Ohio State Softball Adds Three Prep Standouts – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 19, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head softball coach, has announced the commitments of three high school standouts to continue their education and softball career for the Buckeyes. Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet), Kim Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame) and Megan Shie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake) will enter Ohio State as freshmen in Sept. 2005.
Pruner and Reeder are both pitchers who can also play in the infield and outfield, while Shie is a catcher and third baseman. All three will look to make immediate contributions for the Buckeyes, who posted a 35-25-0 record in 2004 and advanced to the regionals of the NCAA tournament in Tallahassee, Fla.
“We are excited to announce the addition of three very good players to our Ohio State softball program,” Kalafatis said. “Our seniors will be hard to replace, but Courtney, Kim and Megan will be great additions to our Buckeye softball program.”
Pruner, a left-handed pitcher/first baseman/centerfielder, was a first-team All-City selection as an outfielder as a freshman before earning the same honor as a sophomore as an infielder. Pruner was named the player of the year that season and played in the Summit County All-Star game. She carries a grade point average over 3.4 and also plays volleyball and basketball.
“I believe Courtney is the best hitter to come out of our state in some years,” Kalafatis said. “She can hit for power and she can hit for average. She’s a true lefty so we think she’ll play first base, outfield and pitch for us. Courtney is a strong athlete and she will use her competitiveness to try to make an immediate impact in our program. We always want to get the best talent in Ohio and Courtney’s commitment allowed us to do that this year.”
Reeder, a right-handed pitcher/second baseman/outfielder, is a two-time Louisville Slugger first-team All-American. As a sophomore, she was named the California small school player of the year and earned Cal-Hi Sports second-team All-America honors. Reeder earned team MVP and TCAC league MVP honors and posted a 0.00 ERA for the entire 2003 season. She carries a grade point average over 4.0, ranks in the Top 5 of her class and also was a 2004 first-team all-conference soccer selection.
“I believe Kim Reeder is amongst the top five or ten best pitchers in this year’s recruiting class,” Kalafatis said. “I see her being able to transition to the college game and our mound distance with little trouble. Kim has played at a very high competition level and will continue to do that this year for the Arizona Hotshots Gold team. Kim is an exceptional student and loved all that Ohio State had to offer. We also feel she may be able to play another position for us, but her we’re most excited to have her be a part of our pitching staff for next season.”
Shie, a right-handed catcher and third baseman, has been a three-year all-conference selection and was named the league’s offensive MVP last spring. She was named to the LA Times all-region team in 2004 when she batted .488 with three home runs and 28 RBI. Shie and her club team, the Southern California Diamonds, have advanced to the ASA nationals the last six years. She carries a GPA over 3.7 and also was an all-conference basketball selection.
“Megan is a tough catcher that bats in the meat of the order for her teams,” Kalafatis said. “Her family is originally from the Columbus area. In fact, Megan was actually born at OSU Hospital. Megan knows first hand the great pride and tradition of Ohio State and wanted badly to be a part of it. We think she will develop and be a player we can count on in the future. While Megan is primarily a catcher, she may add depth to third base, a position we were looking to fill in this recruiting class.”
Ohio State will get the 2005 season underway Feb. 18-20 at the Florida Atlantic tournament in Boca Raton, Fla.
### GO BUCKS! ###
