TEMPE, Ariz. --Head coach Trisha Ford and the Sun Devil softball team announced the signing of seven student-athletes to national letters of intent for the 2021 season Monday afternoon.
The class, made up of two outfielders, three infielders, a catcher and a pitcher, was named the No. 12 recruiting class by FloSoftball, and is comprised of players from four different states.
Brenna Begin,
Position: Outfielder
High School: Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.)
A versatile player out of Southern California, Begin started her high school playing career at St. Lucy's Priory High, before moving to Orange Lutheran for her junior and senior seasons … At Lutheran, Begin helped lead her team to a semifinal appearance in their state championship chase, while also earning Baseline League Honorable Mention honors … She helped guide Orange Lutheran to a No. 23 national-ranking according to Max-Preps, and reached the quarterfinals of their division playoff run in 2018 ... In 2019, Begin appeared in 21 games, maintaining a .352 batting average, .386 on-base percentage and scoring 11 runs … With her club team, the So Cal Athletics Briggs, Begin competed for several championships, while also being named the No. 60 prospect in her position by Extra Innings Softball … When not on the field, Begin enjoys snowboarding, wake surfing, as well as other outdoor sports … She developed a love for ASU when she was 14, after serving as a bat-girl for the team, and says the weather and the prestigious W. P. Carey School of Business were major factors in choosing to become a Sun Devil … After enrolling at ASU next fall, Brenna plans to pursue a degree in Business and Real Estate.
Harleigh Braswell,
Position: Catcher
High School: Amador High School (Sutter Creek, Calif.)
A multi-sport athlete out of Amador High, Braswell has been a standout athlete on the softball diamond as well as the soccer field, while also excelling in the classroom … A three-year varsity letter winner, Braswell will enter her final season of high school softball having played in 68 games, where she has hit at a .545 clip … Showing a prowess for power-hitting, Braswell has tallied 56 extra-base hits, including 21 home runs … Following her freshman campaign, a year that saw Braswell hit for a .477 average, the talented backstop was awarded co-offensive MVP honors by her team, while also collecting a First-Team All-League honor … She would follow that effort with a Second-Team All-League honor the very next year while being tabbed a First-Team All-League honoree for the second time following last season's efforts … When not playing softball, Harleigh enjoys singing and playing the guitar, while also competing on the soccer field … She says playing for the ASU coaching staff, as well as the college-town atmosphere of the City of Tempe, were key factors her decision to become a Sun Devil … Harleigh says her academic interests are math, specifically trigonometry, and calculus, while also being interested in ceramics … Following her Sun Devil playing-career, Braswell says she wants to find a job she loves, but that will also allow her to travel to new places.
Emily Cazares,
Position: Outfielder
High School: Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.)
Emily Cazares will arrive in Tempe following a very exciting high school playing career with Buchanan, and a club career with Athletics Mercado … Last season, Cazares was a standout outfielder with Buchanan, finishing the season with a .486 batting average that included 21 extra-base hits … She collected TRAC Player of the year honors with her high school's varsity team … She accounted for 20 RBI and 10 stolen bases, leading Buchanan to a share of the Tri-River League championship and a 24-4 record on the year … She also helped Athletics-Mercado/Smith win the PGF 18U Premier national championship in 2019 … Cazares batted .486 with five doubles, eight triples, eight homers, 32 runs scored … Cazares has been ranked No. 71 in the 2020 Extra Elite 100 and No. 65 in the FloSoftball top 100 … In her free time, Emily, a self-proclaimed sneakerhead, says she enjoys painting and dancing … Her academic interests include anatomy, economics, and psychology … Emily says the two main things
that drew her to ASU were the coaching staff and the environment on campus as well as in the softball program.
Kailee Luschar
Position; Infielder
High School: Carson High School
A three-year varsity standout for Carson High School, Luschar is a three-time All-League recipient who played in 98 games hitting .505 with 151 hits with the Colts … She led the state of Nevada in stolen bases, while also ranking second in batting average ... Luschar burst on the scene in her freshman season in 2016, appearing in 31 games where she hit at a .480 clip with 48 base knocks and 36 runs scored ... In her sophomore season, she continued her torrid play, this time making 33 appearances and recording 48 hits and 50 runs scored ... Most recently, Luschar was named to 2019 Nevada Preps All-State team in her junior season that saw the talented infielder hit for a .579 average that included four home runs, 26 RBI and 44 runs scored ... When not playing softball, Kailee enjoys spending time at the beach, going to the gym and listening to music … Her academic interests include business, photography and education … She noted that the weather, coaching staff and overall size of Arizona State were the major factors that drew here to ASU … Upon finishing her degree, Kailee would like to own her own business or become a teacher.
