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Illinois Inks Five to Letters of Intent
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Head coach Terri Sullivan signed five to letters of intent for the 2009 season.
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Nov. 15, 2007
URBANA, Ill. - Illinois head coach Terri Sullivan added another class full of talent, signing five players to the class of 2008 as announced Thursday morning. The student-athletes bring a variety of skills to multiple positions on the diamond. The class includes infielder/outfielder Jamie Adishian (Corona, Calif./Santiago H.S.), infielder Meredith Hackett (Corona, Calif./Santiago H.S.), infielder Megan Murphy (Casey, Ill./Casey H.S.), outfielder Nicolette Simpson (Wheaton, Ill./Glenbard South) and infielder Kelley Wedel (Anaheim, Calif./Loara H.S.).
Head coach Terri Sullivan on the class: Our focus in this recruiting class was on the infield and adding both power and speed in our offensive lineup with the upcoming graduation of Angelena Mexicano and Shanna Diller.
The class has exceptional game smarts and a mature, unique understanding of the x's and o's of softball, along with a clear passion to compete for and win championships. All five players have been coached by outstanding teachers of the game who really push them to be the best.
Jamie, Meredith, Megan, Nicollette and Kelley are going to excel throughout their softball careers at Illinois, as well as with their academic endeavors. Since making the decision to attend Illinois, they have become huge supporters of Illinois athletics. Their families are softball junkies and have taught their daughters an outstanding work ethic both on and off the field. We are excited to have them join the Illinois softball family.
Jamie Adishian • IF/OF • Corona, Calif. • Santiago H.S.
Jamie Adishian led Santiago to the 2006 CIF Championship and then to the semifinals in 2007. A three-year start on the varsity team, Adishian has been named captain for her senior season. Adishian has earned all-league first team honors twice and was an all-tournament selection at the Stu Penter Classic. A three-time member of the honor roll, Adishian is a student academic scholar athlete and has been named to the all-league academic team. The Corona, Calif., native played under her father, Phil Adishian, for the Corona Angels Gold and has played in the ASA Nationals six years. She is the daughter of Phil and Michelle Adishian and has one sister, Jaclyn, and one brother, Jordan.
Coach Sullivan on Adishian: Jamie is a very versatile player. She is an outstanding infielder but also has the ability to play the outfield. She is a left-handed triple-threat hitter. Jamie can hit for power and average, but she can also put the pressure on the opponent by bunting and slapping.
Meredith Hackett • IF • Corona, Calif. • Santiago H.S.
Meredith Hackett has been an offensive force for Santiago, leading her team to the 2006 CIF Championship and semifinals in 2007. She broke the school's home run record with seven long balls in 2007 while batting .420. She was named first team all-league and second team all-county under head coach John Perez. Hackett also earned all-tournament honors at the Santiago Spring Fling and Corona Tournament. An all-state nominee in 2007, Hackett has received academic all-league recognition for three straight years. The Coronoa, Calif., native has also played under coach Phil Bruder for the California Raiders. She is the daughter of Casey and Judy Hackett and has one brother, Bradley.
Coach Sullivan on Hackett: Meredith is a very powerful offensive player who can hit it to all fields. She is a run-producer and can change the game with one swing of the bat. Meredith also has a very good glove at first base and is fundamentally sound defensively.
Megan Murphy • IF • Casey, Ill. • Casey H.S.
Megan Murphy earned a plethora of awards after an outstanding 2007 season. After batting .582 for Casey-Westfield with 29 stolen bases and 13 RBI, Murphy was named the Decatur Herald and Review and Terre Haute Tribune Star Player of the Year. In 2007 she also earned Chicago Tribune and Decatur All-Area first team honors, in addition to first team Class A All-State accolades. The Casey, Ill., native made the second team Class A All-State in 2006 and garnered back-to-back Class A State All-Tournament team honors in 2006 and 2007. Murphy has been a Little Illini All-Conference first team selection for three straight years and has batted over .440 each year of her high school career under head coach and former Illini Katie O'Connell. A three-sport athlete at Casey-Westfield, Murphy has also earned Little Illini All-Conference honors in volleyball and basketball. She spent the past two summers playing under coach Dale Shelton for the Midland Magic and will play with the Bloomington Hearts in 2008. Murphy currently has a 4.0 grade point average and ranks first in her class. She is the daughter of Randy and Amy Murphy and has two brothers, Nick and Zack.
Coach Sullivan on Murphy: Megan has a contagious personality on the field. She has great feet that allow her to cover a lot of ground defensively in the infield and steal a lot of bases on offense. She is also another triple-threat hitter. Murphy is coached by former Illini great Katie O'Connell.
Nicollete Simpson • OF • Wheaton, Ill. • Glenbard South
Nicollette Simpson set a school record in the 300m dash and garnered all-conference track honors in high school. Coached by Glenbard South's Julie Fonda, the Wheaton, Ill., product will use that speed patrolling center field for the Orange and Blue. Simpson's fleet-footed gifts look like an asset on the basepaths as well. In 2007, she led her high school team with 26 stolen bases in 29 attempts. That was after she got on base, which she did to the tune of a .365 batting average. In addition to competing with Glenbard South, Simpson played travel ball with the Illinois Thunder under her father's tutelage. Together the team recorded a 17th-place finish at the ASA 2007 16U Nationals. Besides competing on the track and softball teams in high school, Simpson also earned all-conference honors in basketball in 2007. The Daily Herald named her an all-area honorable mention selection in basketball and softball in both 2006 and 2007. Simpson is the daughter of Kevin and Sandra Simpson and has two brothers, Jeran and Kendall, and one sister, Jasmine.
Coach Sullivan on Simpson: Nicollette is a natural centerfielder who covers a lot of ground and cuts off balls in the gap with ease. She also has a strong and accurate arm that will challenge baserunners. Nicollette is another triple-threat hitter and runs well with the ability to get extra-base hits.
Kelley Wedel • IF • Anaheim, Calif. • Loara H.S.
Kelley Wedel comes to the University of Illinois with plenty of quality softball experience. Wedel is an eight-time champion on the travel ball circuit. In 2007, Wedel and her Corona Angels team reached fifth place in the 2007 ASA 18U Gold Nationals under coach Marry Tyson. Wedel belted five home runs and 19 doubles while batting .381 with an on-base percentage of .819. Those achievements followed the previous season, which netted an Independence Day championship for Wedel and the Corona Angels. Playing on the 16-and-under team in 2005, Wedel helped the Minors Gold-Hopkins team to a national championship. Wedel is the daughter of Mark and Denise Wedel and has one brother, Doug. She is coached by Todd Rolph at Loara High School.
Coach Sullivan on Wedel: Kelley is a hard-nosed player. She is extremely fundamentally sound at both corner positions in the infield. She is aggressive in attacking the short game, and her strong and accurate arm allows her to look for lead-outs on defense. Kelley is another powerful hitter who will drive in runs and threaten opponents every at-bat.
