July 19, 2011

FARMVILLE, Va. - Longwood University softball head coach Kathy Riley has announced that Megan Baltzell|Stafford (Mountain View) and Chelsea Sciacca|La Habra, Calif. (La Habra) have recently signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to join the Lancers for the 2012 season. Baltzell, a catcher and left-handed hitter, was named the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star Player of the Year as a senior. Sciacca, an outfielder and left-handed hitter, was an All-Freeway League selection as a freshman, junior and senior.

Baltzell played four years of varsity softball for Mountain View High School. As a senior, she earned First Team All-Commonwealth District and First Team All-Northwest Region honors in addition to a spot on the Fredericksburg Free Lance Star All-Area Team. Baltzell led the team in batting average, home runs and RBI as a senior.

“I was impressed with Megan, not only from an athletic position, but with her ability to understand the game of softball,” said Riley. “She has a natural ability to lead others and that will be a big benefit for our team. We are also excited to add another left-handed stick in the middle of our lineup.”

Sciacca played three years of varsity softball for La Habra High School. She earned All-Freeway League honors as a freshman before missing her sophomore season due to injury. Sciacca led the team with a .461 batting average, 34 RBI and 10 stolen bases as a senior.

“Chelsea is an experienced athlete who can play multiple positions. What attracted us the most was Chelsea's production as a left-handed hitter and the fact that she comes from a strong family background.”

Baltzell and Sciacca join Holly Janney|Elkton, Md. (Rising Sun), Casey Lifsey|Portsmouth (Churchland), Libby Morris|Buckingham (Buckingham), Kori Nishitomi|Honolulu, Hawaii ( Maryknoll School) and Katie Shinrock|Huntington Beach, Calif. (Edison), who signed with the Lancers last fall.