California Standout Signs With Maple Leafs For 2010-11
December 2, 2009
Christine Stubblefield
GOSHEN, Ind. – Following his first season at the helm of the Goshen College softball program, head coach Lee Mast knows what it will take to take his Maple Leafs to the next level.
After bringing in the largest and most talented class in program history this summer, Mast waited little time adding his first 2010-11 recruit as California standout Christine Stubblefield recently signed a national letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at Goshen College.
Primarily a corner infielder, Stubblefield is versatile enough to play any position on the field. She will graduate from Ruben S. Ayala High School in Chino Hills (Calif.) in the spring before heading to Indiana to help Mast and the Maple Leafs reach the next level.
“Christine has great footwork and is a very strong defensive player,” Mast explained. “She has great mechanics and will be a huge addition to our team. I have no doubt that she will make an immediate impact and will be a strong leader on this team in the years to come.”
Southern California is a hotbed for softball talent and Stubblefield has played for the highly competitive California Rage for the past two years. In the year-round program that has produced players for programs across the country like the University of Nebraska and the University of Hawaii, Stubblefield recently posted an impressive .380 batting average.
Stubblefield’s Ayala High School teams have also had tremendous success, winning Sierra League Championships in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She was an all league honorable mention pick following her sophomore season in which the Bulldogs went 21-11.
A standout off the field as well, Stubblefield has maintained a grade point average of over 3.8 throughout high school. She plans to study American Sign Language (ASL) at Goshen with the hope of becoming an interpreter. Stubblefield has served in several leadership roles in her high school ASL club, including being vice president this past year.
While Stubblefield will not join the Maple Leafs until the 2010-11 season, this year’s version of the team is just months away from the start of their season. They will begin with a trip south for a Spring Break Tournament in Clermont (Fla.) on February 19-28.
