Softball: Keep an eye on these future Volunteers

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Tuesday’s showdown between Valencia and Hart will feature three players who’ve Volunteer-ed to play alongside each other in college.

Valencia’s Jessica Spigner, pictured, has signed on to play for Tennessee next year and teammate Madison Shipman and Hart’s Melissa Brown say they will be joining her over the subsequent seasons. Each has played a huge role in their respective team’s strong starts, and I have a good feeling at least one of these diamond stars will have a big game tomorrow/Tuesday.

Spigner, who’s spent the last three years playing third base, has made a near-flawless transition to pitcher. She has a 0.78 ERA and has posted seven shutouts en route to a 17-4 record. In addition, she’s batting .463 with 20 RBIs and six home runs.

Shipman’s .431 BA, 17 RBIs and 14 stolen bases make her one of the region’s best sophomores, and Brown is riding a 16-game hitting streak that has helped improve her BA to .566.

-- Austin Knoblauch

-- Photo from www.valenciasoftball.com