ASU Softball Pens Six to 2015-16 Signing Class
TEMPE – The Arizona State University softball program will welcome six talented newcomers to the squad next season, as head coach Craig Nicholson announced the 2015-16 signing class on Wednesday.
The signing class is comprised of INF Taylor Becerra (Whittier, Calif./La Serna HS), INF Taylor Blair (Concord, Calif./Carondelet HS), OF Avianna Davis (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial), INF Missy Eisen (Fairfield, Calif./Rodriguez HS) and INF Ulufa ‘Fa’ Leilua (Hawthorne, Calif./Hawthorne HS) and INF Ciera Schick (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Los Osos HS).
The group consists of four infielders and one outfielder, fielding several positions of need for next year’s Sun Devil squad.
“The biggest thing for us was adding depth in the infield after graduating a couple infielders after this season,” Nicholson said of the class. “We definitely added some key pieces to what we are trying to do. This is a very athletic class with a lot of power in the bats that can make an immediate impact for our team.”
“Also, a large number of this group are very outstanding students as well,” Nicholson added. “As a class overall, we’re bringing in not just good athletes, but good students as well and we are very proud of that.”
A review of ASU’s signing class can be found below:
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Taylor Becerra is a left-handed shortstop out of La Serna High School in Whittier, Calif., where she has played for Ginger Larsin and Mike Reed.
Yet another capable hitter, Becerra has a .454 career batting average with 94 hits in 207 at bats with 34 RBI, 11 doubles and seven triples.
“Taylor is a middle infielder and is really smooth and slick with the glove,” Nicholson said. She runs very well and she’s a combo hitter offensively that bunts and slaps and can drive the ball and hit for some power. She adds some speed and offense and versatility to the lineup.”
As a junior, Becerra hit .451 with 24 RBI and six doubles with a .513 on-base percentage and a .735 slugging percentage. She also carried a solid .932 fielding percentage from the shortstop position with 37 putouts, 86 assists and nine errors.
Becerra earned First Team All-League and All-Area honors a junior and was also named to the All-CIF team after leading La Serna to an appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 Championship where the team lost a tough 2-1 decision to St. Paul.
Becerra plays her club ball with Firecrackers-Blanco under head coach Jeff Blanco and has helped her team to the 16U Colorado Fireworks Championships and a third place finish at the PGF Nationals.
She chose ASU in order to be a part of an extremely competitive softball program and enjoys the environment that the coaching staff has provided for the team.
Becerra is the daughter of Michael and Sandra Becerra and has two siblings, Nicole and Madison.
Taylor Blair will join the Sun Devils after a high school career that saw her primarily used as a pitcher and first baseman at Carondelet High School in Concord, Calif., under head coach Ron Hunt.
Blair is coming off a junior campaign in 2014 that saw her bat .455 in 88 at-bats over the course of the season, scoring 22 runs, 40 hits, 23 RBI and 12 doubles in the process. She finished the season with a 2.56 ERA in 27 appearances with 181 strikeouts and was named North Coast Section Junior of the Year by Prep 2 Prep and member of the All-North Coast first team by the publication as well.
“Taylor is another corner who has pitched a lot. We’re not necessarily planning on using her as a pitcher but she has the ability to do that if needed,” Nicholson said. “She has good size and is very athletic. She plays plays good defense - at first base especially. She’s an intense competitor. She’s a student of the game, loves the game and wants to compete on a daily basis.”
She was also named a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete by the section while being a member of the 4.0+ Club at Carondelet.
She also was named the East Bay Athletic League First Team pitcher and to the CalHiSports.com second-team list while StudentSports.com named her to the 2015 National Hot 100 list at No. 39.
Blair played club ball for the KG Hitters where she posted consistent .500+ batting averages and led the team to a 17th-place finish at the 2014 PGF Premier Championship and a 13th-place finish in 2013. The 2013 squad also took fifth at the ASA National and was ranked No. 17 in the nation by USClubRankings.com.
Blair chose ASU because she felt it was an institution where she could be challenged both academically and athletically and enjoyed the family-like atmosphere she experienced on campus.
Blair is the daughter of Josh and Charlotte Blaire and has three siblings, Sierra, Frank and Aaron. She was the Carondelet homecoming queen this year, maintained over a 4.0 GPA throughout her time in high school and plans on majoring in biological sciences.
Avianna Davis is a local product out of Centennial High School in Peoria, Ariz., where she plays for coach Mike Repak.
A left-handed center fielder, Davis brings an incredible bat to the Sun Devils with a .500+ batting average in each of her three seasons with the Coyotes. She finished her junior season with a monstrous .547 batting average with 27 runs scored, 17 RBI and eight doubles with a .575 OBP.
