Florida Softball Announces Five 2009-10 Signees
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | Softball
University of Florida head softball coach Tim Walton announced five players who signed national letters of intent to play for the Gators next season. Ensley Gammel, Samantha Holle, Kelsey Horton, Brittany Schutte and Brittany Walker will suit up in the Orange and Blue starting in the 2009-2010 season.
"We are excited about the signing of these five student-athletes to play in the 2009-2010 season," Walton said. "Each player brings a high level of character and a high level of championship experience to our program. We look forward to each athlete having an immediate impact on the team."
Ensley Gammel, a 5-foot-7-inch pitcher and first baseman from Bakersfield, Calif., is currently a senior at Centennial High School and is coached by Jayna Chapman. She has earned three first-team All-League and two first-team All-County selections. In 2008, she was named Kern County Player of the Year and ESPN Cal Hi Sports First-Team All-State Pitcher, as she tallied a 25-3 record, registered a 0.44 ERA, while striking out 258 batters and allowing only one earned run. She finished the season with a 19-game win streak as the Golden Eagles won the Southwest Yosemite League for the third year in a row. Gammel also batted .359 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 28 RBI in 2008. She plays travel ball for the Worth Firecrackers, coached by Tony Rico. Last season, they were the Champions Cup and the Colorado Fireworks Champions and in 2007, they took home the Amateur Softball Association 18-U Gold National Championship title. Gammel is also an honor-roll student.
Samantha Holle, a Tampa, Fla., native who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, plays infield for Chamberlain High School, coached by Bobby Diez. She earned All-State Class 5A first-team honors and Hillsborough County Softball Player of the Year in 2008. In 2006 and 2007, the Chiefs were Final Four participants and District and Regional Champions. She has been racking up team awards since her freshman year, as she was named 2006 Rookie of the Year, 2007 Most Improved Player and she earned the 2008 Hitting Award. Holle played travel ball for the Tampa Mustangs for six years and currently is a member of the Gold Coast Hurricanes, coached by Marty Cooper. She is also a National Fastpitch Coaches Association four-time All-American Scholar-Athlete and a member of the Chamberlain High School High Honor Roll.
Kelsey Horton, a 5-foot-10-inch catcher from Valrico, Fla., plays for Durant High School, coached by Matt Carter. The Cougars were 2008 Class 6A State Finalists, Regional Champions and three-time district champions. She was named to the 2008 All-State first team, All-County first team and Western Conference first team. She is also a two-time All-Academic Athlete of the Year in both softball and volleyball and two-time Softball Offensive Player of the Year. As a two-sport athlete, Horton earned Volleyball Defensive Player of the Year twice and is a 2008 captain of the volleyball team. She is a member of Marty Cooper's Gold Coast Hurricanes, who won the 2008 Amateur Softball Association 18-U Gold National Championship. Horton is in the top three percent of her class and the treasurer of the National Honor Society.
Brittany Schutte, from Fountain Valley, Calif., is a 5-foot-11-inch utility player for Mater Dei High School, coached by Doug Myers. The power hitter earned first-team All-League honors and Trinity League MVP in 2008. On April 18, 2008, she hit for the cycle and recorded seven RBI against Santa Margarita. As a sophomore at Mater Dei, she earned Rookie of the Year and honorable mention All-League honors. Schutte spent her first year of high school at Fountain Valley, where she earned second-team All-League accolades and Offensive MVP of her team. In 2007, her travel team, the OC Batbusters coached by Gary Hanning, finished second at the Amateur Softball Association Gold Nationals. She now plays for the Southern Cal Athletics coached by Bruce Richardson. The A's were participants at the Amateur Softball Association 18-U Gold National Championship Tournament. Schutte is a member of the National Honor Society and has been a member of the Dean's list every year of high school.
Brittany Walker, who stands 5 feet 6 inches and hails from Tomball, Texas, plays infield for Klein Oak High School coached by Javier Vela. She is a two-time All-District first-team recipient and in 2008, was named All-Greater Houston first team. She also led the team with a .500 batting average as a junior. She started her high school softball career at Jersey Valley High School coached by Butch Brotherton and was named Newcomer of the Year and team MVP. She plays outfield for the travel ball team Texas Eclipse Gold coached by Ken Glass and is a team captain. In 2008, she was a participant in the Amateur Softball Association 18-U Gold National Championship Tournament.
