Nov. 10, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Five high school seniors signed national letters of intent to play softball at Texas A&M, head coach Jo Evans announced Wednesday.
Sara Mireles (San Antonio, Texas), Lauren Ainsley (LaVernia, Texas), Lauren Bixler-Tamayo (Roanoke, Texas), Brittany Clopton (Montgomery, Texas) and Kayla Klein (Whittier, Cali.) join the Aggies for the 2011-12 season.
"I am pleased with this recruiting class, said Evans. "They are all excited about being an Aggie and they have already engrained themselves into our program. With the addition of three pitchers we solidify ourselves on the mound. Each pitcher is very different from the other, so we have the opportunity to show our opponents several different looks.
"All five student-athletes excel in the classroom and I believe they will be able to make a smooth transition to the next level. They will bring great work ethic and enthusiasm to our program and I look forward to all of them wearing the maroon and white."
Mireles is a two time all-area MVP and garnered a 37-5 win-loss record from the circle in 2010. In her first two years at Canyon High School she threw 25 shutouts, seven no-hitters, and four perfect games. The left-handed pitcher and first base player was the District 26-4A Defensive MVP in 2008, and has been named the District 27-4A MVP for the past two seasons. In 2010 Mireles was named to the Texas Girls' Coaches Association All State Team and received honors as the Texas Sports Writers Association First Team All State pitcher, as well as being named Softball Player of the Year by the San Antonio Express-News. She is a three-time member of the Academic All-District Team and the All-Area Team. Mireles has led her team to two district championships and a Class 4A Texas State Championship. She is a member of the Texas Bombers Gold, who qualified for the ASA Gold Nationals last summer. Mireles posted a 2.81 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 122 innings of work with the team.
"Sara comes from a family of Aggies and we are excited about her joining our program," said Evans. "It will be nice to add a left-handed pitcher to our pitching staff. Sara keeps hitters off balance, has a great change up, and is not afraid to go at hitters. She is a hard worker and will be a good addition to our program."
Ainsley joins the program with three Academic All-District awards. She was named Newcomer of the Year in 2008, and District MVP in 2009 and 2010. Ainsley led the La Vernia High School team to three consecutive district championship titles from the circle and was named Area MVP in 2010. The right-handed pitcher recorded 413 strikeouts in 2010 alone and finished the season with a .47 ERA, ranking among the top three in the state and the top 10 in the nation. She finished her summer season with the Wichita Mustangs tied for 13th at the ASA Gold Nationals, and tied for 17th at the ESPN/Premier National Championship.
"We are excited to have Lauren join our program," said Evans. "We didn't see Lauren pitch until just this past summer and I was impressed with her development throughout the summer and fall." At six feet, she is imposing on the mound. She throws the ball hard and has a very good change up. Lauren has the ability to contribute on the mound and will be a good complement to our other pitchers. She has a very positive attitude and will work hard to be in our rotation."
Bixler-Tamayo is a three-time team captain and Academic All-District selection at Roanoke High School. As a freshman, the first base player was named Newcomer of the Year and District Offensive Player of the Year, an accomplishment she repeated in 2009. She was named to the All-District first team and All-State second team in both 2009 and 2010, and led her team to two district championships and an area championship. In 2009 Bixler-Tamayo was named to the TGCA 5-5A All State Team. Last season she broke the school record for most doubles in a season with 17.
"Lauren will give us another left-handed bat in our line-up, said Evans. "I have been watching Lauren for a couple years and I am very impressed with her presence on the field. She is a leader on the field, very vocal, upbeat, very much a team player. She brings a personality to the game and I know she will bring a lot to our team on and off the field."
Clopton is a three-time TGCA 4A All-State and 18-4A Academic All-District selection. At Montgomery High School she has been named to the All-Greater Houston Area first and second teams. In 2008 Clopton was named the 18-4A District Newcomer of the Year and the All-County Newcomer of the Year. Last summer she led her travel team, the Impact Gold, to a second-place finish at the ESPN/Premier National Championship, and a fourth-place finish at the ASA Gold National Championship. Clopton is currently the Montgomery Dobbin 4-H president, and was selected to Girls State, the First Bank of Conroe Junior Bank Board, and the National Honor Society. She was also nominated for the Rotary Club Leadership Program.
"Brittany has tremendous speed and is a very dynamic player," said Evans. "Brittany is a game changer and a threat to steal at any time. She has great range in the outfield and always plays the game aggressively. I have no doubt she will become a fan favorite and someone who will be fun to watch. She comes from a family of Aggies and bleeds maroon."
Klein has been selected to the All-League first team every year at La Habra High School. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2008 and All Area in 2009 and 2010. She was also named All-California Interscholastic Federation in 2008 and 2009. The right-handed pitcher averages a .80 ERA and was named Team MVP in 2009. For her accomplishments on the field and in the classroom, Klein was named Student Athlete of the Month for June in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Her ASA team, the So. Cal. Firecrackers, was the state champion in 2008 and finished third at the national championships the same year. In 2009 Klein led the Firecrackers to a fifth-place state finish and an eighth-place finish at nationals.
"Kayla has a great presence on the mound," said Evans. She has been competing against some of the nation's best teams and hitters for several years. Kayla comes from a hotbed of softball in Southern California, so the level of competition she will see as an Aggie will come as no surprise. She is very competitive and wants to be in the circle."
Evans is in her 15th season as head coach of Texas A&M softball. The Aggies return 11 letterwinners from the 2009 squad and welcome eight newcomers.
The regular season opens Feb. 11 as A&M faces Cal State Fullerton at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. For a complete schedule visit AggieAthletics.com.