Softball Finds Final Piece to Puzzle

Harry · July 28, 2015

DENTON - When North Texas softball lost four seniors to graduation and a handful of other players, head coach Tracey Kee knew a long summer full of recruiting lie ahead for her and her staff. Fortunately for the future of the rising program, the four-time conference Coach-of-the-Year and two-time NFCA Mideast Region Staff-of-the-Year were more than up for the task.

Approximately 20 tournaments, six states and countless miles later, Kee and her staff have assembled an 11-athlete incoming class, the largest of her coaching career. At East Carolina, Kee’s second largest recruiting class of nine athletes led her to back-to-back Conference USA Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2010 and 2011.

Given the previous success of one of the C-USA’s winningest coaches, it may be safe to say North Texas softball is merely reloading instead of rebuilding as a program. One thing is for certain, Mean Green fans can be excited about the many new faces that will be seen on the diamond this coming school year.

The newest face to the crowd, outfielder Hannah Gerecke, makes for a solid final piece to the puzzle. At La Grange High School (TX), Gerecke racked up 113 career wins and just eight total losses, including a 22-4 state playoff record.

After overcoming an ACL injury during her freshman year, Gerecke led the Lady Leopards to at least the regional final round for three consecutive years, including a state semifinal appearance in 2013 and the Class 3A Texas State Championship in 2014. In addition to having the state title under her belt, Gerecke was decorated with multiple all-district honors throughout her career and was named a Texas Girls Coaches Association all-star in 2015 to cap it all off.

Kee on Hannah: “Hannah is a solid student-athlete who understands the importance of balancing academics and athletics. She’s a hard nose player who will add a level to our team’s toughness. She can create things offensively with her deceptive power and foot speed. She’s a true competitor who understands the commitment involved to be successful on this level. Her addition to our outfield will give our staff many opportunities to solidify our last line of defense. The ‘grass players’ who often go unnoticed, yet play an important part in all of our defensive philosophies. We are very excited to be adding her and her family to our Mean Green program.”

Why Gerecke chose North Texas: “I’ve always dreamt of playing at a division one school. It was an absolute blessing to me when Coach Kee watched me play and found an interest in me. I am honored that she took a chance on me and I can’t to see what the future has in store for my academic and athletic careers at North Texas.”

read more: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/072715aaa.html