Savannah Price, Infielder
Position: Infielder
High School: East Nicolaus
A three-time All-State Team recipient by Cal-Hi, Price has appeared in 100 varsity games for the Lady Spartans ... She is a two-time Mid-Valley League MVP ... In her freshman season, Price appeared in 32 games where she hit at a .486 clip with 51 hits and 49 RBI's ... She would go on to win the Mid-Valley League MVP while also being named to the CIF Northern Section 2nd team. She added a 2017 All-State Team honor, as well ... Price would go on to improve her numbers during her sophomore season, posting an astonishing .590 batting average with 62 hits and 58 RBI on the season, a feat that earned her Mid-Valley League Co-MVP honors, as well as a Northern Section First-Team honor to accompany a Sac Bee All-Metro honorable mention nod ... The talented infielder would go on to post a .500 batting average, .609 OBP and a .987 SLG percentage last season, culminating in being named to the Mid-Valley League First-Team, and to the Northern Section First-Team ... When not on the softball field, Price is an active member of FFA where she has raised pigs.
Allison Royalty
Position: Pitcher
High School: Home School
One of the nation's most sought-after pitching Prospects, Royalty will arrive in Tempe having played at an incredibly high-level with her club softball team … In 2018 Extra Innings ranked Royalty the No. 38 player in the class of 2020, and this season, FloSoftball recognized her as the No. 4 prospect in the class … A dominant right-hander, Royalty helped lead the Athletics Mercado/Smith 18u club team to a 2019 PGF 18u Premier National Championship … She also aided her team to a second-place showing at the IDT Boulder Tournament … Royalty says a major draw to competing at ASU was the vision the coaching staff has for the program … She also cited the academic support and opportunities afforded to Sun Devil student-athletes as another major factor in her decision to become a Sun Devil … When she arrives on Campus, Royalty plans to pursue a degree in Canine Rehabilitation Therapy and Physical Therapy … She hopes to one day become a Canine Rehabilitation Therapist … When not playing softball, Royalty enjoys hiking with her dog, weight training and volunteering at animal shelters.
Kristiana Watson,
Position: Infielder
High School: Amphitheater
A two-time MaxPreps All-American and five-sport varsity player from Tucson, Arizona … Watson hit an incredible .736 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI's while hitting 35 doubles with a .797 on-base percentage and 1.709 slugging percentage in her first two seasons at Amphitheater High School … In her freshman year, Watson was named Arizona 4A Player of the Year, while also earning a 4A All-State and All-Arizona Team honor ... In her sophomore season, Watson hit an amazing .716, with 14 home runs and 51 RBI ... She was selected as a MaxPreps All-American, as well as 4A Offensive Player of the Year, as well as being named a finalist for Arizona Player of the Year ... Watson was also a standout Volleyball player at Amphitheater ... The Tucson native says she has always wanted to compete in the Pac-12 and hopes to work with professional athletes and own her own business following her graduation from ASU.
The class, made up of two outfielders, three infielders, a catcher and a pitcher, was named the No. 12 recruiting class by FloSoftball, and is comprised of players from four different states.
Brenna Begin,
Position: Outfielder
High School: Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.)
A versatile player out of Southern California, Begin started her high school playing career at St. Lucy's Priory High, before moving to Orange Lutheran for her junior and senior seasons … At Lutheran, Begin helped lead her team to a semifinal appearance in their state championship chase, while also earning Baseline League Honorable Mention honors … She helped guide Orange Lutheran to a No. 23 national-ranking according to Max-Preps, and reached the quarterfinals of their division playoff run in 2018 ... In 2019, Begin appeared in 21 games, maintaining a .352 batting average, .386 on-base percentage and scoring 11 runs … With her club team, the So Cal Athletics Briggs, Begin competed for several championships, while also being named the No. 60 prospect in her position by Extra Innings Softball … When not on the field, Begin enjoys snowboarding, wake surfing, as well as other outdoor sports … She developed a love for ASU when she was 14, after serving as a bat-girl for the team, and says the weather and the prestigious W. P. Carey School of Business were major factors in choosing to become a Sun Devil … After enrolling at ASU next fall, Brenna plans to pursue a degree in Business and Real Estate.
Harleigh Braswell,
Position: Catcher
High School: Amador High School (Sutter Creek, Calif.)
A multi-sport athlete out of Amador High, Braswell has been a standout athlete on the softball diamond as well as the soccer field, while also excelling in the classroom … A three-year varsity letter winner, Braswell will enter her final season of high school softball having played in 68 games, where she has hit at a .545 clip … Showing a prowess for power-hitting, Braswell has tallied 56 extra-base hits, including 21 home runs … Following her freshman campaign, a year that saw Braswell hit for a .477 average, the talented backstop was awarded co-offensive MVP honors by her team, while also collecting a First-Team All-League honor … She would follow that effort with a Second-Team All-League honor the very next year while being tabbed a First-Team All-League honoree for the second time following last season's efforts … When not playing softball, Harleigh enjoys singing and playing the guitar, while also competing on the soccer field … She says playing for the ASU coaching staff, as well as the college-town atmosphere of the City of Tempe, were key factors her decision to become a Sun Devil … Harleigh says her academic interests are math, specifically trigonometry, and calculus, while also being interested in ceramics … Following her Sun Devil playing-career, Braswell says she wants to find a job she loves, but that will also allow her to travel to new places.
