Softball 12/20/2013 8:52:00 AM Tyler Madsen, AMR Assistant Director

Softball Inks Five in Fall Recruiting Class

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - - Truman State University head softball coach Erin Brown has announced the signing of five high school seniors who are set to join the Bulldog program beginning in the Spring 2015 season.

The five players – Riley Cook, Jamie Fowle, Ashley Murphy, Kadie Orenstein and Alyssa Spoerer – will help to replace this year's four-member senior class, as the Bulldogs are set to begin their 2014 season in mid-February.

Riley Cook (5-foot-8; Outfield/Second Base; Clinton, Mo.; Clinton HS)
A three-sport athlete at Clinton High School, Cook will join the Bulldog program after earning four-time all-conference and all-district accolades in softball. She was named all-region twice and holds the school record for best batting average at .592. Riley was also a three-time all-conference performer on

the basketball court and was all-conference in the outdoor triple jump, long jump, 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles in track & field. She played club ball for Team Power and was named academic all-state in softball while also being named to the National Honor Society.

Riley is the daughter of Stanley and Anita Cook and has one older sister. She plans to study Exercise Science at Truman.

Brown about Cook: "Riley is athletic, versatile, and has played with solid select teams. She is very bright and a very good kid who brings a great fit athletically and academically. Riley can do several things at the plate with her short game and gap shots. We are very excited to add Riley to our roster for the 2015 season."

Jamie Fowle (5-foot-5; Shortstop; House Springs, Mo.; Eureka HS)
Fowle was a four-year starter for a Eureka High School that took fourth-place in the MSHSAA championships in both 2011 and 2012 before finishing in third-place in 2013. As a senior, she set the

Eureka HS RBI record and tied the school's single-season hit record with 51. Jamie was the 2013 Suburban West Conference player of the year and was a first-team all-conference, all-district, all-region, and all-state selection, while also being named first-team St. Louis Post-Dispatch all-Metro. She played club ball with St. Louis Esprit.

Jamie is the daughter of Jordan and Kimberle Fowle and has five siblings, including an older sister who is also a Truman student. She is undecided on her major at Truman.

Brown about Fowle: "I've been looking forward to Jamie joining us for over a year now. After watching her at the state tournament her freshman year, I knew I wanted her on our team. She's very solid fundamentally and will add to our lineup's offensive output. Jamie is a consistent hitter and is a threat at the plate. She plays for a great summer and high school team, and we look for her to compete at shortstop for us in 2015.

Ashley Murphy (5-foot-7; First Base; Troy, Mo.; Troy Buchanan HS)
A two-sport athlete in both softball and soccer, Murphy was named second-team all-conference as a senior on the softball field at Troy Buchanan HS. She started three seasons in softball and two in

soccer, helping to lead her team to a MSHSAA state championship in softball as a sophomore. Ashley played club ball with St. Louis Chaos and served as President of Troy Buchanan's National Honor Society.

Ashley is the daughter of Norm and Sherry Murphy and has two siblings. She plans to major in Biology/Pre-Med at Truman.

Brown about Murphy: "Ashley is a great defensive first baseman. She competes at the highest level in the summer and comes from a great high school program. She's athletic and a competitor. Ashley has a great attitude and will fit in perfectly with our team. We are thrilled to add her to our program next fall."

Kadie Orenstein (5-foot-7; Pitcher/Utility; Cape Girardeau, Mo.; Cape Central HS)
A two-sport athlete who competed both in softball and basketball, Orenstein (pronounced Orn-steen) joins the Bulldog program after being named first-team all-conference and first-team all-district all four

seasons on the diamond. As a SS/P during her senior season, she hit .405 with 20 RBI at the plate while also tossing 98 innings of 1.40 ERA ball to accumulate a 13-2 record in the circle. Kadie made the all-Southeast Missourian softball team three times and was named the Southeast Missourian Player of the Year after her junior season, where she also hit better than .400. A member of the Heartland Pride club team, Orenstein was a member of the National Honor Society and was twice named Academic all-state.

Kadie is the daughter of Gary and Wendi Orenstein and has two younger brothers. She plans to major in Biology at Truman.

Brown about Orenstein: "Kadie will add depth to our pitching staff next year, as she is coming off a very successful senior season. Kadie can pitch and play outfield and middle infield, so her athleticism and versatility will add strength to our team in many areas. She is a great person and is very bright, so we are glad that she decided on Truman as her home for the next four years."

Alyssa Spoerer (5-foot-8; Utility; Mahomet, Ill.; Mahomet-Seymour HS)
A two-year starter with her senior season still to come in the spring, Spoerer (pronounced Spore) was both a unanimous first-team all-conference and first-team all-area infielder following her junior season.

That year, she broke the school's slugging percentage record with a mark of .938 after setting new records in single-season extra base hits, doubles and triples as a sophomore. A member of the New Lenox Lightning club program, Alyssa is also a member of the National Honor Society.

Alyssa is the daughter of Carl and Kara Spoerer and has two younger siblings. She plans to major in Physical Therapy at Truman.

Brown about Spoerer: "Alyssa brings gap power to our team. She is athletic and can fit in a few different positions defensively. Her select team is very competitive and has given her the opportunity to compete at a high level. Alyssa has a calm confidence that fits in very well with our program, and we look forward to her joining us next fall."

The Truman softball program begins its inaugural season of Great Lakes Valley Conference play this spring following 32 years of play as members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Bulldogs, coming off a 29-win campaign in 2013, return six of nine field starters, all three hitting reserves, and a pair of starting pitchers for the 2014 season.

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