EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan announced today the Wildcats incoming Class of 2022, which is ranked ninth in the nation according to FloSoftball. Seven future #B1GCats comprise the class, including three who are rated among the country's top-50 recruits.

"I'm honored to call this group 'future Wildcats,'" Drohan said. "I'll be even more excited when I get to see them every day. Each will add talent, speed, power and top-notch pitching. I most look forward to their character, competitiveness and work ethic, which will add to the championship culture within our program."

A familiar family returns to the Northwestern program with the signing of one of the top pitchers in the entire class, Danielle Williams. Sister of 2017 NU graduate Krista (Williams) Bommarito, Danielle is a three-time FloSoftball All-American and a threat in both the circle and the batter's box. Ranked as the No. 44 overall recruit in the nation, the left-hander has compiled 890 strikeouts and has never had a single-season ERA over 0.79 in her career. At the plate, she has driven in 64 in three years.

"We are excited to welcome the Williams family, again!" Drohan said. "Danielle is an elite level pitcher who has a great competitive spirit in the circle. She has the opportunity to impact every part of our game because quite simply: she knows how to win."

Ranked just behind Williams at No. 45 in the national Flo rankings is Greenwood, Indiana, native Jordyn Rudd. After hitting an astounding .667 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in just 30 games as a high school junior, Rudd earned first-team all-state honors and a second-team FloSoftball All-America nod. She powered Indiana Magic Gold to second-place results at the Boulder Independence Day Tournament and the Triple Crown Nationals.

"Jordyn has amazing talent on the softball field but more importantly, we learned very quickly in the recruiting process what a great teammate she is," Drohan said. "Jordyn has great drive in the classroom and on the field while bringing out the very best of those around her."

Two future Wildcats arrive in Evanston from the heralded Beverly Bandits organization: Skyler Shellmyer and Maeve Nelson. Shellmyer and Nelson won championships with the Bandits at the 18U PGF Nationals and 16U Boulder Independence Day Tournament, respectively.

Shellmyer possesses both power and speed, and is FloSoftball's No. 25 overall recruit in the nation in this class. Hailing from Urbandale, Iowa, she has a .517 career batting average and is a four-time all-state award winner. Shellmyer also is a track star, earning Elite all-state accolades in the 400-meter hurdles in 2016 and the 4x1 in 2015.

"I was in awe of how Skyler moved on the softball field the first time I saw her play," Drohan said. "The more we learned about Skyler, the more excited we were about her wearing purple. A great competitor, she has added a true spark to every team she has played on.

Continuing a Drohan recruiting theme of plucking power batters from Oak Park River Forest High School, Nelson has led OPRF to the last two Illinois state titles while smashing 23 home runs in those two seasons alone. Nelson's batting average is over .500 with 165 runs scored and 149 RBIs in her three prep campaigns. One of the most complete athletes in all of Illinois, Nelson has competed in volleyball, basketball and softball at OPRF.

"As the first to commit in the class, Maeve set the tone and gave us great momentum," Drohan said. "Maeve is one of the best pure athletes we have ever recruited to Northwestern with great versatility and explosiveness. Her instincts and love of the game are inspiring. "

A pair of teammates from La Jolla Country Day in San Diego, California, are heading to Evanston together: Speedster Sammy Stanley and right-handed pitcher Lauren Dvorak.

A two-sport star ranked as the 115^th best recruit in the nation by FloSoftball, Stanley is adept at getting on base with a .588 batting average, and she can move once she is there. The second-team all-state selection for softball holds the La Jolla Country Day track records in the 400m and DMR while ranking fourth in all of San Diego County in the 400m event. She also is the Coastal League Champion in both the 100m and 200m races.

"Sammy represents everything we believe in at Northwestern Softball," Drohan said. "She is a force on the field, an outstanding student and someone who wants to make a real difference in our community. We are honored she chose NU.

Standing nearly 6-feet tall, Dvorak has been a first-team all-league choice in every high school season thus far in her prep career. She averages 9.0 strikeouts per seven innings. A powerful presence at the plate, as well, Dvorak has a .474 average from the batter's box.

"Lauren is a meticulous student and competitor," Drohan said. "She has great drive along with physical talent, which could prove to be a force in the circle. Having the recipe for a true power pitcher, we are looking forward to Lauren making an impact on the Big Ten."

