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Three pitchers who have played in Power 5 programs have announced they will be wearing new uniforms this upcoming school year.
Chandler Dennis, last at Michigan, is headed to Georgia Tech; Lauren Shaw, who started at Iowa, is moving West to compete at UCLA and Brooke Vestal, formerly of Oklahoma, will play at Ole Miss.
All three were ranked highly prior to going to college: Vestal and Dennis were rated Top 10 by Extra Inning Softball’s Brentt Eads and Shaw was Top 125.
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Chandler Dennis Locked In for the ACC
Georgia Tech softball and coach Aileen Morales announced the official signing of Michigan transfer Chandler Dennis to the program on Monday.
Upon joining the Yellow Jackets, Dennis, a native of Suwanee, Ga., will return close to home. The right-handed hurler will arrive on The Flats with three years of eligibility remaining after spending her first two collegiate seasons in Ann Harbor, Mich., including a shortened freshman campaign due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Over her two-year stint with the Wolverines, Dennis made five appearances in the circle, including one start, as she tossed 7 1/3 innings and picked up a pair of strikeouts. Dennis made her collegiate debut in relief as a freshman in 2020 against Iowa State and has since taken the circle against two ranked opponents in No. 22 South Carolina and No. 2 Washington.
The slinger also saw action in the field and at the plate in a combined eight games, earning two starts and knocking a two-RBI double. The hit marked Dennis’ first hit of her collegiate career and came in heroic fashion as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth of a 6-3 win over Northwestern.
Prior to the collegiate ranks, Dennis graduated from North Gwinnett High School following a decorated career. As a sophomore in 2016, the honors began to flood in as she was named the Georgia Diamond Club Player of the Year, Georgia Dugout Club Player of the Year and Gwinnett Daily Post Player of the Year after helping lead North Gwinnett to a Georgia state championship.
The future Jacket was named a High School All American as a junior in 2017 before being tabbed Gwinnett County Pitcher of the Year as a senior in 2018. Dennis was an All-Gwinnett County selection all four of her high school years as well an All-State honoree in her final three seasons.
On the diamond, Dennis posted a 62-15 career record, including a 16-2 postseason mark, with a 1.04 ERA and 603 strikeouts over her career. In the box, she also posted a career .408 batting average. She currently holds school records for career doubles (26), career wins (62) and season wins (21).
On top of suiting up for the Bulldogs, Dennis played travel ball with the East Cobb Bullets. The incoming Jacket was rated the No. 16 by Extra Inning Softball in her high school class.
Dennis’ on-field success follows her family legacy as her mother, Angela, played softball at Furman.
The right hander bolsters a signing class of eight incoming freshman in 2020 that was ranked 17th in the nation, third in the ACC and the best in the state according to Extra Inning Softball.
The crop of incoming young talent will join 16 Jacket returners, including five regular starters, on The Flats next season.
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Iowa’s Lauren Shaw Headed to UCLA
As first noted by Justin’s World of Softball, Lauren Shaw has announced she will transfer to UCLA from Iowa.
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Ranked #124 in the Class of 2017 when she played for the Ohio Outlaws, Lauren produced a 9-4 record this year with a 2.03 ERA; for her career at the Big Ten schools she was 21-18 with a 2.19 ERA.
Prior to college she was a star pitcher at Keystone High in LaGrange, Ohio under legendary coach Jim Piazza.
can’t wait for the journey 💙💛 https://t.co/IzGpCKXl6o
— lauren (@laurenshaw_8) June 27, 2021
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Brooke Vestal Will Play in the SEC
Brooke Vestal, a red-shirt sophomore right-handed pitcher on the National Champion Oklahoma Sooners, is headed to Ole Miss according to those close to the program.
This year playing on a strong pitching staff that included Giselle Suarez and Shannon Saile, Vestal got in 7.1 innings and had five strikeouts while giving up just three hits and one walk.
In the 2020 season, she went 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in eight appearance and started five games. In 25 innings she had 22 strikeouts versus just six walks.
Vestal was a three-time high school All-American at Canyon High in New Braunfels, Texas, and in 2016 led her Firecrackers-Rico 18U team to a PGF National Championships.
She told Extra Inning Softball this morning that she’ll be signing official paperwork today.
“I didn’t have any ties,” she admitted about checking out Ole Miss, “I never was recruited with Jamie and don’t know anyone on the team, but I went on my visit with a list of things I wanted to find in my next school. With my three years of eligibility I wanted to find a school where I could work hard, go out and win some games. I was also looking for a smaller campus, like OU’s, which has a small town feel. I wanted to look for a place where I can help build the program and find what I’m looking for academically.”
“Ole Miss has the No. 3 Accounting program in the country and areas where I can go on and get a master’s degree so that will be a great fit too. Plus, it’s the SEC!”
When I went to Oxford, it blew me away. Plus, the uniforms look great and I rock the powder blue!”
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