Nov. 13, 2002

WACO, Texas - Baylor softball head coach Glenn Moore announced the signing of four high school athletes and one junior college transfer to National Letters of Intent here Wednesday, the first day of the 2002 fall signing period.

Kylie Conroy, Lisa Ferguson, Chelsi Lake, Melissa Maler and Erin Sheek will join the Lady Bears next fall. Baylor enjoyed its best season in the program's 20-year history last spring, going 46-18 overall and 10-8 in the Big 12 Conference.

"My staff worked extremely hard recruiting throughout the past year, and as a result we got everyone we wanted," third-year Baylor head coach Glenn Moore said. "I am very ecstatic about this class. This is the best overall class we have ever signed."

Conroy preps at Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas; she has also played for the Katy Cruisers and the Fear This ASA teams. A switch-hitting middle infielder, Conroy brings tremendous speed and a solid bat to the Baylor program.

"Kylie is extremely quick and has great game sense," Moore said. "She is very athletic and will become a strong infielder. She is a doubles and triples hitter with potential to be a threat in the short game. Kylie is a great fit for our program and Baylor University."

Ferguson, a 5-10 right-handed pitcher, comes to Baylor from Pascal High School in Fort Worth, Texas. She has played for the Fort Worth Batbusters ASA team. Moore said Ferguson, whose fastball has been clocked at more than 65 miles per hour, throws harder than any incoming freshman he has ever signed.

"Lisa is a package of tremendous potential, and she has the energy to develop that potential," Moore said. "She has very good control, she is very coachable, and she will develop fast. In comparison, she is similar to Joni Miller and should, as Joni has done, develop into a great college pitcher."

One of the top high school hitters in the nation, Lake preps at Keller [Texas] High School where she has played first base and outfield. She has also played for the Fear This ASA team.

"Chelsi was one of the most highly recruited players in the nation, and we were fortunate to sign her," Moore said. "Chelsi has a no-fear attitude at the plate and loves the challenge of great pitching. She will be an impact player."

Maler, a 5-8 catcher that also has the ability to play infield and outfield, comes to Baylor from Temple [Texas] College. She prepped at West High School and has played ASA ball for the CenTex Babes. This is the second player Moore has signed from Temple College. Amber Daniel, a 2002 first-team JuCo all-American, is in her first year at Baylor.

"Melissa is another tremendous athlete with a serious game face," Moore said. "Melissa can catch, play first base or the outfield. She has a tremendous arm and a great bat. She should follow in the footsteps Amber Daniel this year at Temple."

Rounding out the class is Erin Sheek, a 5-11 catcher from Deer Park [Texas] High School. She has played ASA ball for Texas High Voltage. In a recent ASA tournament, Sheek hit a home run measured at 305 feet.

"Erin is a serious, no-nonsense player," Moore said. "We have known for quite some time that she was going to be a great athlete, but we didn't know how physically impressive she was going to become. Erin has a great arm and tremendous power."

The 2002 fall class is Moore's third signing class at Baylor. His first class included left-handed pitcher Cristin Vitek, who earned first-team all-Big 12 Conference honors last spring as a true freshman. Moore also brought in transfers Kelly Levesque, also a first-team all-conference selection last year, Danelle Arnold and Katie Decker. Last year, Baylor signed one of the nation's top classes that included Daniel, Kelly Osburn, Jeaniel Pati and Harmony Schwethelm.

"We said after last year, we had to have back-to-back good classes to get where we want to be," Moore said. "This went beyond our expectations of a good class. The last two classes have addressed our need for team speed, and this class gives us the power we need for balance. This class will see many good days at Baylor."

The Lady Bears open their 2003 season Jan. 31-Feb. 2, hosting the Getterman Classic. Baylor returns eight starters and all three pitchers from last year's squad.

BAYLOR SOFTBALL 2002 FALL SIGNING CLASSName        Pos.    Ht. B-T Hometown (High School/College)      ASA TeamKylie Conroy    2B/SS   5-7 B-R Carrollton, Texas (Creekview HS)    Katy Cruisers/Fear ThisLisa Ferguson   RHP 5-10    R-R Fort Worth, Texas (Pascal HS)       Fort Worth BatbustersChelsi Lake 1B/OF   5-9 R-R Keller, Texas (Keller HS)       Fear ThisMelissa Maler   C/UT    5-8 R-R West, Texas (West HS/Temple College)    CenTex BabesErin Sheek  C   5-11    R-R Deer Park, Texas (Deer Park HS)     Texas High Voltage