MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University head softball coach Bailey Bouman announced today that seven high school standouts have signed letters of intent to continue their academic and softball careers at SMSU.
 
Joining the SMSU program for the 2023-24 season include Grace Anderson from Richfield, Minn., Mikayla Berge from Menomonee Falls, Wis., Jordan Bussey from Lincoln, Neb., Emma Humpal from Omaha, Neb., Ava Rud from Lonsdale, Minn., Paris Van Dyke from Luverne, Minn., and Brynn Webber from Spencer, Iowa.
 
"We are excited to have Grace, Mikayla, Jordan, Emma, Ava, Paris, and Brynn join our program." said Bouman. "All seven are exceptional student-athletes that come from good programs and will be a great fit with our team and the SMSU community."
 
Anderson, a catcher from Richfield High School, batted .414 during her junior season en route to all-conference honors. She is a five-time letter winner in softball, four-time letterwinner in basketball, and three-time letterwinner in volleyball, and earned Academic All-State honors. 
 
Berge, an outfielder at Menomonee Falls High School, earned all-conference first team and all-district honorable mention honors in 2022 after hitting .425, collecting 27 singles, three doubles, and a triple. She was fierce on the bases, scoring 25 runs and tallying 23 steals on 24 attempts. She also excels in the classroom, making honor roll every semester of her high school career, and is a member of the National Honor Society. 
 
Bussey, a pitcher at Lincoln East High School, finished her career with 478 strikeouts in 321 innings pitched. She has earned second team all-state twice, super-state second team twice, all-city first team twice, and academic all-conference twice as a four-time letterwinner. 
 
Humpal, an infielder at Marian High School, finished with a .395 average last season, knocking out 35 hits and scoring 20 runs. She has hit 16 career home runs, and has earned first team all-conference, second team all-Nebraska, second team Journal Star and Omaha World Herald all-state, and will participate in the Nebraska All-Star game in July. 
 
Rud, a catcher at New Prague High School, begins her senior season in 2023 as a three-year letter winner in both softball and weightlifting. She hit .447 with a home run and five RBI last season and has earned her program's rookie of the year and coaches award in her career. 
 
Van Dyke, a utility player at Southwest Minnesota Christian High School, is a two-time all-conference and all-section honoree. She also earned all-state honors in 2022 and was named to the all-state tournament team as well after helping lead Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian to a fourth-place finish at the Class A 2022 State Tournament. 
 
Webber, an outfielder at Sioux Central High School, has earned four softball letters, two volleyball letters, and two track letters in her career. She is a three-time all-conference second team member and has earned academic all-conference in each of those three seasons. She enters her senior season after hitting .356 with nine RBI, 15 steals, and a .963 fielding percentage as a junior. 
 
Southwest Minnesota State University, located in Marshall, is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.