Dec. 12, 2001
OXFORD, Ohio - With the impending graduation of players at two of the most critical positions on the diamond, Miami head softball coach Angie Jacobs was looking to re-tool at those spots, and she did just that, receiving early commitments from a pair of pitchers and a catcher, as well as an outfielder.
Courtney Salmon (Auburn, Wash./Auburn), Heather Freudenberger (Louisville, Ky./duPont Manual), Rebecca Garcia (Martinez, Calif./College Park) and Katie Arnone (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Chaminade Madonna College Prep) comprise the first installment of the RedHawks' class of 2006.
"This is by far the best early signee recruiting class I've had here," head coach Angie Jacobs said. "The quality of the student-athletes and the level of experience they have is above and beyond that of players we've had in the past."
Salmon, a right-handed pitcher and first baseman, is a two-time all-league and all-area selection at Auburn High School, where she also twice has been voted team captain and Defensive Player of the Year. Her 18-and-under American Softball Association (ASA) gold team, the Washington Ladyhawks, won the regional qualifier last year and finished 33rd in the nation.
A righty hurler as well as an outfielder and first baseman on duPont Manual's state championship team her junior year, Freudenberger has made all-district the last four years and all-region, all-state and all-state tournament the last two. She also has played for the Louisville Lady Sluggers, Kentucky Flyers and Indiana Heat.
The daughter of former major leaguer Kiko, who also served as her high school coach, Garcia, a catcher and first baseman, was selected all-state her junior year and twice named all-league, all-area and one of the top 100 prep athletes in the East Bay area. She carries a .423 batting average (85-for-201) into her senior year, and looks to help defend College Park's 2001 state 3A title.
Arnone, an outfielder with catching experience, was a key cog in Miami Mini Canes Gold's drive to the 2001 National Softball Association (NSA) National Championship and a three-time all-county honorable mention honoree as a member of Chaminade Madonna College Prep. As a freshman, she also helped her high school to its first ever regional playoff berth.
"The practice of recruiting one-dimensional players is a thing of the past," Jacobs said. "Not only can our incoming pitchers pitch, but they also can play at least one other position, and the two other players are versatile as well. These women not only will play at their primary positions but will create depth in other areas as well."
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