ATLANTA–The Georgia Tech softball team has signed a pair of recruits to National Letters of Intent during the 2000 early signing period. Included in the Tech class of 2005 is the 2000 Georgia Pitcher of the Year Jessica Sallinger and her Harrison High School teammate and All-Cobb County Honorable Mention selection Katie Donovan.
“We are very pleased with the two commitments that we have in the early signing period,” said Georgia Tech head coach Kate Madden. “It is especially nice to be able to recruit locally here in Georgia and to have two signees from this area. Softball in Georgia has improved greatly in recent years and recruiting in the state is certainly a goal for our program.”
Sallinger is coming off of an outstanding senior season in which she led Harrison High School to a 30-5 overall record and the Georgia 5A State Championship this fall. She made the most of her time on the mound in 2000 as she compiled a 19-2 record and did not allow an earned run during the season. Sallinger finished the year with a 0.00 earned run average, 16 shutouts, 240 strikeouts and only eight walks. During Harrison Highs run through the Elite Eight of the state tournament, she worked all 28 innings, striking out 39 of 99 batters that she faced and allowing only eight hits and walking three opposing hitters.
The 2000 season was the culmination of an outstanding prep career for Sallinger, as she finished with a record of 52-7-3 and an impressive career ERA of under 0.40. She recorded at least 15 wins in each of her three years with Harrisons varsity team. The six-foot hurler has a fastball that has been clocked at over 60 miles per hour and she regularly uses six pitches.
“We are very excited to sign the Georgia Pitcher of the Year in Jessica Sallinger,” said Madden. “Having won a state championship and playing for a successful program at Harrison, we expect her to be able to come in and make an immediate impact on our program. She is a very talented pitcher and will certainly add depth to our rotation.”
Joining Sallinger in Tech recruiting class for 2000-01 is her Harrison teammate Katie Donovan. Donovan was a two-year starter at second base while at Harrison and helped lead the team to not only the state title in 2000, but to third and second-place finishes in the state tourney during her sophomore and junior years. She served as the teams captain in 2000. Donovan also lettered for two years as a member of the schools basketball team. An honor roll student, she has a 4.038 grade point average in Harrisons honors program, and is a member of the Beta Club.
As a member of the West Cobb Fighting Irish travel team, Donovan started each of the past three seasons at second base and helped lead the team to ASA State Championships in both 1999 and 2000, along with an NSA State title in 1998. The Fighting Irish also competed in the ASA National Softball Tournament in each of the past two seasons.
“Katie, much like Jessica, will also be a great addition to our team because of the level of softball that she has played at,” said Madden. “Having played in a number of state high school tournaments and in both state and national tournaments with her travelling team will be assets for her when she joins the Tech program.”
