Softball Announces 14th Ranked Signing Class
11/11/2022 11:38:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Softball Head Coach Larissa Anderson and her staff announced Friday the Tigers' 2023 Signing Day Class. Anderson's 2023 Class ranks 14th overall in the nation by Extra Inning Softball. Madison Walker, Marissa McCann, Abby Hay, Nathalie Touchet, Danielle Blackstone, Stefania Abruscato, and Claire Cahalan will join the team this fall ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Madison Walker
Madison Walker, a 5-10 corner infielder, from Olathe, Kansas, graduated from Olathe West High School in May 2023.
Walker, the daughter of Aimee and Hayden Walker, has been named to the 2021-22 All-Sunflower League Second Team and 2020-21 All-Sunflower League First Team while at Olathe West.
Madison Walker set a new batting average record (.582) and runs (34) scored record during her sophomore campaign.
She competes for the Select Fastpitch club team.
In the classroom, Walker is a member of the National Honor Society and Rho Kappa. She ranks in the top 10 percent of her graduating class.
Marissa McCann
Marissa McCann, a 5-10, pitcher from Surprise, Arizona, returns to her birth city of Columbia, Missouri, to don the black and gold. Her mother, Jennifer McCann, is a Missouri alum. Marissa McCann graduated from Willow Canyon High School in May 2023.
McCann was a member of the 2022 Arizona 5A State Championship team and named the Player of the Game. She also earned 2022 First Team All-Region laurels, Arizona 2022 Republic First Team All-State honors, and 2022 All-West Valley Preps Player of the Year.
The daughter of Jennifer and Heath McCann, Marissa McCann, set school records in wins, ERA, shutouts, strikeouts, complete games, and no hitters as a Wildcat at Willow Canyon.
At the Perfect Game Fall Showcase, she was selected as the U18 MVP in both 2021 and 2022 and was a member of the 2022 PGF Premier U18 Runners-up team with Select Fastpitch.
In the classroom, McCann is a member of the National Honors Society. She has been named to the honor roll and the principal's list.
Abby Hay
Abby Hay, a 5-11 catcher/first base local from Columbia, Missouri, will follow the path of her parents who are both Mizzou alumni, when she competes on the Tigers softball team in 2024. Hay's father, John Hay, played baseball at Missouri while her mother, Amy, was a member of the Tigers golf program.
Abby Hay is a three-time all-conference, all-district, all-region, and all-state player at Rock Bridge High School. She has lettered in both baseball and softball for the Bruins and helped Rock Bridge HS capture the 2020 Class 5 Missouri State Championship.
She competes for the Select Fastpitch club team.
In the classroom, Hay is a member of the Bru Crew.
Nathalie Touchet
Nathalie Touchet, a 5-8 righthanded pitcher from Aledo, Texas, will join Missouri after graduating from Aledo High School in May 2023.
Nathalie Touchet, the daughter of Laura Touchet and Chad Touchet, a student-athlete at Kearney State, earned 2022 University Interscholastic League 5A All-State honors. She also helped the Bearcats finish third at the Texas 5A State Tournament in 2022 and as runners-up in 2021.
Touchet was also selected to the All-Metroplex Team and Academic All-District.
She played for the Impact Gold 18U Jackson Fastpitch Select Team which finished ninth at the Alliance Championships and second in the Texas Fastpitch League (TFL) Championships.
In the classroom, she was named the 2022 Outstanding Student in Health Science and the Most Outstanding Female Student in her 2023 Class in addition to National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Program Scholar.
Touchet secured fourth place at Regionals for Clinical Nursing HOSA (Future Health Professionals, Health Occupations Students of America) Competition in 2021. Besides HOSA, she has also participated in Student Council, the National Honors Society at Aledo High School and was an Elementary student mentor. Touchet has also shadowed and assisted at Hospice RN assisted-living facilities.
Danielle Blackstone
Danielle Blackstone, a 5-4 outfielder from O'Fallon, Missouri, heads to the Tigers after earning First-Team All-District, First-Team All-Conference and All-Region honors during her senior season at Fort Zumwalt West High School.
Blackstone, the daughter of Trish and Dominic Blackstone, was also tabbed to the 2021-22 Second Team All-State, the 2019-20 Second Team All-District, 2020-21 Second Team All-Conference, 2020-21 Second Team All-Region and is also a three-time First Team All-District, two-time First Team All-Conference and two-time First Team All-Region honoree.
Blackstone competed for the Select Fastpitch Alvarado softball team.
She has a 4.1 cumulative GPA and been named to the honor roll every year of her high school career while earning lettering academically.
Stefania Abruscato
Stefania Abruscato, a catcher/outfielder from Hauppauge, New York, is the 13th overall ranked player in the 2023 Class, according to Extra Inning Softball.
She has been the starting varsity catcher at Hauppauge High School since the seventh grade and is a four-time New York All-State Honoree. Abruscato was tabbed a 2022 Extra Inning Softball First Team High School All-American after registering a .667 batting average with eight home runs, 35 RBI, 34 steals, 32 runs, and a .805 on-base percentage in 18 games.
She is also a four-year starter on the Eagles soccer and basketball teams. Abruscato plays club softball for New Jersey Intensity.
Stefania Abruscato's father, Tom, played college baseball and participated in a college world series and now is a three-time state winning head baseball coach at Clarke High School (Westbury, New York). Her older sister, Giuliana Abruscato, plays softball at Connecticut.
Claire Cahalan
Claire Cahalan, a 5-1 outfielder from Columbus, Georgia, led Northside High School to a AAAAA Region Two title and the Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA state finals.
Cahalan is a three-time first team all-state, three-time first team all-region, Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Player of the Year (2021), GADC Player of the Year (2021), All Bi-City Offensive Player of the Year (2020), and a Junior All-Star Team selection.
With Northside HS, Cahalan broke five program records while hitting .525 with 46 runs on 53 hits to go along with a .583 on-base percentage and 48 stolen bases.
At the club level, she competes with the Birmingham Thunderbolts and earned 2020 Extra Inning All-Summer Team honors. Cahalan batted .517 with a .576 on-base percentage, 15 hits, 11 runs and 12 stolen bases with the Birmingham Thunderbolts.
Besides softball, Cahalan also led Northside HS to a D1 Area 5 Region Flag Football title. She was named to the 2021 First Team All-Area Flag Football.
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