ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T softball coach Bryan Howard has announced the addition of eight student-athletes to play for the Miners during the 2024 season.

This year's recruiting class includes three infielders, three utility players, a catcher and a pitcher as the Miners look to retool the roster after Howard's first season at the helm.  The additions for the 2024 campaign include the following:

Sydney Anderson, a first baseman-catcher from North Polk High School in Elkhart, Iowa: Anderson is transferring to Missouri S&T from Indian Hills Community College, where she earned numerous honors during her two seasons at the school.  She was an NJCAA All-America selection in both seasons while playing at the school, while also earning All-Region XI and regional offensive player of the year laurels.  During the 2023 season, Anderson batted .343 with 19 home runs and 72 runs batted in while compiling a .783 slugging percentage, as she had 33 of her 57 hits for extra bases.  As a freshman, she batted .478 with 31 home runs and 88 RBI and posted a 1.098 slugging percentage.  A four-sport athlete at the high school level, Anderson also earned all-academic honors after the 2022 and 2023 seasons.  Indian Hills went 93-20 over the last two seasons and played in the NJCAA Division I World Series in 2022.

Skye Brooksher, a shortstop from Gore High School in Gore, Okla.: Brooksher spent the 2023 season at Connors State College, where he batted .318 with 27 hits and 19 runs scored.  In her freshman season in 2022, she hit .350 with 64 hits, 20 runs batted in, 37 runs scored and 10 stolen bases during the 2022 season when Howard served as that team's head coach. 

Natalie Cuadras, a pitcher from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif.: Cuedras was selected for the President's Award for outstanding academic excellence at her school and earned three scholar-athlete awards.  On the field, she averaged 4.4 strikeouts per seven innings at the high school level.

Keira Jones, an outfielder/first baseman from Richmond Hill High School in Richmond Hill, Ga.: Jones is transferring to S&T from Southeastern University in Florida, where she played in 27 games during her freshman season.  Jones had 13 at-bats during the 2023 season and stole one base. 

Ty Neal, a shortstop from Kremlin-Hillsdale High School in Kremlin, Okla.: Neal was named to the Northwest Oklahoma all-region first team following the 2022 fall season to close out a career where she was a two-time conference player of the year and four-time selection as offensive player of the year.  She batted .556 with a .645 on-base percentage during the 2022 season, with 55 hits, 16 doubles, five home runs and 46 runs batted, while striking out just twice all season.  Her 59 runs scored led all of Oklahoma Class B, while her batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all ranked in the top 10.

Lula Sassano, a catcher from St. Theresa Catholic High School in Decatur, Ill.: Sassano is also transferring to the Miner program as she played for one season at Notre Dame College in Ohio.  She played in two games during her freshman season, but had a high school career in which she earned second-team all-county honors following the 2022 season.  She was a Golden Glove winner and Rookie of the Year on her high school team, for whom she batted .452 during her senior year with 10 runs batted in.

Mackenzie Shields, a utility player from Platte County High School in Kansas City, Mo.: Shields, who also played for the Nebraska Gold 816 club team, was a first-team all-state selection during her high school career and also earned all-region, all-district and all-conference honors in each of her last two seasons.  She was part of two teams that finished third at the Missouri State Championships, as she recorded a batting average of .419 with 31 runs batted in and 24 runs scored.  As a junior, when she was named to the all-state team, she hit .474 with a .538 on-base percentage that included six home runs and 34 runs batted in.  Shields also pitched for Platte County, recording 37 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings over the past two seasons.

Isabella Welton, a utility player from Fort Zumwalt West High School in O'Fallon, Mo.: Welton played as both an infielder and outfielder at the high school level, where she earned second-team all-district and all-conference honors during her prep career.  She batted .391 during the 2022 fall campaign with 27 hits, 14 runs scored and six stolen bases while driving in six runs.