FAIRFAX, Va. - With George Mason University’s softball team in the heat of preseason preparations, head coach Joe Verbanic introduced and gave insight about each of the members of his 2017 recruiting class and shared his excitement for the upcoming season.
After losing seven seniors at the end of last season, Verbanic and his assistants Megan Blank and Caitlyn De La Haba welcomed 12 new players, knowing more about some of them than about others, but have already seen a lot of positives with the season still four months away.
“With the exception of last few years, big classes have been somewhat typical for us, with a plan and purpose for all that,” said Verbanic, who will enter his 13th season in February. “We are trying to make sure that we have the depth and talent that we can get. We also have a good number of walk-ons since we hold an open tryout, because if we can find players who have the talent to help us out, we are glad to keep them on the team.”
On paper, the 2017 class includes three pitches, three infielders, two utility players and an outfielder. Two of the newcomers – Jess Curbeira and Susie Finzel – are transfers from Radford and Liberty, respectively. Of the two, only Curbeira has played Div. I softball and will be a sophomore in her first season at Mason. One of the things that the head coach has admired the most during the fall scrimmages and practice sessions is the newcomers’ versatility.
“Overall, this class, while large, is also maybe one of the most talented freshman classes we have ever had,” Verbanic said. “They are a very versatile bunch, not one-dimensional players. They can play in a lot of different places and a lot of different positions and bring a lot of athleticism.”
“That makes it hard but also fun for me because it’s good to have nice options. It is going to be a dog fight out there, in a good way.”
Madison Aker – Infielder | R/L | Paul VI High School | Vienna, Va.
Madison Aker played four years of softball in high school and was named All-Conference Shortstop for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference for her entire career at Paul VI HIgh School. As a captain of the Panthers in her senior year, Aker led the team in batting average, walks, and stolen bases for the third season in a row. In addition, her batting average of .642 and .720 on-base percentage were best in the WCAC and earned her a fourth All-Conference Shortstop honor, her second First Team All-State appearance, and a place on the Second Team All-Met.
"She’s one of our speedy, left-handed slap kids that can get on base, create havoc, and give the big boppers a chance to do their thing,” Verbanic said. “Not only do we know she can play [shortstop] and that she can play at second base, but recently she had played more and more in the outfield and she feels just as comfortable out there. She’s going to be right in the mix for playing time and starting time at a variety of positions.”
Bekah Ansbro – Pitcher | R/R | Central High School | Woodstock, Va.
It is hard to determine whether Bekah Ansbro was more successful academically or athletically at Central High School. For four years on the Falcons' varsity softball team, Ansbro achieved unprecedented success and was recognized at all levels - team, conference, state, even in the media - and that resulted in the pitcher's jersey being retired at the end of her last season at Central in the spring. After winning the Coach's Award as a freshman, Ansbro followed up with three consecutive team MVP honors. In addition, she was featured on the All-Area, All-District, All-Conference, and All-Region teams for the three seasons between 2014 and 2016. As recognition continued to pile up, Ansbro kicked it up a notch her junior and senior seasons when she was chosen as Bull Run District Player of the Year twice and earned a spot on the All-State Team twice. From media standpoint, Ansbro was selected as the Northern Virginia Daily Student Athlete of the Week at least once in each of her four seasons and was recognized as the WHSV TV Student-Athlete of the Week as a senior. Ansbro capped off a phenomenal senior season and high school career with the reception of the prestigious Angela Jenkins High School Female Student Athlete Award. The pitcher is currently among the top 10 players in the Virginia High School League history in four categories: consecutive shutouts (7th), most strikeouts (9th), average strikeouts per game (5th) and most strikeouts in a season (9th).
“Coach [Megan] Blank found Bekah, who will be a nice addition to our pitching staff,” Verbanic said. “She will be the second leg behind Marina [Vitalich], who we brought in last year and did a phenomenal job. Despite differences in style, we are looking for the same kinds of capabilities from Bekah and looking for her to get the ball a lot. We believe she can have a lot of success.”
Jess Curbeira – Catcher | L/L | Radford University | Henrico, Va.
