TRENTON, Mo. (Dec. 15, 2017) – NCMC Lady Pirates Softball Coach Steve Richman is excited to announce the signing of four student-athletes to his 2018 recruiting class. Coach Richman on the signing of his four players for this coming year, "We are very excited to add Tatum, Rylee, Taylor, and Vivian to our program. They have all competed very well at the high school level and, we look forward to seeing the impact they have on our team when they arrive in August."

Tatum Dunham, a Second Team All-State catcher from Oak Grove High School, will join her former prep teammate Kaitlyn Marsh (current Lady Pirate) on the diamond in the fall; a move that will provide a great pitcher/catcher combination for the Lady Pirates. As a sophomore Dunham, earned First Team AllDistrict honors. In her junior season, she was selected to the First Team All-Conference, First Team AllDistrict, and First Team All-Region teams. As a senior, she again earned All-Region, First Team AllDistrict, and First Team All-Conference honors. In addition, she was named to Second Team All-State squad. Performing in the classroom as well, Dunham was a four-time member of the Academic AllConference team and elected Vice-President of the National Honor Society. Commented Coach Steve Richman, "Tatum is an extremely good catcher. Looking at her accolades, it is easy to see the level she can play at, and we are excited to have her for the next two years. In addition to her outstanding defensive play, she can flat out hit. Tatum set season and career homerun records this year. I look forward to seeing just how good she will become."

Taylor McQueen, Stanberry High School, is coming to NCMC as one of the best utility players in North Missouri. A four-time First Team All-District selection, three-time First Team All-GRC selection, and fourtime All-Region selection, Taylor has become accustomed to winning. In addition to her softball achievements, McQueen has also been instrumental in the success of the Stanberry basketball team, earning varsity letters in both sports all four years. She has also been very active in extra-curricular activities such as FFA, Student Council, FBLA, and National Honor Society. McQueen is going to be a great addition as a comprehensive student-athlete. Head Coach Steve Richman, "Taylor is a competitor. She wins at everything she does as her teams have been very successful in every sport. She gives us a player that can play multiple positions and pitches as well. She is the definition of utility as she can play every position. She is a hard-nosed, hard-working player. It'll be great to have her on our side."

Vivian Allen, Princeton High School, committed to the Lady Pirates after a very strong senior year. Batting over .430 as a junior and again as a senior, Allen earned Second Team All-GRC East and First Team All-District honors as a catcher. Her senior year she was selected to the Second Team All-Region line-up. Off the field, Allen has also been very successful. She has represented her class as the FFA President, Student Council President, and Senior Class President. In addition to those leadership roles, Allen also participated in FCCLA, National Honor Society, and basketball. "Vivian will give us a great local player that can play multiple positions; she also has a great bat. As you can see by her postseason honors, she is ultra-competitive and does what it takes to excel. She will be a great addition to our team," commented Coach Richman.

Rylee Stokes, Halfway High School, will be joining the Lady Pirates in the fall as another well-rounded student-athlete. On the diamond, Stokes has amassed quite a list of accomplishments. She is coming in as a three-time All-Region selection, a four-time First Team All-Conference selection, and a four-time First Team All-District selection. As a senior, she compiled a very nice stat line; 10HR, .384 batting average, 28 RBI's and 27 runs scored. In addition to softball, Stokes has also earned two-time selections
to the All-Conference and All-District basketball teams. Outside of athletics, Rylee has been active in FCCLA, held office in FFA (Area Secretary and Chapter Vice President) and represented her class on the Student Council all four years of high school. "Rylee is going to be an impact player for our team. She has a rocket for an arm, and can really hit it. Looking at her numbers it is easy to see that she will be an instant impact at the plate. She lives and breathes softball and that is the type of player we are targeting here at NCMC. We are excited to have her," Coach Richman.