Aggies sign Texas pitching standout
LAWTON, Okla. (Nov. 30) - Cameron University head softball coach Gladys Crawford has announced the addition of Gonzales (Texas) High School standout Bethany Stefinsky to the Aggie program. Stefinsky has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her playing career with the Aggies beginning in the fall of 2005.
"Bethany will come in and make a difference immediately," Crawford said. "She is a dominating pitcher with great control of her pitches. She works very hard and know what it takes to win ballgames."
A 5-8 right-hander who has played a variety of positions during her career at GHS, Stefinsky helped the Lady Apaches to a regional quarterfinal appearance in 2004, after capturing both bi-district and area championships. She has a 43-17 career mound record with 53 complete games and a 1.19 earned run average at Gonzales High. In just under 378 innings pitched, Stefinsky has racked up an impressive 563 strikeouts in her prep career, averaging nearly 1.5 punchouts per inning.
Stefinsky is also a member of the successful Austin Storm ASA club program, playing for the Storm's U18 Red team that is coached, in part, by 2003 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and 2004 Olympic gold-medalist pitcher Cat Osterman.
"Bethany's strikeout numbers show just how dominating she can be and I feel she will continue to be dominating at the collegiate level," Crawford said. "She has also received instruction from one of the game's greatest pitchers, so I know winning in embedded in her personality."
Stefinsky was named the 2002 District 29-3A Most Valuable Player and Newcomer of the Year, earning the first of two consecutive first team all-district honors. She is also a two-time academic all-district selection.
Hampered by injuries and using a lineup that included three freshmen infielders, Cameron finished the 2004 campaign with a record of 9-34. The effort was 13 wins shy of the team's 22-20-2 record in 2003, which produced the Aggies' first-ever berth in the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament.
