Softball Announces 2013 Recruiting Class
2/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall softball head coach Ray Vander May has announced the signing of four recruits to National Letters of Intent to play for the Pirates beginning in 2013. The class includes Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.), Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, NY), Faith Laudano (Islip, N.Y.), and Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.).
"We are very happy with this recruiting class," said Vander May. "I think having two left-handed and two-right handed bats will help our offensive balance. All of them play for really good travel ball teams where they have seen great competition which will help them at this level. They are all very mature kids and I expect them to be excellent academically, which is very important to our program."
DiPietro's Hatboro-Horsham high school won the PIAA Pennsylvania Class AAAA state championship last year and has been a part of teams that have won the District One and Continental League championships. She has been named to Third Team All-Suburban One League and was an Honorable Mention her freshman year. DiPietro, who is projected to play second base and outfield at the collegiate level, is a member of the National Honor Society and plays summer ball with Tuff n Tuffer Gold.
"Jackie will add tremendous speed to our lineup," stated Vander May. "She is a versatile player defensively, and we add another lefty slap-hitting bat."
Harrell has been named to All-Western New York First Team and All-New York State Third Team along with being named All E.C.I.C. every year since 2008. She has a career batting average of .479 and posted a 1.000 fielding percentage at third base as a junior for Cheektowaga Central High School. Harrell played for the New Era Diamond Girls from 2008-2010, and played for the TC Tremors Elite in 2011.
"Jazzie (as she is known) brings a lefty bat into the lineup that can hit for power and has tons of speed as well," said Vander May. "It looks like she will play the outfield for us next year and also platoon at third base. She's got speed, power, and is a very good softball player. She's a great fit for our program."
Laudano was named to the All-Tournament team her freshman year at Islip high school. Faith was also named All-Division in here sophomore and junior seasons. She's played travel ball with the Long Island Express.
"Faith Ladano is a good catcher and is a solid right-handed bat," Vander May said. "We were looking to solidify the catching position with Nicole Loewenstein graduating, and I believe Faith will help us do that."
Rabbets was named MVP at Centennial high school and also made first team All-League in the Big VII League. Alex is a scholar athlete who led her team in home runs, RBIs, and batting average in 2010. She's played travel ball with the So Cal Raiders and the Corona Eliminators take third place in the 2009 ASA Nationals.
"Alex is a very good catcher and can play both corner infield positions," Vander May said. "She is a big-time power hitter out of California. I keep getting updates that she is constantly hitting homeruns in the tournaments she is playing in."
The Seton Hall softball team begins the 2012 season at the Lancer Lead-Off Tournament on Saturday, February 18.
