DETROIT (5/21/2020) -- The University of Detroit Mercy softball team is gearing up for next season as the Titans have signed four players for the 2021 season in Maddy Heilner, Keira Morrow, Alexis Murphy and Kendall Vogt. 

"We are very pleased with this class," said head coach Marc Gillis. "We added some flexibility and speed, which is always good. We also added depth in two particularly important areas in softball in pitching and catching that will help add to a good core we already have in place."

Maddy Heilner * IF/OF * Howell, Mich. * Howell

• Earned four varsity letters in softball
• Tabbed All-Region and All-District in 2018
• A career .382 hitter with an on-base percentage of .467 with 115 career hits
• Helped her team to a runner-up finish at the state championship in 2019, semifinals appearance in 2018 and three district and regional championships
• Played club with Turnin2 and helped that program to numerous tournament wins and top 10 at the Junior Olympic Cup twice

Coach Gillis on Heilner: "Maddy is a tough competitor and brings a great deal of speed to our team. She was well-coached in high school and played on competitive teams during the season and in the summer and her skill set will help this team."

Keira Morrow * C/OF * Waterloo, Ont. * Kitchener Waterloo Collegiate

• Enrolled at Le Moyne College last year as a freshman but did not play
• Earned letters in softball, hockey, field hockey and badminton in high school 
• Captain of the softball and hockey team as a junior and senior and was selected the MVP in softball in her last two years
• Hit .565 as a senior with six home runs and 32 doubles totaling a .590 on-base percentage and a 1.477 OPS
• Played club with the Oakville Angels U19 Tier I and helped the team win four tournaments and finish runner-up in Ontario in 2019 
• Received the All-Star catcher award at Canadian U19 nationals in 2018 and 2019

Coach Gillis on Morrow: "Keira has played at a national level in Canada and has caught some of the country's best pitchers. She has been named to multiple national tournament all-star teams at the catcher position and has excelled under pressure providing some timely hits, and she hits with power too."

Alexis Murphy * P * Red Hook, NY * Red Hook

• Earned letters in softball, cross country and volleyball
• Claimed the Red Hook Central Athletic Award six times between all of her sports
• Selected First Team All-Conference and All-County in 2018 and 2019 and second team on both squads in 2017
• As a junior, she posted 87 strikeouts with just 11 walks in 54 innings on the mound and hit .510 with 10 doubles, two triples and 16 runs scored 
• Played club with Dutchess Debs Elite and V2 Pro Vipers, helping Dutchess to the top ranking in the state and a 77-7 record between 2018-2019 seasons

Coach Gillis on Murphy: "Alexis spins the ball very well. We think she has a tremendous upside and we are thrilled to add her to our staff and we believe she will fit in very well."

Kendall Vogt * IF/OF * Plainfield, Ill. * Plainfield South

• A varsity letterwinner in softball and basketball
• Hit .369 with 18 RBI and 16 runs scored in 2019
• Played club with Nationals Fast Pitch Gold

Coach Gillis on Vogt: "Kendall is another player who has been in programs that are well-coached and understands the game. She has played good schedules and has had success in pressure situations and will also bring speed and competitiveness to our program."