Local talent Lauren Caldrone of Mt. Prospect continues Northwestern's long tradition of recruiting strong student-athletes from the Illinois Chill program. Prospect High School's single-season record holder for doubles has her own long tradition with the Wildcats: both her mother and grandmother hold NU degrees.

"Lauren has a deep love of Northwestern and her work ethic is unmatched," Drohan said. "We are thrilled with Lauren's versatility and her great work she has done around the game. We can't wait for Lauren to leave her mark on our program."

Full bios for all seven future Wildcats are below in alphabetical order:

High School: All-Mid Surburban League and all-area as a sophomore and junior … Tied her school's single-season record for doubles as a sophomore … Batting average skyrocketed from .291 as a freshman to .454 as a sophomore with a .691 slugging percentage … Has played club with three different organizations, most recently with the Illinois Chill Gold beginning in 2017 … Began her club career with the Trevians from 2013-15, winning the Ari Chester Award which is given to one person each year for hard work and leadership … National Honor Society member … Honor roll member every semester of high school … Illinois State Scholar.

Personal: Born Lauren Diane Caldrone … Daughter of Bob and Mary Caldrone … Mother and grandmother both graduated from Northwestern … Anticipated course of study involves pre-health.

High School: Has earned all-league first team and all-academic team honors in all of her high school seasons … Earned a Golden Glove award in 2017 … Twice has been her league's runner-up for the Pitcher of the Year award … Led her squad to the Pacific League championship in 2015 … Has a career ERA of 2.03 while fanning 9.0 batters per seven innings … At the plate, has a .474 batting average … Has played three years of club with the Breakers Beddow organization … Honor Roll member in 2016 and High Honor Roll member in 2017.

Personal: Born Lauren Grey Marie Dvorak … Daughter of Teresa Rhoan-Dvorak and Michael Dvorak … Older sister, Rebecca, plays catcher at Lafayette College … Anticipated major is undecided.

High School: An all-state, all-conference and Chicago Tribune all-area selection in each of her high school seasons, she is ranked as a top-200 national recruit by FloSoftball … Named an All-American as a sophomore, junior and senior … First-Team FloSoftball All-American infielder in 2018 ... Career high school batting average is over .500 with 165 runs scored and 149 RBIs in three seasons … Broke the OPRF single-season home run record with 10 in 2016 before breaking it again with 13 in 2017 … Hit a two-strike, two-out, seventh-inning game-tying triple in the 2016 Illinois state title game … Team won the state title in both 2016 and 2017 while finishing third in 2015 … OPRF team was ranked third in the nation … Played eight years of club ball with the Oak Park Windmills and two years with the Beverly Bandits … Bandits won the 2017 Boulder Independence Day Tournament, were second at the 2017 PGF Shootout and finished third at the 2017 PGF Nationals … Also lettered in basketball and volleyball in high school, serving as captain of the two-time conference champion basketball squad … Class valedictorian and cum laude … Has made the dean's list and the honor roll in every semester … Won the Pascal Math Award … Illinois State Scholar.

Personal: Born Maeve Mullarkey Nelson … Daughter of Ellen and Scott Nelson … Mom played volleyball at Iowa … Sister, Allie Nelson, plays volleyball at Kansas … Father played minor league baseball … Knows how to sing opera and competitively rode horses in barrel racing … High school has produced such diverse talents as Olympic softball gold medalist Dani Tyler, rap artist and actor Ludacris, NBA guard Iman Shumpert and celebrated American novelist and journalist Ernest Hemingway … Anticipated double major in industrial engineering and economics.

High School: A FloSoftball second-team All-American in 2017 and 2018, is ranked as the No. 45 overall recruit in the nation by the organization … Hit an astounding .667 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in just 30 games as a junior at Center Grove, earning first-team all-state honors … Also named Johnson County Player of the Year, All-USA third team … first-team All-Indy area and a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist in 2017 following her junior campaign … Already her school's career home run leader after just three season and has compiled 129 RBIs in three years … Led Center Grove to two sectional titles, two regional titles and the 2015 Indiana state championship … Has played six years of club ball with the Indiana Magic Gold, leading her team to second-place results at the Boulder Independence Day Tournament and the Triple Crown Nationals … Three-time Metropolitan Interscholastic Academic All-Conference.

