University of North Carolina Athletics
Softball Signs Eight Strong Recruits to NLIs
November 17, 2015 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina softball is pleased to announce the signing of eight incoming freshmen to National Letters of Intent. The signing class consists of in-state players Hailey Cole, Campbell Hutcherson and Brittany Pickett, as well as student-athletes from New York, Indiana, Nebraska, South Carolina and California. Every position is represented, with pitchers Pickett and Kellyn Daly, catcher Hailey Jensen, infielders Cole, Hutcherson and Brooke Burns, and outfielders Micaela Abbatine and Kristina Burkhardt. The Tar Heel newcomers have great experience in big games, as Pickett, Hutcherson and Daly have all won high school state championships, while Cole also appeared in the North Carolina state title game.
“Signing Day is always very exciting for the players and their families as well as for our program,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “It is also a time when you are finally able to say to your recruits that they are now officially a Tar Heel. The 2016 class is a talented group that will account for many elements of the game for our program. This is one of the biggest and most versatile classes we have had coming in in a while, as we will be hit hard by the graduation of six seniors this spring.
“Offensively, we have recruited in speed and power. Defensively, we have recruited in pitching, catching plus infielders and outfielders. This class is a great fit for our program academically, athletically, and personality-wise. They are a quality group of individuals and it will be fun to see how they develop within our program. It will be awesome to see them in Carolina Blue.”
Name: Micaela Abbatine
Position: Outfield
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Warwick, N.Y.
High School: Warwick Valley
Travel Team: Frozen Ropes Force Gold
A starter for Warwick Valley High School since the eighth grade, Micaela Abbatine is a two-time All-State player as well as a two-time Section 9 First-Team All-Conference player. The speedy outfielder hit .440 last spring and went a perfect 51-for-51 in stolen bases over the past two years, leading the conference in swipes both seasons. The daughter of two former NCAA Division I student-athletes, she plays travel ball on the Frozen Ropes Force Gold where she is coached by her father Tony, who played baseball at the University of Buffalo.
“Micaela is a versatile player that can play in the outfield or the infield,” said Papa. “She will be an asset offensively as she has very good foot speed and an aggressive mentality on the basepaths. She comes from a strong athletic background and is a student of the game. Micaela has a strong work ethic and will help solidify our outfield.”
Name: Kristina Burkhardt
Position: Outfield
Bats/Throws: L/L
Hometown: Fort Wayne, Ind.
High School: Bishop Dwenger
Travel Team: Indiana Magic Gold (2010-present)
Kristina Burkhardt hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she is a starter for the Bishop Dwenger Saints. A three-time All-Summit Athletic Conference selection, the outfielder was named all-state and all-district following her junior season in which she hit .577 with eight triples and 37 stolen bases. The team's Rookie of the Year in 2013, Burkhardt led the Saints to the Sectional Championship as a freshman, as well as three consecutive conference titles.
Burkhardt comes from a family of athletes, as older sister Ashley played softball for Purdue and spent the past summer playing professionally for the Dallas Charge. Her father Scott played college basketball and now coaches her on the Indiana Magic Gold travel team. A candidate for 2016 Miss Indiana Softball, Burkhardt has earned Bishop Dwenger's Mother Theresa Award three times, the 2015 Good Samaritan Award, as well as BDHS Scholar, Honors and Ambassador.
“Kristina will be another threat on the basepaths in this class as well as provide some offense for us from the left side of the plate,” said Papa. “She can slap and hit for power. Kristina moves well in the outfield and covers a lot of ground defensively.”
Name: Brooke Burns
Positions: Shortstop, Third base
Hometown: Chapin, S.C.
High School: Chapin
Travel Team: Carolina Elite Norton (2012-present)
A three-time all-state and all-region shortstop, Brooke Burns is the most prolific offensive player in Chapin High School history. The Chapin, South Carolina, native broke the school record with 39 RBIs as a sophomore, then slashed it again with 51 last spring. Burns has hit at least .440 all three seasons, totaling 127 career RBIs while slugging .893 as a junior. Rated the No. 7 player in South Carolina by SCVarsity.com as a sophomore, Burns was a finalist for South Carolina Player of the Year last spring. A four-year member of Carolina Elite Norton, Burns has a career batting average of .487 with 27 home runs and led her team to a ninth-place finish at ASA Gold 16U Nationals in 2014.
“Brooke will be a force at the plate,” said Papa. “She has a powerful bat and has been an RBI producer in high school and on her travel ball team. She will help solidify our infield with the departure of a couple of seniors. She is very versatile and able to play on the left side of the field at short and third.”
Name: Hailey Cole
Positions: Second base, Shortstop, Outfield
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Welcome, N.C.
High School: North Davidson
Travel Teams: Carolina Attitude (2007-15), Team NC-Martin (2015-present)
A three-time all-county and all-district performer, Hailey Cole led North Davidson High School to the North Carolina State Championship game this past spring as the Black Knights' starting shortstop. An outfielder for her first two high school seasons, Cole batted .444 as a rookie and helped NDHS to a top-eight state finish in 2013, then topped that with an appearance in the state semifinals in 2014. Following both her sophomore and junior seasons, Cole earned all-conference, all-state and all-region honors, adding an All-South nod in 2015 as well as winning NDHS Defensive Player of the Year. After eight seasons with the Carolina Attitude, Cole joined Team NC-Martin this past summer, leading them to a 12th-place finish at ASA Nationals.
