Indiana University Athletics
Four Freshmen Make Softball Debut
9/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 14, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana softball team will debut four freshmen in the 2006 season, making it the first true recruiting class for second-year head coach Stacey Phillips. The IU coach moved into the position after serving as interim head coach last season for the Hoosiers.
Phillips is excited about this new class and knows that it will be a good addition to an already deep bench. Joining the Hoosier squad are Julie DiNallo (East Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood), Aubrey Hayes (Lake Worth, Fla./John I. Leonard (Greenacres)), Sarah Padove (Hammond, Ind./Marian Catholic) and Stephanie Pellerito (Tustin, Calif./Tustin).
The foursome will debut in its first games for the Hoosiers this weekend at the Chicagoland Fall Classic Sept. 16-18.
"The newcomers will get some time on the dirt this weekend to work with the returners and begin to feel even more comfortable with them," Phillips said. "Everyone has welcomed the newcomers with open arms and have helped them a great deal with things on and off the field. There is a unity in this team that I have never seen and it just continues to grow from day to day."
IU will take part in four games spanned across the three-day tournament. The tournament will play host to, Bradley, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Indiana, Lewis and Olivet Nazarene.
DiNallo, who played second, third and shortstop in high school, earned all-district and all-state academic team during her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons at East Kentwood. She also was all-area and all-conference honorable mention as a junior.
She helped lead her high school team to district championships in her freshman, sophomore and junior years. They also claimed co-conference champion recognition during her sophomore season and advanced to the state semifinals in 2004.
"Julie is a tremendous student-athlete," Phillips said. " She is a very coachable player who will continue to improve as each day goes on. Julie's immediate love for Indiana University is what every coach wants out of their players, not to mention the athleticism she brings to the table. She also will continue the academic tradition that is prevalent in our program."
DiNallo is a member of Finesse, a club Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) travel squad. Finesse also is0 the former club team of Phillips.
Hayes, a 5-10 pitcher, notched first team all-conference and first team all-area as a junior after averaging 12.46 strikeouts per game for John Leonard High School. As a sophomore, received first team all-conference and second team all-county. The Lake Worth, Fla., native played for the Palm Beach Gardens Lady Gators 18-under Gold Travel Team.
"Aubrey will be looked upon to add depth to our veteran pitching staff," Phillips said. "We will look for her to become the nucleus of our pitching for the future."
The right-hander had much success playing for high school coach Pam Romero. She led her squad to three-straight conference and District 6A Championships. During her junior campaign, she hurled three no-hitters and tossed a one-hitter where she fanned 15 of the 17 batters.
Padove is a three-year letterwinner at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Ill. She helped guide her Spartans team to three-straight East Suburban Catholic Conference tiles and a Sweet 16 Class AA finish last year. She played with current IU freshman softball player Rachel Carlson.
"Sarah is a very talented athlete with the ability to play numerous positions on the field," Phillips said. "I had the opportunity to witness her vocal leadership and that will carry over to her collegiate career."
The middle infielder played summer ball with the Indiana Magic Gold for three years, as the team captured three Indiana State Championships, garnered the NSA National Championship in 2002 and finished fifth at the ASA under-16 Nationals in 2003.
Pellerito claimed a first team all-league honoree her freshman and junior year. She led Tustin High School to a league championship in her freshman campaign.
While playing ASA club ball, she led her teams to two runner-up finishes, as well as a third and fourth-place showing in the past four years. She twice notched first team All-American accolades for her play in the summer. She will continue to play this summer on the Indiana Magic Gold ASA Club team.
Her hard work extends to the classroom too, where she participated in National Junior Honor Society in the seventh and eighth grade. She made honor roll during all four years of high school and earned the Golden State Exam Award in Spanish.
"Stephanie is an absolute steal," Phillips said. "She will immediately impact our program in the middle defensively. At bat, she will add much needed consistency and line-drive power. Stephanie is an all around joy to have nearby. She loves the game of softball and also fell in love with IU from the first minute. There is no question that she will work hard from the moment she arrives here."