Emily Cazares,
Position: Outfielder
High School: Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.)
Emily Cazares will arrive in Tempe following a very exciting high school playing career with Buchanan, and a club career with Athletics Mercado … Last season, Cazares was a standout outfielder with Buchanan, finishing the season with a .486 batting average that included 21 extra-base hits … She collected TRAC Player of the year honors with her high school's varsity team … She accounted for 20 RBI and 10 stolen bases, leading Buchanan to a share of the Tri-River League championship and a 24-4 record on the year … She also helped Athletics-Mercado/Smith win the PGF 18U Premier national championship in 2019 … Cazares batted .486 with five doubles, eight triples, eight homers, 32 runs scored … Cazares has been ranked No. 71 in the 2020 Extra Elite 100 and No. 65 in the FloSoftball top 100 … In her free time, Emily, a self-proclaimed sneakerhead, says she enjoys painting and dancing … Her academic interests include anatomy, economics, and psychology … Emily says the two main things
that drew her to ASU were the coaching staff and the environment on campus as well as in the softball program.
Kailee Luschar
Position; Infielder
High School: Carson High School
A three-year varsity standout for Carson High School, Luschar is a three-time All-League recipient who played in 98 games hitting .505 with 151 hits with the Colts … She led the state of Nevada in stolen bases, while also ranking second in batting average ... Luschar burst on the scene in her freshman season in 2016, appearing in 31 games where she hit at a .480 clip with 48 base knocks and 36 runs scored ... In her sophomore season, she continued her torrid play, this time making 33 appearances and recording 48 hits and 50 runs scored ... Most recently, Luschar was named to 2019 Nevada Preps All-State team in her junior season that saw the talented infielder hit for a .579 average that included four home runs, 26 RBI and 44 runs scored ... When not playing softball, Kailee enjoys spending time at the beach, going to the gym and listening to music … Her academic interests include business, photography and education … She noted that the weather, coaching staff and overall size of Arizona State were the major factors that drew here to ASU … Upon finishing her degree, Kailee would like to own her own business or become a teacher.
Savannah Price, Infielder
Position: Infielder
High School: East Nicolaus
A three-time All-State Team recipient by Cal-Hi, Price has appeared in 100 varsity games for the Lady Spartans ... She is a two-time Mid-Valley League MVP ... In her freshman season, Price appeared in 32 games where she hit at a .486 clip with 51 hits and 49 RBI's ... She would go on to win the Mid-Valley League MVP while also being named to the CIF Northern Section 2nd team. She added a 2017 All-State Team honor, as well ... Price would go on to improve her numbers during her sophomore season, posting an astonishing .590 batting average with 62 hits and 58 RBI on the season, a feat that earned her Mid-Valley League Co-MVP honors, as well as a Northern Section First-Team honor to accompany a Sac Bee All-Metro honorable mention nod ... The talented infielder would go on to post a .500 batting average, .609 OBP and a .987 SLG percentage last season, culminating in being named to the Mid-Valley League First-Team, and to the Northern Section First-Team ... When not on the softball field, Price is an active member of FFA where she has raised pigs.
Allison Royalty
Position: Pitcher
High School: Home School
One of the nation's most sought-after pitching Prospects, Royalty will arrive in Tempe having played at an incredibly high-level with her club softball team … In 2018 Extra Innings ranked Royalty the No. 38 player in the class of 2020, and this season, FloSoftball recognized her as the No. 4 prospect in the class … A dominant right-hander, Royalty helped lead the Athletics Mercado/Smith 18u club team to a 2019 PGF 18u Premier National Championship … She also aided her team to a second-place showing at the IDT Boulder Tournament … Royalty says a major draw to competing at ASU was the vision the coaching staff has for the program … She also cited the academic support and opportunities afforded to Sun Devil student-athletes as another major factor in her decision to become a Sun Devil … When she arrives on Campus, Royalty plans to pursue a degree in Canine Rehabilitation Therapy and Physical Therapy … She hopes to one day become a Canine Rehabilitation Therapist … When not playing softball, Royalty enjoys hiking with her dog, weight training and volunteering at animal shelters.
Kristiana Watson,
Position: Infielder
High School: Amphitheater
A two-time MaxPreps All-American and five-sport varsity player from Tucson, Arizona … Watson hit an incredible .736 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI's while hitting 35 doubles with a .797 on-base percentage and 1.709 slugging percentage in her first two seasons at Amphitheater High School … In her freshman year, Watson was named Arizona 4A Player of the Year, while also earning a 4A All-State and All-Arizona Team honor ... In her sophomore season, Watson hit an amazing .716, with 14 home runs and 51 RBI ... She was selected as a MaxPreps All-American, as well as 4A Offensive Player of the Year, as well as being named a finalist for Arizona Player of the Year ... Watson was also a standout Volleyball player at Amphitheater ... The Tucson native says she has always wanted to compete in the Pac-12 and hopes to work with professional athletes and own her own business following her graduation from ASU.