ELON, N.C. – Elon University head softball coach Patti Raduenz has announced that prep stars Chelsea White (Salisbury, N.C./East Rowan), Caitlin O’Shea (Kennesaw, Ga./Allatoona), Cyra Cottrell (Surfside Beach, S.C./St. James), McKenzie Carter (Tampa, Fla./Bloomingdale), Aly Quintana (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Sarah Little (Villa Park, Calif./Villa Park) have signed National Letters of Intent to play for Elon in 2012.

“We are looking forward to adding the passion and talent of this class,” Raduenz said. “Each player will make an impact for our program on the field and in the classroom.”

White, a 5-foot-6 right-handed pitcher, helped East Rowan to three straight conference titles and a third place finish at the state tournament. White was named East Rowan’s defensive MVP the past three seasons and earned all-county honors the past three years as well. In 2008 and 2010, White was named the Rowan County Co-Player of the Year, while earning the honor outright in 2009. A two-time all-state honoree, White was named the District 6 Pitcher of the Year in 2009 and player of the year in 2010. In 2010, she was named the North Piedmont Conference Player of the Year. White has also been a member of the national honor society the past two years.

“Chelsea is one of the best, if not the best pitcher coming out of North Carolina in the 2011 class,” Raduenz said. “She has some speed, great movement and good presence on the mound.”

O’Shea, a 5-foot-5 pitcher and outfielder, was a three-year varsity letterwinner at Allatoona, earning all-region honors twice and all-county honors three times. In her senior season this fall, O’Shea was a first-team all-county selection, helping Allatoona to a runner-up finish at the Georgia state tournament. Her sister, Erin, is a junior for the Phoenix softball team, while her brother, Corey, was a senior offensive lineman for Elon this past season. O’Shea, who sports a 3.77 GPA, plans on majoring in communications when she arrives at Elon.  

“Nicknamed by her teammates as 'the Rock', Caitlin has maturity, composure and a dominant personality on the mound,” Raduenz said. “Although she is the younger sister of current player Erin O'Shea, we look forward to Caitlin paving her own road and leaving her own legacy.”

Cottrell, a 5-foot-3 shortstop and centerfielder, has been an all-state and all-region selection all three seasons at St. James. Cottrell was named the team captain for the upcoming 2011 season, an honor she earned in both 2009 and 2010. She was named her team’s MVP in 2010 and earned rookie of the year honors in 2008 as a freshman. She holds six individual offensive records at St. James, including home runs (seven), grand slams (two), slugging percentage (.729), hits (45), total bases (79) and runs scored (40). In the classroom, Cottrell maintains a 4.68 grade point average and was a finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman award last year.

“Be ready to be inspired by big dreams, work ethic and talent. Cyra is a gifted all-around player who may see the majority of her time in the outfield,” Raduenz said. “She is just pure feisty on the field and an aggressive hitter with a big arm.”

Carter, a 5-foot-8 shortstop and utility player, was an all-district and all-county selection in 2008 and 2009 after leading Bloomingdale in RBI in both seasons with 33 and 30, respectively. Carter batted .434 in 2008 and .417 in 2009 and had a .959 fielding percentage last season.

“McKenzie is a versatile player that can handle the left side of the infield and cover some ground in the outfield,” Raduenz said. “She has an extremely strong arm and a huge upside with her offense.”

Quintana, a 5-foot-6 third baseman and catcher, helped Gulliver to the 2010 state title, earning first-team all-state honors at catcher after finishing the season with 20 RBI. Last year, she was a first-team All-Dade selection by the Miami Herald and won the Team Slugger award as well. In 2009, Quintana was named second-team all-state at catcher and earned second-team All-Dade honors by the Miami Herald at catcher.

“Aly is an all-around talent. She has great hands and quickness at third, while also being able to handle the shortstop and catcher position,” Raduenz said. “She is also a very gifted hitter with some pop in her bat.”

Little, a 5-foot-11 first baseman, was a four-year letterwinner at Villa Park and was an all-league selection in 2010. Little was named offensive player of the game six times in 2010, as well as defensive player of the game once. In 2010, Little batted .364 with two home runs, including one grand slam, and finished with a .571 slugging percentage. As a sophomore, Little led the league in fielding percentage (.986) and as a freshman, she led her tam in extra base hits and RBI. Little plans on majoring in communications when she arrives at Elon.

“Sarah will prove to be threat at the plate,” Raduenz said. “She is a phenomenal hitter that makes consistent contact with the potential for some big time hits.”

All six players are eligible to compete for the Phoenix in 2012.