SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State softball picked up some big additions at key positions with the addition of five newcomers that signed letters of intent with the Spartans on Wednesday as part of the SJSU 2021 signing class. Head Coach Tammy Lohmann made the announcement.
"We are excited to announce the signing of 5 new members of the Spartan Softball Family," Lohmann said. "Ashley, Ashley, Aubrie, Anessa and Taylor each have promising futures here and we are eager to see what they can accomplish in the Spartan uniform. Overall, they bring in a great mix of pitching, power, speed, athleticism and versatility to our lineup. Each one of them plays for a high-caliber travel ball organization and continue to evaluate their game through their training and competition. We have been impressed with their willingness to handle the challenges thrown at them during this pandemic. These young ladies are very eager to compete as Spartans next season."
All five signees are from the state of California and bring impressive accolades and championship-level experience with them to the South Bay. The class includes three utility players, one catcher and one infielder.
Aneesa Almaguer – Catcher, Fowler High School
A two-time first team all-league performer at Fowler High in Fowler, Calif., Almaguer is a standout catcher for the Redcats. During her freshman and sophomore seasons, she was selected to the West Sequoia League first team twice, was named the team's MVP as a freshman and earned the team's Defensive Player of the Year Award as a sophomore. She played club ball for the Central California Dirt Dogs, and helped the gold squad finish third in the 2019 PGF Platinum.
Ashley Goard – Utility, Pleasant Grove High School
Goard is a four-year letter winner on the diamond playing multiple positions at Pleasant Grove High School in Elk Grove, Calif. The 5-foot-7 left-hander has rotated from pitching to playing first base and also spent time in the outfield. As a freshman, she helped lead the team to the 2018 CIF San Joaquin Division Section Championship and as a sophomore, she picked up all-league honors. In the 2020 COVID-shortened season, Goard batted .462 at the plate and was 4-0 in the circle with a 1.01 ERA. She plays her club ball for the LTG Lions, whom she has been with since 2013.
Ashley Legler – Utility/Pitcher, University City High School
A product of University City High School in San Diego, Legler is a two-sport star earning four letters in softball and three in cross country. On the diamond, she has racked up 168 career strikeouts in 195 innings of work. In her shortened junior season, she was 3-0 in the circle with a 2.06 ERA. Offensively, she holds a .265 clip at the plate. Legler plays club ball for the Firecrackers Brashear 18U.
Taylor Squires – Infielder, Los Alamitos High School
Squires is a three-time varsity letter winner at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, Calif. The second baseman has won three consecutive National Fastpitch Coaches Association Academic Awards for her work in the classroom, and in 2020 she helped her squad on the field to a No. 1 ranking in the nation. She plays club ball for SoCal Athletics where she has dominated at the plate, first hitting .435 in 2019-20 and following with a .478 clip in the 2020 fall season.
Aubrie Thomas – Utility, Valley Christian High School
Making the decision to stay home in San Jose to play for her parents' alma mater, Thomas has been one of the top players in the South Bay during her time at Valley Christian. In two full seasons of varsity ball, she has picked up numerous accolades for her work both on the field and in the classroom. As a freshman, she was a first team All-West Catholic Athletic League selection and an honorable mention all-section pick. She finished the year with a .329 batting average and .961 fielding percentage en route to being named the Valley Christian High Female Athlete of the Year. Thomas followed up with an even more impressive sophomore season that saw her earn second team all-state honors after tallying a whopping .528 batting clip and 18 stolen bases. She was also named to both the all-section and all-league first teams. For her hard work in the classroom, she was named a VCHS Scholar Athlete both seasons. Thomas has played club ball for the San Jose Sting since she was 11 years old. Aubrie is set to become the third San Jose State student-athlete in her immediate family with both of her parents being former Spartans. Her father, Shawn Thomas, was a three-year star defensive back for the SJSU football team while her mother, Sarah (Coughlin) Thomas, was a catcher for the Spartan softball program.