Murray State University Athletics
Amundson Announces Seven For First Recruiting Class
12/6/2012 2:49:00 PM | Softball
Head coach Kara Amundson is pleased to announce that seven student-athletes have chosen to further their academic and softball careers at Murray State. Maggie Glass of Hopkinsville, Ky., Cayla Levins of Jacksonville, Fla., Taylor Odom of Goreville, Ill., Mason Robinson of Lewis Center, Ohio, Joceylnn Rodgers of Cypress, Calif., Jessica Twaddle of Franklin, Tenn., and Mallory Young of Benton, Ky., will all enroll at MSU next fall and take the field for the Racers in the spring of 2014. This is the first-ever recruiting class for Amundson, who took over the program this past summer.
“I couldn't be more excited about our 2013 class,” said Amundson. “We are bringing in a group of young ladies who not only compete on the field, but also are able to get it done in the classroom. I am excited about the competitive drive that this class will bring to Racer softball.”
Glass is a 5-8 infielder from Christian County High School. She is a three-time All-District selection, a two-time All-Region winner and a two-time All-State honoree, including a first-team nod in 2012. She was also a first-team All-State Academic honoree as well last season.
On the field for the Colonels last season, Glass hit .459 with a .608 on-base percentage. She also scored 64 runs for Christian County, while driving in an additional 53.
Amundson on Glass: “Maggie reads the ball well defensively and has one of the strongest arms I have seen in a long time. She plays the field like a veteran and will also be a threat for us offensively through her consistent hitting and speed on the base paths.”
Levins is a 5-8 utility player from The Bolles School in Florida. She has helped lead the Bulldogs to three straight district titles and a state runner-up finish in her freshman season, during which she started every game despite her age.
Last season, she began the season by being named as one of “Five Players To Watch” by the Florida Time-Union and ended with a .565 batting average. Her average last season led the city of Jacksonville and earned her a spot on the All-State third team.
Amundson on Levins: “Cayla is the true definition of a utility player. She has good speed and can play anywhere that she is needed. Her versatility is going to be a huge asset to the strength of our team.”
Odom is a 5-10 first baseman from Goreville Community High School in Illinois. She is coming off a dominant junior season in which she helped lead the Black Cats to the 1A state title.
Odom set an IHSA single-season home run record last year by going yard 24 times and was a first-team All-State selection. She was also an NFCA/MaxPreps National Player of the Week in 2012 and a MaxPreps Small Schools All-American.
Amundson on Odom: “Taylor is a someone that we cannot wait to see how she continues to grow as a player, as she is just really starting to find her stride and coming into her own as one of the best power hitters in the region. She set the home run record for the state of Illinois last year and will be looking to defend her title this season. We are really looking forward to adding her powerful bat to our lineup.”
Robinson is a 6-2 pitcher from Olentangy Orange High School in Ohio. Robinson won 21 straight games for the Pioneers last season and finished with 179 strikeouts. She also turned in an ERA of 0.83 in addition to a .348 batting average.
She is a three-time All-Ohio Capital Conference selection and has been her team's MVP for the past two seasons. Last season, she was a first team All-District and All-Metro selection, in addition to being named to the All-Ohio Division I first team.
Amundson on Robinson: “Mason embodies what it means to be a power pitcher. She has incredible presence and is someone that will be a great leader for us on the mound. She has incredible upside and we are really looking forward to seeing her develop as a top thrower in the OVC.”
Rodgers is a 5-10 catcher from Cypress High School in California. Before transferring to Cypress last season, Rodgers helped lead Pacifica High School to the 2011 empire League title.
Off the field, Rodger is equally as impressive, as she is a three-time schlar athlete. This past fall and winter, as a member of the SoCal Fillys 18U Gold-Kelly, Rodgers hit .324, slugged .486 and had an on-base percentage of .436.
Amundson on Rodgers: “Jocelynn is a catcher who is truly at home behind the plate and our pitchers will love throwing to her. She catches with confidence and has very good fundamentals. She will also be a threat in the lineup, as she can hit for both power and average.”
Twaddle is a 5-7 infielder from Independence High School in Tennessee. She is a three-time All-District selection and was named to the 2012 Middle Tennessee Softball Coaches Association All-Academic team.
Last season, Twaddle led the Eagles with a .490 batting average to go along with four home runs and 34 RBIs. She also had a slugging percentage of .760 and stole 16 straight bases without being caught.
Amundson on Twaddle: “Jessica is a smart and strong player that can get it done on both sides of the ball. She can hit for average or hit the long ball and has a solid glove in the infield. She is also a competitor in the classroom, boasting a 4.0 GPA throughout her high school career.”
Young is a 5-6 outfielder from Marshall County High School. She has helped the Marshals to a region title and three-consecutive district crowns in her five years with the program. When she graduates this May, she will do so as the only six-year letterman in school softball history.
