February 3, 2010

FARMVILLE, Va. - Longwood University softball coach Kathy Riley has announced that Leta Bressin/Gloucester (Gloucester), Marci Christian/Arvonia (Buckingham) and Amy Putnam/Poquoson (Poquoson) have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to join the Lancers in 2010-11.

“It's exciting each year to take young dedicated student athletes into your program," said Riley. "The 2011 class brings speed, power, and aggressiveness to the Lancers. This season we ended up taking three ladies from our immediate area which is a testament that softball is getting more popular and the level of play in Virginia is stronger. I personally have been fortunate to attract some student-athletes who love to play, have good academic backgrounds, and come from families with strong character. This group is no different so expect them to contribute not only to the university but our community as well.

Bressin has hit over .400 all three years in high school. She was named to the All-Region and All-District teams as a sophomore and junior. In addition to her high school team, she also plays with the Williamsburg Starz. “Leta brings two qualities every coach loves: speed and left handed hitting. Leta will come in as one of the fastest players in Longwood's history with a home-to-home time of 10.9 seconds. Leta's three-year .400 batting average will translate to many opportunities for her to steal bases and score runs. I look for Leta to battle for the right field position left open by graduating senior Camille Ketsdever.

Christian was named the 2009 James River District Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-Region and Second-Team All-State honors as a junior. “Marci has wanted to be a Longwood Lancer for a long time and we are happy to grant her that wish. She attended Longwood summer softball camps from age nine and we feel it has paid off because we have a quality person and athlete joining our team. Marci reminds me of Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals in that she has the ability to hit for average (.576 as a junior), put up power numbers (1.190 slugging, six home runs), and has the quickness to play defense against high-level performers.  We expect Marci to compete for the catching position and make her secondary position the outfield. Marci plays every day like it might be her last, a quality I respect above everything else that she brings to the table.

Putnam earned All-Bay Rivers District First-Team and All-Region I Second-Team honors while hitting .419 with 20 RBI as a junior. “Amy is another young lady we worked with during our summer camp and were impressed with her desire to compete against the best players possible. Her biggest impact will be as an all-around player who swings a good left-handed bat and runs the bases well. Amy has made a commitment get stronger which will dramatically change her game as she arrives at Longwood. Look for Amy to head to the outfield as a college freshman and possibly be the surprise of the recruiting class.