Bulldogs Add Infielder, Pitcher To Signing Class
Katie Johnson, Sara Hickerson To Add Valuable Depth For 2004
Katie Johnson |
Sara Hickerson |
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State softball head coach Jay Miller announced two additional signees to his recruiting class Monday afternoon as infielder Katie Johnson (Birmingham, Ala./Vestavia Hills HS) and pitcher Sara Hickerson (Nashville, Tenn./John Overton HS) inked their names to national letters of intent to continue their playing careers with the Bulldogs.
Johnson and Miller are expected to contribute immediately to the Mississippi State lineup. The duo brings Miller's signing class to six strong after the Bulldogs inked a quartet of players during the early signing period.
Voted Most Valuable Player at Vestavia Hills Red and Blue Classic this past weekend, Johnson has helped lead the Rebels to a 27-5 record this season, hitting .455 with 16 extra-base hits (3 HR), 34 RBI and 29 runs scored. An all-state honorable mention selection in 2001 and an all-metro honoree in 2002, Katie will leave Vestavia Hills High School as the program's all-time assists leader.
She was named the VHHS Freshman Female Athlete of the Year in 1998 following a standout athletic season in which she garnered Pizitz all-metro team honors in softball, as well as Pizitz MVP and all-metro volleyball honors. She was also decorated with the Lady Pirate award and received the Presidential Fitness awards.
Katie has achieved stints with a pair of travel ball organizations as well, including the Birmingham Vipers and the Silver Bullets. The daughter of Thom and Mary Johnson, Katie has three brothers ? Rocky, Ryan and Christopher. She currently maintains a 3.06 GPA at Vestavia High School and expects to major in Physical Education at MSU.
"Katie brings a strong bat with good power and she can play all of the infield positions," Miller said. "She has an oustanding arm, good range and she should challenge for a starting spot right away in the fall."
A product of the Club K Pitching School in Nashville, Hickerson has proven herself to be a threat at both the plate and inside the circle. She has recorded a 66-35 in her four-year prep career to go along with a 66-35 record and a 0.89 career ERA. She has worked 673.1 innings in 90 appearances, striking out 829 and surrendering just 86 earned runs. The owner of 30 shutouts in four seasons, Hickerson has also tallied four saves. She has also turned in a strikeout-to-walk ratio of better than 5-to-1 and has held opponents during her prep career to a paltry .187 batting average.
At the plate, Hickerson has tallied a .389 (148-for-380) batting average to go along with 48 extra-base hits and 104 RBI. She recorded a .389 on-base percentage and a .595 slugging percentage in her four-year career with Overton.
A member of both the Clearwater Bombers and Tennessee Firebirds travel ball teams, Hickerson has had a long history of travel ball success. In 2001, she helped lead the Elite to a spot at ASA Nationals for the third-straight season after helping her squad to a 17th place finish in 2000 and a 33rd place finish in 1999.
"Sara is one of the top pitchers and hitters in the state of Tennessee," Miller said. "She will help us on the mound as well as at the plate. She brings big-time power to our club and we look for her to contribute immediately."
The daughter of Earnie and Diane Hickerson of Nashville, Sara currently maintains a 3.5 overall GPA and is a member of the student council as well as the honors curriculum at Overton High School. She is expecting to major in Psychology at MSU.