July 25, 2006
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - After being honored as the 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year in her first season at Lafayette, Jeanine Gunther embarked on a packed recruiting season that she hopes will pay off in 2007. Gunther will add eight players to a bulk of returning starters that propelled the Lafayette to its most successful season in more than two decades.
The Leopards lost half of their two-pitcher rotation to graduation, leading Gunther to pursue a trio of hurlers to join this season's team. The remainder of the incoming class will add depth to the Leopards' infield at nearly all positions.
"We are very excited about the talent and depth this class will bring to our team," Gunther said. "Our incoming class will help us to build on the accomplishments of 2006 and will contribute to our overall goal of establishing a winning tradition for the program."
Expected to make an immediate impact as a highly touted pitcher out of Ohio, Kasey Karr (Warren, Ohio/Warren-Champion) has known nothing but winning at the high school and travel league levels. A first team all-state selection as a senior, Karr boasted a 0.75 ERA and went 12-3 in the circle. She helped her own cause by hitting for a .347 average on a team that finished second in the state tournament. A four-year varsity member, Karr was named the team's MVP while also earning first team all-league and all-district honors for the second straight year. Karr, who is still competing for the Ohio Valley Sting's 18-U team, managed a 4.0 grade-point average as a senior and picked up an all-district scholar-athlete nod in the process.
Lafayette has consistently recruited successfully throughout the New Jersey area, and Gunther has added yet another Garden State native to the mix. A lefty power hitter out of Blair Academy will add depth as a catcher/utility infielder. Christina Giambrone (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy) hit .509 with six home runs, five triples, six doubles and 27 RBI. She captained the Blair Academy club and was later named MVP. A unanimous All-MAPL selection as a senior, it was the third straight year Giambrone collected the honor. An all-state and all-prep state selection, Giambrone blasted 17 homers throughout her high school career. Giambrone held a 3.4 GPA and participated in basketball, field hockey, and the wind symphony. She has competed for both the Rockland Thunder Elite and Morris County Belles.
Joining Giambrone from across the Delaware River is catcher Allison LoBello (Manalapan, N.J./Red Bank Catholic). LoBello also played summer ball for the Morris County Belles. A four-year varsity starter behind the plate, LoBello captained Red Bank to the Monmouth County championship as a senior. She was named to the all-division team and New Jersey Sports News 2006 Softball Student-Athlete of the Year. In her junior year, LoBello was instrumental in leading Red Bank to the Parochial "A" State Championship.
A western Pennsylvania native will join Carr and current senior Megan Averbuch in the circle for 2007. Aimee Dassner (Mars, Pa./North Allegheny) earned four varsity letters as a starting pitcher for the North Allegheny Tigers, which made a run to the state quarterfinals. Dassner finished the year with a 10-3 record and a 1.11 ERA, leading North Allegheny to section and PIAA District VII titles. She was the team captain and moved on to play for the Pittsburgh Power this summer. Dassner was a member of the National Honors Society and garnered her school's scholar-athlete award all four years.
Jessika Smith (Chestwick, Pa./Fox Chapel Area) comes in as a third baseman/catcher after a solid career for Fox Chapel. Smith holds the home run record and was a four-year varsity letterwinner. The senior captain earned Valley News Dispatch first team all-star and Pittsburgh Post Gazette all-section (WPIAL Class AAAA--Section 3) laurels in 2006.
A Lehigh Valley product, Michelle Hock (Walnutport, Pa./Northampton) adds another option for Gunther in the circle. A 2005 Morning Call Second Team All-Area and All-Northampton Division pitcher, Hock punctuated her senior year with Northampton High softball scholar-athlete accolades.
Freshman Kelly Higgins (Mickelton, N.J./Kingsway Regional) will join the Leopards as a second baseman/outfielder. Higgins, also a standout field hockey and track athlete at Kingsway, was a South Jersey All-Group III honoree for three years running. In those same years, Higgins was an all-area and All Tri-County Conference player on a team that won the Tri-County Conference Championship in her junior and senior seasons. A National Merit Scholar and National Honors Society member, Higgins added the 2006 Senior Female Student-Athlete Award to her abundant list of academic accomplishments.
Rounding out the Class of 2010 is first baseman/pitcher Rebecca Hembarsky (Aliso Viejo, Calif./Sage Hill). The five-year varsity starter was named to the First Team All-Academy League in both 2005 and 2006, while playing on the county all-star team as a senior. She was awarded Sage Hill's 2006 Female Athlete of the Year after being named the team's MVP in 2005. Hembarsky also played for the Gold California Blasters (Fall 2005) and ASD Storm (Summer 2005). During her high school career, Hembarsky collected 11 varsity letters combined in softball, basketball and volleyball.
Lafayette went 20-28 last spring and returns all but two starters for the 2007 campaign. The Leopards made the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in six seasons, earning the program's highest ever seeding at No. 2. The team finished the year tied for second in the final league standings with a 10-10 mark.
