NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball program has secured four commitments for the upcoming season. Three players inked national letters of intent during the early signing period, while a fourth recently committed to the Spartans to round out the 2015 recruiting class.
Pitcher Hunter Halford will arrive at NSU after a stellar career in North Carolina. Catcher Kylee Lopez, outfielder Shelby DesChamps and catcher/utility player Sydnee Brown will join NSU for next season after signing back in November.
As she has done every year, Cavallo inked a pair of local players in Lopez (Norfolk, Va./Granby HS) and DesChamps (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside HS). Brown attended Lloyd C. Bird High School in Chesterfield, Va., while Halford competed at Northside High School in Jacksonville, N.C.
“This is a talented class that has a lot of power and speed and adds another great arm to our pitching rotation,” said head coachHeidi Cavallo. “We look forward to them joining our program and jumping right in with our returners next season.”
Halford capped off her career at Northside by earning first-team All-East Central Conference and first-team all-state honors in 2015. She totaled 200 strikeouts with a 1.15 ERA while also hitting .700 with a .775 on-base percentage and a 1.266 slugging percentage. She tallied 207 strikeouts her sophomore year and 172 her junior year with a 1.10 ERA. She was named the conference’s Player of the Year each of her last three years.
She earned first-team all-conference and all-area honors her first three years of high school and was also a North Carolina Softball Coaches Association (NCSCA) 2A all-state performer her sophomore and junior years as well. As a junior in 2014, she took home the Jacksonville Daily News and All-Area Player of the Year awards and the All-District 2 Pitcher of the Year award while also batting .551 with a .633 on-base and a .979 slugging percentage. She led Northside to its first playoff appearance in school history that year.
“We are very excited to have Hunter on board not just as a pitcher but as a power hitter as well,” Cavallo stated. “She is a gamer who will be a wonderful addition to our returning pitching staff.”
Lopez earned second-team All-Coastal Conference 1 honors after her junior year in 2014 and then batted .463 with five home runs her senior year in 2015. As a sophomore in 2013, she drove in two runs to lead Granby to the Eastern District title. She was later named to the All-Eastern District and the All-Eastern Region first teams that season.
“Kylee has amazing footwork behind the plate and a lot of pop in her bat,” Cavallo continued. “Her ability to lead her team from behind the plate is a joy to watch as a coach.”
Competing in the same league as Lopez, DesChamps batted .400 and earned first-team All-Coastal Conference 1 honors during her senior year in 2015. She hit .316 as a junior in 2014 and was also was a member of the volleyball and track and field teams at Bayside. She competed with Lopez and current NSU player Seana Moriarty on the AAU 18U Legends Elite Gold squad that advanced to the national championship tournament in 2013 after winning the ASA Region 3 Gold Qualifer. DesChamps’ older brother, John, played baseball for one of NSU’s MEAC Northern Division rivals, UMES.
“Shelby makes things happen at the plate as a slap hitter,” Cavallo said. “She does a really good job of utilizing her speed in the outfield and on the base paths.”
Brown was named honorable mention All-Conference 12 as a senior at L.C. Bird in 2015 after batting .308. She earned second-team All-Dominion District honors during her freshman year as well. She has also competed for the U-18 Richmond Ruckus Holloman AAU team.
“Sydnee is a very strong athlete. We can’t wait to see her take that strength and improve her game at the college level,” said Cavallo.
The four signees will help fill the void of four seniors who departed after the 2015 season, including starters at pitcher, catcher, outfield and designated player. NSU went 14-27 overall and 13-5 in the MEAC, placing second in the Northern Division standings.
Originally published on NSUSpartans.com and used with permission.
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