 SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The College of the Canyons softball team had three players - outfielders Whitney Bruce and Melissa Herndon, and pitcher Ashley Imperial - sign letters of intent with Division I and Division II universities.
COC head softball coach John Wissmath said he was proud of his players’ accomplishments.
“This is a testament of the COC softball program and the will of the three ladies. Whitney, Melissa and Ashley worked hard for two years, and I am sure that they are prepared to compete at the next level,” Wissmath said.
Herndon leaves COC as one of the most decorated players ever to play for Wissmath. She will head to the University of Albany in New York.
Herndon was a two-time All-Conference outfielder, 2010 Western State Conference Player of the Year, First-Team All-State and an All-American in her sophomore season. The West Ranch High School graduate had a .446 batting average with 62 hits in 41 games and registered 13 doubles, four triples and five home runs.
Saugus High alum Imperial will take her talents to Kentucky, where she will join the softball team at Morehead State University. The two-time WSC Pitcher of the Year finished the 2010 campaign with a 2.55 ERA and an 18-7 record. She pitched 147.2 innings, giving up 132 hits and 70 runs (54 earned). She also threw six shutouts and 18 complete games.
Bruce will travel to Division II New York Institute of Technology. The Saugus grad was the Cougars’ second-best hitter behind Herndon, with a .397 batting average. She made 131 plate appearances and collected 52 hits, including eight doubles, six triples and three home runs.
College of the Canyons finished the season in first place in the Western State Conference, Blue Division, with a 28-13 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play. The Cougars lost to Grossmont College of El Cajon in the opening round of the regional playoffs.
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