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Creston’s all-state shortstop will play for a state champion coach in a promising new program. And she’ll be reunited with a high school teammate in the process.
Senior Katlin Briley signed a letter-of-intent Wednesday with Des Moines Area Community College to play softball at the Boone-based school. A freshman on DMACC’s newest athletic team is first baseman Shelby Kramer, a senior on last year’s 32-6 Creston team.
Softball becomes a part of DMACC’s athletic program this school year. To head the program, DMACC hired long-time central Iowa high school coach Bob Ligouri, who was in Creston Wednesday for Briley’s official signing.
Ligouri coached five years at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic High School and the past 10 years at Des Moines East, where his team captured the 2011 state 4A championship. His teams have compiled a record of 603-132. Ligouri said he will finish his tenure at East next summer, after DMACC’s spring season, with seven returning players from the 2011 title team.
“Bob’s experience in softball is immense,” said Creston coach Mike McCabe. “You know it will be a good program. Just look at their schedule! They’re playing the Big Four schools in the state (Iowa, Iowa State, Drake, UNI). He obviously has some connections in the Des Moines area with kids, and with the college people, too. That’s going to bode well for Katlin in a couple years, I would think.”
Briley said there were several factors that swayed her selection.
“It’s close to home,” she said. “It’s a good softball team and I really liked the coaches.”
Briley, who carries a 3.5 grade point average at CHS, plans to major in a nursing-related field.
Ligouri said Briley fits the criteria for everything his staff is looking for in building a competitive program.
“We look for three things in our players,” Ligouri said. “First of all we like them to be good athletes. But Katlin is also a great student, and really gets involved in her community. So, everything is just a perfect fit on our end.”
Ligouri told a story Wednesday about his first encounter with Briley, which was accidental, of sorts.
“We originally saw Katlin play when we were at a tournament and we were watching another player on another field,” Ligouri said. “We saw a (Creston) player get a hit, steal second and steal third. We said, ‘who is that?’ We went over between fields so we could watch them both, and the very next inning there was a ball hit up the middle that was like a sure hit. All of a sudden we see this big cloud of dirt and she throws the girl out. So, we stopped watching the other game and went over there.
“We probably scared Katlin after the game,” Ligouri continued, “because we stood right by the gate and called to her. She didn’t know us at all. We said, ‘we’re really interested in you.’ Then we went back to a game and we told Shelby Kramer, another of our recruits, that we really liked their shortstop, too. We really have a lot of respect for coach McCabe and the job that he does here.”
Ligouri said this year’s roster includes 14 Iowa all-staters. The team includes freshman pitcher-outfielder Mari Silliman of Winterset and pitcher-second baseman Kylie Perkins of Shenandoah.
Briley is already a three-time all-state player, named to the first team the past two years along with pitcher Madison Frain of the Panthers, who signed earlier with University of South Dakota. Last year Briley batted .432 with 35 steals in 37 attempts, 42 runs scored and only seven strikeouts in 132 at-bats.
Ligouri is hopeful the Bears will be a top contender in the ICCAC Division II race from the very start next spring.
“We went up to Iowa State after four days of fall practice, with 18 new players, and we were tied 1-1 with them after six innings,” Ligouri said. “We have some wonderful players, and Katlin will be a special one for us. This is a happy day for DMACC!”