University of North Texas Athletics
North Texas Announces Four Softball Signees
11/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON (11/18/08) -- Four high school seniors have signed National Letters of Intent to play softball at the University of North Texas for the 2009-10 season, announced head coach TJ Hubbard on Tuesday.
"This group of Texas high school prospects are all very accomplished, academically and athletically," said Hubbard. "The 2009 class is another great addition of young talent that will be expected to contribute in their first year."
This is the second group of North Texas signees that is entirely from the state of Texas. For the 2009-10 school year, the signing class includes the following players: Lesley Hirsch (2B, Montgomery HS/Montgomery, Texas), Ashley Kirk (RHP/1B, Stony Point HS/Round Rock, TX), Brittany Simmons (RHP/1B, Deer Park HS/Deer Park, Texas) and Brittany Taylor (UTL, Cypress Falls HS/Houston, TX). The 2007 signing class was also entirely from Texas.
"Ashley Kirk and Brittany Simmons will give us depth in the pitching rotation and also provide some offensive power in the lineup," said Hubbard. "We feel very confident that their ability in the circle, combined with the leadership from our current staff, will propel us into the post-season over the next few seasons."
Ashley Kirk
Kirk was named District 14-5A MVP in 2008 while playing for Stony Point High School. She also picked up team MVP honors as well as first-team All-Centex honors for her junior year. The Round Rock, Texas native holds the school record in most innings played and strikeouts in a single game: 21 innings with 39 strikeouts. Kirk received honorable all-district honors as a sophomore and was named the team’s newcomer of the year as a freshman. Other accolades include being named first-team all-district and honorable mention All-Centex as a freshman. Kirk is a three-time academic all-district honoree and plays travel ball for Round Rock Blaze Gold.
Brittany Simmons
A three-time first-team all-district player, Simmons helped lead the Deer Park High School softball team to its third straight bi-district championship and a trip to the regional quarterfinals in 2008. As a junior, she pitched two no-hitters, 11 shutouts and recorded a 13-6 record in the circle. That season she posted an ERA of .67 with 123 strikeouts. As a freshman, Simmons was named team MVP and district newcomer of the year after posting a 19-8 record in the circle with an ERA of .809. She helped lead the Deer to a District 22-5A Championship, a bi-district championship and a berth in the regional quarterfinals. She is a three-time academic achievement honoree. Simmons plays travel ball for Houston Power Gold.
"Lesley Hirsch and Brittany Taylor will offer some versatility defensively in the infield," said Hubbard. "Lesley brings a lot of offensive speed to our lineup, while Brittany will provide some day-to-day consistency in the middle of our lineup.
Lesley Hirsch
Hirsch is a two-time all-district player out of Montgomery, Texas. She helped lead the Montgomery High School softball team to the regional semi-finals in 2008. Hirsch plays travel ball for MC Elite Gold, hitting .333 this past summer. Her sister, Monica, plays softball at Stephen F. Austin.
Brittany Taylor
A versatile player, Taylor received recognition as an all-district pitcher and infielder. In 2007, she led the Cypress Falls high school team with a .400 batting average. The 2007 team went on to the third round of the playoffs and the regional quarterfinals. She was inducted into the National Honors Society. Taylor plays travel ball for Texas Aces Gold.
Click here to view signing day photos