Personal: Born Jordyn Hope Rudd … Daughter of James and Michelle Rudd … Also competed in competitive gymnastics for eight years … Anticipated major is statistics.

High School: Infielder with both power and speed is ranked as the No. 25 overall recruit in the nation by FloSoftball … Career batting average at Urbandale High School is .519 with more than 200 runs scored and … Four-time all-state honoree including first-team honors from 2015-17 … Four-time All-Central Iowa Metropolitan League first-team choice … High school finished sixth in the state in 2015 and fourth in both 2016 and 2017 … Has 2.57 speed from home to first, and used that speed to earn four letters in track, as well … Elite all-state in the 400 meter hurdles in 2016 and the 4x1 in 2015 … Played six years of club, most recently with the Beverly Bandits … Helped Bandits Conroy to their first 18U PGF Nationals championship … Prior to the Bandits, played with the Iowa Sun Devils, twice winning the Northern National Championship with an additional runner-up performance … National Honor Society member … Honor roll all four years of high school.

Personal: Born Skyler Marie Shellmyer … Daughter of Chad and Erin Shellmyer … Anticipated major is economics.

High School: Ranked as the 115^th recruit in the entire nation … Speedster is an award-winner in both softball and track … Won second-team All-State, NFCA High School All-Region and first-team All-Coastal Conference honors in softball … Has compiled a .588 batting average in high school competition with a .627 on-base percentage and a .706 slugging percentage … La Jolla won the 2015 Pacific League championship … In track, holds the school record in the 400m and DMR while ranking fourth in all of San Diego Country in the 400m … Coastal League Champion in the 100m and 200m … Played three years of club softball with the Explosion, finishing 13^th at PGF Nationals and eighth at the 18U Boulder Independence Day Tournament … A high honor roll member from 2014-18 … Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering (BeWISE) member.

Personal: Born Samantha Shelby Stanley … Daughter of Barbara and Steve Stanley … CEO/Founder of a company with net profits benefitting women's education … Anticipated course of study involves neuroscience.

High School: A four-time FloSoftball All-American including first-team nods in 2017 and 2018, Williams is a dual threat in the circle and at the plate … A top-20 national prospect and one of the top pitchers in the class before an injury in the fall, she still is ranked 44^th in the national recruit rankings by FloSoftball and is expected to be full strength when she arrives on campus … Prep2Prep Sports 2018 North Coast Section Player of the Year and first-team All-NCS ... Led high school to the NCS Division I title in 2018, pitching 28 scoreless innings and giving up just eight hits with six walks and 58 strikeouts across four games ... Struck out 20 and was an error away from a perfect game in the NCS opener versus Mt. Eden ... Threw a four-hit shutout and smashed the game-winning home run in the title game against Foothill ... Overall as a senior, compiled a 21-4 record with 363 Ks in 178 innings pitched, while allowing just 74 hits all year ... Named the Cal Hi Sports California Freshman of the Year in 2015 … Three-time Cal Hi Sports North Coast Section Player of the Year and All-State first team … Also a three-time East Bay Athletic League MVP … The left-hander has compiled 890 strikeouts and a 68-11 record in her three years of high school competition … Has never had a single-season ERA over 0.79 in her career, including a 0.47 mark in 2017 as a junior … At the plate, she batted .519 with 20 RBIs as a first-year before hitting .415 and knocking in 20 more as a sophomore … She raised her RBI total to 24 as a junior … The versatile athlete also is a strong outfielder when not in the circle … Plays club with the Sorcerer organization … Team placed seventh at the 2016 18U PGF Nationals … Led the 16U Sorcerers to a third-place result at the 2015 Independence Day Tournament … Named a scholar-athlete in all of her high school seasons.

Personal: Born Danielle Lauren Williams … Daughter of Mike and Jenny Williams … Sister, Krista (Williams) Bommarito, was a four-year letterwinner in softball for the Wildcats from 2014-17 … Anticipated major is undeclared.

••••••

Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

NU Announces Nation's 9th-Ranked Class of 2022

••••••

Related Videos