November 11, 2026 | Softball
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State head softball coach Kasey Griffith announced Wednesday the commitments of Rexie Crane, KaMiah Johnson, Mya Madu, Clara Pinkham, Addison Retzinger and Audrey Sandholm. All six commits will enter Missouri State as freshmen next fall.
Rexie Crane • P • 5-6 • Fr. • Benton, Ark. • Benton High
A pitcher out of Benton High, Crane is a state champion and is a two-time all-district and all-state selection. As a sophomore, she helped lead the Panthers to a 31-2 team record and a state title. Crane went 18-2 in the circle with 107 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA, and she was named the state championship game's MVP. As a junior, the Panthers were state runners-up with a 29-4 team record. Crane owned a 14-3 record, but increased her strikeouts to 126 and lowered her ERA to 0.84. She was also named to the all-state tournament team as both a sophomore and junior. Crane also played travel ball for Oklahoma Athletics National Ashbaugh.
Coach Griffith on Crane:
"We are thrilled to welcome Rexie to the Bear family. She is a pitcher that has the ability to work both up and down in the zone, paired with an outstanding change of speed. That combination keeps hitters off balance and has the potential to be very successful at this level. She brings a bulldog mentality, fire and a competitive edge every time she steps in the circle. Her willingness to put in the hours and her commitment to further develop makes her an enticing pitcher with a lot of upside. We look forward to having Rexie in the circle for years to come."
KaMiah Johnson • IF/OF • 5-10 • Fr. • Nixa, Mo. • Nixa High
A three-year starter out of Nixa High, Johnson is a two-time first-team all-conference and academic all-state honoree. In her first year as a starter in her sophomore season, she batted .451 and slugged .621 with 30 hits and 15 RBI. Johnson then exploded in her junior campaign with a .550 batting average, 1.342 slugging percentage, 61 hits, 58 RBI and 25 home runs. Her performance earned her conference player of the year honors and selections to the first-team all-state, all-conference and all-district teams. As a senior, she helped lead the Eagles to the Class 5 district 5 championship. Johnson was once again a first-team all-conference selection after batting .453 with 48 hits, 14 home runs, 22 walks and 11 hit by pitches in her final season. She also played travel ball for Aces Fastpitch.
Coach Griffith on Johnson:
"We are happy to welcome a local product of southwest Missouri, KaMiah Johnson to the team. KaMiah brings tremendous power to the lineup along with the versatility to play multiple positions defensively. What stands out most about Miah is her steady presence, strong work ethic and willingness to embrace the grind. She takes pride in the work she puts in behind the scenes, a commitment that is evident in her becoming Missouri's high school home run record holder during her junior season. We are eager to see the impact she makes on our program."
Mya Madu • OF/UTL • 5-6 • Fr. • Oklahoma City, Okla. • Bishop McGuinness Catholic High
A four-year starter out of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High, Madu was a two-time all-district selection. She began her high school career by batting .323 as a freshman en route to all-district laurels. Madu's batting average jumped over 100 points as a sophomore to .467, earning her offensive player of the year and her second all-district honor. She went on to earn all-district honorable mention recognition in both her junior and senior season after batting .268 and .300, respectively. She also played travel ball for Oklahoma Athletics National 18u Madden/Davis.
Coach Griffith on Madu:
"We are excited to welcome Mya to Mo State Softball. She is a talented outfielder that brings athleticism and a strong arm to the defensive side of the game. Offensively, Mya possesses great bat speed and natural strength, which allows her to hit for both power and average. Her competitive spirit, high intensity and desire to win make Mya stand out every time she steps on the field. We are excited about the energy and competitiveness she will bring to our team."
Clara Pinkham • IF • 5-7 • Fr. • Olathe, Kan. • Saint Thomas Aquinas High
A four-year starter out of St. Thomas Aquinas High, Pinkham is a state champion and three-time first-team all-EKL selection. She has also been named to the all-state second team and the Saints' team MVP all three years of her career to this point. Pinkham and the Saints were state runners-up in her freshman and junior seasons, and they captured the state title in her sophomore campaign. She also played travel ball for Peppers Wallace 18u.
