MSU Softball Inks Three Prep Standouts

SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State softball head coach Holly Hesse announced Wednesday the receipt of National Letters of Intent from three high school seniors on the opening day of the 2019-20 NLI signing period.

Committing to the Bears for the 2021 season were:

Ellie McCoy (IF, 5-4, Fr., Hastings, Neb., Hastings High)
Annie Mueller (Util., 5-6, Fr., Pacific, Mo., Pacific High)
Skyler Shaw (OF, 5-4, Fr., Wylie, Texas, Wylie High)

"We are thrilled to have these three outstanding players joining our program," said Hesse. "Each one of them brings a very unique skill set to Missouri State and helps us fill our recruiting needs very well. I am so excited about the future of Bears softball."

Hesse is in her 32nd season leading the Bears' program and is the second-winningest coach in Missouri Valley Conference history with 811 victories.

Joining the Missouri State program next season are:

Ellie McCoy (IF, 5-4, Fr., Hastings, Neb., Hastings High)
McCoy was a four-time all-state slugger at Hastings (Neb.) High where she helped lead coach Ashley Speak's Tigers to a 28-9 record her senior season. The shortstop accounted for 44 career home runs, 177 RBI and 227 hits in 153 career games for Hastings. She smashed 24 home runs and drove in 69 her junior season while batting .529 for coach Pete Theoharris for a 27-14 squad. As a sophomore, she batted .508 with 60 hits and 59 runs. McCoy helped the Tigers to four straight district titles, four state tournament trips and three conference titles while earning All-Heartland Super Squad, All-Tribland and All-Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference laurels all four seasons. The right-handed hitter also played two seasons of high school basketball and was a travel softball standout for Nebraska Gold. She is the daughter of Jessie and Brandie McCoy of Hastings.

Coach Hesse on McCoy:
"Ellie is an extremely fast, tough, and powerful player. She will contribute at the plate in a variety of ways utilizing her speed and ability to drive the ball. She has the arm strength and quickness to play shortstop, second, and the outfield. We welcome Ellie to our team."

Annie Mueller (Util., 5-6, Fr., Pacific, Mo., Pacific High)
Mueller blasted 41 career home runs for coach Tonya Lewis at Pacific (Mo.) High School, which ranks No. 2 in state history. She hit .506 with 12 home runs, 39 RBI and 21 walks as a senior in the fall of 2019 for a 17-12 Indians squad. She hit 15 homers, batted .405 and drove in 41 runs her junior season while earning St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro and all-state honors. As a sophomore, she batted .439 with eight homers and 23 RBI after a freshman campaign that saw her bat .525 with six home runs and 38 RBI. She earned all-region, all-conference and all-district honors four times and was a Four Rivers Conference All-Academic Team honoree her first three seasons. Mueller was also named a high school All-American by Extrainnings.com in 2018 and Flosports.com in 2017. She is also the starting point guard at Pacific and played travel softball for St. Louis Chaos. Annie is the daughter of Dan Mueller and Chris Weber of Pacific.

Coach Hesse on Mueller:
"Annie is an athletic right-handed power hitter with a strong arm. She is dedicated to the game and will bring a huge bat to the middle of our lineup. She is capable of helping us out in a variety of positions defensively. We are very excited to welcome Annie to our team "

Skyler Shaw (OF, 5-4, Fr., Wylie, Texas, Wylie High)
Shaw was a three-time all-district outfielder for coach Heather Damron at Wylie (Texas) High School where she helped lead the Pirates to a district title in 2019. Wylie reached the 5A Regional Semifinals her junior season with a 21-4 overall record. The Pirates were 21-5-1 her sophomore season. The left-handed hitter was also a four-year starter and three-time academic all-district selection. She also competed in power lifting and track in high school, finishing fourth in the state and regional runner-up in 2019 in the 148-pound division. Skyler played travel ball with Texas Bombers and is the daughter of Patrick and Loree Shaw of Wylie.

Coach Hesse on Shaw:
"Skyler is a quick and athletic outfielder who can cover a ton of ground. She plays the game with high energy and has a great arm that compliments her speed. At the plate she turns singles into doubles and can wreak havoc on the bases. We are happy to add Skyler to our roster."

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MSU Softball Inks Three Prep Standouts

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