In her first full offseason as  Eastern softball coach, Angie Nicholson signed four players to the Panthers’ 2016 roster.

Now in her second season with Eastern, Nicholson announced the signing of Jennifer Ames, Kayla Bear, Ashley Brown and Mady Poulter on Wednesday.

“Overall this is a very strong and athletic class,” Nicholson said in a press release.

Ames, Brown and Poulter are all infielders, while Bear has been signed as an outfielder. The current construction for the 2015 roster has three definite infielders, while there are eight players that can play the infield and another position.

The three new infielders will add depth, as senior Baily O’Dell is the lone starting infielder returning from last season. In the upcoming 2015 season, Nicholson will look to add new names to her lineup, as the second-year coach has seven freshmen on the team to go along with a transfer.

Out of the four new signees announced by Nicholson, Ames and Poulter come from Illinois, while Brown and Bear will arrive from neighboring states Missouri and Indiana, respectively.

Ames competed both in softball and volleyball at Joliet Township High School. She earned four letters in softball and was named as a Chicago Tribune Top-100 Player, Second Team All-Illinois Coaches Association, plus All-Star, All-Area and All-Conference honors.

The future Panther said she loved Eastern’s campus, the softball coaches and players.

“Plus I like EIU’s low student-teacher ratio and the coaches’ willingness to support their players with their education,” Ames said.

Nicholson said Ames would bring a lot of speed and energy to Eastern, which in Nicholson’s first season finished with 72 stolen bases – the second best total in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Ames has the chance to play anywhere in the Panthers’ infield.

“Jennifer is another player who has not reached her full potential yet,” Nicholson said. “With her great work ethic and overall athletic ability she has the potential to develop into a great softball player, as she is a very athletic infielder who can play just about anywhere.”

Out of St. Joseph-Ogden High School, Poulter earned four letters in softball and basketball. She was named to several honors including, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove, First Team All-Conference and First-Team All-Area. Poulter was also named a Third Team All-State award winner.

The infielder from Saint Joseph, was part of a third-place team at state during her freshman campaign, while also earning three straight regional titles. Nicholson said Poulter is an intelligent player.

“Mady’s a local athlete, who flat out knows how to play the game,” Nicholson said. “She’s also a competitor and team player, so I am excited to see her arrive and push the other infielders. She is a leader by example both on and off the field and I am anxious to see how she influences this team.”

The second-year coach also ventured east, to Indianapolis to sign Bear out of Ben Davis High School.

Bear earned four letters in softball and more in cross country and volleyball during her high school career. Twice, Bear earned All-MIC Conference and All-Marion County honors. She said Eastern is a good fit for her.

“When I visited Eastern, it just felt right, plus I really like the size of the school,” Bear said.

Bear played with two travel teams, in the Indy Dreams and Indiana Shockwave Gold, which Nicholson said is a big advantage coming into college.

“Kayla was our first recruit for the 2016 class and she brings great experience with her through time as a member of her travel teams,” Nicholson said.

Bear also has the ability to play the infield.

“I love the way she plays the game, as she goes hard all of the time,” she said. “She will add speed to our lineup and is a triple threat at the plate, so I am excited to get her energy on the field.”

Brown was part of Silex High School championship team during her sophomore year in Silex, Mo. She earned varsity letters in both softball and basketball, as she nabbed numerous First Team All-State, All-Conference, All-Region, and All-District honors over multiple years in softball, as well as all-league honors in basketball.

In addition to a state title, Brown’s team advanced to district and sectional as a senior.

Brown, who plays both infield and catcher, said Eastern was perfect for her because it was similar to her hometown.

“Eastern reminded me a lot of home – a small town where everyone was friendly,” Brown said. “Plus I like that EIU is smaller than most universities, where the classes are not too big and the teachers seem to focus a lot on the students.”

Nicholson said Brown could add some muscle to the Panthers’ lineup.

“Ashley is a strong and athletic player who will bring some power to our lineup,” Nicholson said. “She has a presence on and off the field that I admire, yet still has room to develop as a player which is what excites me most about adding her to our roster.”

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or asoto2@eiu.edu.