Coach Griffith on Pinkham:
"We are thrilled to welcome Clara to Springfield. She is a natural athlete who has an undeniable bounce to her step every time she takes the field. Clara is a true gamer with a competitive edge, strong leadership qualities and a vocal presence that elevates those around her. At the plate, she can be both a power threat and gap-to-gap hitter while also utilizing her speed and assertiveness on the base paths. What excites me most about Clara is her ability to be a true spark plug—bringing energy, confidence and passion to every game she competes in."
Addison Retzinger • P • 5-8 • Fr. • Westfield, Ind. • Noblesville High
A three-year starter out of Noblesville High, Retzinger is a two-time first-team all-conference selection. She started her high school career on the junior varsity team, where she went 12-4 and struck out 81 batters, while also batting .500 with 23 RBI. Retzinger made the jump to varsity as a sophomore where she went 12-6 in the circle with 143 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. In her junior campaign, she owned an 11-3 record with 125 strikeouts, a 2.88 ERA, and she set Noblesville's single-game strikeouts record with 19. Retzinger also played travel ball for Turning 2.
Coach Griffith on Retzinger:
"We are happy to welcome Addison to the Bear family. She is a pitcher with exceptional spin on the ball and a strong presence in the circle. She carries herself with confidence and has an extremely competitive mindset. Addison is the type of pitcher that wants the ball day in and day out and doesn't back down, even in tough situations. Her drive to continuously improve, willingness to put in the work and desire to be a workhorse for her team are qualities that really stand out and fit perfectly with our team's mentality."
Audrey Sandholm • OF • 5-4 • Fr. • Ankeny, Iowa • Ankeny Centennial High
An outfielder out of Ankeny Centennial High, Sandholm helped lead the Jaguars to a Class 5A state runner-up finish as a junior. She scored 35 runs and was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts last season. Sandholm also played travel ball for Select Fastpitch.
Coach Griffith on Sandholm:
"We are excited to welcome Audrey to Mo State Softball. She brings tremendous speed and athleticism to the game, making her a dynamic threat on the basepaths and a strong defensive presence in the outfield. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in heart and contagious energy. Audrey is the ultimate teammate. She has the natural ability to bring people together, uplift those around her and create a positive team environment. All those qualities make her a perfect fit for our program."
Rexie Crane • P • 5-6 • Fr. • Benton, Ark. • Benton High
A pitcher out of Benton High, Crane is a state champion and is a two-time all-district and all-state selection. As a sophomore, she helped lead the Panthers to a 31-2 team record and a state title. Crane went 18-2 in the circle with 107 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA, and she was named the state championship game's MVP. As a junior, the Panthers were state runners-up with a 29-4 team record. Crane owned a 14-3 record, but increased her strikeouts to 126 and lowered her ERA to 0.84. She was also named to the all-state tournament team as both a sophomore and junior. Crane also played travel ball for Oklahoma Athletics National Ashbaugh.
Coach Griffith on Crane:
"We are thrilled to welcome Rexie to the Bear family. She is a pitcher that has the ability to work both up and down in the zone, paired with an outstanding change of speed. That combination keeps hitters off balance and has the potential to be very successful at this level. She brings a bulldog mentality, fire and a competitive edge every time she steps in the circle. Her willingness to put in the hours and her commitment to further develop makes her an enticing pitcher with a lot of upside. We look forward to having Rexie in the circle for years to come."
KaMiah Johnson • IF/OF • 5-10 • Fr. • Nixa, Mo. • Nixa High
A three-year starter out of Nixa High, Johnson is a two-time first-team all-conference and academic all-state honoree. In her first year as a starter in her sophomore season, she batted .451 and slugged .621 with 30 hits and 15 RBI. Johnson then exploded in her junior campaign with a .550 batting average, 1.342 slugging percentage, 61 hits, 58 RBI and 25 home runs. Her performance earned her conference player of the year honors and selections to the first-team all-state, all-conference and all-district teams. As a senior, she helped lead the Eagles to the Class 5 district 5 championship. Johnson was once again a first-team all-conference selection after batting .453 with 48 hits, 14 home runs, 22 walks and 11 hit by pitches in her final season. She also played travel ball for Aces Fastpitch.
