11/13/2026 6:13:00 PM | Softball
KENT - Kent State Softball Head Coach Jexx Varner has announced his first singing class at the helm of the Golden Flashes. Kent State's additions include Jessica Conner, Lillian Kamensh, Cali Leichliter, Sophia Lopez, Paige Visser and Sasha Walker. They have signed Grant-In Aid agreements and will join the program for the 2027-28 school year. The six additions come to Kent State from Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
"We are incredibly excited to introduce our first group of signees to the long tradition of Kent State softball.", said coach Varner. "This class has a tremendous combination of athleticism, versatility, competitiveness, and character. We believe they embody the GOLDEN Standard foundation that we are building at Kent State. We believe this group has the ability to make a tremendous impact on our program, and we cannot wait to get them on campus and begin this journey together!"
Jessica Conner, OF/1B (North Ridgeville, Ohio, Elyria Catholic HS)
Coach Varner on Conner
"Jess is a highly decorated, powerful, and dynamic athlete who has the ability to make an immediate impact at multiple positions on the field. Her raw offensive power will add another dimension to our lineup and give us an exciting presence in the middle of the order. She is also the type of high-quality teammate and person every coach hopes to add to their program. We are excited to welcome her to campus next fall."
High School Accolades
- 3x First Team All-Conference
- 3x First Team All-County
- 3x First Team All-District: 2024, 2025, 2026
- 2x Second Team All-Ohio: 2024, 2025
- First Team All-Ohio: 2026
- NFCA All-Region First Team: 2024, 2025, 2026
- Third Team NFCA All-American: 2024, 2025
- First Team NFCA All-American: 2026
- Morning Journal Player of the Year: 2024, 2025, 2026
- Great Lakes Conference Player of the Year: 2024
- North Coast Conference Player of Year: 2025, 2026
- Lorain County Player of the Year: 2025, 2026
- Northeast District Player of the Year: 2026
Notable Stats
- Career Batting Avg.: .598
- Hits :171
- RBIs: 156
- HRs: 22
- Stolen Bases: 58-of-59
- Chances: 128
- PO: 122
- Assists: 4
Lillian Kamenash, C/UTL (Rootstown, Ohio, Bio-Med Science Academy)
Coach Varner on Kamenash
"Lillian's passion and enthusiasm for Kent State are unmatched. She will provide quality depth behind the plate and brings the work ethic and softball IQ to continue improving and reaching her full potential. We are looking forward to the impact she will make on our program, both on the field and off. She is a tremendous addition to our culture."
High School Accolades
- Freshman Year: All-P.T.C. Second Team, All-Northeast Ohio Honorable Mention,
- Sophomore Year: All-P.T.C. First Team, All-Northeast District First Team
- Junior Year: All-CVC League First Team catcher
- Academic award for high-school softball from the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association (maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher)
- Sense of Community Attribute Award
- Effective Communication Attribute Award
- Community service/Girl Scouts: Bronze award and Silver Award
Notable Stats
- HS Spring 2026: Batting Avg. .419 / OBP .500
- Finesse Summer 2026: Batting Avg. .397 / OBP .480
- Finesse Fall 2026: Batting Avg. .455 / OBP .576
Cali Leichliter, IF (Vanderbilt, Pa., Connellsville Area HS)
Coach Varner on Kamenash
"Cali is a long, rangy infielder with a strong arm and the ability to play both shortstop and a corner position at a high level. She brings a big-time bat with plus power and has showcased her offensive firepower against some of the best competition in the country. We are extremely excited to add Cali to our program and look forward to helping her maximize her potential and see just how high she can take her game at Kent State."
High School Accolades
- Player Of the Year
- 3x First Team
- 4x All-County
- Team Captain
- Highest Batting Average
- Player of the Week
- Four-year Student Council member
- Highest Honors
Notable Stats
- Career Batting Avg.: .606
- Career Home Runs: 25
- Career RBIs: 81
- Career Double Plays: 18
- Career Hits: 102
- Set a career record of 11 homeruns in one season
Sophia Lopez, OF (Galloway, Ohio, Hilliard Bradley HS)
Coach Varner on Lopez
"Sophia is a highly successful three-sport athlete who is just beginning to scratch the surface of her softball potential. She is a long, athletic outfielder with excellent range, great speed, plus arm strength. She is also a high-level hitter whose offensive ceiling will continue to rise as she develops and harnesses her elite athleticism. Sophia is a wonderful teammate and high-energy competitor who will make an immediate impact on our program."
High School Accolades
- 2024 Softball: Special Mention All-OCC
- 2025 Softball: Honorable Mention All-OCC
- 2026 Softball: Second Team All-OCC, Honorable Mention All-District
- 2025 Volleyball: Second Team All-OCC
- 2026 Volleyball: First Team All-OCC, First Team All-District
- 2024-2025 Basketball: Second Team All-OCC
- 2025-2026 Basketball: Special Mention All-OCC
- Three years varsity softball, varsity volleyball, varsity basketball
Notable Stats
- Batting Avg: .430
- Career OBP: .450
- Career Hits: 116
- Career HR: 6
- Career Stolen bases: 35
Paige Visser, P (Hudsonville, Mich., Hudsonville HS)
Coach Varner on Visser
"Paige is a high-level pitcher who has competed against some of the best teams and hitters in the country. She does an excellent job moving the ball, generating ground-ball contact, and competing in the circle. We are really excited to add her to our pitching staff and bring together a group of pitchers whose strengths complement one another as we build a championship caliber staff."
High School Accolades
- National Champion PGF
- Two-Year Team Captain
- State Finalist
- All-District
- All-Region
- GPA: 4.04
- Honor roll
- Life blood donor
- Student Section Leader (Flock)
Notable Stats
- ERA: 1.47 (Summer)
- WHIP: 1.95 (Summer)
- Four Saves (Summer)
- Tossed a three-pitch inning
Sasha Walker, P (Berkley, Mich., Bishop Foley Catholic HS)
Coach Varner on Walker
"Sasha is a powerful addition to our program. Her strength and raw power will allow her to make an impact on both sides of the ball. She is another fierce competitor with championship level experience. In the circle she brings velocity and good movement, with plenty of room to continue developing. She will also add another powerful presence to our lineup with her ability to drive the ball."
High School Accolades
- 2024: All-League, All-District, All-Region
- 2025: All-Catholic, All-District, All-Region, All-State Honorable Mention, MLB Nike RBI World Series MVP
- 2026: All-Catholic, All-District, All-Region, All-State D3 First Team
Notable Stats
- 500+ career strikeouts by her junior year
- 350+ travel ball strikeouts (2024-2025)
- 180+ career RBIs for travel team
- 25 Homeruns
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