Wisconsin softball head coach Yvette Healy announced the signing of three recruits to national letters of intent Tuesday. Chloe Miller (Bettendorf, Iowa), Sara Novak (Shorewood, Ill.) and Nyah Rodman (Lakewood, Calif.) will become the newest Badgers in the fall of 2013.
“Above all, this class is filled with great students who have a tremendous amount of athleticism,” Healy said in an email to The Badger Herald. “All three young ladies are big physical kids who will thrive in the weight room.”
Miller was a three-time member of the Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-State softball first team and also a standout volleyball player who led her team to a 38-2 record in her senior season. A shortstop and catcher by trade, Miller spurned going to Iowa, her childhood dream, for a chance to play for Healy at Wisconsin. Miller gave a solid verbal in December 2011.
“Chloe is a fierce competitor who hits with power from the left side of the plate,” Healy said in a press release. “She’s a great leader on defense, with the ability to run the field at shortstop and behind the plate.”
Novak, a utility player who can also pitch, set school records for strikeouts, strikeouts per inning and opponent batting average her junior year, posting a 14-5 record and 1.65 ERA from the mound. She’s not too shabby from the plate either, posting a .453 batting average for Minooka Community High School in 2012.
“She’s always stood out as a competitor,” Healy said in an email to the Herald. “She’s extremely athletic and agile for being so tall and strong. She epitomizes that hard-working Midwest kid who values education and family.”
Rounding out the Badgers’ signees, Rodman is an athletic left-handed pitcher who went 15-8 in her junior campaign for Mayfair High School with a 4.18 ERA and 10 complete games, also batting .413 with four home runs.
“Nyah is a big left-handed hitter with a tremendous amount of potential,” Healy said in an email to the Herald. “She’s young, smart and enthusiastic. Her outgoing personality and intellect make you know that she’ll be successful in sports and life the first time you meet her. … She knows that our staff can help her reach and exceed her potential, and have fun while doing it.”