Coach Griffith on Johnson:
"We are happy to welcome a local product of southwest Missouri, KaMiah Johnson to the team. KaMiah brings tremendous power to the lineup along with the versatility to play multiple positions defensively. What stands out most about Miah is her steady presence, strong work ethic and willingness to embrace the grind. She takes pride in the work she puts in behind the scenes, a commitment that is evident in her becoming Missouri's high school home run record holder during her junior season. We are eager to see the impact she makes on our program."
Mya Madu • OF/UTL • 5-6 • Fr. • Oklahoma City, Okla. • Bishop McGuinness Catholic High
A four-year starter out of Bishop McGuinness Catholic High, Madu was a two-time all-district selection. She began her high school career by batting .323 as a freshman en route to all-district laurels. Madu's batting average jumped over 100 points as a sophomore to .467, earning her offensive player of the year and her second all-district honor. She went on to earn all-district honorable mention recognition in both her junior and senior season after batting .268 and .300, respectively. She also played travel ball for Oklahoma Athletics National 18u Madden/Davis.
Coach Griffith on Madu:
"We are excited to welcome Mya to Mo State Softball. She is a talented outfielder that brings athleticism and a strong arm to the defensive side of the game. Offensively, Mya possesses great bat speed and natural strength, which allows her to hit for both power and average. Her competitive spirit, high intensity and desire to win make Mya stand out every time she steps on the field. We are excited about the energy and competitiveness she will bring to our team."
Clara Pinkham • IF • 5-7 • Fr. • Olathe, Kan. • Saint Thomas Aquinas High
A four-year starter out of St. Thomas Aquinas High, Pinkham is a state champion and three-time first-team all-EKL selection. She has also been named to the all-state second team and the Saints' team MVP all three years of her career to this point. Pinkham and the Saints were state runners-up in her freshman and junior seasons, and they captured the state title in her sophomore campaign. She also played travel ball for Peppers Wallace 18u.
Coach Griffith on Pinkham:
"We are thrilled to welcome Clara to Springfield. She is a natural athlete who has an undeniable bounce to her step every time she takes the field. Clara is a true gamer with a competitive edge, strong leadership qualities and a vocal presence that elevates those around her. At the plate, she can be both a power threat and gap-to-gap hitter while also utilizing her speed and assertiveness on the base paths. What excites me most about Clara is her ability to be a true spark plug—bringing energy, confidence and passion to every game she competes in."
Addison Retzinger • P • 5-8 • Fr. • Westfield, Ind. • Noblesville High
A three-year starter out of Noblesville High, Retzinger is a two-time first-team all-conference selection. She started her high school career on the junior varsity team, where she went 12-4 and struck out 81 batters, while also batting .500 with 23 RBI. Retzinger made the jump to varsity as a sophomore where she went 12-6 in the circle with 143 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. In her junior campaign, she owned an 11-3 record with 125 strikeouts, a 2.88 ERA, and she set Noblesville's single-game strikeouts record with 19. Retzinger also played travel ball for Turning 2.
Coach Griffith on Retzinger:
"We are happy to welcome Addison to the Bear family. She is a pitcher with exceptional spin on the ball and a strong presence in the circle. She carries herself with confidence and has an extremely competitive mindset. Addison is the type of pitcher that wants the ball day in and day out and doesn't back down, even in tough situations. Her drive to continuously improve, willingness to put in the work and desire to be a workhorse for her team are qualities that really stand out and fit perfectly with our team's mentality."
Audrey Sandholm • OF • 5-4 • Fr. • Ankeny, Iowa • Ankeny Centennial High
An outfielder out of Ankeny Centennial High, Sandholm helped lead the Jaguars to a Class 5A state runner-up finish as a junior. She scored 35 runs and was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts last season. Sandholm also played travel ball for Select Fastpitch.
Coach Griffith on Sandholm:
"We are excited to welcome Audrey to Mo State Softball. She brings tremendous speed and athleticism to the game, making her a dynamic threat on the basepaths and a strong defensive presence in the outfield. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in heart and contagious energy. Audrey is the ultimate teammate. She has the natural ability to bring people together, uplift those around her and create a positive team environment. All those qualities make her a perfect fit for our program."
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