JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 22, 2016) – East Tennessee State University softball head coach Brad Irwin announced Tuesday that he and his staff have signed six Buccaneers to join the program in the fall of 2017. 

Anissa Avila (Black Mountain, N.C.), Kelsey Brown (Advance, N.C.), Julia Fritz (Glen Allen, Va.), Lauren Lee (Cleveland, Tenn.), McKinley Snyder (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Kelly Warren (Henrico, Va.) have signed their national letter of intent with ETSU. 

“We are extremely excited about this group of early signees,” said Irwin. “This is a versatile group and they are very athletic. I look for this group to do great things during their time in the Buccaneer uniform. They are all tremendous students who come from great families. This class fills many needs for us as we graduate seven seniors this year.”  

ANISSA AVILA – OF – BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (CHARLES D. OWEN HS)

• Multi-sport athlete from Charles D. Owen High School – softball, volleyball, cross country, track and field
• Three-time all-conference selection in softball
• Two-time all-conference selection in cross country
• Posted a .465 career batting average and a .531 on-base percentage
• Recorded 17 stolen bases in 2016 

COACH IRWIN ON AVILA

Anissa is a speedy, left-handed slap hitter who is a strong outfielder. She plays travel ball for the NC Lady Lightning. 

KELSEY BROWN – C/IF – ADVANCE, N.C. (FORSYTH COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL)

• Lettered in both softball and volleyball for the Fury
• Three-time all-conference selection
• Helped guide her travel ball team to four NSA State Championships and three ASA State Championships, while qualifying for ASA Nationals three times
• Earned “Hot Times Tournament” MVP
• Registered a career high school batting average of .415 

COACH IRWIN ON BROWN

Kelsey is right-handed hitter and strong defensive catcher. She can also play both infield corner positions. She plays travel ball for the Carolina Cardinals. 

JULIA FRITZ – 1B/OF – GLEN ALLEN, VA. (GLEN ALLEN HS)

• Four-year letterwinner at Glenn Allen High School
• Named Conference 11 Player of the Year and 5A South Player of the Year in 2016
• Two-time Team MVP for Jaguars (2015 and 2016)
• Three-time all-conference selection
• Went 15-5 with a 0.90 ERA and 95 strikeouts, while hitting .569 with six home runs and 34 RBI as a junior 

COACH IRWIN ON FRITZ

Julia is a left-handed hitter with power and speed. She can play first base and outfield, while also adding depth to our pitching staff. She plays travel ball for the Hanover Hornets. 

LAUREN LEE – IF/OF – CLEVELAND, TENN. (CLEVELAND HS)

• Two-sport athlete at Cleveland High School – softball and volleyball
• Three-time Team MVP and all-district winner in softball
• Guided the volleyball team to the 3AAA Regional title and finished sixth in state
• 2016 All-Region selection and two-time all-district selection in volleyball
• Hit .494 with 38 hits and 21 stolen bases in 2016 at Cleveland HS
• Led her high school team in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, runs scored and stolen bases in 2015 and 2016
• Hit .486 with 52 hits, 16 RBI and 24 stolen bases for the Tennessee Fury in 2016 

COACH IRWIN ON LEE

Lauren is a left-handed, slap hitter, and I am very impressed with her speed. She can play both the middle infield slots, but can also be used in the outfield. She plays travel ball for the Fury Fastpitch- Parrott. 

MCKINLEY SNYDER – IF/OF – KNOXVILLE, TENN. (HALLS HS)

• Multi-sport athlete at Hall High School - softball and volleyball 
• Named 2016 first team all-district for both softball and volleyball
• Earned TNSCA all-academic honors
• Received the Silver Slugger Award
• Totaled 20 home runs and 114 RBI in her career
• Hit .461 (41-for-98) with 21 runs and 34 RBI in 2016 for the Red Devils
• Belted seven doubles and six home runs last year for Halls
• Recorded 13 multi-hit games, including perfect 3-for-3 games against William Blount and Oak Ridge … Smashed two home runs in the win over Oak Ridge
• Led Knoxville White Lightning in home runs, doubles and RBI 

COACH IRWIN ON SNYDER 

McKinley is a right-handed hitter and a very versatile player. She is a middle infielder, but can also play anywhere in the infield and outfield. She played travel ball for Team Knoxville and Knoxville White Lightning.

KELLY WARREN – OF – MECHANICSVILLE, VA. (ATLEE HS)

• Lettered in both softball and track and field for the Raiders
• Helped guide Atlee High School to 2015 and 2016 5A Virginia State Championship titles
• First team all-state, all-region and all-conference in 2016, while also earning second team all-metro honors
• Her father (Terry) played football at Richmond from 1987-1990, while her grandfather Steve played football at Wake Forest … Her grandmother Judy played basketball and volleyball at Carson-Newman and her aunt Tracey played soccer at Delaware 

COACH IRWIN ON WARREN

Kelly is an outfielder and a lefty slapper with tremendous speed. She is a proven winner as she helped lead her high school team to a pair of state championships. Kelly also plays for the Hanover Hornets in travel ball. 

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For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the softball page.