by OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss continued building for the future with the 2015-16 recruiting class with the addition of standout Mississippi player Hailey Lunderman, head coach Mike Smith announced on Tuesday.
Lunderman (Choctaw, Mississippi) is the ninth announced member of the recruiting class, joining Kylan Becker (Miami, Florida), Megan Harris (Whitehouse, Texas), Ashton Lampton (Decatur, Mississippi), Kennedy Cline (Lumberton, Texas), Sydney McKeown (Newport Beach, California), Soraya Shahbazian (Rancho Palas Verdes, California) and Morgan Kazerooni (Kennesaw, Georgia) in the class for the 2015-16 academic year.
“Hailey is a pure athlete and will be fun to watch when she joins our program,” Smith said. “People will be excited about the talent level of an athlete like Hailey that we were able to bring to Ole Miss. She’s a quiet leader, but she’s confident, and that will allow her to be successful. Her leadership will show through her actions and what she does on a daily basis. She’s a five-tool player that any program wants playing for them.”
Lunderman comes to the Rebels from Neshoba Central High School where she has been a four-year starter for head coach Trae Embry. In her career, Lunderman has posted a .567 batting average with 201 runs scored, 80 stolen bases and posted a .621 on base percentage.
The Mississippi native is a three-time All-Division selection in softball (2011, 2013, 2014) and was named the Class 5A Mississippi Player of the Year in the 2013 season along with Miss Softball by the Clarion Ledger in the 2013 season. Lunderman is also a two-time All-State selection as she has helped lead Neshoba Central to back-to-back fastpitch state championships (2013, 2014).
Lunderman was also a selection to the inaugural Dandy Dozen team named by the Clarion Ledger in 2014.
She was selected to play in the Mississippi Association of Coaches All-Star Game for the 2013 season and was nominated for the Mississippi Pop Star award in fastpitch for the 2014 season by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
Lunderman has played travel ball with several organizations, including Velocity Gulf Coast (2009-11, 2014), the Rapid City Rebels (2012) and Team Mizuno (2013).
With Velocity Gulf Coast, Lunderman was named the Best Defensive Player at the 12U Triple Crown Tournament at Oklahoma City in 2010. She has also competed in the PGF Nationals, the ASA Nationals, the Colorado Louisville Slugger Showcase and the Team New Jersey Summer Classic.
In addition to softball, Lunderman also has played three years of varsity basketball, earning the Most Versatile Player award in 2013 and 2014, while also being named an All-District selection both years.
She is active in the community and academics as an Advanced Placement student and has been on the honor roll for the duration of her high school career. She has been nominated to attend the 2010 People to People World Leadership Forum and attended the 2009 Junior National Young Leaders Conference. She was also nominated to become a member of the 2011 People to People Ambassador Program.
Lunderman is of Native American descent. She is Mississippi Choctaw and Sicangu Lakota.
