Loyola Softball Announces Signing Of Five Players For 2011 - Loyola University Chicago Official Athletic Site

Nov. 17, 2009

CHICAGO - Olivia Bell (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South), Emily Bentley (Midland, Mich./Midland), Brittany Gardner (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg), Lauren Moore (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) and Lauren Zaworski (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Loyola University Chicago beginning next fall Ramblers head softball coach Yvette Healy announced today.

Bell has earned a wealth of accolades in her prep career and in 2009 was named all-conference, Chicago Tribune Special Mention All-State, Joliet Herald News First Team All-Area and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-Region after batting .393 with a .463 on-base percentage at Plainfield South High School. A member of the Stone City Sharks team, the outfielder was named MVP of the Orland Sparks Tournament and helped her team to the 2009 18U championship in Germantown, Tenn.

"I am thrilled to welcome Olivia to our program," Healy said. "She is one of the most talented pure hitters in the Midwest and possesses the rare ability to hit for power and average from the left side of the plate. Her speed will prove to be a huge asset to our offense. She can bunt, slap and drive the ball into the gaps and over the fence. Her arm strength, speed and range in the outfield will allow her to compete for a starting role immediately."

A first baseman, Bentley is a semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship and has played on the varsity softball team at Midland High for each of her first three seasons there. In 2009, Bentley played in only five games after breaking her foot prior to the season, but managed to hit .538 with a pair of doubles and a triple. As a freshman, playing on the varsity squad, Bentley hit .469 with four home runs, seven doubles, a triple and 42 RBI, with a staggering .667 on-base percentage.

Bentley is a two-time all-conference, all-district, all-area and academic all-conference selection. Playing for Michigan Athletics summer team, she batted a healthy .466 with seven homers, five doubles, three triples and 33 RBI to help her team to a 25th-place finish at ASA Nationals in Sioux Falls, S.D. The team leader in home runs and RBI, Bentley homered in four straight games in one stretch over the summer.

"Emily is certain to be a standout student-athlete at Loyola," Healy said. "She will be a threat to put the ball over the fence every time she steps to the plate. Her offensive power, coupled with her extraordinary academic aptitude, makes her an ideal fit for the Rambler Softball program. Emily has the ability to make an immediate impact and vie for a spot in history as an Academic All-American as well."

Gardner is one of the top pitchers in the state of Illinois and last spring picked up all-conference, all-area and second team all-state accolades, while pitching for Sandburg High School. As a sophomore in 2008, the lefthander posted a 24-5 record with a 0.56 ERA and 278 strikeouts in 188 innings of work en route to the Sandburg Softball Excellence Award and all-area recognition from both the Chicago Sun-Times and Southtown Star.

"Brittany is one of the most highly touted, high-profile pitchers ever signed into the Rambler Softball program," Healy said. "Despite all of the media attention and all-state accolades, Brittany continues to remain focused and determined as she improves each season. Her drive and motivation, coupled with her strength, size and athleticism will make her one of the most dangerous pitchers in the Horizon League and in the Midwest. Brittany's intelligence and commitment to academic success make her a perfect fit for Loyola."

As a junior at Antioch Community High School last spring, Moore earned honorable mention all-area honors and played an error-free season at third base while helping her team to a school-record 32 wins and a regional championship. Playing for the Illinois Chill 18U Gold team, Moore ranked second on the team with 22 RBI and 43 hits and also batted .341 in 2009.

"We are so pleased to welcome Lauren to the Loyola Softball family," Healy said. "Lauren is a tremendously talented athlete, who possesses power, size and strength. Her ability to drive the ball with power to the opposite field will make her an offensive threat at the collegiate level. Defensively, she brings stellar arm strength to the infield with a cannon of an arm."

Primarily a second baseman, Zaworski has played on the varsity team in each of her first three seasons at Fremd High School and during her sophomore campaign batted .425 with eight home runs, three doubles and 43 RBI to earn team most valuable player, all-conference and all-area status. Last spring, she hit .366 with a homer, 11 doubles, two triples, 31 RBI and 25 walks as Fremd finished in third place in the IHSA Tournament. In addition to all-conference and all-area honors, Zaworski, who played for the Midland Magic 18U Gold summer team, earned all-state accolades from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Illinois Coaches Association.

"Lauren is a true blue-chip recruit who turned down multiple Big Ten and BIG EAST offers to compete for the Ramblers," Healy said. "While her offensive power, size and speed are her greatest athletic assets, her leadership maturity, determination and competitiveness separate Lauren from her peers. She is an extremely intelligent student-athlete, who will undoubtedly succeed in the classroom as well as on the field. We expect Lauren to make an immediate impact and help take the Loyola program to the next level."

Loyola is coming off a 28-win season in 2009, as it posted its most victories since 2004. The Ramblers return seven starters from last year's squad and open their 2010 campaign in February.