JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 22, 2008) - Head coach Andrea Mangrum and her staff put the finishing touches on the Softball Bucs' 2008 recruiting class Tuesday afternoon as they announced Marlina Delisa (Tucson, Ariz.) and Whitney Socha (Houston, Texas) have signed their national letter of intent to play for ETSU next season.

Delisa - a multi-sport athlete from Marana High School - will give the Lady Bucs added depth behind the plate. The Tucson, Ariz. native hit .412 her junior season as well as posting a perfect fielding percentage, and is hitting a team-leading .391 this year. In 2007, she was named Second Team All-Southern Arizona from the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen and Honorable Mention from the Arizona Republic. The standout catcher also received Honorable Mention honors from the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen in 2006. She plays for Arizona Desert Thunder Gold, and helped guide the Arizona Roadrunners to their 13^th-place finish in the 2007 18A Nationals.

"Marlina is very athletic and can do a number of things defensively, but her catching skills caught my eye last fall," said Mangrum. "She is a solid defensive catcher from a softball hot bed. Marlina has grown up around some of the best players in the country and her high school and summer teams are both very well-respected across the country."

Socha is a very versatile player as she can play nearly every infield position and can spend some time in the outfield. Like Delisa, she is also a multi-sport athlete, as she is a four-year letterwinner in softball and a letterwinner in volleyball. Being from a softball hotbed - Socha has played against some of the top players in the country - and has a connection with assistant coach Ariel Beus as they played summer ball under the same coaching staff in Texas. The Houston native recently had an impressive night a few weeks ago as she went 4-for-4 with four stolen bases and three runs scored. Socha is a career .370 hitter and her speed will be a valuable asset to Mangrum's club next season.

"We believe Whitney will add depth to our line-up and aggressive offense on the base path," commented Mangrum. "She is a natural middle infielder; however, she can also play third base and in the outfield. Her background will bring a winning tradition to our program and that is exciting for our future."

Delisa and Socha join Amy Campbell (Hixson, Tenn.), Staci D'Apice (Knoxville, Tenn.), Annie Martin (Centerville, Tenn.), Shelby Morris (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.), Chelsea O'Connor (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Lexie Whittenburg (Chattanooga, Tenn.) as ETSU's 2008 signing class.

"This class will add much-needed depth to our line-up next year," commented Mangrum. "We have players coming in that can play a variety of positions and they all come from winning programs. Each year our players raise the standard by exceeding the past successes and that is what it takes to build a championship level team. We have high expectations for this class and believe they will add the final ingredients we need to have a break through season next year. My main goal will always be to have a team with strong character and work ethic, because I am a firm believer that it will pay off in the end if you stay positive and work hard."

For more information on Lady Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.