Lincoln -
A
pair of talented recruits from Southern California signed national letters of
intent to join the Nebraska softball program for the 2013-14 season, Head Coach
Rhonda Revelle announced on Thursday, Nov. 15.
The newest
Huskers are Marjani Knighten, an infielder from Buena Park, Calif., and Austen
Urness, a catcher/outfielder from Lake Elsinore, Calif. Both players are
members of the Corona Angels travel team and are among eight members of that
organization to sign with a Big Ten, Big 12 or Pac-12 school this fall.
Knighten and Urness will join former Corona Angels Tatum and Taylor Edwards,
Emily Lockman and Dawna Tyson on next year's Nebraska roster.
Revelle is
excited to add both players to the program.
"The duo is
athletic, powerful, passionate about the game and they know how to win,"
Revelle said. "MJ and Austen are outstanding additions to our Nebraska team,
and it feels great to make them 'official' Huskers today."
2012 Nebraska Softball
Signing Class
- Marjani
Knighten, INF, Buena Park, Calif. (Sunny Hills HS/Corona Angels)
- Austen
Urness, C/OF, Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Lakeside HS/Corona Angels)
Marjani
Knighten, INF, Buena Park, Calif. (Sunny Hills HS/Corona Angels)
One
of the top recruits in Southern California, Marjani Knighten has been a star
infielder for Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, Calif. Named one of Orange
County's top 25 players, Knighten is a three-time all-league selection, a
two-time all-county honoree, and she has been named the Lancers' player of the
year in each of the last two seasons.
Heading into
her senior season this spring, Knighten owns a .446 (116-for-260) career
batting average with 18 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs, 51 RBIs and 81 runs
scored. She also boasts a .781 career slugging percentage.
As a junior
last spring, Knighten batted .512 (44-for-86) with nine doubles, three triples,
11 home runs, 22 RBIs and 31 runs scored for a Sunny Hills team that finished
15-10. She led the Lancers in nearly every offensive category, including
slugging percentage (1.070) and on-base percentage (.553). She went 5-for-5
with three home runs, one double and four RBIs in a 16-1 victory over Fullerton
on May 8, earning her a nod as the weekly ESPN HS/Cal-Hi Sports Softball State
Stat Star. Following her junior season, Knighten was chosen as the best player
in the Freeway League by the Orange County Register, in addition to earning
first-team All-CIF Southern Section honors and second-team All-Orange County
honors. She was a first-team all-league selection and Sunny Hills' player of
the year, in addition to being recognized as one of Orange County's 25 best
players.
In her
sophomore season, Knighten hit a team-best .494 (43-for-87) with four doubles,
two triples, three home runs, 15 RBIs and 29 runs scored. She also posted
team-best totals of a .690 slugging percentage and a .531 on-base percentage.
For her efforts, Knighten was a third-team All-Orange County selection, and she
repeated as a first-team all-league pick. Knighten was also chosen as Sunny
Hills' player of the year.
Knighten
burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2010, when she was named a top softball
underclassmen and one of the 10 best freshmen by the Orange County Register.
Sunny Hills' rookie of the year and a first-team all-league selection, Knighten
batted .333 (29-for-87) with team-high totals of five doubles, five home runs,
one triple, 21 runs scored and a .586 slugging percentage. She also ranked
second on the team with a .389 on-base percentage and was third with 14 RBIs.
In club
ball, Knighten has enjoyed an outstanding career for the Corona Angels. The
sixth Angel to sign with Nebraska over the past five years, Knighten also
attended the same high school as former Husker Julie Brechtel, who played at
Nebraska from 2008 to 2011. Knighten won a 12-and-under national championship
with the Angels in 2008, while finishing second at the 2010 14-and-under ASA
National Championship. Individually, Knighten earned a prestigious invite and attended
the OnDeck National Elite Futures Camp in both 2009 and 2010.
Coach
Revelle on Marjani: "MJ
is a pure athlete who is strong, fast and has a great competitive motor and
instincts. We cannot wait to get her on the field and in the uniform and watch
her work her talent. We were excited the day MJ called to say she wanted to
come to Nebraska, and we are even more thrilled today to announce to Husker
Nation that MJ is a Husker that you will want to keep your eyes on."
Austen
Urness, C/OF, Lake Elsinore, Calif. (Lakeside HS/Corona Angels)
Urness
has been a standout player for Lakeside High School in Lake Elsinore, Calif.,
in each of her first three seasons. She is a three-time, first-team all-league
selection and has twice earned a spot on the All-CIF Southern Section first
team.
Through her
first three seasons, Urness has put up impressive numbers. She enters her
senior season with a career .441 batting average (104-for-236), 27 doubles, six
triples, 21 home runs, 88 RBIs and 75 runs scored. Urness owns an .873 career slugging
percentage, and she boasts a career on-base percentage near .500.
As a junior
last spring, Urness helped Lakeside to a 15-10 record. She batted .437
(31-for-71) on the year with seven doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 25
RBIs and 22 runs scored. Urness tied for the team lead in triples and ranked
second in slugging percentage (.887), home runs, hits and RBIs. She added 11
walks against only three strikeouts while posting a .518 on-base percentage.
Following her junior season, Urness was named a first-team all-valley and
all-league selection for the third straight year, while earning All-Inland
Valley honorable-mention honors from the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Lakeside
finished 19-7 and won its second straight Sunbelt League championship during
Urness' sophomore campaign in 2011. She helped the Lancers to the title by
hitting .443 (35-for-79) with nine doubles, nine home runs, one triple, 32 RBIs
and 27 runs scored. Her nine home runs accounted for half of Lakeside's team
total (18), helping her post a team-leading .924 slugging percentage. Urness
repeated as a first-team All-CIF Southern Section honoree in 2011, while also
earning repeat accolades as a first-team all-valley and all-league selection.
She was tabbed as the Sunbelt League MVP and was Lakeside's team MVP and the
school's sophomore female athlete of the year. Urness also earned her second
straight all-area honorable-mention honor as a sophomore.
As a
freshman in 2010, Urness helped lead the Lancers to a 23-3 record, including a
perfect 15-0 Sunbelt League record. Despite her freshman status, Urness batted
.442 (38-for-86) with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 31 RBIs and 26
runs scored. She led Lakeside in hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs and runs
scored, while also posting a team-best .814 slugging percentage. For her
efforts, Urness was a first-team All-CIF Southern Section selection, in
addition to earning first-team all-league and all-valley honors. She was also
named Lakeside High School's Freshman Female Athlete of the Year, while earning
all-area honorable-mention accolades.
In club
ball, Urness has enjoyed an outstanding career for the Corona Angels. The sixth
Angel to sign with Nebraska over the past five years, Urness has finished in
the top three in four national championship tournaments during her career. She
posted a third-place finish at the 2007 12-and-under ASA National Championship,
then moved up to finish third at the 14-and-under championship the following
season. The Angels finished second at the 2008 14-and-under championship in
2009 and were second at the 2010 16-and-under Premier Girls Fastpitch National
Championship.
Coach
Revelle on Austen: "Austen
is an explosive athlete who hits for power and average. Austin is also a leader
who has a positive impact on her teammates, both physically and emotionally.
Austen has thought about being a Husker for a very long time as her parents
lived in Nebraska for a few years when she was younger, so we think it is a
natural and perfect fir for Austen to join the Husker family and don the
scarlet and cream."