This past season, Young had 45 hits and 37 runs to lead the team with a .467 batting average. She also had 18 doubles, two triples and three home runs, as well as an on-base percentage of .496. Following the season, she was named to the first-team Academic All-State.”
Amundson on Young: “We are excited to be adding Mallory to this 2013 class as she is a neighbor in nearby Marshall County. Her work ethic and dedication to this sport is hard to match. We are looking forward to having her tenacity in our program.”
“I couldn't be more excited about our 2013 class,” said Amundson. “We are bringing in a group of young ladies who not only compete on the field, but also are able to get it done in the classroom. I am excited about the competitive drive that this class will bring to Racer softball.”
Glass is a 5-8 infielder from Christian County High School. She is a three-time All-District selection, a two-time All-Region winner and a two-time All-State honoree, including a first-team nod in 2012. She was also a first-team All-State Academic honoree as well last season.
On the field for the Colonels last season, Glass hit .459 with a .608 on-base percentage. She also scored 64 runs for Christian County, while driving in an additional 53.
Amundson on Glass: “Maggie reads the ball well defensively and has one of the strongest arms I have seen in a long time. She plays the field like a veteran and will also be a threat for us offensively through her consistent hitting and speed on the base paths.”
Levins is a 5-8 utility player from The Bolles School in Florida. She has helped lead the Bulldogs to three straight district titles and a state runner-up finish in her freshman season, during which she started every game despite her age.
Last season, she began the season by being named as one of “Five Players To Watch” by the Florida Time-Union and ended with a .565 batting average. Her average last season led the city of Jacksonville and earned her a spot on the All-State third team.
Amundson on Levins: “Cayla is the true definition of a utility player. She has good speed and can play anywhere that she is needed. Her versatility is going to be a huge asset to the strength of our team.”
Odom is a 5-10 first baseman from Goreville Community High School in Illinois. She is coming off a dominant junior season in which she helped lead the Black Cats to the 1A state title.
Odom set an IHSA single-season home run record last year by going yard 24 times and was a first-team All-State selection. She was also an NFCA/MaxPreps National Player of the Week in 2012 and a MaxPreps Small Schools All-American.
Amundson on Odom: “Taylor is a someone that we cannot wait to see how she continues to grow as a player, as she is just really starting to find her stride and coming into her own as one of the best power hitters in the region. She set the home run record for the state of Illinois last year and will be looking to defend her title this season. We are really looking forward to adding her powerful bat to our lineup.”
Robinson is a 6-2 pitcher from Olentangy Orange High School in Ohio. Robinson won 21 straight games for the Pioneers last season and finished with 179 strikeouts. She also turned in an ERA of 0.83 in addition to a .348 batting average.
She is a three-time All-Ohio Capital Conference selection and has been her team's MVP for the past two seasons. Last season, she was a first team All-District and All-Metro selection, in addition to being named to the All-Ohio Division I first team.
Amundson on Robinson: “Mason embodies what it means to be a power pitcher. She has incredible presence and is someone that will be a great leader for us on the mound. She has incredible upside and we are really looking forward to seeing her develop as a top thrower in the OVC.”
Rodgers is a 5-10 catcher from Cypress High School in California. Before transferring to Cypress last season, Rodgers helped lead Pacifica High School to the 2011 empire League title.
Off the field, Rodger is equally as impressive, as she is a three-time schlar athlete. This past fall and winter, as a member of the SoCal Fillys 18U Gold-Kelly, Rodgers hit .324, slugged .486 and had an on-base percentage of .436.
Amundson on Rodgers: “Jocelynn is a catcher who is truly at home behind the plate and our pitchers will love throwing to her. She catches with confidence and has very good fundamentals. She will also be a threat in the lineup, as she can hit for both power and average.”
Twaddle is a 5-7 infielder from Independence High School in Tennessee. She is a three-time All-District selection and was named to the 2012 Middle Tennessee Softball Coaches Association All-Academic team.
Last season, Twaddle led the Eagles with a .490 batting average to go along with four home runs and 34 RBIs. She also had a slugging percentage of .760 and stole 16 straight bases without being caught.
Amundson on Twaddle: “Jessica is a smart and strong player that can get it done on both sides of the ball. She can hit for average or hit the long ball and has a solid glove in the infield. She is also a competitor in the classroom, boasting a 4.0 GPA throughout her high school career.”
Young is a 5-6 outfielder from Marshall County High School. She has helped the Marshals to a region title and three-consecutive district crowns in her five years with the program. When she graduates this May, she will do so as the only six-year letterman in school softball history.
This past season, Young had 45 hits and 37 runs to lead the team with a .467 batting average. She also had 18 doubles, two triples and three home runs, as well as an on-base percentage of .496. Following the season, she was named to the first-team Academic All-State.”
Amundson on Young: “We are excited to be adding Mallory to this 2013 class as she is a neighbor in nearby Marshall County. Her work ethic and dedication to this sport is hard to match. We are looking forward to having her tenacity in our program.”
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