Wildcats haul in seven new players in fall NLI window
LEXINGTON – November 19, 2020
The Kentucky Softball team announced on Thursday that it has signed the No. 9 ranked recruiting class in the country, adding seven players to Lexington. The rankings were done by Extra Innings Softball, as the Wildcats were able to haul in five top-100 ranked players.
“In keeping in our philosophy of having a dynamic lineup, our 2021 Wildcats possess great power as seen in Taylor Ebbs, Alexia Lacatena and Sarah Stone along with the tremendous speed of Jenna Blanton, Hallie Mitchell and Maragret Tobias.” UK head coach Rachel Lawson said. “Our 2021’s are strong defensively, battle tested and as always, it starts in the middle with Izzy Harrison and Alexia in the circle. So happy this class has finally signed and I’m looking forward to watching them represent the Big Blue Nation.”
The 2021 class is the third top-10 recruiting class that Lawson has assembled in her time at Kentucky, and second in a row. They will join the team in the fall 2021 semester and play their first games in the 2022 NCAA season.
The Southeastern Conference continues to work with the University of Kentucky and other member institutions on the construction of the 2021 NCAA softball season. The 2021 team schedules, times, television assignments and attendance models for the upcoming year will be released at a later date. Fans are asked to check UKathletics.com or follow Kentucky Softball on Twitter (@UKSoftball) for the most up-to-date information regarding UK Athletics’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jenna Blanton
Chapel Hill, Tennessee; Outfield
- Travelball Team: Fury Platinum 18u- Higdon
- Bats: Left; Throws: Right
- Two-time member of the All-District Team
- Team Most Valuable Player for Defense
- Member of the Beta Club
Taylor Ebbs
Keizer, Oregon; Outfield/Utility
- Travelball Team: Northwest Bullets
- Bats: Left; Throws: Right
- Extra Innings ranked No. 40 player in the country
- Gatorade Player of the Year – Oregon
- Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year
Izzy Harrison
Franklin, Indiana; Pitcher/Outfield
- Travelball Team: Beverly Bandits
- Bats: Right; Throws: Right
- Extra Innings ranked No. 36 player in the country
- Team captain, MVP, All-Conference and All-County
- First Team All-American
Alexia Lacatena
Stanhope, New Jersey; Pitcher/Utility
- Travelball Team: Newtown Rock Gold
- Bats: Right; Throws: Right
- Extra Innings ranked No. 37 player in the country
- Member of the Italian National Team
- 2018 and 2019 First Team All Group 2 All-State
Hallie Mitchell
Forsyth, Illinois; Catcher/Utility
- Travelball Team: Premier Fastpitch
- Bats: Left; Throws: Right
- Top-100 ranked catcher in the country by Extra Innings Softball
- Four-year letterwinner in both softball and basketball
- Holds HS record for triples and home runs in a season and was First Team All-Conference in 2019
Sarah Stone
Bedford, Indiana; First Base/Utility
- Travelball Team: Beverly Bandits
- Bats: Right; Throws: Right
- Ranked as the No. 9 catcher in the country, and No. 17 overall player
- Two-time member of the All-Conference Team, and has been All-State
- Has over 100 career home runs, displaying unparalleled power
Margaret Tobias
Urbandale, Iowa; Infield
- Travelball Team: Iowa Premier Fastpitch
- Bats: Left; Throws: Right
- Ranked as the No. 41 player in the country by Extra Innings Softball
- 2019 PGF Premier All Tournament Team
- 2018 USSSA National Championships Tournament MVP