UNIVERSITY CENTER, MICH. – The Saginaw Valley State University softball team announced the signing of five transfer student-athletes to the 2025 roster. Jenna Morse from Lansing Community College, Olivia Elliott from Wallace Community College, Kenzie Bromley from Kent State, Macy Irelan from Kent State, and Lillia Sherman from Northwood University will join the four Cardinal freshmen from the 2024 recruiting class.
"Overall, we hit a grand slam with this group. They are all a bit different and can immediately help us at several positions after losing such a talented group of seniors last year," said SVSU Head Softball Coach Ryan Schalk. "When you add that to what our returners have done and the four freshmen we are bringing in, we hope this gets us to the next step we all want to take as a program.
Morse finished her debut collegiate season with the Lansing Community College Stars where she played infield and catcher. The Bay City, Michigan, native led the Stars with an impressive .504 batting average, 75 runs, 91 hits, 19 doubles, 15 home runs, and 82 RBI in her freshman season. Morse was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference Player of the Year and an NJCAA All-America honor for work.
"Jenna is a tremendously athletic player who can play just about anywhere on the field while hitting for average, power, and a ton of speed on the bases," said Schalk.
Elliott was the ace pitcher and power hitter for the Wallace Community College Governors. She made 23 appearances and had 10 starts in the circle to compile a 9-7 record with two saves. Elliott pitched 91.1 innings and struck out 67 hitters for a 5.14 K/7 mark for the season. At the plate, she completed 2024 with the second-most hits on the team with 66 while leading the Governors with 21 home runs and 63 RBI. She was named the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Division II Softball Player of the Year.
Bromley finished her freshman season as a member of NCAA Division I Kent State. She made 33 appearances along with 23 starts for the Golden Flashes. The Petoskey, Michigan, native recorded 14 hits that included one double and two home runs and had a batting average of .259. She totaled 13 runs scored, nine RBI, and five stolen bases. Bromley had three games with multiple hits and RBI.
"Kenzie is a player that I've known about from back in her 14U days," stated Schalk. "She's extremely athletic, has great arm strength, feet, and hands defensively. Offensively, she is just one of the competitors. You know you're going to get her best every time she's out there.
Irelan also joins the Cardinals from Kent State. She appeared in 28 games in the circle with 17 starts. She recorded a 7-7 record with two saves while leading the team with a 2.56 ERA and tying for the most with 102 strikeouts in 115.0 innings pitched. The Owosso, Michigan, product recorded six complete games that included back-to-back shutouts in March. Through her two seasons with the Golden Flashes, she compiled 19 wins, 11 complete games, five saves, 203 strikeouts, and a 3.64 ERA. Irelan was the 2021-22 MLive Player of the Year and the Miss Softball for the state of Michigan.
"Macy is a pitcher that when you get the chance at, you can't miss. Her accomplishments speak for themselves, with 1100 plus strikeouts in high school, to several pitcher of the week awards at the D1 level, to Miss Softball. The one thing I was most impressed with her on her visit was her maturity and the ability to have a conversation with our staff that you don't get out of a lot of college student-athletes," lauded Schalk.
Sherman played in 10 games for the Northwood Timberwolves in the 2024 season. She had three hits, a run scored, and an RBI with a .333 batting average. She led Millington High School to a state championship in 2022 and was a two-time All-State selection during her high school career.
"Lillia comes to us locally after deciding she was changing her major," said Schalk. "As most freshmen do, she saw limited time last year, but is another left-handed bat with some power potential. Just as important, her personality will fit right in with our team.
With these five additions, the Cardinals have eight newcomers ready for the 2025 Spring season as the team looks to win a fourth-straight GLIAC Tournament championship and earn an outright regular season title after holding a share of the 2024 crown.