Softball Inks Six For Class Of 2014
November 19, 2009 | Softball
Nov. 19, 2009
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Coming off another 40-win season and the most Conference USA wins ever for the program, reigning league coach-of-the-year Tracey Kee announced Thursday the addition of six freshmen to her roster for next year. Alexandra Fieldhouse (Garden Grove, Calif.), Jill Jelnick (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), Rebecca Lee (Mililani, Hawai’i), Jordan Lewis (Fremont, Calif.), Mahrisch Medina (Bellflower, Calif.) and Kristi Oshiro (Mililani, Hawai’i) have signed national letters-of-intent to attend East Carolina and play softball with the Pirates beginning in the fall of 2010.
Alexandra Fieldhouse, First Base/Third Base, 5-8, Garden Grove, Calif. (Rosary High School)
Fieldhouse, a three-year letterwinner at Rosary, will serve as the team captain this spring following a junior year in which she was a First Team All-Trinity League selection. As a sophomore, Fieldhouse earned Second Team All-Trinity League after honorable mention designation her freshman year. She also played volleyball for the Royals, earning the squad’s offensive player-of-the-year award at the end of her junior campaign. In the summer, Fieldhouse played for the So Cal Explosion Gold travel team, which took 25th-place at the 2009 ASA Gold Nationals. Away from athletics, she is a Rosary High School ambassador and a member of the school’s sports committee.
Fieldhouse on Choosing East Carolina: “I chose ECU because I felt that it was going to be the best fit for me. I enjoyed the campus, the team and the facilities the athletes use to succeed. I’m very excited that the school has the major of my choice [exercise physiology]. From what I have heard, it is a great program.”
Associate head coach Natalie Kozlowski on Fieldhouse: "Alex is a competitor who will look to contribute at the corners or in the outfield. She is an athlete who is not afraid to challenge herself. Defensively, she has a steady glove and is a heads-up player. Offensively, she can hit for average or power. We are excited about her joining our program."
Jill Jelnick, Utility, 5-6, Aliso Viejo, Calif. (Aliso Niguel)
Jelnick has been a three-year leadoff batter and two-time First Team All-South Coast League selection for Aliso Niguel. After her junior year, in which she hit .440 and stole 23 bases, Jelnick was named first team all-league and received the coaches award and the team’s best offensive player designation. She was named the squad’s most valuable player following her sophomore season. That year, she was selected to the First Team All-Orange County Sophomore squad as well as earning first team all-league recognition. As a freshman, she received the best attitude award. Jelnick has also enjoyed success on the basketball court, having been named a team captain, best offensive player, best defensive player, most valuable player and most tenacious player during her three years with the junior varsity and varsity programs. Over the summer, Jelnick played for the California Desperados Gold team. Aside from her athletic accomplishments, she posts a 3.9 grade-point average and was named the 2009 Susan G. Koman Youth Volunteer-of-the-Year.
Jelnick on Choosing East Carolina: "I have never felt so sure of anything in my life. No matter how many miles away from home East Carolina is, I have no doubt that it is as close to home as I could get."
Kee on Jelnick: "Jill is an exceptional leader both on and off the field. She plays with passion and that never-say-die attitude. She’s a lefty slapper who will be a great table-setter with her speed. Defensively, her glove skills and athleticism will benefit our program. She can play either middle-infield position, or aid us in the outfield. She is ready to take on the rigors of college athletics and academics."
Rebecca Lee, Catcher/Utility, 5-5, Mililani, Hawai’i (Mililani)
After helping lead Mililani to a pair of runner-up finishes at the Hawai’i Division I state softball championship her first two seasons, the Trojans broke through in Lee’s junior year and captured the title. As a junior, Lee batted .444 with seven doubles and two home runs as she was a Honolulu Advertiser First Team All-State selection as a catcher. Following her sophomore campaign, she received Honolulu Star-Bulletin Second Team All-State honors. As a freshman and sophomore, she also helped Mililani capture two Oahu Interscholastic Association championships. Lee competed for the Kûpono and Guava Jam summer travel teams. In 2007, Kûpono took ninth-place at the ASA Western Nationals. Off the field, she is a two-time principal’s list selection and an honor roll member since sixth grade.
