“Our 2015 signing class can really be described in one word, ‘powerful,” Rodolph said. “These are all powerful student-athletes with tremendous drive and coachability. They have some big shoes to fill, but I believe they are excited and ready for the challenge.”
Maynez is an all-star catcher who led the Hawks to a 23-7 overall record in 2014 that included a 12-0 district record. She hit .582 with 10 home runs, 30 RBIs and 23 stolen bases last season as a junior while playing for her father, Alex, who is the head coach at Centennial. Maynez also played varsity softball as a sophomore, finishing with a .564 batting average, three home runs, 40 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.
“Alexis is an athletic, tenacious catcher who has a great upside as a Division-I player,” Rodolph said. “We are always thrilled to work with our top local talent and Alexis is definitely one of the best.”
Another New Mexico signing by Rodolph is Castro who hails from Albuquerque and plays shortstop for the Volcano Vista Hawks. As a freshman, she was a member of the 2012 team that won a state record 31 games and won a state championship.
Castro finished her sophomore campaign with a .423 batting average, five home runs, 24 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Last season she hit .454 with six home runs, 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. Castro has been selected as an all-district shortstop during the last two seasons. She also plays club ball with the New Mexico Sundancers.
“Victoria is fast and powerful, she has versatility and tremendous range,” Rodolph said. “We are always happy to sign in-state talent. Victoria's athleticism, coach ability and work ethic are first rate. We expect her to come in work herself right into the lineup.”
Power hitter Olague, from Southern California, has been playing high-level varsity softball since her freshman year in high school. She played for Rancho Alamitos in Garden Grove as a freshman in 2012, helping her team to a co-championship season while batting .440 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs. She was honored with the Rookie of the Year award and named to the All-League first team.
Olague transferred to Marina High School in Huntington Beach before her sophomore season to play in one of the toughest leagues in Southern California. She made an immediate impact at her new school, helping the Vikings to a 25-4 record and a Sunset League Championship after finishing with a .380 batting average, three home runs and 25 RBIs. She received the Best Offensive Player award and was named to the All-Sunset League first team.
Last season Olague led Marina to a 23-7 record and another league championship. She hit .330 with five home runs and 34 RBIs and was once again named to the All-Sunset League first team and was also part of the All-Orange County second team.
“Emili has remarkable power in her swing. We believe she has the potential to be one of the best power hitters to swing for the Aggies,” Rodolph said. “She was highly recruited and chose NM State because of her family roots in New Mexico. We are very happy she chose our Aggie softball family.”
Another Southern California product is Horton who plays for San Clemente High School in San Clemente, Calif. She has manned the middle infield for the Tritons since her freshman year.
Her batting average as a freshman was in the top three of the team as she was a second team all-league member, an honor she also held as a sophomore after taking over the starting shortstop duties and hitting .375, the second-highest average on the team, with two home runs and five RBIs.
Last season as a junior, Horton hit .493 with eight home runs and 15 RBIs. She ended the season with the highest overall batting average on the Triton team and was awarded the “Hot Stick Award” while making the all-league first team for the first time in her career.
“Kelsey is a 6-foot infielder who swings a very big bat,” Rodolph said. “She has great tools and has really worked at polishing them over the last couple of years. She definitely swings with a ton of power but also has mature approaches at the plate. We are proud to call her an Aggie.”
Yet a third So-Cal product is Johnson, who is an infielder for Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, Calif. She also has three years of varsity softball experience. Last season as the team captain she finished with a .471 batting average, a .500 slugging percentage, .700 on-base percentage, one home run, four triples and 20 RBIs en route to winning all-league first team and player of the year awards.
“Kennedy has a big power stroke and will have a chance to impact our lineup right away,” Rodolph said. “She is a long ball threat every time she steps up to the plate and we look forward to seeing her compete for the Crimson and White.”
Green, meanwhile, hails from Vail, Ariz., where she plays for Cienega High School. She has been a power both at the plate and in the pitching circle for the Bobcats since her freshman year in 2012 when she was the Defensive MVP, which she won again as a sophomore, and was a all-division and all-section second team member.
Last season as a junior, Green went 22-4 in the circle, finishing with a 2.20 ERA, three shutouts, and 151 strikeouts while allowing only two home runs all season. On the offensive side, she hit five home runs, more than twice of what she allowed, while also hitting .375 with 24 RBIs. At the end of the season she was named a first team all-district and all-section player while also being named the 2014 Cienega MVP.
“Kayla is a hard throwing right-handed pitcher,” Rodolph said. “She has tremendous potential and every time we see her pitch she shows more glimpses of her tremendous upside. I look forward to working with her next year.”
The six signees will head to NM State and start playing for the Aggies next fall.