LOGAN, Utah - Utah State head softball coach Steve Johnson has announced the addition of seven players to the 2017-18 roster. Kayla Fielder, Kennedy Hira, Delaney Hull, Brianna Lerma, Leah Molina, Stephanie Reed and Joely Williamson all signed National Letters of Intent with the Aggies this week.

The signing class includes one player from Arizona, three from California and three Texas natives. It is the largest group of signees Utah State softball has had since 2013, when this season's senior class, originally a group of eight players, signed.

"We're really excited about our 2017 class. This is our biggest and deepest class we've signed since I've been here and one we've been working on for the last few years, so it's nice to be getting one step closer to getting all these kids on campus," Johnson said. "This class has a little bit of everything in it. We've got two strong pitchers that will add great depth in the circle, three power-hitting infielders and two speedy outfielders who will help our speed game greatly. They've got some big shoes to fill from the departing senior class and will have the chance to compete for starting spots right away, but we're confident in their skill sets, that they'll be able to live up to our expectations."

Fielder is an outfielder from League City, Texas, where she plays at Clear Springs High School. In her three seasons of high school softball, Fielder has a .443 batting average, highlighted by a .516 performance as a junior last season. She has earned all-district honors every season of her career and was named the district MVP as a sophomore. She led Clear Springs in batting average and on-base percentage the last two seasons. Fielder plays club softball for the Houston Firecrackers under head coach Rodney Garza.

"Kayla is one of the slappers in this class and she brings a little different dimension at the plate. She can play all three positions in the outfield and has the speed to run down almost anything," Johnson said. "At the plate, she can dink and dunk with the bunt and soft slap, but also has the ability to power slap, keeping defenses back just a bit. Kayla also has the potential to be another big base stealer for us."

Hira joins the Aggies from Mission Viejo, Calif., where she plays at Capistrano Valley High School. She spent her first two years of high school at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, where she was teammates with current USU freshman Devan Sperry. Hira batted .353 on the year last season, including a .882 slugging percentage. She earned all-league honors as a sophomore and junior. Hira currently plays club softball with Clutch Up Softball for head coach Marcus Rojas.

"A power hitter on the infield, Kennedy is primarily a third baseman. She's got a cannon arm and soft hands, but like the other infielders in this class, her best strength is her bat," Johnson said. "She's another middle of the lineup type kid who can put up big power numbers for us to drive in our speed."

A high school teammate of Hira, Hull also hails from Mission Viejo, Calif., and Capistrano Valley. The right-handed pitcher has an overall earned run average of 1.79, posting an 11-5 record in her two seasons as a starter. She has tallied 68 strikeouts while walking just 12 batters. Hull earned all-league honors her sophomore and junior seasons, and was named the team Defensive Player of the Year last year. At the club level, Hull currently plays for the California Cruisers under coach Mel Sievers and also played for Mike Lutterloh and the Firecrackers in 2015.

"Delaney mixes her pitches really well and is continuing to develop her change-up to complement her speed and movement," Johnson said. "She had a great PGF Nationals with the Cruisers-Sievers team and playing with them this fall and next summer will really prepare her for when she gets to campus next fall."

Lerma is a native of Downey, Calif., and a three-year letterwinner at Valley Christian High School. She earned first-team all-league honors her first three years of high school and was named team MVP last season. Lerma hit .421 last season and has hit above .400 each year of her high school career. Like Hira, Lerma plays club softball with Clutch Up Softball and Rojas.

"Brianna is a power hitting first baseman who can also play the outfield if needed. She impressed us with her power when we first started watching her, and that power will be a great complement to our speed game," Johnson said. "Bri came to a Utah State camp and impressed us with her ability to play a new position in the outfield, which gives us some flexibility to move her there if needed."

Molina comes to Utah State from Mesa, Ariz., and Desert Ridge High School. In her three seasons, she has tallied 116 hits while scoring 92 runs. She also has 36 stolen bases in her career. Last season, Molina earned first-team all-division and all-section accolades. Molina plays club softball with Arizona Hotshots Elite for head coach Craig Nicholson.

"Leah is one of two slappers in this class who brings tremendous speed to the field. That speed allows her to cover a lot of ground in the outfield, but it will be on the basepaths where she will do her greatest damage," Johnson said. "At the plate she can use the short game and her speed to get on, but she also hits away with power. Along with Kayla, Leah will be expected to be a big base stealer for us during the season."

A native of Santa Fe, Texas, Reed is a three-year letterwinner at Santa Fe High School. Last season, Reed posted a 2.88 ERA with 24 strikeouts. At the plate, she hit .387 on the year, scoring 21 runs while batting in another 18. She earned first-team all-district honors as a utility player last season. Reed plays club softball for the Houston Power under head coach Jeff Korioth.

"Don't let Steph's size fool you, as she is a true power pitcher. Stephanie came to our camp a few years ago and impressed us right away. Every time we've gone out to see her, she just keeps impressing," Johnson said. "What really jumped out at me the first time I saw her throw, besides her velocity, was how every pitch moved in two planes, which should help her get a lot of swings and misses."

Williamson joins the Aggies from Georgetown, Texas, where she plays at Liberty Hill High School. As a junior, she hit .514, including 23 doubles and 13 home runs. Williamson earned her team's home run award her freshman and junior seasons, and is a three-time team MVP. She was an all-district shortstop each year of her career and earned all-state honors last year. Williamson plays club softball for Impact Gold under head coach Mario Garcia.

"While primarily a shortstop, Joely can, and will, be expected to move around the infield where needed. She's got good hands and a strong arm, but her biggest asset is her bat," Johnson said. "She's another power hitter for us in the lineup who has put up big numbers in high school and travel ball. She will be expected to be a middle of the lineup type hitter for us at the next level."

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