Amanda Lambrecht and Jami Miller take their games to the next level
Sophomore standouts Amanda Lambrecht (East Moline, IL) and Jami Miller (Genoa, IL) each signed an NCAA Division I National Letter of Intent to continue play after this season at Kirkwood. Lambrecht takes her pitching to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), and Miller will compete in the Big 10 at the University of Wisconsin.
Kirkwood Head Coach Joe Yegge said, “We are so proud of Amanda signing with SIUE. Knowing her options out of high school, and committing before she threw a single regulation game was a tremendous accomplishment. After I saw her throw one pitch, I knew she would be a great pitcher here and could pitch at the Division I level.”
As freshmen, Lambrecht and Miller both made a big impact on the Eagles 55-win season.
Lambrecht pitched six no hitters and two perfect games, ending the year with a 23-2 record. She was named NJCAA Player of the Week after pitching a perfect game and no-hitter with 48 strikeouts and just four hits in a one-week span. Impressively, she threw 254 strikeouts with just 49 walks and had a 0.82 earned run average. Lambrecht’s strikeouts beat a 12-year school record by 52, ranking her second in the country for strikeouts. She received postseason honors including First Team NFCA Midwest All-Region Team, First Team NFCA All-American, Region XI Pitcher of the Year and Third Team NJCAA All-American.
SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery feels Lambrecht will have no problem competing at the Division I level.
“I am very excited to have Amanda join our pitching staff. As a junior college All-American, she will bring a tremendous amount of experience and competitiveness to our squad. I have no doubt she will have an immediate impact on our program,” said Montgomery.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is new to the Division I level, competing in just its third season. With the transition from Division II to Division I, SIUE wasn’t eligible to compete in postseason play or for a conference championship. In two years as a Division I program, SIUE has won 67 games with a 27-24 record last season.
Coach Yegge also feels Miller’s accomplishments are well deserved.
“Jami signing with the University of Wisconsin shows how much hard work and dedication she has put forth in becoming a great ball player. She is the type of player I wish we could have for more than two years. Her personality, work ethic and ability to be a great teammate is so amazing, it’s hard to see her leave. We are very proud of her accomplishments and feel fortunate to have coached such an outstanding individual.”
Miller returns with plenty of experience, competing in all 61 games as a freshman. She was very successful at the plate with 82 hits, 13 homeruns and a .469 batting average. Miller used her speed, stealing all 28 bases she attempted. She earned NJCAA Player of the Week honors after hitting three homeruns with a .682 batting average in one week. Her postseason honors include First Team NFCA All-American, First Team All-Region and First Team NFCA Midwest Region.
Wisconsin Head Coach Yvette Healy feels Miller will be a good fit for the program.
“I’m thrilled to have Jami Miller join the Badger softball family. We love her power and speed. It’s always fun to recruit athletes that can hit home runs and steal bases. Jami has proven herself to be an elite athlete in one of the best junior college programs in the country,” said Healy.
The University of Wisconsin ended the 2010 season with its best record since 2007. Finishing 20-31 overall, the Badgers were ranked eighth in conference with a 5-13 record. Wisconsin opens the 2011 season in Austin, Texas against Texas State on February 17.
After last season’s success, the Kirkwood Eagles have high expectations for the upcoming season. Almost every record in the book was shattered in 2010, including most wins, most runs scored, longest win streak and most shut outs. The women resume play in the spring.