November 08, 2006
The Aggie softball team signed four athletes to national letters of intent, head coach Jo Evans announced Wednesday.
Joining the Aggies for the 2007-2008 season are Rhiannon Kliesing [KLEE-sing] (Pearland, Texas), Kara Rau (League City, Texas), Kelsey Spittler (Caldwell, Texas) and Natalie Villarreal (Frisco, Texas).
 Rhiannon Kliesing  Kara Rau  Kelsey Spittler  Natalie Villarreal |
"I am very excited about this recruiting class," commented Evans. "We add three left handed hitters, depth on the mound, two base stealers, versatility and all four are great defensive players. This group will battle for starting positions and certainly contribute on and off the field. This is a great group of athletes who have a great concept of team play and who are excited to be Aggies. I look forward to coaching them and to watching them grow as athletes and individuals. They will help us continue our winnings ways and our quest to win championships."
Kliesing will join the Aggies in the circle in '08. Kliesing's junior campaign saw her post a 0.34 ERA that earned her First Team All-Greater Houston and All-District MVP honors. She was named EA Sports First-Team All-American as well as Houston Chronicle Player of the Year and High School Sports Live Ford Athlete of the Year. Kliesing received Louisville Slugger/NFCA first team South Central Region honors in 2005 and 2006 and All-American accolades again in 2006. As a freshman, she was named Pearland High School Gatorade Player of the Year. For her performance at the plate she was voted Newcomer of the Year in her district as well as Brazoria County All-County. Of the field, Kliesing sits in the top 10 percent of her class and is a member of the National Honor Society. For her efforts in the classroom she received academic all-district honors in 2004 and 2005 and was a NFCA All-Academic Scholar-Athlete each year she's been in high school. Kliesing plays summer ball for the Texas Aces Gold out of Sugar Land, Texas.
"Rhi does a good job of keeping hitters off balance and being able to get outs," noted Evans. "She has a great presence on the mound and handles pressure situations with poise. She is one of three left handed hitters we will add to our roster. It's great to add another pitcher to our roster who is capable of pitching, playing first base and hitting."
Rau, who will play infield for the Aggies, was an all-district selection at third base while being named the team's MVP as the varsity co-captain her junior year. Rau was named to the La Porte Tournament All-Tournament team as a freshman in 2004 and again as a sophomore in 2005. For her efforts in her freshman season, Rau also received all-district honors at first base, all-county honorable mention and was named to the Allen Tournament All-Tournament team. She was a recipient of her team's Hustle Award. Rau is actively involved in FFA and FCA at Clear Creek High School. She is captain of her summer team the Houston Mystixx who she has been playing for since 2003.
"Kara is a strong hitter and is a very aggressive third baseman," Evans continued. "We look for Kara to be a utility player for us and would like to see her develop in the catching position. She loves to play the game and will be a nice addition to our program."
Spittler, who will help patrol the Aggie outfield, was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team, as a sophomore as well as being an all-district selection and the district's Offensive MVP. She also earned All-Brazos Valley Dandy Dozen Team. In her freshman season, Spittler was honored bye the Texas Sports Writers Association. She was an all-state selection, the district's Offensive MVP, for a second time, and a member of the All-Brazos Valley Dandy Dozen Team. Spittler plays travel ball for the Houston Power Gold, who's finished seventh at ASA Gold Nationals in Oklahoma City and ninth at the AFA Nationals in Beaumont. She is actively involved in FFA and FCA and is a starter on the varsity basketball team at Caldwell.
"Kelsey is a very good athlete and does a nice job in the outfield," said Evans. "She gets a good read on the ball and has a good arm. It will be nice to add another left handed hitter to our line-up. She is an aggressive base runner with very good speed. Kelsey is a perfect fit for A&M and our softball program."
Villarreal joins the Aggie softball team as an infielder. She was named to the all-state team in 2006 and received district MVP honors. She was also voted by her Frisco teammates as Team MVP, Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP. Natalie was an all-district selection in 2005 as well as a member of the All-DFW team in both 2005 and 2006. As a freshman in 2004, Natalie was named All-District Newcomer of the Year and All-City Team MVP. She also lettered in basketball where she garnered all-district honorable mention honors. She received the Irving High All-Girls Award for her efforts in her freshman and sophomore seasons.
"Natalie is a left handed hitter and infielder," Evans said. "It is very unusual to see a left handed second baseman, but Natalie is one of the best second basemen I have seen in a long time. She is a very consistent, very steady player who handles tough situations with ease."
The 2007 season marks Coach Evans' 11th season at the helm of Aggie softball. She returns a total of 13 letterwinners, and eight starters from last year's squad that made its fifth consecutive post-season appearance.
The Aggies will play their first home game of the 2007 season on February 16th against Arkansas. The first game of the Aggie Classic will start at 2:30 p.m. For a complete softball game-schedule visit www.AggieAthletics.com.
2006-07 SOFTBALL SIGNING CLASS (4)
| Name | Ht. | Cl. | Pos. | B-T | Hometown (Current School) |
| Rhiannon Kliesing | 5-9 | Fr. | RHP/1B | L-R | Pearland, Texas (Pearland) |
| Kara Rau | 5-5 | Fr. | INF | R-R | League City, Texas (Clear Creek) |
| Kelsey Spittler | 5-6 | Fr. | OF | L-L | Caldwell, Texas (Caldwell) |
| Natalie Villarreal | 5-4 | Fr. | INF | L-L | Frisco, Texas (Frisco) |