Jess Curbeira appeared in 29 games for Radford, nine of which as a starter. Seven of those starts were at the catcher position, the first of which on April 10 against Gardner-Webb. Curbeira hit two home runs in the doubleheader against G-WU. Playing for Mills E. Godwin in high school, she earned Second Team All-District, First Team All-Conference, Most Improved Player and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
“Jess Curbeira has been a really amazing, wonderful surprise,” Verbanic said. “She works hard, plays at a high level, hits the ball really, really hard and has already driven the ball out of the park this fall. She will give us some options.”
Johana Earnhart – Catcher | R/R | Flowery Branch High School | Flowery Branch, Ga.
The Georgia native earned three varsity letters while playing as catcher for four years and as a third baseman when needed. She was an All-Region Honorable Mention in her junior year.
“Jo has some health issues that she has to take care of and that is the reason why we haven’t had the chance to see her in live action,” Verbanic revealed. “We got her cleared to swing the bat a little bit, but we are not going to rush and will wait to make sure she can do all the things before we decide how to proceed.
Erika Elias – Infielder | R/R | Loudoun Valley High School | Purcellville, Va.
With the sport playing a major part in her life ever she can remember, Erika Elias will continue her softball journey at the intercollegiate level after four very successful years at the high school stage. The two-time Loudoun Valley High School MVP (2015 and 2016) led the Vikings to the 3A Conference 28 title in 2015. Elias stood out just as much when Loudoun Valley moved to 4A Conference 21 the following season and was named conference MVP in 2016, as well as earning her third-straight First Team All-Conference honor. The universal player earned three All-Region honors as well - two of them First Team - and was a 2016 All-Met Honorable Mention. Elias averages above 1.00 RBIs and runs in her 64-game high school career and batted .463, including two team-best seasons as a freshman and as a sophomore.
“She’s been a surprise at how impressive she has been,” Verbanic said. “We liked her, we knew that she could hit and some others thing about her, but she has been more impressive than we even knew coming into the fall. She has been successful at every place that we have put her at, even at places like the outfield in which she had never played before.”
Suzie Finzel – Infielder | S/R | Liberty University | Manassas, Va.
Susie Finzel transfered from Liberty to Mason in order to accomplish her dream to compete in intercollegiate athletics after four years of varsity softball in Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, Va. During her years as a Raider, Finzel also played volleyball for two seasons and basketball for a single season. The third baseman was a Cardinal District honorable mention for two seasons. Finzel also invested two years into competitive crossfit, which paid off in April, when she triumphed at the Festivus Games.
“Suzie is a young lady who came and tried out for our team and we really liked the mentality and maturity that she brought with her and felt like it was worth giving her the opportunity,” said Verbanic, who led the Patriots to the Atlantic 10 Championship semi-finals in 2015. “We are still trying to figure out where this opportunity will come position-wise for her. She’s got the ability to do some things for us in the infield, but realistically she will better fit in the outfield.”
Madison Larsen – Pitcher | R/R | George C. Marshall High School | Vienna, Va.
Madison Larsen is one of Mason's several local 2017 recruits. The Vienna, Va. native earned four varsity letters by pitching for George C. Marshall High School. Larsen made an immediate impact on the Statesmen squad and was named team MVP as a freshman. That season, however, was relatively quiet when compared to the following three, in which she earned three All-Capital Conference Pitcher honors and as many All-Met Honorable Mention recognitions. As a junior, the pitcher featured on the First Team All-State for the first time in her career and on the First Team All-5A North Region for second-straight time. A strong senior season, which included three perfect games and one no-hitter, allowed Larsen to finish off her high school career with a second team MVP honor.
“Madison is a local girl who came in last minute and we are excited to have her,” Verbanic said. “She spins the ball well and we feel like she is a good addition as we are creating a pitching staff that will bring success to the program.”
Alyssa Lawton – Outfielder | L/R | Dover Area High School | Dover, Pa.
Alyssa Lawton played three years of varsity softball at Dover Area High School while also running varsity cross country for four years, varsity indoor track and field for three years and outdoor track and field for a single season. Lawton's success on the diamond and on the course resulted in her captaining the Eagles in her senior softball and cross country seasons. Lawton's softball accomplishments were culminated with the District 3 3A title in 2014. Two years later, as a senior, she batted a team-best .490 for a team-best .560 on-base percentage, stole team- and league-high 24 bases and committed zero fielding errors to be named on the YIAA First-Team Outfield. Lawton walked away from high school softball as a member of the 2016 Class 3A First Team All-State after two previous honorable mentions.