Lee on Choosing East Carolina: "I would like to thank Coach Kee and Coach Kozlowski for providing me the opportunity to be part of the ECU Pirate family. I hope to bring the Aloha Spirit of hard work, commitment and winning tradition to the Pirates. Again, thanks to all for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Kozlowski on Lee: "Becca will be a great fit for our program because of her athleticism, softball IQ and ability to play multiple positions. She is a dangerous lefty stick because of her quickness and ability to hit for power. Academically, she is driven and will help us continue our quest to remain at the top of C-USA in the classroom. We are looking forward to being a part of her next phase of life."
Jordan Lewis, Outfield, 5-9, Fremont, Calif. (Moreau Catholic)
Lewis has been a two-year starter for Moreau Catholic. As a freshman, she was named Second Team All-Hayward Area Athletic League (HAAL) and received the team’s rookie-of-the-year award. After sitting out her sophomore year, she returned as a junior and earned First Team All-HAAL selection as well as the team’s offensive most valuable player award. She was a co-captain of the team her junior year and will serve in the same role this spring. Lewis has also been involved with the Moreau Catholic volleyball and track programs. In the summer, she played for the Strike Zone Gold organization. Additionally, she is a two-time academic athlete award winner.
Lewis on Choosing East Carolina: "My goal has been to play Division I softball, so it was important for me to find a school with a competitive program which stresses doing well academically, and provides the support I need to succeed. I have always wanted to go to college out of state, but didn’t want to live in a big city. I also wanted a place that has seasons. ECU definitely fits all those requirements. Coach Kee and Coach Kozlowski are fantastic; the players I met when I came for my visit were great. I knew ECU is where I wanted to go. It was fate."
Kozlowski on Lewis: "We are excited to have a player of Jordan’s caliber join our squad. She is an amazing hitter with extraordinary power and deceptive speed. We feel she can anchor the middle of our lineup by driving in runs and hitting for average. She has the potential to leave her mark in ECU’s record books. We look forward to seeing her in a Pirate uniform."
Mahrisch Medina, Utility, 5-6, Bellflower, Calif. (Mayfair)
Medina has been a three-year starter at second base or shortstop for Mayfair. Last spring she led the Monsoons to the Suburban League championship and was a first team all-league selection as she batted .395, drove in 27 runs and hit five home runs. Her freshman year she was named Second Team All-Suburban League. During the summer, she played for the Artesia Punishers 18 Gold travel club. She is a three-time California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Academics/Integrity/Athletics award winner and a two-time Suburban League Academic All-League selection.
Medina on Choosing East Carolina: “ECU has definitely opened my eyes to a different aspect of living. The people there are just so welcoming and make you feel at home instantly. I love how ECU makes academics the first priority. I am very excited to be in a new and different learning environment.”
Kee on Medina: "We believe Mahrisch is a true utility player with the athleticism and arm strength to play anywhere on the field. Offensively, she has the ability to be a table-setter or drive in runs. She is an exceptionally hardworking student-athlete who has proven herself on the field and in the classroom. We are excited about her arrival to ECU."
Kristi Oshiro, Second Base/Utility, 5-3, Mililani, Hawai’i (Mililani)
Oshiro, a three-time Hawai’i High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) First Team selection, has helped Mililani to a pair of state runner-up finishes and a HHSAA title her junior season. She has also been a three-time Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) All-Star First Team honoree as she helped the Trojans to OIA Championships as a freshman and sophomore, and a runner-up performance as a junior. Oshiro was also named to the HHSAA All-Tournament Team following her freshman and junior campaigns. As a freshman, she received the Mililani team-player award. Along with softball, Oshiro was a member of the Mililani volleyball club from 2004-06. She was also a summer ball teammate of Lee’s on the Guava Jam.
Oshiro on Choosing East Carolina: “I chose ECU because it allowed me to attend a university where I could fulfill one of my biggest dreams, to play softball at a Division I college while getting an exceptional education. My family absolutely loved it and getting their support 100 percent of the way meant so much to me. The warm-hearted people and great hospitality made me feel comfortable even with being so far from home. Most of all, talking to the Hawai’i girls already on the team reassured me that everything was going to be alright.”
Kee on Oshiro: "Kristi is your prototypical leadoff hitter. She is a triple-threat offensively in that she can bunt, slap or hit from the left side. Her speed is game changing. Defensively, she could play on the right side of the infield or in the outfield. She has a keen understanding of the game within the game. Pirate fans will enjoy watching her compete."
