FDLTCC Softball Announces Signings

Feb 2, 2012

Wes Vork-NSO

National signing day arrived earlier this week and announcements of players who have committed to various college institutions also started cropping up and the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College women’s softball team is no exception. The Thunder announced that two key players from local high schools will attend school next fall to play for FDLTCC.

First to commit this year to the Thunder was standout Cloquet third baseman Shania Paulson who has been a key cornerstone for the Lumberjacks over the past three seasons.

“Shania is an incredible defensive player,” said Thunder coach Kerry Rodd. “She has great hands, a very good arm and is a tireless worker who always brings a smile to practice.”

Rodd has coached Paulson at youth levels in the summer for a number of years and knows just how lucky he is to get such a player.

“Shania is a player that will immediately take our defense to the next level,” Rodd suggested. “She has played in state tournaments, national tournaments and last summer she played at the elite level with the Minnesota X-Plosion were we traveled and played the best of the best. She needs to get more consistency with her hitting, but she is so good we know she’ll make those adjustments.”

The second player to commit for the Thunder is Proctor pitcher Steph Torgeson, another player who Rodd has known for many years.

“I have coached against Steph since she was very young and she is always a tireless worker who gives everything she has on the field,” mentioned Rodd. “Her dad has coached her and they’ve done a great job at making her a very good player.”

Torgeson also holds a badge of honor, because last season her summer team took a one-run win over the X-Plosion in a league game in Duluth.

“She just keeps plugging away and is a player that never asks for anything except the ball,” expressed Rodd. “I saw her give Hermantown a tough game in the sectionals last spring and had the team made a couple more plays behind her they may have pulled out a huge upset, but I was impressed about her tenacious, competitive attitude.”

The two are the first of what should be a large recruiting class again for Rodd and the Thunder.

“We just want to get out and find players who love the game of softball,” Rodd said. “With those two coming in that is a great start, but by no means are we done bringing in talent.”

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com