Elon Softball Adds Six in 2015 Recruiting Class

ELON, N.C. – Elon University head softball coach Kathy Bocock and her staff announced the addition of six student-athletes on Monday, Dec. 22, that make up the Phoenix’s 2015 recruiting class and will don the maroon and gold for the 2016 season.

Slated to join the Phoenix in the fall of 2015 are pitcher/second basemen Abby Barker (Granville High School/Granville, Ohio), utility Ashtyn Foddrell (Fauquier High School/Warrenton, Va.), catcher Callie Horn (Northern High School/Durham, N.C.), utility Hailey Jomp (Northeastern High School/Elizabeth City, N.C.), middle infielder/outfielder Erica Serafini (Steinbrenner High School/Tampa, Fla.) and pitcher Elise Walton (Brunswick Academy/Lawrenceville, Va.).

“We are excited about our incoming freshmen for different reasons,” said Bocock. “This class brings an extraordinary amount of individuality yet they all have the core values that will help them unite toward our vision. They all come from families of great character and values and each have such high levels of commitment to their goals.”

Abby Barker | Pitcher/Second Base | 5-6 | Granville High School | Granville, Ohio Barker arrives from Granville High School where she played under head coach Rae Stuart. She was an All-Ohio first team selection as well as a Central District first team pick. She was tabbed the Mid-State Player of the Year and the Newark Advocate Female Athlete and Pitcher of the Year. She also set the Granville single-season records in hits, homeruns, doubles, runs scored, triples, RBI and batting average. She has also played travel ball for the Ohio Lady Lasers Black under Glen Widner.

“Abby Barker is a very welcome last minute get for our program,” said Bocock. “We know she’s going to be a great fit with this freshmen class and we are excited to have two pitchers coming in together. She brings two major tools to the circle with her speed and movement, but most importantly she’s a competitor.”

The daughter of John and Nancy Barker, Abby intends to major in marketing at Elon. Her mother played softball at Ohio State University while sister Amanda played softball at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Ashtyn Foddrell | Utility | 5-8 | Fauquier High School | Warrenton, Va. Foddrell is a utility player from Fauquier High School under the guidance of head coach Mark Ott. In 2013, she was named first team All-Bull Run District and an honorable mention All-Region selection for Strasburg High School Softball. As a junior, she received first team all-conference, all-region and all-state accolades as she helped Fauquier to a Virginia state runner-up finish. She also played travel softball for the past eight years for SXA Explosion and head coach Jim Purtell.

“Ashtyn has all the great tools to be an elite athlete,” said Bocock. “She’s incredibly coachable, strong and determined. She has a huge passion for the game of softball and her power at the plate is extraordinary. We are excited to see the altitudes she will reach here at Elon. We know her future will be bright because she will pave her own way to wherever she wants to go.”

Foddrell is the daughter of Sean and Beth Foddrell and intends to major in business at Elon.

Callie Horn | Catcher/Utility | 5-8 | Northern High School | Durham, N.C. A three-year varsity player at Northern High School under head coach Terry Wagner, Horn has been a three-time all-conference and team MVP. She was also an All-district and All-state pick during her sophomore and junior seasons while leading the team in many offensive categories. She has also played travel ball for the Charlotte Starz with head coach Steve Foster. Off the field, she has performed at a high level as a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society while being a three-year scholar athlete.

Daughter of Henry and Beth Horn, Callie intends to major in exercise science at Elon.

“Callie Horn, coming from just down the road in Durham, has had Elon in her heart for a long time,” said Bocock. “She has so much love for our university and is so excited to be a part of our program. With the combination of her high softball IQ and natural abilities as an athlete, Callie can play almost any position on the field. When you watch her play, you’ll see she’s one step ahead of the game. She is a great student of the game and has applied it to her play on the field and it shows in her reads and her jumps. She will be a leader by example for us.”

Hailey Jomp | Utility | 5-8 | Northeastern High School | Elizabeth City, N.C. Jomp arrives from Northeastern High School after playing under head coach Chuck Wimpey. As a junior, she was selected as the Northeastern Coastal Conference Player of the Year after batting .429 with a pair of home runs, 17 RBI while scoring 25 runs at first base. She was also a NCC All-Conference selection and an All Area Team selection while leading her team to the NCC championship. She’s also been a member of the National Honor Society since her sophomore season and has made the honor roll each year in high school.

The daughter of Jeff and Donna Jomp, Hailey intends to major in biology at Elon. Her mother competed in cross country and track and field at Fresno Pacific University.

“Hailey is another North Carolina native that we have kept our eyes on during high school play,” said Bocock. “She really broke out last season at the plate and we feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach her. She is a year younger than the rest of the incoming freshmen and that excites us because it lends to her eagerness to be a part of something larger than herself. She is a true utility player and has no ceiling on her growth within the game.”

Erica Serafini | Middle Infielder/Outfielder | 5-5 | Steinbrenner High School | Tampa, Fla. Serafini is a four-year starting shortstop from Steinbrenner High School under head coach Brenda Leach. She has been a conference and county All-star the last three seasons while her team to state and regional runner-up finishes the past two seasons. She has also been a member of the National Honor Society and the student government and served as her class vice president during her sophomore year.

Erica is the daughter of Rudolph Serafini Jr. and Pamela Serafini. Her father played baseball at Shippensburg University and was selected by the Chicago Cubs in 12 round of the 1982 amateur draft, enjoying a three-year professional career.

“Erica Serafini has such a positive energy for the game,” said Bocock. “Her impressive presence on the field lends to her uplifting play. It is very clear that the team is the number one priority in Erica’s eyes and she defends the field for them. Her softball knowledge and abilities give us the opportunity to put her anywhere we need on the field.”

Elise Walton | Pitcher | 5’6 | Brunswick Academy | Lawrenceville, Va. Walton arrives from the Brunswick Academy where she is a four-year All-Conference performer under head coach Bobby Cheely. As a sophomore, she was the Conference and Conference Tournament MVP while earning All-State accolades. She was selected again as the league’s MVP during her junior campaign while earning a spot on the conference’s All-Tournament team. She has helped her school to a runner-up finish at the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA) Division 2 State Tournament in each of her seasons.

Elise is the daughter of Joe Walton and Sonja Knapp-Walton. Her father played basketball at Ferrum College. She intends to major in exercise science.

“Elise will be bringing all the intangibles to the circle for us as a true student-athlete,” said Bocock. “She engulfs herself in softball culture, trying to soak in as much knowledge as she can. She is a student of the game, always trying to surround herself with great mentors and looking for ways to better her play. She has the confidence, determination, work ethic, strength and the grit to bear down in practice like it’s game day.”