“Hailey is a solid player that will help us be exciting up at the plate from the left side with her slapping ability, putting the ball in play and moving down the line,” said Papa. “She will help sure up our middle infield and has good feet and a strong arm at her position defensively. Hailey has played on one of the best high school teams in North Carolina and is very fundamentally sound in all aspects of her game.”
Name: Kellyn Daly
Position: Pitcher
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Omaha, Neb.
High School: Marian
Travel Team: Nebraska Gold (2015-present)
Kellyn Daly comes to Chapel Hill from Omaha, Nebraska, where the 5-foot-11 hurler was twice named First-Team All-State by The World-Herald, as well as First-Team Class A and to the All-Metro First Team in each of the past two seasons. After earning district runners-up in 2012 and 2013, the Marian Crusaders advanced to their first-ever Nebraska state title game in the fall of 2014. The Crusaders returned to the NSAA State Championship game on Oct. 16, 2015, and backed by a complete-game effort in the circle from Daly, Marian took home its first Nebraska state title in school history. Daly went 26-3 with a 0.80 ERA and 292 strikeouts this fall, as batters hit just .147 against her during her senior season. Daly joined the Nebraska Gold travel team this past season, where she recorded a 1.22 ERA and 1.26 WHIP.
“Kellyn is the first player we have ever had from Nebraska,” said Papa. “She has had good successes on the mound and recently helped her high school win its historic first Nebraska High School State Championship. Kellyn will compliment our returning pitching staff with her repertoire of pitches and will help us compete in one of the top conferences in the country.”
Name: Campbell Hutcherson
Position: Infield
Bats/Throws: L/R
Hometown: Advance, N.C.
High School: Forsyth Country Day School
Travel Teams: Carolina Cardinals (2012-14), Firecrackers NC (2015-present)
An infielder from Advance, North Carolina, Campbell Hutcherson is a two-sport athlete at Forsyth Country Day School, excelling at both softball and basketball for the Fury. Hutcherson followed travel coach Ben McKinney of the Carolina Cardinals to Forsyth to begin her sophomore year, where she was influential in a renaissance of the softball program. The year before her arrival, the Fury was run-ruled in nearly every game. Just two seasons later, Hutcherson led the Fury to its first-ever NCISAA 3A State Championship. Hutcherson hit .635 with 24 RBIs and just two strikeouts as a sophomore, then hit .611 in the 2015 postseason to lead the Fury to the state title.
A three-time all-conference selection and three-time Offensive Player of the Year award winner, Hutcherson was named all-state and Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. A talented basketball player as well, Hutcherson was named Forsyth's Outstanding Female Student-Athlete following her sophomore year.
Hutcherson played 2012-14 on the Carolina Cardinals before joining the Firecrackers NC this past year. Over the summer, the Advance, North Carolina, native hit .487 with 26 RBIs and 19 runs, and led her team to a first-place finish at the Scenic City Showcase in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“Campbell will give us another strong bat from the left side,” said Papa. “She is a very solid player offensively and defensively and will give us depth at the corners. Campbell has a strong work ethic and will be a great addition to our team.”
Name: Hailey Jensen
Positions: Catcher, Third base
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Brea, Calif.
High School: Brea Olinda
Travel Teams: OC Batbusters (2013), Explosion (2014-present)
Hailing from Brea, California, Hailey Jensen is a 5-foot-8 catcher. After missing her sophomore season with an injury, Jensen returned to the diamond to hit .295 with seven home runs last spring, earning a First-Team All-North Hills League selection. An All-Century League Second Team honoree as a freshman, Jensen has been varsity team captain since 2014 and was a 2015 Character Counts! Sports Winner. Jensen has played for five different travel teams over the past eight years, and currently plays for Chris Morgan on the Explosion.
“Hailey will round out our battery having the opportunity to catch and develop with our two freshmen pitchers along with a veteran pitching staff,” said Papa. “Hailey will bring a lot of energy and athleticism to the field both as a catcher and a hitter.”
Name: Brittany Pickett
Positions: Pitcher, First base
Bats/Throws: L/L
Hometown: Indian Trail, N.C.
High School: Sun Valley
Travel Teams: Carolina Curve, Carolina Elite
A three-time All-Southern Carolina Conference pitcher, Brittany Pickett led the Sun Valley High School Spartans to back-to-back SCC Championships and the 2014 NCHSAA 3A State title, earning the honor of Playoffs MVP. The conference's Pitcher of the Year in 2014, she was named Charlotte Observer Player of the Year as a sophomore, and earned a pair of all-district selections. A nominee for 2015 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, Pickett was named NCSCA All-State after leading the Spartans to a 23-3 record and a return trip to the State Elite 8.
A talented pitcher and hitter, Pickett hit .484 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs as a sophomore while going 18-5 with 88 strikeouts and a 1.83 ERA in 2014. This past spring, she hit .469 with 10 homers, going 15-3 with a 1.63 ERA and 99 Ks.
A member of the Carolina Elite, Pickett hit .381 with 41 RBIs in 63 at-bats this past summer, finishing in the top 25 overall at PGF Nationals.
“Brittany is a left-handed power hitter and pitcher/first baseman,” said Papa. “She has been very successful at the high school level winning conference and state championships. She will be able to help us in a number of areas with her versatility offensively and defensively.”
