(Editor's note: DCC Athletics release)
GLENDIVE -- Two Billings West High products and a third baseman from Park City are among the latest softball signees at Dawson Community College.
Mckinsey Matthews and Alison Eldridge will join the program from West.
"Alison will be a force to be reckoned with at Dawson," said Bucs head coach Jim LeProwse. "She has very good velocity and spin as a pitcher and will be very hard on opposing batters. As a bonus, Alison is also a great hitter. She comes from perennial AA powerhouse Billings West and also plays on a very good summer ball team. I look forward to Alison mowing down opposing batters during her time in the circle at Dawson. She has a fantastic attitude and will fit in perfectly in our program. She has an incredible drive to succeed and win and will be an outstanding college softball player. I could not be happier that she chose Dawson."
Mathews has been a four-year varsity starter for the Bears. She was the 2019 Team Defensive Player of the Year and a 2019 All-Conference Runner Up. At the Valley Invitational Tournament in Portland, Oregon, she had a Bat Exit Velocity measured at 76mph, a .438 batting average, .981 fielding percentage and has 41 career home runs. During her summer club softball season in 2020, she had a .615 batting average.
"Mckinsey is a fantastic addition to our softball program. She possesses as much power as any player that we have ever had in the past. Mckinsey is a very talented catcher and comes from a great high school program. She will do great things at Dawson. I am very pleased that Mckinsey chose Dawson to continue her academic and athletic careers," said Coach LeProwse.
Makayla Harper from Park City High School has also signed with the Bucs.
"Makayla possesses a tremendous amount of power and she is also a very talented third baseman for the Stillwater Renegades," said LeProwse. "During Makayla's visit to Dawson she hit multiple balls out of the park during her workout and we knew right away that we needed to do whatever we could to sign her. We look forward to Makayla hitting in a power spot in our lineup next season. She has a great attitude and will fit perfectly in our program. I look forward to seeing her do great things at Dawson for the next couple of years."
Payten Staley arrives from Stansbury High School in Stansbury Park, Utah.
An outstanding infielder and possesses a ton of gap power, Stansbury earned the Rookie Award her freshman year. In her sophomore year, she was 1st team All-Region and received the Golden Glove Award.
"She hits the ball well to all fields and is a fierce competitor. Payten has a great team first attitude and will fit perfectly in our program. When she came to our campus we were blown away by her talent. I cannot wait to see the great things that Payten will do at Dawson," said LeProwse.
Corner Canyon High School product Kaleigh Gillespie from Draper, Utah is also on board.
"Kaleigh brings a ton of talent to our pitching circle next season," LeProwse said. "We had the chance to host Kaleigh on our campus this Fall and were very impressed with her pitching skills. She is a very fierce competitor and is an intimidating presence when she faces opposing batters. As a coach, I can see her determination and drive in every pitch that she throws. She has very good velocity and spin when she throws. A bonus that Kaleigh brings to our program is that she is also a great hitter. Kaleigh is the exact type of player that we strive to recruit every year. I will be a lot of fun to watch her get better and better as time goes on. Kaleigh will definitely do great things at Dawson."
Littleton, Colorado, native Maleia Schaap from Heritage High School rounds out DCC's latest announcement.
"Maleia was an All-State Honorable Mention player her sophomore and junior years. She is extremely athletic and will bring a lot of great things to our program next year," LeProwse said. "She is an outstanding catcher and has a great mind for the game of softball. Maleia is also a very solid hitter and will bring more gap power to our lineup next season. I can't wait to see all of the great things that she will do at DCC."