“She’s somebody that plays the outfield. She’s someone that will probably be a center fielder for us eventually,” Nicholson said. “She runs well and is kind of a combo kid that can slap and bunt but can also hit for power. I can see her hitting at the top of the order down the line because of her ability to get on base.”
She has a career .515 batting average in 79 games played with 135 runs scored, 62 RBI, 23 doubles, 10 triples and 10 home runs. She was a First Team All-State selection as a freshman and sophomore and a Second Team selection as a junior.
Davis plays her club ball with the Arizona Firecrackers under head coach Randy Kaye and is a recent addition to the team.
She chose ASU to be on a team that was going to be competitive and push her to be the best player she could be and looks forward to helping ASU maintain its perennial status at the top of the nation.
Davis is the daughter of Scott and Miranda Davis and has two siblings, Keith and Blaiz.
Missy Eisen is another capable hitter out of California where she attends Angelo Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, Calif.
Primarily playing at third base or shortstop, Eisen is coming off a solid junior campaign that saw her bat .429 in 100 plate appearances with 19 runs scored, five home runs and 19 RBI. She maintained a .480 OBP on the seasons with a .666 slugging percentage.
“Missy is another versatile player. She can play third and a little shortstop. She’s someone that adds depth because of her versatility at multiple positions,” Nicholson said. “She’s a great third baseman because she’s smooth and adept with the glove and definitely solid at short. She’s just very athletic and is someone that can do a lot of things for us.”
In her career, Eisen has batted .390 for Rodriguez and earned a varsity letter in each season with the program. Playing in one of the toughest positions on the field, she has a career .916 fielding percentage.
Eisen eared First Team All-League honors as a freshman and junior and earned Scholar-Athlete and Honor Roll nods in each of her three seasons with the team.
She plays club ball with the All American Sports Academy under Bryan Merrida.
Eisen chose the Sun Devils after falling in love with the girls and coaches on the team, as well as the nice atmosphere and beautiful campus. She also enjoyed what the academic side had to offer and looks forward to winning a National Championship with the Sun Devils.
Eisen is the daughter of Jeff and Lisa Eisen and had three siblings, Brittany, Brandon and Matthew.
Ulufa Leilua will play her senior season for Hawthorne High School after spending her first three seasons as a first baseman and catcher for Mira Costa High School.
Leilua – who also goes by Fa - earned Second Team All-League honors as a sophomore and junior and First Team honors as a freshman while being named her team MVP in all three seasons at Mira Costa. In the last two seasons, she has compiled a .468 batting average and a .509 on-base percentage with 48 RBI, 46 runs scored and eight home runs.
“I think the biggest thing is she’s a corner and a big time power hitter. She’s somebody that well be able to plug in the middle of the lineup and will be able to hit for power,” Nicholson said. “She has good size and is very athletic and she’s someone that swings the bat well and has a very good idea at hat she’s trying to do at the plate.”
As a junior, Leilua batting .494 in 28 games with 25 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples and two homers with a solid .996 fielding percentage.
Leilua plays club ball for USA Athletics under Mike and Rose Rogers and chose ASU after immediately falling in love with the campus and meeting with fellow members of her signing class on her official visit.
Ciera Schick comes to the Sun Devils by way of Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., under head coach Mike Randall. Schick has been a steady contributor for the Grizzlies in each of the past three seasons, helping the program to appearances in the CIF Southern Section Division I Championships each season (including a quarterfinal appearance and a No. 35 national ranking last season).
Schick has been used primarily in a utility role for Los Osos and has spent time in the outfield, middle infield, third base and pitcher for the program in the past two seasons.
“I see Ciera as a middle infielder. She probably is more of a natural second baseman than anything else but has versatility to do anything else,” Nicholson said. “She’s going to be able to hit for power, runs well and is just an athletic person.”
She earned First Team All-League honors as a sophomore and junior in the Baseline League while posting a career .344 batting average with 45 hits, 32 RBI, 40 rubs scored and a .446 on-base percentage.
As a pitcher, Schick has been stellar the last two seasons with a 1.05 ERA in 31 appearances with 169 strikeouts out of 366 batters faced (46.1 percent) and just 15 earned runs allowed in 100 innings pitched.
Schick played club ball with the California Thunder under Valeri Van Kirk and finished this past summer with a .353 batting average with 10 home runs (two grand slams), eight doubles, two triples and 25 RBI. She also pitched 79 innings with a 2.34 ERA and 99 strikeouts and helped her team to PGF National qualifications in each of the past two seasons and an eighth-place finish at the 2012 event.
Schick chose ASU for the atmosphere around the campus and the unity that that atmosphere created among the students, as well as the academic prestige of the institution and the opportunity to come to a program and win a National Championship.
Schick is the daughter of Rich and Cheryl Schick and has one sister, Rachel.