MIZZOU SOFTBALL CLASS OF 2017
NAME	POSITION	B/T	HOMETOWN	HIGH SCHOOL	CLUB TEAM(S)
Kendyll Bailey	INF	R/R	Grain Valley, Mo.	Grain Valley	DeMarini Aces
Kara Decker	OF-1B	L/R	Leitchfield, Ky.	Grayson County	Louisville Stunners
Trenity Edwards	C-3B	R/R	Moore, Okla.	Southmoore	East Cobb Bullets
Tajiah Ellison	UT	L/R	Mesa, Ariz.	Desert Vista	AZ Hotshots Elite Gold & EC Bullets
Abby George	OF	L/R	St. Louis, Mo.	Lutheran South	St. Louis Espirit
Katherine Kadlec	C	R/R	Columbia, Mo.	Father Tolton	KC Originals
Callie Martin	OF	R/L	Raymore, Mo.	Raymore-Peculiar	DeMarini Aces
Delaney McDannold	OF	L/R	Columbia, Mo.	Rock Bridge	St. Louis Espirit
Hatti Moore	OF-C	R/R	La Grange, Texas	La Grange	Texas Blaze
Lauren Rice	P-1B	R/R	Morrison, Ill.	Morrison	Firecrackers-Rico
Brooke Wilmes	INF	L/R	Des Moines, Iowa	Johnston	Iowa Slammers

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball head coach Ehren Earleywine announced Tuesday that 11 future student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the program beginning in 2017.

Mizzou will welcome Kendyll Bailey (Grain Valley, Mo.), Kara Decker (Leitchfield, Ky.), Trenity Edwards (Moore, Okla.), Tajiah Ellison (Phoenix, Ariz.), Abby George (St. Louis, Mo.), Katherine Kadlec (Columbia, Mo.), Callie Martin (Raymore, Mo.), Delaney McDannold (Columbia, Mo.), Hatti Moore (La Grange, Texas), Lauren Rice (Morrison, Ill.) and Brooke Wilmes (Des Moines, Iowa) to its roster next season.

The Tigers' 2017 recruiting class is ranked No. 9 in the country according to FloSoftball.com. Seven of Wednesday's signees are ranked in FloSoftball's final "Top 200" Class of 2017 rankings. Mizzou joins Auburn as the schools with the most FloSoftball "Top 200" Class of 2017 recruits.

The 11 total signees is the largest recruiting class under Coach Earleywine (2007-present). The next largest recruiting class under Earleywine occurred in 2011 with nine total signees.

"This is a great recruiting class by anyone's standards," coach Earleywine said. "Every position on the field is accounted for and they all bring different tool sets to the table. When you see 11 commits for one class, the general response is 'Wow, why so many?' My answer is that I never set out to get 11 total players. It just happened."

"I landed five or six players originally and I felt content but every time I went recruiting, I'd see another 2017 player that I really wanted. The last time I had a class this size, they ended up going to three consecutive Women's College World Series. Only time will tell for this Class of 2017, but the talent is definitely there."

"Thank you to all of the players and families for their commitments. We are looking forward to an amazing four years together in Columbia, Mo.!"

Kendyll Bailey

Rated #11 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Hot 100" players ... 2x Missouri All-State selection ... 3x Missouri All-Region selection ... 4x Missouri All-Conference selection ... 4x Missouri All-District selection ... Starred at Grain Valley High School under head coach Lindsey Weikel ... DeMarini Aces under head coach Ryan Taylor rated Top 15 club program in the nation ... In 2015, she hit eight home runs for the Aces ... Aces finished Top 10 overall at 2016 PGF Nationals ... Multi-sport star at Grain Valley, lettering in basketball for four years ... 4x Missouri All-Conference and 4x Missouri All-District honors with basketball team ... 3x Academic All-State honors for softball ... 4x Academic All-Conference recipient for softball and basketball ... 4.0 GPA in the classroom ... Member of National Honor Society in her final two years of high school ... Chose Mizzou over Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Oregon and Penn State

"I chose Mizzou because I wanted to play for a winning program, Coach Earleywine and at a Southeastern Conference school"

Kara Decker

Rated #178 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Top 200" players ... All-Region, All-District, All-District Tournament Team and All-Academic Team honoree ... .503 career average, 53 career home runs, .668 career on-base percentage, .982 career slugging percentage ... Competed with Louisville Stunners 98 club team under head coach Gay Muse ... Shined at 2016 18U Gold Nationals tournament, posting four home runs ... Received numerous offers across the country, but only actively pursued Mizzou

"I chose Mizzou because it has provided me with the opportunity to fulfill my dreams and goals as both a student and an athlete. I love everything about the school and softball program. I believe that Mizzou is the perfect fit for me."

