Softball Inks Four During Early Signing Period

KENT, Ohio - The Kent State softball team recently announced the signing of four high school seniors to national letters of intent. Two outfielders, a catcher and a pitcher will join the Golden Flashes for the 2012 season.

"I’m really excited about this class because they will really help a number of needs," Head Coach Karen Linder said. "This class brings a variety of speed, power and pitching that could help us right away."

Looking to meet Kent State’s pitching needs will be Emma Johnson (Groveport, Ohio/Madison). An All-Ohio First Team selection, Johnson went 17-8 with a 0.59 ERA, 356 strikeouts and 33 walks as a junior. She also hit .372 with 22 runs batted in. Johnson has thrown three no-hitters and has earned all-district and all-conference first team honors in three straight seasons. She has totaled 43 victories and 922 career strikeouts.

"Emma is extremely confident," Linder said. "And I really feel like she can contribute to our pitching staff right away."

The Flashes continue their trend of welcoming players from the state of Georgia by signing Ariele Patterson (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill). An outfielder, Patterson has helped Collins Hill High School to back-to-back AAAAA state titles.

"Ariele has a good combination of strength and speed," Linder said.

Joining Patterson in the outfield will be All-Ohio First Team selection Dani Ramos (South Euclid, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin). Ramos has hit .580 and .570 in her last two seasons and has stolen 25 or more bases in three straight years. In May of 2010, she was named News Herald Player of the Year.

"Dani’s got great speed both offensively and defensively," Linder said. "She could be the fastest player we’ve ever had in our program. Dani has good instincts and is going to cover a lot of ground. She has a ton of potential."

Catcher Megan McCracken (Olathe, Kan./Olathe North), will be the first Kent State player during Linder’s tenure from the state of Kansas. In each of her first three seasons, McCracken has hit over .400 while earning all-conference honors. She has helped the Eagles to a pair of 6A Regional titles and a fourth place finish at the state tournament.

"Megan is extremely smart about the game," Linder said. "She takes charge behind the plate and really has a presence about her. She will also help us offensively with her power and could potentially play some first base."

Kent State’s 2011 regular season is set to begin Feb. 12-13 at the Elon Invitational in Elon, N.C.