SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State softball coach Holly Hesse announced Wednesday (Nov. 8) the receipt of National Letters of Intent from five future players who will join the Bears for the 2019 season.
 
High school seniors Alex Boze, Hope Hamilton, Abi LaValley, Payton Minnis and Rachel Weber have all committed to joining Hesse on the Springfield campus next year.
 
"Our 2018 recruiting class is full of talented and versatile student-athletes," said MSU head coach Holly Hesse. "All of them play multiple positions and will contribute immediately at the plate. We have added speed with Minnis and power with Boze, Hamilton, LaValley and Weber. They are an exciting group to watch, and we expect them to make an impact very early in their careers."
 
 
Alex Boze (C, 5-8, Fr., Belleville Ill., Belleville East Township High)
  Boze enters her senior season at Belleville (Ill.) East as a three-time all-conference catcher for coach Natalie Peters' Lancers. During her junior campaign in the spring of 2017, Boze hit .480, drove in 54 runs and belted 14 homers for a 30-7 club. She had two passed balls all season and led the conference in every offensive category. She hit .346 as a sophomore with 25 RBI. During her freshman season, she helped her team to a regional title and conference runner-up behind 7 homers and 45 RBI. She has earned all-area and all-metro honors in each of her first three high school seasons and plays for the St. Louis Worth Prospects competitive team.
 
Hope Hamilton (1B/OF, 5-8, Fr., Crandall, Texas, Crandall High)
   Hamilton enters her senior season at Crandall (Texas) High School as a three-time all-conference and all-district standout and offensive MVP of her district each of her first three seasons. She helped lead coach Terri Gradi's Pirates to a 26-3-1 season in the spring of 2017 and area, district and bi-district championships. She was district MVP her sophomore year, again leading Crandall to district and bi-district titles. She played her freshman season at Clay (Fla.) High School where she was a second-team all-state third baseman for coach Matt Lewis. Hamilton is also part of the Texas Glory competitive team.
 
Abi LaValley (SS, 5-6, Fr., Ada, Okla., Latta High)
  LaValley hit .449 with 4 home runs as a senior at Latta High School in Ada, Okla., earning all-state and all-region honors this fall. She helped coach Jim Foster's Panthers to a 33-4 ledger and Class 2A state title in 2016, hitting .391 with 11 doubles, 3 homers and 28 RBI. She played her freshman and sophomores seasons at Elk City High, hitting 5 home runs each season and registering a .411 average her sophomore season with a dozen doubles. LaValley also plays competitive softball for OK Gametime Stars.
 
Payton Minnis (2B, 5-5, Fr., Blue Springs, Mo., Blue Springs High)
  Minnis hit .481 as a senior at Blue Springs High School with a .506 on-base percentage and 21 stolen bases. She helped coach Jim Brandner's Wildcats to a 21-8 record and district runner-up finish in 2017 while earning her third straight all-conference honor. She was also all-region and all-district twice. Minnis was part of back-to-back conference championship teams in 2015 and 2016, including a 20-6 season as a junior. She was named the club's defensive player of the year as a sophomore. She also runs track at Blue Springs and is a standout for the KC Gold competitive softball team.
 
Rachel Weber (OF/3B, 6-1, Fr., Lincoln, Neb., Lincoln East High)
  Weber helped the Lincoln (Neb.) East Spartans to a 26-13 ledger her senior year while earning Class A All-State and Nebraska Super State honors for coach Lance Kingery. She batted .471 her senior year with 11 home runs and 48 RBI and an .826 slugging percentage. She capped her high school career with school records in career batting average (.451), hits (202), runs (161), RBI (168) and home runs (28) to go with 36 doubles and 11 triples. She batted .486 as a junior with 66 RBI and 13 home runs. Weber was part of three district runner-up teams and also earned all-state honors as a sophomore and junior. Weber also competes in basketball and track at Lincoln East in addition to the Nebraska Gold competitive softball team.
 
 
Hesse and her staff will return 12 letterwinners and 14 squad members for her 30th season at the helm when the Bears open the 2018 season in early February.