Jayhawks Add George To 2005 Signing Class

July 21, 2005

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

University of Kansas head softball coach Tracy Bunge announced Thursday the signing of Valerie George (Tucson, Ariz.) to a National Letter of Intent. George, a right-handed pitcher out of Sabino High School, will join the Jayhawks for the 2006 season.

George was named the 4A-5A Arizona State Player of the Year as a senior and led her team to the Class 4A state title. She finished the season with a perfect 28-0 record, 0.31 ERA and led Sabino (33-1) to a No. 6 final ranking in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Poll.

As a senior, George pitched 177 innings, posted 273 strikeouts (10.8 per game) and allowed only eight earned runs all season. The Arizona Republic Softball Player of the Year graduated with a 3.4 grade point average and plans to major in business at KU.

The future Jayhawk joins a long line of Kansas recruits from the state of Arizona. George currently plays club ball for the Arizona Storm, which produced KU assistant coach and All-American Christi Musser. George will be the fifth Arizona native on the Jayhawk squad next season, joining Kassie Humphreys (Glendale), Nettie Fierros (Avondale), Jackie Vasquez (Tucson) and Erika Simington (Scottsdale).

George joins Simington, Val Chapple (Overland Park, Kan.) and Stevie Crisosto (Palo Cedro, Calif.) in the 2005 class of signees.

– KU –