“She’s one of those players with dynamic legs,” Verbanic said about Lawton. “She’s a different version of a player, but we will be looking for her to do some of the same things as one of our recent graduates, Julia Czarnecki. We have been auditioning Alyssa at the top of the lineup, as a lead-off hitter, and she has been nothing but pleasing. She got on base four or five times at UVA and Towson, so she has proven capable of doing what we need our lead-off hitter to do.”
Mary-Elizabeth Luttrell – Utility | R/R | Chilhowie High School | Chilhowie, Va.
Mary-Elizabeth Luttrell came to Mason after four outstanding seasons at Chilhowie High School, after each of which the universal player earned First Team All-Mountain West Conference recognition. It was only as a freshman that Luttrell featured on the Second Team All-Region, because she was among the First Team selections in all other three seasons, including being the region's Player of the Year as a senior. That was only one of the four recognitions of this kind for Luttrell after a season in which she batted .538 for six home runs and 28 RBI, scoring 47 runs, and stealing 20 bases. The other three were her third-straight Mountain West Conference Player of the Year recognition, the 1A State Player of the Year recognition and the Hogoheegee District Player of the Year recognition. In addition, Luttrell earned three varsity letters in basketball and three letters in volleyball and won the state basketball championship with the Warriors in 2014.
“She is very athletic,” Verbanic said about his new acquisition. “She can run fast and throw well with her cannon of an arm. She’s aggressive at the plate and has shown the ability to hit the ball hard consistently. We have played her in center field a lot due to the strength in her arm, but she is another young lady who can play several different positions for us.”
Taylor Mayer – Pitcher | R/R | Sparta High School | Sparta, N.J.
Taylor Mayer played four years of softball at Sparta High School while also running cross country and cheerleading for a season each. Mayer’s success on the diamond led her to becoming the team captain as early as her freshman year until her sophomore year. A consistent name when it came to end-of-year awards and accolades, some of Mayer’s most notable accomplishments include an MVP award in 2013 and a Most Improved Player award in 2014. Mayer was a crucial part of a Spartans team that made back-to-back appearances in the North 1 Group 3 Sectional Championship, winning the competition in 2016 after a second place in 2015.
“[As a coach], you can know who your starting pitcher is, but you have to have a staff in order to succeed,” Verbanic said. “Tayler will be another piece that will give us the ability to make some decisions and do some things along the way that we wouldn’t be able to do if we didn’t have the pitching staff for that.”
Sydnee Wells – Catcher/Utility | R/R | Crescenta Valley High School | La Crescenta, Calif.
Sydnee Wells overcame a slow start of her high school career at Crescenta Valley High School and really got going in her junior and senior years, during which she earned all four of her softball honors. In 2015, as a junior, Wells was named to the Second Team All-Pacific League. Not only did the catcher make the conference's First Team the following season, when she batted .536 for 54 RBI, 10 home runs and 32 runs, but she was also named as the Pacific League Player of the Year.
“She has done nothing but impress from the moment she walked on the field and I kind of knew that was going to happen,” Verbanic said. “She could probably play every position on the field except pitch and if she really wanted to do that, she could do that, too. [In addition], she can hit. It’s not a matter of if she hits, it’s a matter of where she hits it for us.”
Miah Wilson – Catcher/Utility | R/R | Jackson High School | North Canton, Ohio
With her heart split between soccer and softball in high school, Miah Wilson earned a total of eight varsity letters at Jackson High School in North Canton and even captained the Polar Bears’ soccer team for two years. Those are also the two sports she played outside of school, combining 17 total club seasons. She was named the 2014 All-Federal League Player of the Year in soccer and earned back-to-back honorable mentions in softball. In 2015 and 2016, the catcher was named Jackson's Scholar-Athlete in 2015. Wilson batted .395 during her career at Jackson and hit two home runs. The catcher competed in the On Deck National Player Showcase and the 2015 Grand Strand Classic.
“A big part of what we do as coaches is figuring out what kind of abilities our players can provide and Miah can help us in a variety of positions: she catches, she plays both of the middle infield positions, and could probably play third base too, although we haven’t tried her in it yet,” Verbanic said. “We played her at shortstop and liked what we saw, we played her in center field and like what we saw, so she has been nothing but a pleasing surprise for us.”
