Nov. 15, 2007
IOWA CITY – Head Softball Coach Gayle Blevins has announced three top recruits have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Iowa next fall. Those recruits include Katie Keim, Missy Mazur and Liz Watkins.
“We always look for young women with great athleticism, a solid academic background and strong drive and determination,” Blevins said. It is obvious that Liz, Katie and Missy possess these qualities. They are exemplary student-athletes and are exactly the type of young women we look to recruit annually to the Hawkeye program.”
Keim, a native of Chesterfield, MO, attends Incarnate Word Academy and is an infielder. She was a three-time first team all-district selection and a two-time first team all-conference pick. Keim was also a second team all-state selection. She played for the ASA affiliated St. Louis Chaos and was teammates with current Hawkeye freshman Chelsey Carmody.
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“We always look for young women with great athleticism, a solid academic background and strong drive and determination. It is obvious that Liz, Katie and Missy possess these qualities. They are exemplary student-athletes and are exactly the type of young women we look to recruit annually to the Hawkeye program.”
Head Coach Gayle Blevins
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“Katie is an outstanding infielder from the St. Louis Chaos organization,” Blevins said. “She is an excellent defensive player and equally talented offensively. We project Katie to be a great prospect to break into our infield as a freshman. She has the ability to play several positions for us. This, coupled with her offensive contributions, make her a great addition to our 2008 freshman class. Katie’s experience and successes at the highest ASA 18-under level best prepare her for the transition to our program. What I appreciate most about Katie is her attitude and approach to playing the game. Katie plays the game at all-out speed all the time. She understands how to train on a daily basis and the manner in which she plays is a reflection of this. St. Louis Chaos Coach Evan Beatty has been instrumental in Katie’s development and approach to playing the game. Katie is an equally dedicated student, carrying a 3.6 grade-point average. She is thrilled to be a Hawkeye and we are happy that she has chosen to join us.”
Watkins is a catcher/corner infielder from Taylor Ridge, IL, and attends Rockridge High School. She was a third team all-state selection as a freshman and sophomore and led her high school team to three-straight conference, regional, sectional and super-sectional championships. Watkins was a three-time all-area pick by the Rock Island Argus, including co-Player of the Year honors as a junior. She was named first team all-state by the Chicago Tribune as a sophomore and by the Peoria Star Journal as a freshman. She led Rockridge to a state championship as a freshman and was named the state tournament’s co-Most Valuable Player. She holds seven school records and has finished every high school season with a batting average of .430 or better. She has been playing ASA softball since age nine and played in numerous national tournaments, including seven top 10 finishes. She currently plays for the Xtreme Havocs under Coach Butch Woner. Watkins also is a successful student and has ranked No. 1 academically in her class of over 100 since her freshman year.
“Liz may very well be one of the most overlooked athletes in the Quad City area,” Blevins said. “She has tremendous physical size and strength and will develop into an excellent collegiate player. We are impressed with her development and we know there is much more that can be added to her game. Liz brings a great team attitude, a desire to be the best and a commitment to help Iowa continue to be one of the nation’s top softball programs. She has the ability to play several positions for us. Liz is also an exceptional student with a 5.32 grade-point average (on a 5.0 scale). We are very pleased to have Liz Watkins as a member of our 2008 recruiting class.”
Mazur, a native of Roselle, IL, attends Lake Park High School and is an infielder/outfielder. She was named second team all-state and picked as one of the top 100 area players by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times as a junior. Mazur was a three-time all-conference and Daily Herald all-area pick. She helped Driscoll Catholic High School to a conference and regional championship as a freshman before transferring to Lake Park High School, where she led the team to two-straight conference and regional titles. She was also named the Upstate 8 Conference Most Valuable Pitcher as a junior. Mazur plays for the ASA affiliated Beverly Bandits 18U Gold team and has batted over .700 at nationals for the previous three seasons. At the Boulder Colorado College Exposure Invitational, Mazur hit .711 with four doubles, five triples and five home runs, including a grand slam and finished with a .840 batting average at the 2006 national tournament in Seattle.
“Missy provides us with an outstanding hitting prospect and versatile defensive player,” Blevins said. “She also pitches and was heavily recruited by numerous Division I programs at that position. We project her to play in the outfield as a Hawkeye. Missy is an excellent left handed hitter with Division I power. We are pleased to add another quality lefty into our offensive lineup. Missy hails from the Chicago Bandits program, playing under Coach Bill Conroy this summer. Her ASA experience is outstanding and she has had great success at the major tournaments. Fans will quickly be impressed with her power and ability to hit the long ball. Additionally, Missy is an excellent student, carrying a 4.81 grade-point average (on a 5.0 scale). Missy was our first 2008 recruit to verbally commit. She helped set the bar for the type of student-athlete to be a part of this class. We are thrilled to have Missy don the Black and Gold.”
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