AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head softball coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler signed four newcomers, Rachel Hartman, Katie Johnson, Megan McGuire and Hope Scheffert, to the 2013-14 softball team on Thursday.
Hartman comes east to Iowa State from Las Flores, Calif. and plans to major in engineering. A four-year member of the Tesoro High School varsity softball team, Hartman hit .383 in summer ball in 2012 with 36 hits, three home runs and 21 RBI. Named to the 2011 All-South Coach League, the catcher has also excelled in the classroom as a four-time scholar athlete and a recipient of the Torch of Excellence in algebra II and trigonometry at Tesoro. Hartman is the daughter of Brad and Randi Hartman and has one brother, Zach.
The daughter of Marlin and Dee Johnson, Katie Johnson is a right-handed pitcher and utility player out of Sioux Falls, S.D., who hit .706 this fall and finished with a 15-0 record, including two perfect games in one week, in the circle while leading Washington High School to its second-straight South Dakota State Championship. For her efforts, Johnson was named to the first team all-state and all-tournament during both championship seasons and was named one of Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” during the week of Oct. 22 of this year. Johnson is a two-time KDLT TV Athlete of the Week , has also earned KSFY TV Athlete of the Week honors this season and in 2011 was both a Triple Crown All-Star and named to the All-America Team.
In her last three seasons of club softball, from 2010-12, Johnson never hit below .347 in a season and drove in 48 runs while collecting 22 walks in 2010. In the same season, Johnson pitched a career-high 237 innings for the SD Fusion 14U team, striking out 333 batters, an average of 1.4 strikeouts per inning, and recorded a 0.62 ERA. Playing for the KC Zephyrs 18U team in 2012, Johnson compiled a 1.71 ERA while striking out 87 batters in 78 innings pitched. The SD Fusion teams Johnson was a part of in both 2009 and 2010 won state ASA championships. Johnson was also a part of the 2009 USSSA All-World Team.
Academically strong as well, Johnson is a member of the National Honors Society and was named Washington’s Lit and Comp Student of the Year in 2012. One of three children, Johnson has spent time volunteering with the humane society, at softball clinics and participating in Community Theater.
Stilwell, Kan. native McGuire holds the highest batting average at Blue Valley Southwest High school and in the state of Kansas, dating back to 2010. As a sophomore, the power-hitting McGuire was an all-conference offensive player and earned All-Sun first team honors. An ELK All-League first team selection, McGuire played ASA softball from 2007-12, winning numerous MVP awards and playing on the 2007 All-World Team in the national championship tournament. During the 2009-10 season, McGuire won the ASA home run derby. The daughter of bill and Janelle McGuire, Megan is one of five children and volunteers at Heartland therapeutic Riding for People with Disabilities. She is also a member of the National Honors Society and serves a mentor for freshmen and new incoming students at Blue Valley Southwest.
A native of Davenport, Iowa, Scheffert is a switch hitter who hit over .400 in her last two seasons at Davenport North High School. Scheffert’s best season came in 2012 when she hit .496 in 38 games, with 62 hits and 25 RBI. The middle infielder, and daughter of Loren and Rhonda Scheffert, earned second team all-conference honors from 2010-12 and was named the Wildcats’ best fielder and best hitter in multiple years. Selected to the all-district team as a junior, Scheffert was also a team captain and the squad’s MVP in 2011 and 2012. Scheffert chose Iowa State over the University of Iowa, UNI and Western Illinois. Scheffert has two siblings, Adam and Isabelle.
