November 09, 2005
The Aggie softball team signed five athletes to national letters of intent, head coach Jo Evans announced Wednesday.
"This is a very solid recruiting class," commented Evans. "With this class, we add speed to our line-up, some more power at the plate and overall athleticism to our team. This group of athletes will help us continue to compete at the national level and will contribute to our overall goal of 'Building Champions' and winning championships.
Joining the defending 2005 Big 12 Champions for the 2006-2007 season will be Mandy Gegen (Houston, Texas), Macie Morrow (Missouri City, Texas), Alex Reynolds (Tomball, Texas), Bailey Schroeder (College Station, Texas) and Emily Shadow (Bellville, Texas).
 Mandy Gegen  Macie Morrow  Alex Reynolds  Bailey Schroeder  Emily Shadow |
Gegen, who can play both infield and outfield, was a 2003 TAPPS 5A 1st Team All- District, 2nd Team All-State and 1st Team All-State Tournament selection. In 2004 she repeated the honors, however improving her All-State selection to 1st Team. Gegen was honored as a member of the 2005 Houston Chronicle Pre-Season All Greater Houston 2nd Team, the only player from TAPPS (Texas Association of Parochial & Private Schools) to be selected. She went on to be selected to the 2005 TAPPS 6A 1st Teams for All-District, State and State Tournament. Academically, in April of 2005, Gegen received an award for Excellence in Video Production. She is a member of the Cy-Fair Intruders "Gold" team, which qualified and participated in the AFA Gold Nationals in Beaumont, Texas and the ASA Gold Nationals in Salinas, Cali. Gegen was elected by her coaches to be the Team Captain for the 05/06 season.
"Mandy is a versatile athlete who can help us in the infield and outfield," Evans stated. "She has good game sense and will give us depth in the middle infield. She is aggressive at the plate and is very competitive."
Morrow an infielder/outfielder, was a high school 1st Team All-American in 2005. She was the 1st Team 20-5A All-District CO-MVP. Morrow was a member of the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coach's Association) All-State Team in 2004 and 2005; she was also a 1st Team 20-5A All-District selection in 2003 and 2004. Morrow lead All-Greater Houston in stolen bases in 2004 (34) and garnered the highest batting average in 2005 (.622). She was her softball team MVP in 2004 and 2005. Morrow was a member of the Magic 14U ASA 2001 and 2002 State Champion team. In 2003 Magic Gold was the Region 7 Champs and placed 9th nationally. Outside of softball, Morrow participates as a member of the varsity basketball team, where she earned 2nd Team All-District honors in 2004 and 2005 and in the YES community service projects. Morrow was also named Psychology Student of the Year in 2005.
"Macie is a very gifted athlete," continued Evans. "She will add great speed to our line-up. She is capable of playing infield and outfield and will be a base stealing threat. Macie hits from the left side and has the ability to bunt for a base hit or drive the ball with power."
Reynolds comes to A&M as a first and third baseman that can enter the circle when needed. As junior in 2005, Reynolds was a 2nd Team Infield NFCA All-American selection. She was a member of the NFCA All-South Central Region 1st Team at first- base. Reynolds was also selected to the 1st Teams for All-Great Houston and All-District as an infielder. Her team was a state semifinalist in 2005, a finalist in 2004 and a regional finalist in 2003. In her sophomore year, Reynolds was selected to the 1st Team NFCA All-South Central Region for first-base. She was also a member of the 5A All-State Tournament Team. Reynolds held 1st Team 16-5A All-District and 2nd Team All-Greater Houston honors for the infield. During her stint as a freshman, Reynolds was named to the District 16-5A Honorable Mention Team. She's played on several select teams, including The Texas Peppers 10U/12U from 1997-2001, Team Texas 14U in 2001, Team Texas 18U in 2002, Spring Klein Sudden Impact 18U Gold in 2003 and 2004 and Spring Klein Impact 18U Gold in 2005.
"Alex is a very good hitter and is versatile on defense," Evans mentioned. "She has the ability to play first-base, third-base, and she is also a pitcher. Alex is a hard worker and very competitive on the field and easy going off the field."
Schroeder joins the Aggie softball team as an outfielder. She was the Co-MVP as a junior and a 1st Team All-District selection for the outfield in 2004 and 2005. As a sophomore in 2004, Schroeder was named to the All-Brazos Valley "Diamond Dozen" team. All three years in high school have found Schroeder earning the varsity softball "Sportsmanship" award. She's racked up seven varsity letters in three different sports: four in softball, two in volleyball and one in basketball. Off the court and field, Schroeder is a member of the National Honor Society, St. Thomas Aquinas Youth group and is a 2005 graduate of the Leadership Brazos Program. Schroeder was also elected the 2005 Homecoming Queen for A&M Consolidated High School.
"We are happy to add another local athlete to our squad," Evans noted. "Bailey will add depth to our outfield and help increase our team speed. Bailey has great work ethic, is the consummate team player and will be a great addition to our team."
Shadow will step into the circle for the Aggies in the 2007 season. Before moving to Texas, her senior year, Shadow was 2003 and 2004 Colorado Player of the Year. The Rocky Mountain News named her as one of the 2004 Best of the Best 5A Colorado Pitchers. She was a member of the 2003 and 2004 Colorado All-Star Team. In 2004, she was the All-Star MVP. While attending Ponderosa High School, Shadow was the captain and earned three varsity letters in softball and an additional three in athletic training. Outside of softball, Shadow participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was a representative for the organization in 2003. From 2003-2004 she was a Young Life leader for middle school students and she also took part in the International Thespian Society. Before joining the No. 1 ranked Texas Impact Gold in 2005, Shadow was a member of the Colorado Commotion which placed 2nd in the USSSA Nationals in 2004 and was awarded USSSA Nationals Best Sportsmanship Team. The Commotion was also the Colorado Team of the Year in 2003.
"Emily is a left handed pitcher and will add depth to our pitching staff," said Evans. "It will be nice to have a lefty on our staff and she will do a nice job of complementing our other pitchers. Emily also plays first-base."
The 2006 season marks Coach Evans' 10th season at the helm of Aggie softball. She will return 11 letterwinners, three starting pitchers and five position starters that made a fourth consecutive post-season appearance.
The Aggies will play their first home games of the 2006 season on February 15th against UT-San Antonio. The first game of the doubleheader will start at 3:00 p.m. with the second game set to start at 5:00 p.m. For a complete softball game-schedule visit www.AggieAthletics.com.
2005-06 SOFTBALL SIGNING CLASS (5)
| Name | Ht. | Cl. | Pos. | B-T | Hometown (Current School) |
| Mandy Gegen | 5-4 | Fr. | INF | R-R | Houston, Texas (St. Agnes) |
| Macie Morrow | 5-8 | Fr. | INF/OF | L-R | Sugar Land, Texas (Clements) |
| Alex Reynolds | 5-8 | Fr. | INF/P | R-R | Tomball, Texas (Tomball) |
| Bailey Schroeder | 5-4 | Fr. | OF | R-R | College Station, Texas (A&M Consolidated) |
| Emily Shadow | 6-0 | Fr. | P | L-L | Bellville, Texas (Bellville) |