SAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University Softball Head Coach, Erin Kinberger added six players to the Lions' 2020 roster. The Lions saw three players sign National Letters of Intent and will join the Green and Gold as freshmen while three transfers join the squad.
 
Kinberger brought in three transfers to the roster, in Butler Community College teammates Meghan Gutierrez (Wichita, Kan. / Bishop Carroll) and Makensey Pankers (Omaha, Neb. / Omaha Central) along with North Idaho College transfer Madi Mott (Gladstone, Ore. / Gladstone).
 
Gutierrez and Pankers join the Green and Gold after two years with Butler roster where this past year the duo helped lead the Grizzlies to a 43-8 record and a trip to the NJCAA DI Softball Championship. Gutierrez put together a .375/.490/.467 slash line with 15 RBI, 43 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 46 games played. The outfielder recorded 63 putouts with five assists and just two errors all season for a .971 fielding percentage.
 
Pankers, a junior catcher/infielder, played in 44 games with a .384/.480/.632 slash line with six homeruns, 26 RBI and 38 runs scored. In the field, she tallied 178 putouts with eight assists and just one error for a .995 fielding percentage.  
 
Mott comes to the Lions as a junior pitcher from North Idaho College where she put together a two-year record of 54-3 in the circle as a two-time NFCA All-American and the NFCA Player of the Year. Mott put together a 25-2 record in 2019 with a 1.61 ERA and 240 strikeouts. Not only is she a threat on defense, the offensive juggernaut hit .508 on the year with 27 homeruns and 74 RBI.
 
Saint Leo sees three freshmen come to campus in 2019 with Taylor McCray (Hurricane, W. Va. / Hurricane High School), Grace Sobieski (Saint Charles, Ill. / Saint Charles North) and Kayla Betts (Leesburg, Fla. / Eustis High School).
 
In high school, McCray was a three-time All-State Selection while leading her team to three AAA State Championships. This past season she put together a .515-batting average with a .939-slugging percentage where on March 29, 2019 she hit for the cycle.
 
Sobieski plays six defensive positions where she turned in a .990 fielding-percentage in her senior year of softball. She was a Select 30 All-American and was a member of her high school's 2015 World Series Championships as well as taking third at the 2016 Myrtle Beach Nationals.
 
Betts joins the Lions after a career at Eustis High School. This past season she pitched in 59 innings with 92 strikeouts and just six earned runs for a season ERA of 0.71 and 1.61 strikeouts per inning. She was awarded the Presidential Academic honor twice in her career.
 
Head Coach Erin Kinberger adds these six faces to the 17 returning players from the 2018-19 roster. The six new players will be on the field for the Green and Gold for the first time on Oct. 5 against Indian River State College at 1 p.m. at University Softball Stadium donning the numbers of 2 (Gutierrez), 7 (Pankers), 11 (McCray), 19 (Mott), 22 (Sobieski), and 25 (Betts).  
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo softball team be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.