BOONE, N.C. -- App State returns its entire catching staff for the 2021 season, including senior standout
Baylee Morton. The Mountaineers also add freshman
Shelbi Tucker to round out the battery.
Morton made a splash in 2020, making the start in all 22 games. She ended the year with a .578 slugging percentage and a .281 batting average along with a team-high five home runs. The catcher also posted one triple and five doubles, and a team-high 19 RBI in her 64 at bats. Her 18 hits were tied for second on the team and she also scored 10 runs. The senior earned a team-high 12 walks and had the highest on base percentage on the team with .403.
"Baylee has made tremendous strides behind the plate and at the plate. She has a great rapport with the pitchers and just the maturity I've seen in her has helped her become a better catcher and a better hitter," head coach
Shelly Hoerner said. "I look for her to do really great things. She gets a lot of strikes for those pitchers and I think that's huge. She works hard to make those pitchers look better."
Taylor Thorp will see some time behind the plate as well after making the start in 20 games last year at third base. Thorp ended the year with a .281 batting average and a .407 slugging percentage in 59 at bats. She had 16 hits during the shortened season, including five doubles (tied for the team-high) and one home run. The redshirt sophomore knocked in 13 runs, good for second on the team and scored five runs. Her .371 on base percentage was also good for second on the team.
"Taylor will be catching as well as playing first base so she is a dual player for us this year. She is a tremendous catcher so I look for her to see time behind the plate," Hoerner said.
Tucker joins the Mountaineers from Chino Hills, Calif. where she finished her junior season with a .990 fielding percentage and a batting average of .356 with 14 RBI. She earned second team All-League and the team's Top Dog award. Tucker played travel ball for the California Cruisers, where she helped the Cruisers place in the top 10 at the PGF Nationals for the last five years, including a first-place finish, four second-place finishes and a third-place finish.
"Shelbi is a true utility and is a spunky catcher and has great rapport with the pitchers. I look for her to see time behind the plate as well but I can also put her anywhere on the field. She does a great job and is a California native that has great fundamentals and knows the game," Hoerner said.