Trenity Edwards

Rated #98 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Hot 100" players ... 2015 The Oklahoman's Player of the Year ...  2014 The Oklahoman's Second Team Big All-City ... 2014 sophomore season, hit .495 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 46 RBI ... 2013 The Oklahoman's First Team Big All-City ... Key member in Southmoore's 2013 Oklahoma Class 6A state championship ... Named Southmoore's 2016 Defensive Player of the Year ... East Cobb Bullets club team claimed the 2016 18U USA Softball Junior Olympic Club title ... Smacked a key three-run home run in East Cobb's championship-clinching match ... Chose Mizzou over Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech

"I chose Mizzou because I believe that they have the best opportunities for me not only as an athlete but as a student as well. I feel that I get along with the coaches very well and they will make me a better player."

Tajiah Ellison

Rated #185 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Top 200" players ... 3rd place in 2015 TC Nationals in Reno, Nev. ... 2nd place in 2015 ASA / USA Jr. World Cup in Chino Hills, Calif. ... 2016 Arizona Central All-Division I Honorable Mention ... In 2015-16 junior season, hit .357 with 37 runs scored, six doubles, four home runs and 32 RBI ... Competed at the 2015 USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup ... Multi-sport star, earning Girl's Track Athlete of the Year honors, Dobson High School 200m and 400m champion, 4x100 state qualifier ... Dobson High School Honor Roll ... Chose Mizzou over Arizona, LSU, New Mexico State, Utah State and Wisconsin

"Mizzou was my dream school ever since Rhea Taylor was a player there. After my visit, I knew it was home for me. It was a much better experience than I could've ever dreamt. Mizzou is the whole package! I get to play for a great coach, who will develop me into the best player that I can be, while getting a great education. M-I-Z!"

Abby George

Tallied .554 career average with Lutheran South ... 2x First Team All-State, in addition to one Second Team All-State honor ... 2013-16 All-District honoree ... 2013-16 All-Conference honoree ... Three-time All-Region recipient ... As a senior, produced school record .610 average (eighth-best in the area) with 33 runs scored and 19 RBI ... As a junior, hit .550 with seven doubles, six triples, 23 RBI, school record 34 stolen bases, .740 slugging ... Competed with St. Louis Espirit club team under head coach Jim Huecker

"I chose Mizzou because I fell in love with the campus. It made me feel at home and the University of Missouri excels both academically and in softball."

Katherine Kadlec

2015 junior season, hit .494 with 28 runs scored, 41 hits, seven doubles, seven triples and 29 RBI ... 2015 First Team All-Conference ... 2015 Second Team All-Region ... 2015 Class 2 District 11 All-District First Team ... 2014 First Team All-District ... 2014 Second Team All-Region ... Tallied impressive .625 average in her sophomore campaign ... 2013 Second Team All-District ... Member of Father Tolton's first-ever softball program ... 2013-15 Academic All-State and member of National Honor Society ... Multi-sport athlete at Father Tolton, also starring in track & field and basketball ... Took fourth place in State in 4x200 relay, earning All-State honors ... State qualifier for 4x200, Sectional qualifier for 4x200 and 4x100 teams ... Chose Mizzou early in the recruiting process and didn't look at other schools

"Growing up in Columbia, Mo., I have always loved Mizzou and it's like a second family to me. I know playing for Coach Earleywine will bring out the best in me both on and off the field."

