Williamsville High School shortstop Lauren Hollinshead, Petersburg PORTA left-handed catcher/designated hitter Chelsea Minor and Taylorville outfielder Shannon Mitchell have all signed a letter of intent to play softball for the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars.
Hollinshead carried a .343 batting average last season and had 22 runs batted in.
Minor hit a school-record nine home runs and tied the PORTA single-season mark for triples with nine. She had a .494 batting average and 23 RBIs. She had just two errors at catcher.
The left-handed Mitchell had a team-leading batting average of .426 and team-high 22 stolen bases.
Parkland College sophomore centerfielder Samantha Inman and Chicago Marist High catcher Alyssa Sierzega have also signed with the Stars.
Inman was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II All-American second team after hitting .386, 13 home runs, driving in 64 RBIs and stealing 23 bases.
Sierzega comes from a program that has won seven straight regional titles, including three consecutive Class 4A championships.
Volleyball: Jokisch headed to UIS
Taylor Jokisch, an outside hitter on the A-C Central/Virginia High School volleyball team, will play for the University of Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars next year.
Jokisch had 11 kills in her final match for A-C Central, which fell in two sets to Lutheran in the championship match of the Class 1A Jackonville Routt Sectional.
Lincoln Land Community College sophomores Beka Pruemer and middle hitter Megan Vladic have also signed with the Stars.
The signings were featured in a November 25, 2010, article in The State Journal-Register.
Download a PDF of the article
