UW Softball Signs Two
November 09, 2006 | Softball
Wisconsin softball coach Chandelle Schulte has announced that Ashley Hanewich and Livi Abney have signed national letters of intent to play for the Badgers in 2007-08.
Ashley and Livi will be tremendous additions to our team,' said Schulte. 'Hitting wise with these two, we've really taken a step up in our recruiting process. I am very pleased to welcome them to the UW family.'
Hanewich, an outfielder and pitcher from Bradenton, Fla., is Lakewood Ranch High School 's all-time home run leader with 23. She hit nine as a sophomore when she earned second-team all-state honors and has a career batting average of .464.
'Ashley is a very dynamic player and a very good outfielder,' said Schulte. 'She can flat out hit the ball. Happily, she's starting to pitch and is ranked in the top-15 in Florida in pitching. Educationally she excels. I truly believe she's one of the better signings we've had here.'
Hanewich was 17-9 in the circle last year with an ERA of 1.05. In 171 innings pitched, she had 187 strikeouts against 31 walks.
Abney, a middle infielder from Lawrence, Kan., was a second-team all-state selection this past year after posting a school-record batting average of .449 with an on-base percentage of .638. She's helped lead Free State High School to two regional championships and a fourth-place finish at the state tournament in 2005.
'Livi comes from a lineage of baseball and softball,' said Schulte. 'She came on a visit here and automatically there was a connection. She hits for tremendous power and plays for one of the better club teams in the Midwest so she 's going to compete at a very high level.'
Abney's father, Steve, was an assistant baseball coach at the University of Kansas and is now a major league scout for the Cleveland Indians. He also spent three years playing in the San Diego Padres organization. Livi has a twin sister, Brooke, who plays first base at Free State H.S.
Both Hanewich and Abney star on teams outside of their high school programs. Hanewich plays for the top-ranked U-18 Gold team in Florida. Abney plays for the Kansas City Zephyrs Gold team, one of the top teams in the Midwest.