Callie Martin

Rated #45 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Hot 100" players ... 2016 Missouri First Team All-State ... Recorded .577 average, 47 runs scored, 40 RBI, .620 on-base percentage, 1.186 slugging ... Hit 13 home runs in 2016 senior campaign, setting new high school single-season record ... 2015 Missouri Second Team All-State ... 2015 Kansas City Star All-Metro Softball Team ... Hit .493 overall and .536 with 31 RBI in conference action ... Set new DeMarini Aces club record with 16 HR in 2016 ... Also tallied a whopping 85 stolen bases, .498 on-base percentage and 1.180 OPS in 2016 ... .529 on-base percentage in 2015 ... Also paced team in average, stolen bases (42) and T-2nd in home runs with fellow Mizzou commit and Aces teammate, Kendyll Bailey ... DeMarini Aces under head coach Ryan Taylor rated Top 15 club program in the nation ... Aces finished 9th place at 2015 PGF Nationals ... 4.0 GPA in the classroom ... Chose Mizzou over Arkansas, Arizona State, Georgia, Kentucky and Purdue

"I chose Mizzou because of its competitive environment and coaching staff. I've always dreamt of playing for the Tigers and in the SEC. I'm proud to be able to play and represent my home state of Missouri."

Delaney McDannold

Rated #148 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Top 200" players ... 2015 Rock Bridge Team MVP ... 2015-16 Second Team All-State ... 2015-16 First Team All-District ... 2015-16 First Team All-Region ... Led Rock Bridge in hits, runs scored and stolen bases during 2015 season ... Competed with St. Louis Espirit club team under head coach Jim Huecker ... Chose Mizzou over Northwestern Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State, Tulsa and Wichita State

"I chose Mizzou because Columbia, Mo., is my hometown and I've always wanted to play for Coach Earleywine. Also, my family has a tradition with Mizzou, as my grandfather, Carroll McDannold, played baseball for Mizzou in the early 1960's."

Hatti Moore

Named La Grange's 2015 and 2016 Defensive MVP ... In 2015 junior season, hit .356 with 47 runs scored, 11 doubles, two home runs and 34 RBI ... In 2014 sophomore season, hit .418 with 46 runs scored, 51 hits, four triples, eight home runs and 37 RBI ... Named to MaxPreps.com 2014 All-American list ... In 2013 freshman season, hit .421 with 50 runs scored, 53 hits, 15 doubles, six triples, five home runs and 47 RBI ... La Grange High School rated as high as No. 1 team in the country, according to USA Today ... La Grange went 40-2 in 2016, en route to Texas Class 4A State Softball Championship ... Competed at the 2015 USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup ... Multi-sport athlete at La Grange, also starring in volleyball ... Chose Mizzou over Houston, Oregon State and Texas A&M

"I chose Mizzou because I fell in love with everything about the school, including the softball coaching staff. I knew I always wanted to compete at the highest level possible, so it was the perfect fit for me!"

Lauren Rice

Rated #38 overall in FloSoftball's final Class of 2017 "Hot 100" players ... Touches 70-plus mph in the circle ... Pitched a perfect game in 2015, in addition to three consecutive no-hitters ... Also competed with Quad City Firebirds 99 and Chicago Beverly Bandits club teams ... Chose Mizzou over Boston College, Illinois and Ohio State

"I chose Mizzou for many reasons. My primary reason was the amazing coaching staff with proven success. The facilities are also amazing and Mizzou's campus felt like home."

Brooke Wilmes

4x First Team Iowa All-State ... 2x First Team Class 5A Elite All-State ... 4x First Team All-District ... 4x First Team Central Iowa Metropolitan League ... 3x All-Academic ... Career .522 average at Johnston High School, including 98 stolen bases (95-percent success rate) ... In 2016 senior season, her .610 average paced all of Iowa Class 5A programs ... 3x Class 5A State All-Tournament Team, including captain of the 2014 All-Tournament Team ... Keyed Johnston's 2016 Iowa State championship, its second title in three years ... Johnston High School consistently one of the top teams in the state, under head coach Todd Merical ... Competed with Iowa Slammers club team under head coach Jim Hallman ... Chose Mizzou over Arkansas, Central Florida, Minnesota and Syracuse

"I chose Mizzou because once I stepped on campus, I just got that feeling you only get once when visiting colleges. I could never get Mizzou out of my head when visiting other colleges. It stuck with me from the beginning and it's the perfect fit for me."