SAN ANTONIO - The UTSA softball program announced Wednesday the signing of Whitney Balch (Hardin/Hardin HS), Danyé Holmes (Houston/Kempner HS), Kristin Kappler (Lake Jackson/Brazoswood HS) and Lindsay Perry (Alvin/Alvin CC) to National Letters of Intent. Perry will join the Roadrunners for the 2007 season, while Balch, Holmes and Kappler will be on campus for the 2007-08 academic year.
“We are very excited about this class,” second-year head coach Lori Cook. “We lose some power out of this year’s line up with four seniors leaving, but I feel like we have added power back into our line up along with speed. This class will come in and make an immediate impact on the field and in the classroom. We are looking forward to their arrival in the fall.”
Balch is a utility player from Hardin High School in Southeast Texas, where she has been an all-district performer in each of her first three seasons under head coach Randy Snell. Balch was tabbed District 24-2A MVP as a junior, Defensive MVP as a sophomore and Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. Balch played summer softball for the Texas Fireballs under head coach Steve Fields. A standout athlete, she also has earned all-district accolades in basketball, where she also was an all-region selection, and volleyball, including District Newcomer of the Year honors as a sophomore and two defensive MVP honors. An outstanding student, Balch carries a 4.0 grade point average and is ranked No. 1 in her senior class. She is active in the National Honor Society, Business Professional of America and Student Council and coaches local youth sports leagues.
“Whitney is a very strong athletic player that we feel can help out in many different spots,” Cook said. “She is a catcher/shortstop, but is capable of playing in the outfield. She has a strong arm and plays good defense. She is hard working on the field and in the classroom and very coachable. We feel like she will be able to excel here at UTSA and have a great career.”
Holmes is one of the top pitchers in the Greater Houston Area as she gets ready for her senior season for head coach Charity Rychlik at Kempner High School in Sugar Land. The left-hander earned first-team All-District 20-5A and third-team All-Greater Houston honors following her junior campaign in 2006. Holmes was the district’s Newcomer of the Year in 2004 and team MVP in 2004 and 2005. She also plays summer softball for the Houston Mystixx for head coach Ricky Garza and is listed in the Who’s Who Among American High School Students.
“Danye will bring some tremendous power to our lineup,” Cook said. “She is a very strong left-handed hitter and pitcher. She will make an immediate impact in our lineup and in the circle. She will be in the lineup everyday for us. She has a great work ethic on the field and in the classroom.”
Kappler has been a three-year standout for head coach Laura Oltman at Brazoswood High School in Clute. As a junior in 2006, she earned first-team All-District 24-5A, first-team All-Brazoria County and first-team All-Academic honors at third base in helping the Brazoswood reach the state semifinal round. Kappler also picked up first-team all-district and all-county accolades as a junior in helping the Bucs reach the regional semifinal round of the playoffs. As a sophomore, she led the team in runs batted in and received the team’s Clutch Award, as the squad also made the regional semifinals. Also an outstanding student, Kappler is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.
“Kristin poses a lot of power at the plate and a has a great glove and a very strong arm,” Cook said. “She will primarily play third base for us, but she is capable of playing both corners. She will come in and make an immediate impact in this program. Kristin has a bright future ahead of her here at UTSA.”
Perry was a standout outfielder for head coach Carla Newsom at Alvin High School near Houston from 2002-04. As a junior, she earned District 24-5A Offensive Player of the Year accolades and was a first-team all-state selection by the sportswriters and coaches and a first-team all-district, All-Brazoria County and All-Greater Houston pick. She helped the Yellow Jackets win District 24-5A and reach the regional semifinal round of the playoffs. As a sophomore in 2002, Perry was second-team all-district in helping Alvin advance to the regional semifinals. She set school records for batting average (.404), stolen bases and on-base percentage. She also played summer softball for Texas Storm under head coach Larry Durham and for Friendswood Heat, where she was a member of state and region championship clubs. She played at the University of Arkansas in 2005, appearing in 27 games as a freshman, and then transferred to Alvin Community College for the 2006 season. Under head coach Dr. Jennifer Hightower, Perry batted .331 with six doubles, five triples and 22 runs batted in and was a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts.
“We are excited about bringing Lindsay Perry in for the spring,” Cook said. “She is an explosive player that brings speed and leadership to our program. She has experience of already playing in the SEC while at Arkansas. She will contribute with her bat and defense right away. She is very coachable and hard working.”