SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State head softball coach Kasey Griffith announced Wednesday the commitments of Madi Johnson, Kaidynn Peckinpaugh and Ellie Shevey. All three will enter Missouri State as freshmen next fall.
 
Madi Johnson • IF • 5-4 • Fr. • R/R • Centralia, Mo. • Centralia High
A four-year starter out of Centralia High (Missouri), Johnson was a three-time all-conference first-team selection. She was also a two-time all-district first team and all-region first team selection, and earned first-team all-state honors as a junior. As a freshman, Johnson batted .307 before improving her batting average by over one hundred points to .409 as a sophomore. Her best year came in her junior campaign as she batted .489 with 46 hits, 10 home runs and 21 stolen bases as she helped lead the Panthers to a district championship and a second-place finish at the state tournament. As a senior, Johnson owned a .484 batting average and left Centralia as the career record holder in hits (160), RBI (116) and doubles (40). She also plays travel ball for Aces Fastpitch.

Coach Griffith on Johnson:
"We are excited to welcome in-state talent, Madi Johson to the team. She is a gifted middle infielder who plays the game with tremendous grit and competitiveness. What she lacks in height, she makes up for in heart and energy. She is constantly hustling and talking to her teammates, which I absolutely love. At the plate, Madi is a gap-to-gap hitter and an elite bunter. She uses her speed and softball IQ to run the bases at a very high level. Her assertiveness and passion for the game makes her a perfect fit for our program."



Kaidynn Peckinpaugh • P/UTL • 5-7 • Fr. • L/L • Lafayette, Ind. • McCutcheon High
A pitcher/utility player out of McCutcheon High (Indiana), Peckinpaugh was a two-time all-area selection and earned all-state honors in her sophomore season. As a freshman, Peckinpaugh batted .381 and tossed 72.2 innings with 85 strikeouts en route to all-conference honors. Her sophomore season has been her best to-date, as the two-way standout posted a .476 batting average with five home runs and a 1.37 earned run average with 144 strikeouts. In her junior campaign, Peckinpaugh owned a .405 batting average and a 2.84 ERA in the circle. In each of the last two seasons, she has led her team in doubles, home runs, innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA and batting average against. Peckinpaugh also plays travel ball for the Indiana Bombers.

Coach Griffith on Peckinpaugh:
"We are thrilled to welcome Kaidynn Peckinpaugh to the Bear family. She is a pitcher that has natural deceptiveness from the left side. Kaidynn spins the ball very well and has the ability to change both planes and speeds, which is so important at this level. This allows her to consistently produce a lot of swing-and-misses. I love the positive energy she brings to the team as well as her assertive presence on the mound. We look forward to having Kaidynn in the circle for years to come."



Ellie Shevey • C • 5-5 • Fr. • R/R • Springfield, Mo. • Kickapoo High
A local product out of Kickapoo High, Shevey was a two-time all-conference first-teamer and three-time conference champion. Shevey took a huge leap from her freshman to sophomore season, improving her batting average by over two hundred points. In her sophomore campaign, she batted .396 with 26 RBI as she earned second-team all-conference and all-district honors. Shevey exploded in her junior season, batting .510 with 53 hits, 40 RBI and seven home runs. She went on to earn first-team honors at the conference, district and regional levels, and was named a second-team all-state performer. As a senior, she owned a .448 batting average with 50 RBI and nine homers. Shevey also plays travel ball for the Missouri Chiefs.
 
Coach Griffith on Shevey:
"We are happy to welcome a local product of Springfield, Ellie Shevey to MoState Softball. She is a talented catcher that plays with an immense amount of passion for the game and love for her teammates. Her leadership is evident as she excels at commanding the defense while supporting her pitchers. On offense, Ellie brings a great presence, natural power and tremendous plate discipline. We can't wait to see Ellie in maroon and white."