SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State head softball coach Kasey Griffith announced Wednesday the commitments of Brylee Brewster, Addison Drummond, Emily Evans, Breana Hopkins and Emily Koranda. All five commits will enter Missouri State as freshmen next fall.  
 

Brylee Brewster • P • 5-6 • Fr. • L/L • Warsaw, Mo. • Warsaw HS
A pitcher out of Warsaw High (Missouri), Brewster has collected first-team all-region, all-district and all-conference honors three times in her career. She is also a two-time first-team all-state honoree and helped lead the Wildcats to a district championship in her sophomore season. The southpaw recorded 295 strikeouts and owned a 2.01 ERA in 142 innings of work in her sophomore campaign, before lowering her ERA to 1.44 in 125 innings pitched with 220 punch outs as a junior. Brewster also plays travel ball for BC Peppers Wallace. 
 
Coach Griffith on Brewster:
"We are thrilled to welcome in-state talent, Brylee Brewster and her family to the team. Brylee is a pitcher that has the true ability to not only put the ball exactly where she wants, but to also spin the ball in a lot of different directions. Coming from the left side, she has that natural lefty funk and consistently produces a lot of swings and misses. We love the steady and competitive presence she brings to the mound day in and day out. We are so excited for Brylee to be a Bear."
 
 
Addison Drummond • C/UTL • 5-6 • Fr. • R/R • Owasso, Okla. • Owasso HS
A four-year starter out of Owasso High (Oklahoma), Drummond is a four-time regional champion and helped lead her team to a state title as a senior. In her freshman season, she earned all-district honors as a utility player after batting .390 with 31 runs batted in. Drummond raised her batting average to .433 with 30 RBI as a sophomore to earn all-district distinction as a catcher. She continued to improve throughout her high school career, batting .441 with 42 RBI and 12 home runs in her junior campaign en route to earning All-District Catcher of the Year. In her junior season, Drummond was also named a Tulsa World Player of the Year finalist. She saved her best for her last season, increasing her batting average to .465 with 48 RBI and 11 homers as the Rams were crowned state champions in her senior season. Drummond added to her list of honors as she was named All-District Offensive Player of the Year and to the all-region and all-state first team in her final season. She also plays travel ball for Epic National 18U Smith.  
 
Coach Griffith on Drummond:
"We are happy to welcome Addison and her family from the Tulsa, Okla., area. She is a talented catcher/corner infielder with great knowledge of the game and a very strong arm. With her strength comes definite power and the ability to hit the ball out of the park on any given swing. Behind the plate, Addison brings natural leadership skills and works well with her pitchers. She can move from her spot behind the plate to third base with ease, and can play both at a high level. We look forward to having Addi in our lineup for many years to come."
 

Emily Evans • IF/UTL • 5-4 • Fr. • R/R • Broken Arrow, Okla. • Broken Arrow HS
A utility player out of Broken Arrow High (Oklahoma), Evans is a three-time regional champion and two-time All-District Defensive Player of the Year. She was also a four-time academic all-district honoree during her high school career. Evans earned all-district honorable mention accolades as a freshman before collecting her first defensive player of the year award in her sophomore campaign while helping lead the Tigers to a state runner-up finish. In her junior season, Evans was an all-district honoree at shortstop, then added her second defensive player of the year award and earned all-region and all-state distinction in her senior season. She also plays travel ball for Epic Naitonal 18U Smith. 
 
Coach Griffith on Evans:
"We are excited to welcome Emily and her family from the Tulsa, Okla., area. She is an elite middle infielder who plays the game with tremendous grit and competitiveness. Emily is very smooth on the infield, possessing great hands and the ability to throw using all arm angles. At the plate, she can do a little bit of everything - hit for average, hit for power and put a bunt down at will.  Emily's style of play and passion for the game will fit perfectly into our culture."
 
 
Breana Hopkins • P • 5-10 • Fr. • R/R • Tyrone, Ga. • Sandy Creek HS
A four-year starter and two-way standout out of Sandy Creek High (Georgia), Hopkins is a two-time Player and Pitcher of the Year. Hopkins made an immediate impact as a freshman, owning a 1.07 ERA with 109 strikeouts, in addition to batting .547 on her way to being named Region 5-AAA Player of the Year. In her sophomore season, she helped lead her squad to a regional title while racking up 126 strikeouts in 86.2 innings pitched with a 3.23 ERA and .483 batting average. Hopkins was honored with both 5-AAA Player and Pitcher of the Year after her sophomore year performance. She helped lead the Patriots to a second consecutive regional championship as a junior, a year in which Hopkins tossed 51 innings with 102 strikeouts and recorded a stellar 0.14 ERA as she was named pitcher of the year for a second time and collected all-region first team honors. In her senior season, Hopkins owned a 1.06 ERA with 176 strikeouts in 79.1 innings of work while also batting .476 in a new region. She capped her senior season with 2-AAA all-region first team honors as a pitcher. Hopkins also plays travel ball for D1vision 18U National. 
 
Coach Griffith on Hopkins:
"We are thrilled to welcome Breana and her family all the way from the Atlanta area. She is a power pitcher with great command and great ability to change speeds. She is a true force on the mound and always wants the ball in her hand. Breana has a quiet demeanor off the field, but when she's in the pitcher's circle she exudes an immense amount of confidence and a true competitive fire, which we love about her. As a two-way player, she is capable of using her strength to be a consistent extra-base hitter. We are so excited that Bre chose to be a Bear."
 
 
Emily Koranda • P/UTL • 5-7 • Fr. • R/R • Marion, Iowa • Linn-Mar HS
A pitcher out of Linn-Mar High (Iowa), Koranda is a two-time conference champion and first-team all-state performer. As a freshman, the right-hander owned a 15-1 record in the circle with a 1.05 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 113 innings of work. She also batted .331 with 40 hits and 27 RBI as she was named to the all-conference second team and earned all-metro honorable mention recognition for the conference champion Lions that went 36-6 on the year. Koranda put together another impressive season as a sophomore, recording 154 punch outs in 126 innings pitched while owning a 14-5 record and 2.00 ERA. A two-way player, she also led her team with a .446 batting average and 50 hits in addition to 25 RBI and four home runs. To close out her sophomore campaign, Koranda was named All-Metro Co-Player of the Year, while earning first-team all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-conference honors. Koranda did not player her junior year due to injury. She also plays travel ball for Nebraska Gold. 
 
Coach Griffith on Koranda:
"We are happy to welcome Emily and her family from the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. She is a pitcher/utility player that has a smoothness to her game which makes everything she does look effortless. On the mound, she spins the ball very well and can throw a number of different speeds. Emily has a calm, steady presence when she plays. Her high softball IQ and high attention to detail allow for a natural assertiveness in both aspects of the game. She also has a great understanding of her swing and can get on base consistently. We can't wait to see Emily in maroon and white for years to come."