Goodrum Joins Impressive Duck Newcomer Class
EUGENE - The No. 15 University of Oregon softball team boosted an already strong newcomer class with the addition of Sara Goodrum, a prep senior from Red Mountain, Ariz.
The Red Mountain High School outfielder was an All-Class 5A state team honorable mention as a junior, and a 5A All-Region East Valley pick the last two seasons.
"Sara is athletically gifted with speed, a strong throwing arm and is a triple threat at the plate," Oregon head coach Mike White said. "We are really excited to have a player of Sara's ability join an already strong class. She also excels in the classroom, has a great personality and will give us some added speed on the base paths."
As a junior, she ranked second in the Fiesta League in batting (.471), third in on-base percentage (.513) and stolen bases (15), and fourth in RBI (32), to go along with 65 hits, six doubles, three triples and one home run.
She helped her Mountain Lions team to a 36-4 record and 10-0 league mark as a junior, and 34-4 and 8-0 records, respectively, as a sophomore.
She joins an incoming freshman class that already includes pitcher Karissa Hovinga (Ralston, Neb.), outfielders Alyssa Gillespie (Hillsboro, Ore.) and Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.), and infielders Hannah Melick (Auburn, Wash.) and Jamie Rae Sullivan (Huntington Beach, Calif.).
The six-person group will hope to repeat the first-year success that several Ducks enjoyed last spring. Outfielder Samantha Pappas
was voted the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, and was joined on the All-Pac-10 Freshman Team with pitcher Jessica Moore
and outfielder Allie Burger
, while second baseman Kaylan Howard
was an All-Pac-10 Freshman Team Honorable Mention.
This year's newcomer class is also making an immediate impact for the Ducks who are 18-4 after the first month of the season. Freshman infielder Courtney Ceo
leads the squad in batting (.429) and hits (27); freshman catcher Alexa Peterson
paces the team in game-winning RBI (4); junior outfielder Christie Nieto
tops the team in home runs (3-tied) and walks (9), and freshman utility player Kailee Cuico
has also homered twice and has eight RBI.
This weekend, UO return to the cozy confines of Howe Field for its first home games of 2011 - a pair of doubleheaders vs. Weber State (3-11) and Utah State (5-19).
Saturday's first game vs. the Wildcats starts at 1 p.m., and Sunday's contests against the Aggies begin at noon.
Ticket-wise, each day BI-MART 2 for 1 day, and fans that show their Bi-Mart card at the Howe Field ticket window will receive two G.A. tickets for the price of one.
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