excited.
“Tricia Graham is a great pitcher,” Jonker said. “She has excellent ball movement and excellent poise in the circle. I expect she’ll be very effective.”
Graham set all sorts of records at Rockford High School in 2010, including most strikeouts (435), batters faced (934) and wins in a season (29). She earned OK Red All-Conference pitcher honors, and reached the 1,000-strikeout milestone in the same season.
The third player added in the signing period was Canton native CarolAnn Sexauer. The shortstop was named All-District, All-Conference, and All-Observer in 2010 at Canton High School.
“(Sexauer’s) a good-sized athlete who demonstrates being able to make the adjustments to play Division I quickly, and being able to contribute immediately,” Jonker said.
The program relies on its youth and expects big things from those players. Fifteen of the 22 players on the current roster are freshmen or sophomores. Four players are finishing up their last year of eligibility this season.
