Eastern softball coach Kim Schuette announced the signings of three players set to join the team for the 2017-18 season. Joining the Panthers next year will be junior transfer Breya Cooper and high school seniors Megan Burton and Morgan LaMore.

“I’m excited. I wish they could come now,” Schuette said. “But I like our team now, and I think that they’ll be great additions to the three seniors that we’re losing.”

Cooper hit .494 in her first season at Rend Lake Community College with 17 home runs. She had the highest batting average in the district.

“She’s a left-handed power hitter, which we needed in the lineup and very excited about her experience coming in,” Schuette said.

Cooper saw split time in the outfield and at first base for the Warriors at Rend Lake in her first year of college softball.

She was also a member of the NJCAA All-Region 24 team.

Burton, in her junior season at Danville High School, hit .424 and drove in 14 runs. Burton can play any position on the field, Schuette said. She is a three-sport athlete in softball, basketball and volleyball.

LaMore is a catcher out of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School and has been the starting catcher her previous three years. She is also on the volleyball team. LaMore was named to the SWSC All-Conference Team last year.

This is Schuette’s first season as the Panther’s head coach after replacing Angie Nicholson who resigned suddenly. Schuette previously coached the Eastern softball team from 2006-13.

“When I got the job here I knew what they had lost because I knew those seniors that they had last year,” Schuette said.

After the team went through the fall season, Schuette and the rest of the team decided what holes needed to be filled to make them stronger in certain areas.

“Recruiting is a crazy beast,” Schuette said. “People who know you will call and say ‘coach you need to go see this kid; she fell through the cracks, you need to go see her.’ And I got those phone calls from lots of different people about the same kid.”

Schuette said she is most excited about how athletic each of the three new signees are, especially with Burton and LaMore. She added that Cooper is athletic as well, but the power she brings to the plate is her biggest asset. 

Sean Hastings can be reached at  581-2812 or [email protected]