By Zach Gewelb
Fresh off a record-breaking campaign, the St. John’s softball program has added four names to its roster for the 2018 season,
Head coach Amy Kvilhaug and the Johnnies announced the signings of Meisha Murray, Peyton Cody, Anna Freveletti and Kaitlyn Lologo to National Letters of Intent during early signing period.
“We have a talented group of 2018s committed to play for St. John’s next year,” said Kvilhaug, who helped guide the program to 17 Big East wins. “They are passionate and proud about joining the Red Storm, which has made the recruiting process very enjoyable with these student-athletes.”
While none of the four incoming players are local, each helps bring more depth to an already strong team.
Murray, Cody and Lologo hail from California, while Freveletti will be coming from Illinois.
Murray’s versatility was a big draw for St. John’s. She has experience playing second base, short stop and center field and is an adequate defender. She also brings a big bat with her. Murray finished her junior year with a .343 batting average, a .412 on-base percentage, 61 hits, 62 runs and 25 RBI.
“We have known about Meisha for some time,” Kvilhaug said. “Our associate head coach, Bob Guerriero, came across a video a few years back. When we saw it we were absolutely determined that we needed her speed for our 2018 class, so we zeroed in on Meisha. I was able to see her play over the summer and she certainly did not disappoint. Defensively she just has a nose for the ball. She’s a slap for power. Meisha can play the middle infield and has some outfield experience as well.”
While Murray’s versatility attracted St. John’s, Cody’s play behind plate drew the attention of the Red Storm staff. Cody, who also has outfield experience, earned freshman of the year honors back in 2015. While she offers another option behind the plate for St. John’s, Kvilhaug noted she may see time in the outfield as well.
“We are fired up about Peyton coming on board to step into the huge role of making an immediate impact on our catching staff,” she said. “We are also fortunate that she can fill in the outfield as well. Peyton brings a big bat, great ability behind the plate, a strong desire to be the best, and a super winning attitude. She has played in an organization that is no stranger to winning championships, and she is looking to bring that experience to Queens and our softball program.”
Lologo’s primary position in high school was second base, where she shined in the field, taking home defensive player of the year honors following the 2016-17 season. But she’s no slouch at the dish either. Lologo posted a .406 average seven triples, six doubles and 12 stolen bases in her sophomore season.
“We first saw Kaitlyn at a tournament in Southern California, where she caught Coach G’s eye,” Kvilhaug said. “We hosted her at a clinic later in the year and after her performances, it was a no-brainer that we wanted her to play for us. … Kaitlyn is a fantastic second baseman who can likely play several other positions as well. She will add speed to our lineup, which we feel is a key ingredient to winning games at this level.”
Freveletti has experience playing outfield and third base and will be bringing a strong bat to Queens. She posted a .445 batting average and 1.025 OPS in her high school career. Freveletti received All Area Honorable Mention and was selected to the Scout.com’s National Team Selection.
“Anna will provide us with speed, power, versatility and the desire to play for championships,” Kvilhaug said. “She is such an unselfish athlete, who we will look to mainly in the outfield although she can play the infield if need be. … She has such an athletic ability and I do believe she is going to continue to grow leaps and bounds. I think Anna has a very high ceiling to develop into a key contributor at this level.”
Ultimately, Kvilhaug is thrilled with the new additions to the program and believes the each member of the foursome will prove to be valuable assets for St. John’s moving forward.
“All of our signees fit in wonderfully with the theme of our program which is versatility and unselfishness,” Kvilhaug said. “They all have the ability to play multiple positions very well. It allows us to have flexibility to move athletes around in order to put the best nine in the lineup at all time. … Our program, staff and players are all very excited about their addition to our softball family.”
The Red Storm will begin the 2018 season in February.
Reach reporter Zach Gewelb by e-mail at zgewe
