Jeremy Strachan, Creighton University – Assistant Sports Information Director
OMAHA, Neb. -Creighton softball head coach Brent Vigness announced four new additions to the team for the 2014-15 season on Thursday, each recently signing a National Letter of Intent to play for the Bluejays.
The four prospective student athletes that signed with the Jays during the early signing period include TaShiana Coffiel-Nelson a senior from Omaha Benson High School, Hayleigh Evans a senior from Papillion-La Vista High School, Allie Webb a senior from Eureka (Mo.) High School and Michelle Trulin a sophomore transfer from Iowa Western Community College and a native of Blair, Neb.
Coffiel-Nelson played softball all four seasons at Benson under the tutelage of Bob Woodworth. In 2013 she hit .529 on the season to earn All-State Second Team Honors in Class A, claim a spot on the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska Second Team and capture All-Metro Conference Team recognition.
The senior infielder led Benson to a 19-10 record in 2013 after helping the school earn its first-ever berth in the Class A state tournament in 2012. In that tournament, Benson became the first No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in a first-round state tournament game.
After that 2012 campaign, Coffiel-Nelson attained All-State Second Team Honors in Class A and All-Metro Conference First Team laurels as a junior. She also claimed Honorable Mention honors after her first two seasons at Benson.
Coffiel-Nelson also played four years of basketball atBenson while dabbling in tennis and track for a year as well. In the classroom, she is a four-year honor roll student. The senior is on the yearbook staff this year and a two-year member of College Possible at Benson. Coffiel-Nelson has also volunteered in local community service projects.
Coffiel-Nelson is the daughter of Nita Spencer and Michael Nelson. She plans to major in business at Creighton.
Also joining the team next fall is Hayleigh Evans, a Gretna, Neb. native. Evans played three seasons of softball for Todd Peterson at Papillion-La Vista High School. Last fall the team finished as the State Class A Runner-Up a year after claiming third place in the Class A tourney in 2012, clinching district championships both years along the way.
Evans achieved All-State Honorable Mention recognition for Class A in each of her three seasons. The senior infielder also won All-Conference laurels as a sophomore.
After hitting .345 last fall Evans finished her career with a .403 career batting average. She scored 73 runs, stole 40 bases and totaled 38 RBI in her three-year career at the plate. Evans also boasts a .922 career fielding percentage as a middle infielder.
In the offseason Evans was a middle infielder for the Nebraska Gold club squad that placed No. 17 at the Premier Nationals and ranked as high as No. 14 nationally.
Evans is also accomplished in track, participating in all four seasons as a hurdler. She made the 100-low hurdle district and metro finals as a junior. Evans was the conference runner-up as a sophomore in the event after claiming a district medal as a freshman.
In the classroom, Evans is a four-year honor roll student. She was a member of the One Act state championship teams in 2010 and 2011, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and the PL Club. Evans volunteers at the LYDIA House and participated in Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
Evans is the daughter of Mike and Geni Evans. She has two older brothers, Jordan a senior at Creighton and Tanner a sophomore on Drake University’s football team. Her father was a three-year wrestler at Nebraska. Evans plans to major in political science at Creighton.
Another member of the 2014-15 signing class is Allie Webb of Eureka, Mo. Webb earned three varsity letters at Eureka High School under the direction of coach Mark Mosley. TheWildcats finished third in the Missouri Class 4A tournament last fall afterposting fourth-place finishes the previous two seasons. Eureka finished with an 80-14 record over those three seasons.
Webb claimed Class 4A Second Team All-State honors as a senior to go with All-Region and All-Conference accolades in 2013. The leadoff batter finished her high school career with a .469 batting average and a .704 slugging percentage. She connected on three home runs as part of her 46 career hits. Webb notched 26 RBI and a school-record 13 stolen bases in her three seasons on the field. In addition Webb ranks No. 2 all-time in both runs scored (40) and triples (4) for her conference.
In the offseason, Webb played for the St. Louis Worth Prospects under the tutelage of Cathy Weathered. The team finished in fifthplace at the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Nationals in each of the past two summers.
Webb also competed in track at Eureka in each of the past three seasons. She helped lead the Wildcats to a fourth-place finish in Class 4A in 2013. Webb was invited to participate in the University of Kansas Relays after helping her 4×100 meter and 4×200 meter relay teams to top-four finishes at both the conference and district meets.
She claimed Academic All-State honors in both 2013 and 2012. Webb participated in the A+ and Renaissance Programs at Eureka and volunteered with Meals on Wheels and her local St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry.
Webb is the daughter of Bill and Susan Webb. She plans to major in biology at Creighton.
Rounding out the signing class is Michelle Trulin a sophomore transfer from Iowa Western Community College and native of Blair, Neb. As afreshman, Trulin and the Reivers advanced to the 2013 NJCAA Division I National Tournament, finishing ninth nationally. Coached by Lana Ross, the Reivers picked up District J and Regional XI titles along the way.
The outfielder claimed 2013 National Fastpitch CoachesAssociation (NFCA) All-Midwest Region Second Team honors. Trulin also earned ICCAC All-Region XI First team laurels as well as Academic All-Region XI Second Team recognition last season.
As a freshman at IWCC, Trulin connected on 65 hits andposted 25 RBI. She also swiped 27 stolen bases and scored 51 runs for the Reivers.
Trulin played four seasons of softball under the direction of Jon Small at Blair High School. The Bears won three Nebraska Class B State championships in her first three seasons before finishing fourth in the state during her 2011 senior season. Blair captured district titles in all four seasons.
A Class B All-State First Team selection in each of her final three seasons, Trulin also earned All-Nebraska Second Team honors from the Omaha-World Herald in each of those campaigns. The three-time All-Eastern Midlands Conference honoree also picked up SuperState selections as a junior and senior from the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Trulin also played basketball and ran track all four years at Blair. She attained All-EMC honors in her final two basketball seasons. Trulin placed four times at the state track and field meets over her final three years including a seventh-place finish in the 4×100 meter relay as a senior. As a result, Trulin won the Rufus Olson Award as Best Female Athlete for Blair in 2012.
Off the field Trulin was a member of the B-Club at Blair and volunteered at the Micah House.
Trulin is the daughter of Scott and Barb Trulin. She has two siblings, brother Jason a baseball player at Nebraska-Kearney and sister Stacie a track and field member at Northwest Missouri State. Trulin plans to major in sports science at Creighton.
The 2014 Creighton softball team opens its season at the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., Feb. 6-8.
