BOONE, N.C. – Head Coach
Shelly Hoerner and the Appalachian State Softball staff announced the signing of eight future Mountaineer student-athletes on
Wednesday.
"We are excited to welcome this large class to the mountain. As we lose a senior class that has made an impact on our program, it was important to find players that can continue to build what those players have," head coach
Shelly Hoerner said. "The senior class has helped change the image and culture of this program and I am proud of them for laying the foundation for future mountaineers like this incoming class."
"The class of 2020 has a bright future ahead of them. They have a high IQ of the game and have played against top competition in their travel ball organizations. The group overall is very competitive, versatile and has a blue-collar mentality. I look forward to them being a success on and off the field and in the App and Boone community."
Delani Buckner
Elkview, W.V. / Herbert Hoover High School
A standout pitcher at Herbert Hoover, Buckner joins the Mountaineers after posting a 52-3 record as a pitcher through her junior year. Buckner was a First Team All-Conference selection as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She was named Second Team All-State as a freshman and First Team All-State as a sophomore and junior, as well as the West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore. Buckner has compiled 664 strikeouts over her three years, and ended with a .331 ERA as a junior. At the plate, Buckner posted two homeruns and a .495 batting average her junior year.
Claire Carson
Sharpsburg, Ga. | Trinity Christian School
A five-year varsity softball player, Carson has been named team MVP four times at Trinity Christian School in Sharpsburg, Ga. She led the team in homeruns junior and senior year and led the team in stolen bases every year. Carson is also a four-time earned All-Region selection, posting a .449 batting average and .512 on base percentage. Carson has been a member of three travel ball teams, including the Georgia Intensity, East Cobb Bullets and most recently, the Georgia Impact.
Shelby Cornett
Raleigh, N.C. | Middle Creek High School
Cornett joins the Mountaineers from Raleigh, where she has earned All-State, All-District and All-Conference honors at Middle Creek High School. 2017 was a standout year for Cornett, when she earned those accolades, along with Offensive Player of the Year. Off the field, the outfielder was named Academic All-Conference in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She is also a Modern Woodmen Scholar Athlete.
Abby Cunningham
Greenfield, Wisc. / Whitehall High School
A three-year varsity player at Whitehall, Cunningham was named First Team All-Conference and All-Region as a junior. She was also an Honorable Mention All-State selection. She posted a .500 batting average with 39 RBI and six home runs at the end of her junior year. Cunningham was Second Team All-Conference as a freshman and sophomore and helped her team to a state championship as a sophomore. Cunningham plays travel ball for BATS Academy, where she was named the Most Improved Player in 2018.
Kayt Houston
Rock Hill, S.C. / South Pointe High School
Houston will join the Mountaineers as an outfield for the 2021 season. During her career at South Pointe High School, she has been awarded Team MVP, Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP. She was an All-State selection as a sophomore and junior, and an All-Region selection as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She has posted above a .500 batting average every season, including a .622 as a freshman, .596 as a junior, and .512 as a junior. She was also perfect in stolen base attempts as a junior, completing all 24 of her attempts.
Emma Jones
Anniston, Ala. / White Plains High School
An All-State selection at White Plains High School, Jones will join the Mountaineers after a standout high school career. Along with her All-State honors as a freshman, sophomore and junior, Jones was named All-District in 2016 and was the 2016 Female Athlete of the Year. As a junior, Jones was named MVP after posting the highest batting average with a .500, most stolen bases (47) and most runs scored (52). She was also the Area Tournament MVP and named to the All-Star North Team in 2019.
Allie Sewell
Cumming, Ga. / Lambert High School
Sewell brings many academic and athletic honors to the Appalachian roster. The infielder was named Second Team All-County as a junior after posting a .333 batting average, a .409 on base percentage, and a .884 fielding percentage. She also earned the team's Longhorn Award for her hustle and leadership. Academically, Sewell earned All-Academic honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior.
Shelbi Tucker
Chino Hills, Ca. | Ruben S. Ayala
Tucker joins App State as her high school's top catcher, finishing her junior season with a .990 fielding percentage and a batting average of .356 with 14 RBI. The catcher earned Second Team All-League and the team's Top Dog. Off the field, she has earned the All-Academic league award for having a 3.8 GPA or higher for the past three years.
