RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech head coach
Josh Taylor announced the addition of four student-athletes to the Lady Techster softball program as Mattison Buster (Como-Pickton HS/Sulphur Springs Texas), Allie Furr (Cedar Creek HS/Ruston, La.), Karolyn Glover (Edward C. Reed HS/Reno, Nev.) and Karli Sellers (West Monroe HS/West Monroe, La.) all signed national letters of intent.
"My staff and I couldn't be more excited about the 2023 signing class," Taylor said. "This class blends well with each other and adds some important pieces to our roster. We found speed, power and pitching, three essential steps in the right direction as we continue to build our roster for the future."
Buster was a standout in the circle at Como-Pickton High School in Texas, where she earned all-district honors all three years in addition to being a two-time Texas Coaches Association All-State selection. The right-handed pitcher was named district MVP in 2022 and was selected as an honorable mention national player of the week by Extra Innings Softball twice. Buster played travel ball for Texas Glory.
"We are excited to welcome Mattison to the LA Tech Softball family," Taylor said. "Mattison is a strong pitcher who provides our program with a presence in the circle. She can command the zone on both sides of the plate and is expected to have an immediate impact. We are excited to get Mattison on campus and feel she is a fantastic fit for our program."
As a junior, Buster struck out 358 of her 744 batters in 182.1 innings of work. At the plate, she batted .603 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI, registering an on-base percentage of .714 and a 1.425 slugging percentage. Buster also earned all-district laurels in basketball, track and field and volleyball.
"Louisiana Tech truly felt like home to me," said Buster. "When I met the coaches, toured the campus, and saw the amazing facilities, I knew Tech was the right move."
Furr has started the last four seasons at Cedar Creek High School, earning first-team all-state honors as a sophomore and senior while being named all-district honors three times. The outfielder was named First-Team All-Northeast Louisiana as a sophomore and junior while garnering First-Team All-Shreveport Times honors in 2022.
"We are excited to welcome Allie to the LA Tech Softball family," Taylor said. "Allie brings a combination of speed and gap-to-gap pop to the LA Tech lineup. She is a dynamic outfielder who can cover a lot of ground in addition to being a dual threat at the plate, making her hard to defend. We are excited to welcome her to LA Tech."
Furr set both the single-season hits record (59) and single-season batting average record (.615) while posting a .658 on-base percentage, 9.69 slugging percentage, a 1.679 on-base plus slugging percentage and stealing 23 bases last season at Cedar Creek. She holds a career batting average of .336 with 178 hits, 70 runs batted and 79 stolen bases.
"I chose LA Tech because I loved everything about the team, coaches, and program after my first camp with the coaching staff," said Furr. "I knew it was the right fit and where I wanted to be for the next four years."
Glover comes to Ruston from Reno, Nevada, where she prepped at Edward C. Reed High School. Glover is primarily a catcher but has also spent time playing third base. She was named first-team all-region and Nevada Sports Network All-North team as a senior.
"We are excited to welcome Karolyn to the LA Tech Softball family," Taylor said. Karolyn is an athlete that can play multiple positions. She is a primary catcher but has an unbelievable amount of athleticism, which opens up a list of possibilities for her to get into the line–up. She has an explosive bat with pop to all fields. Her presence will no doubt have an immediate impact on our program. My staff and I couldn't be more excited to welcome her to Ruston and LA Tech."
Glover batted .348 with 24 hits, including 14 extra-base hits last season at Reed. In addition to softball, she also participated in skiing and basketball for the Raiders.
"The main reason that I have chosen LA Tech is the way it makes me feel at home," said Glover. "From the coaching staff and the girls and the amount of support I'll be getting from the school and community, I feel like I will be well taken care of and that is what I am most thankful for."
Sellers comes to LA Tech from West Monroe High School, where she helped lead the Rebels to a 5A runner-up finish in 2022. As a result of her efforts, Sellers collected all-state, all-district and All-Northeast Louisiana laurels in addition to being named to the NFCA all-district team.
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Karli to the LA Tech Softball family," Taylor said. "Karli is a strong outfielder that brings a competitive edge to our program. She is a polished outfielder who brings a powerful bat to the lineup. She already competes at a high level and we expect big things from Karli when she arrives on campus. My staff and I could not be more excited to welcome her to Ruston and LA Tech."
Sellers tallied 45 hits and struck out just three times while posting a .417 batting average, a .472 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .602 in 2022.
"I've always wanted to play close to home so my friends and family could continue to watch me play," said Sellers. "Once I met the coaching staff and visited the amazing facilities, I knew Louisiana Tech was where I was meant to be."
Season tickets for the 2023 season are on sale now. To purchase season tickets, fans can call 318-257-3631 or go to LATechSports.com/tickets
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
