INDIANAPOLIS -The IUPUI Athletics Department and Head Softball Coach Maggie Calcaterra announced the signings of seven student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the recently completed signing period. Calcaterra inked Angela Bartucci (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew), Alicia Brewer (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North), Cherrod Gwaltney (Woodstown, N.J./Floyd Central [Ind.]), Jessica Lam (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), Julie Love (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew), Lindsey Richards (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) and b to join the Jaguars next season.

All seven will be true freshmen beginning in 2010.

Bartucci, a 5-foot-3 switch-hitting infielder, batted .303 during the 2008-09 season with her traveling softball team, New Lenox Lightning 18U. While playing in numerous tournaments, the Tinley Park native has received a total of nine championships and four Most Valuable Player awards. She batted .303 with a .390 on-base percentage for the Lightning. At IUPUI, Bartucci plans on studying physical therapy.

“We really liked Angela’s approach at the plate and her aggressiveness defensively,” Calcaterra said. “She’s very quick and has quick hands at third base. Offensively, she’s got a short, compact swing, shows plate discipline and has some power.”

Brewer, a 5-foot-8 pitcher/utility player, is a three-time All-Conference Indiana selection. She also earned Impact Player Award her freshman year and Offensive Award junior year. Brewer played travel ball with the Indiana Magic. Academically, she’s a National Honor Society member and intends to major in nursing at IUPUI.

“Alicia’s got good size and speed and really good range defensively,” Calcaterra said. “She’s got a terrific arm and some pop in her bat, so we see her as a good fit with our current team.”

Richards, a 5-foot-7 pitcher/outfielder, is a two-time All-Mid Hoosier Conference pick. She batted .334 with nine doubles and a triple a year ago. She’s earned six varsity letters in softball and volleyball at Indian Creek High School and also managed a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. She’s maintained perfect attendance each year throughout high school and intends on majoring in Social Work at IUPUI.

“Lindsey’s a natural leader,” Calcaterra said. “She’s a versatile player too. She can pitch, she can hit and she’s a pretty good athlete. As she continues to focus on just playing softball, she’s going to continue to improve.”

Gwaltney, a 5-foot-7 left-handed hitting outfielder, batted .457 her sophomore year and was named Second Team All-State, All-Hoosier Hills Conference and All-Floyd County Team. She followed that up by helping Floyd Central to the IHSAA State Final Four her junior season. She’s been on the honor roll throughout her prep career and intends on majoring in Sports Journalism at IUPUI.

“Cherrod has a ton of potential offensively,” Calcaterra said. “She’s a line drive hitter and we see her being a consistent run producer. Defensively, she reads the ball well off the bat in the outfield and has a strong arm.”
 
Lam, a 5-foot-9 left-handed hitting outfielder, was the 2008 United States Specialty Sports Association Nationals fastest base runner champion. In addition to earning four letters at Noblesville High School, Lam participated with Team Akadema during the travel season. The Noblesville-native plans on studying Criminal Justice in hopes to work with the FBI in her future.

“Jessica is an incredible athlete,” Calcaterra said. “She’s a power hitter with a strong arm and is deceptively fast up the baseline. She’s got a ton of potential and we look forward to seeing her flourish at IUPUI.”

Love, a 5-foot-10 utility player, is a two-time All-Conference pick and chosen as one of the Top-100 softball players to watch by The Chicago Sun-Times. She also has played on multiple traveling softball teams, including the most recent, Illinois Chill 18U Gold in 2009. Since her freshman year, Love has been awarded the Scholar Athlete Award. An honor roll student, Love intends on majoring in mechanical engineering.

“We wanted to add someone with Julie’s versatility to our roster,” Calcaterra said. “She can play all over the field and play it well. She’s got a good arm and good size. She hits the ball well to all fields and comes from a winning background.”

Thomas, a 5-foot-7 pitcher, posted a 14-4 record, 0.46 ERA and 235 strikeouts in the circle while batting .400 this past season. She was a 2009 Indiana Coaches of Girls’ Sports Association Softball Third Team All-State selection. Thomas is also a middle infielder and ranked among the state leaders in batting average her sophomore season.

“Nikki’s an impact pitcher and we see her helping us from day one,” Calcaterra said. “She’s got good stuff. She’s got movement and command and will continue to throw harder as she matures. Offensively, she’s a good hitter from the left side and gets down the line well.”

IUPUI will open the 2010 spring season on Feb. 19 when it takes part in the Austin Peay Tournament. The Jaguars’ roster is headlined by slugging senior Mia Ettl and two-time All-League performer Amy Raker.

IUPUI Softball Signees (as of 12/1/09)
Name	Pos.	B/T	Ht.	Hometown/High School
Angela Bartucci	IF	B/R	5-3	Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew
Alicia Brewer	P/UT	R/R	5-8	Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North
Cherrod Gwaltney	OF	L/L	5-7	Woodstown, N.J./Floyd Central [Ind.]
Jessica Lam	OF	L/R	5-9	Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville
Julie Love	UT	R/R	5-10	Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew
Lindsey Richards	P/OF	B/R	5-7	Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek
Nikki Thomas	P/IF	L/R	5-7	Indianapolis, Ind./Southport