Buffalo Softball Adds Five In Early Signing Period
12/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BUFFALO, NY- Buffalo softball received National Letters of Intent from five standout student-athletes during the early signing period for the 2010-2011 academic year. Current high school seniors Tori Speckman (Alvin, TX/Alvin), Tori Pettine (Schwenksville, PA/Spring-Ford), Sammie Gallardo (Chula Vista, CA/Otay Ranch), and Holly Luciano (Toms River, NJ/Toms River), as well as Haylee Land (Palm City, FL/Indian River CC)will be joining the Bulls next fall.
"This is one of the most talented classes that I have ever been a part of," said second-year head coach Jennifer Teague. "We look forward to their contribution in the classroom and on the field as we strive to win MAC championships."
Pettine, a four-year starter at shortstop at Spring-Ford, hit .437 for the District 1-AAAA champions with five doubles, two triples, and three homers. She drove in a career-high 39 runs. In 2009, she walked seven times and was hit by pitches seven times with just four strikeouts. Defensively, Pettine committed only six errors while racking up 54 putouts and 38 assists with a fielding average of .996. She received the following honors: All PAC-10 selection, first-team shortstop, all-area first-team shortstop and All-State Honorable Mention and 2009 Chester County Carpenter Cup Selection Team for high school all stars. Pettine also plays for the Jersey Inferno Gold travel team.
"Tori is from a softball family, they live for the game," said Teague. "She is going to be a great utility infielder for us. She is playing with one of the premier travel teams on the east coast and that will prepare her to come into college and compete right away."
Sammi Gallardo |
Gallardo, a three-year starter at Otay Ranch, was a team leader in 2009 with a .414 batting average, .437 on-base percentage and slugging percentage of .596. She was voted co-captain and Most Inspirational by her teammates and received the Coaches Award in 2009. Gallardo was team MVP in her freshman year (2007). A league home run leader, Gallardo was named to the first-team All-Mesa League in 2009 and the only freshman selected in 2007. She was designated in 2008 as one of the top high school players to watch in San Diego County by the San Diego Union Tribune and was selected as one of Adidas Futures Top 100 in 2008 and 2009. Gallardo also plays for the San Diego Renegades travel team.
"When I think about Sammi, I think smooth," said Teague. "She is very smooth on defense. She knows the game and is an instinctive player. She also plays for one of the top travel teams in California."
Luciano is a three-year starter at both center field and shortstop positions. She is a three-year all-county, a three-year All-Shore Conference and a first-team all-state selection. She led the Shore Conference for two consecutive years in stolen bases, breaking Toms River East's career stolen base record held for 25 years, with 71 stolen bases. She also tied the single-season stolen base record with 36. She played travel ball with the Beach Girls Gold.
Holly Luciano |
"Holly has a baseball background. She is probably one of the purest athletes that I have ever recruited," said Teague. "She can play anywhere on the field. She is exceptionally fast and a switch hitter, which is very rare in softball. Holly has a way of getting her job done and that's what we need."
Land, a pitcher from South Fork High School, will be entering her second season with Indian River Community College, ranked in the top five NJCAA polls before falling short of the World Series. Land assisted Indian River in finishing the 2009 spring season with a 47-9 record. As a high school senior, Land finished with an 11-2 record, 1.02 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and batted.427, with four triples, 10 doubles, and 30 RBIs.
Haylee Land |
"I saw a bulldog mentality on the mound when I first saw Haylee pitch," said Teague. "She is a worker and competitor. She will also be able to help us at the plate. Haylee currently plays for a top 10 nationally-ranked program in junior college. That experience will allow her to step in and have an immediate impact on our pitching staff, both with performance and leadership."
Speckman, a pitcher, attends Alvin High School and plays travel ball with Houston Power Gold. Speckman has received second-team all-district honors and is a three-year varsity starter.
Tori Speckman |
"Tori comes from a well coached, top tier travel team out of Texas," said Teague. "She has a very good understanding of the game; particularly when it comes to pitch calling. She uses her strengths very well. Tori's accuracy is point on and her competitive drive will allow her to be great in the MAC."
