Softball Inks Four in 2021 Signing Class

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M softball signed four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, head coach Jo Evans announced Friday. The signees, who feature three Extra Elite Top 100 Players, will join the Aggie program in the fall of 2021.

Signing NLIs are infielder/outfielder Cayden Baker (Powell, Tenn.), catcher Katie Dack (Parker, Colo.), left-handed pitcher Emiley Kennedy (Montgomery, Texas) and middle infielder Koko Wooley (La Porte, Texas).

“I am very pleased with our 2021 recruiting class,” head coach Jo Evans said. “It is a very athletic, highly skilled class.  Each athlete has the ability to make an immediate impact in our program because of her athleticism and versatility.  It’s a great mix of lefties and righties, power, finesse, and speed.  Academically, all four excel in the classroom.  They are driven, ambitious, and place importance on academic excellence. Overall, they are a well-rounded, high character group, and I expect them to flourish in our system. I couldn’t be more excited about this class.”

Cayden Baker is a four-year letterwinner at Powell High School in Powell, Tenn. As a freshman, Baker lettered in both softball and basketball, while leading the softball team to a 42-8 overall record, a 14-0 record en route to a District State Championship, while being named the District Player of the Tournament. She was ranked in the top 60 by Flo Softball each year, with her latest ranking coming in at No. 23. As a sophomore, Baker helped the Panthers to a 35-8 overall record and a 13-1 slate in district to a first place finish. The Panthers were 6-0 to begin Baker’s junior season before getting cut short due to COVID-19. Baker comes in at No. 23 on the 2021 Extra Elite Top 100 Player list and is also ranked at No. 10 as an outfielder by Extra Inning Softball. Baker played club ball for the Tennessee Mojo, coached by Brooks Cherry. Academically, Baker earned honors each year and had the highest GPA in physical science, while being a member of the National Honors Society.

“Cayden is a versatile athlete, who can play middle infield and outfield,” Evans said. “Offensively, she brings a lefty bat to our lineup, with speed and aggressiveness on the base paths.  She is a great addition to our program and gives us the flexibility to plug her in at numerous positions.” 

Katie Dack is a four-year letterwinner and starting catcher at Rock Canyon High School in Parker, Colorado. The 5’8” right-hander has helped lead her team to a 68-15 overall record throughout her tenure. Dack is a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree along with being a two-time Continental Player of the Year recipient. In 2019 she made her way onto the FloSoftball top 100 recruits list. The Parker, Colorado, native, was named the 2019 Metro South Player of the Year after finishing the season as Regional Champions. Along with her multitude of honors, Dack is a two-year letterwinner in track. As a thrower, she has collected State Champion recognition in 2018 for shot put and discus. She has played club ball for Colorado Styxx 18U Gold, coached by Pablo Stevertson. 

“Katie is a lock down catcher who will shut down the run game,” Evans said. “She has great presence behind the plate, great leadership qualities, and is comfortable taking charge of the game.  Offensively, Katie has tremendous power and bat speed and is always a homerun threat.”

Emiley Kennedy is four-year letterwinner at Lake Creek High School in Montgomery, Texas. Ranked 13th by Extra Inning Softball in the pitching category, the left-hander was able to break through in her 2019 campaign. Kennedy held a 0.97 ERA and tallied 182 strikeouts to earn 5A District Pitcher of the Year and First Team-All State recognition. In the shortened 2020 season, she was 8-0 with 55 strikeouts. Along with her work on the field, Kennedy also found success on the volleyball court. She was selected to the 6A 2nd Team All-State Selection in 2018. Outside of high school ball, she played for ScrapYard International for two years before making her way to the Hotshots under Coach Mel Dumezich. 

“Emiley is a powerful lefty pitcher and has all the tools necessary to be successful in the SEC,” Evans said. “Emiley has such a high ceiling.  She has great size, presence, is a hard worker, intelligent, and gets better every year.  She works hard to perfect her craft and is always striving for excellence.”

Koko Wooley is a four-year letterwinner at La Porte High School. The three-sport star has been able to dominate all ends of the athletic spectrum. The shortstop ranked No. 1 by Extra Inning Softball in the infielder category. In 2019, she was awarded La Porte High School Overall Player MVP along with being a District 22-6A First Team All-District honoree. On the volleyball court, she was named Vype Magazine Houston Area Libero of the Year in 2019. In 2020, she was the Region III 22-5A Defensive Player of the Year recipient. As a basketball player, Wooley was averaging 17 points with five rebounds and four steals per contest in her junior year. Outside of high school, she played in the Impact Gold Organization for the past 11 years and for Impact Gold 18U KC Jackson for the past two years.  

“Koko is a great athlete, explosive, fast, and dynamic,” Evans said. “She plays the game with confidence and has the ability to change the momentum of a game.  She has the versatility to play shortstop, second base, and centerfield.”