LSSU inks two pitchers during early signing period

SAULT STE. MARIE – Lake Superior State second-year head softball coach Lori Shimasaki announced that pitchers Jade Stein of Standish, Mich., and Alyssa Boucher of Canton, Mich., committed to LSSU during the early signing period.

Stein earned All-North East Michigan Conference and Division 2 all-district honors while batting .471 and totaling 227 strikeouts for Standish-Sterling High School last season. She also pitched for the MBS Jets 16U team, which won ASA and USSSA state titles last summer.

Boucher was 19-3 with a 2.25 earned run average, 63 strikeouts and 16 walks for Canton High School in 2011. She batted .357 and earned All-Western Lakes Activities Association honors as a pitcher. Canton beat North Farmington 11-1 in the 2011 Division 1 regional finals and fell to eventual state champion Mattawan 12-0 in the quarterfinals. Last summer, Boucher batted .487 and posted a 2.42 ERA while playing for the Queen of Diamonds based in Milan.

“I am very pleased to sign Jade for next year,” Shimasaki said. “She has the potential to come out strong and do great things alongside our returning pitching staff. Alyssa is a wonderful all-around athlete. She can pitch, play the field and hit for power. I watched her perform in Colorado, and she will be an asset to our squad. Both pitchers throw hard and have great movement on the mound.”