Jen Schellenberg
Jen Schellenberg is all smiles after signing her national letter of intent to play softball at UCCS. Schellenberg is one of four players who will join the Mountain Lions for the 2011 season.

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs softball coach Scott Peterson announced his 2010 recruiting class on Monday. Joining the Mountain Lions will be Jessica Belstering (Ironwood HS, Glendale Ariz.), Jen Schellenberg (Chaparral HS, Scottsdale Ariz.), Rheana Trujillo (Canon City HS, Canon City, Colo.) and Sara Lafrinere (Evergreen HS, Evergreen, Colo.).

"This is a good class with a good mix of power and speed," said Peterson. "Belstering and Trujillo should both become big-time power hitters, while (Schellenberg) and Lafrinere are very fast. Schellenberg might be the fastest player on the team.

"They're all also very good students, which is important at UCCS."

Belstering is a 5-foot-11 pitcher/first baseman that is expected to have a huge impact immediately. As a junior in 2009 (in Arizona softball is a spring sport), she struck out 274 in 208 innings pitched and was named Class 5A Division II Desert West First-Team All-Region. With a season left to play, she has struck out 666 batters in her career. She also hit .521 as a sophomore for the Eagles.

In club ball, her team won both the Arizona State championship and the prestigious Colorado Sparkler tournament before going on the take fifth at the 2008 ASA Nationals 16U while playing for the Arizona Storm. She now plays for the Arizona Hot Shots.

"She's an extremely powerful pitcher," said Peterson, who said Belstering's fastball clocks in the mid-60s. "She'll be one of the harder throwers in the RMAC. In this conference and at this altitude, she should also develop into a kid who could hit 20 home runs."

Schellenberg is a speedy slap hitter with plenty of gap power to keep defenses from cheating in too far. As a junior in 2009, she was named all-city and all-region and was Chaparral High School's offensive MVP. She hit .439 with a .509 on base percentage and was 28-for-29 on stolen bases. She also showed great promise defensively as a shortstop.

Schellenberg was a teammate of Belstering's on the powerful Arizona Storm club team that took fifth nationally. She still plays for the Storm.

Trujillo led the Colorado Styxx club team - one of Colorado's best - with 21 home runs in 2008. Her team was the 2009 Triple Crown and ASA state champions.

At Canon City High School, Trujillo hit .472 this past season with a .486 on base percentage and a .833 slugging percentage.

Lafrinere, a catcher and second baseman at Evergreen High School, was second in the Jeffco 4A League with a .561 batting average and also stole nine bases in 12 attempts. She was named first-team all-conference once and second team twice.

By adding a difference-making pitcher, two power hitters and two speed players, Peterson likes what the 2010 class will bring to hit retuning nucleus. He's also pleased with the character of the newcomers.

"Not only are they all outstanding ballplayers," he said, "they are great students from tremendous, supportive families.



To see a photo gallery of the 2010 recruiting class, Click Here.