NEBRASKA SIGNS TALENTED DUO FOR 2016
The Nebraska softball team will add a pair of talented freshmen to its roster next
season. Head Coach Rhonda Revelle announced on Nov. 13, 2014, that Bri Cassidy and
Alyvia Simmons signed National Letters of Intent to join the Huskers for the 2016 season.
Cassidy is a catcher from San Bernadino, Calif., while Simmons is an outfielder from
Overland Park, Kan.
“This year’s class may be small in number, but both players bring big strengths to our
program,” Revelle said. “Both are already fully Huskers, and we look for them to step on
campus and hit the ground running. They are not only gifted on the softball field, but in the
classroom as well, and Husker Nation will love them.”
NEBRASKA’S 2016 FRESHMAN CLASS
Player
Bri Cassidy
Alyvia Simmons
bri
Pos.
C
OF
Hometown (High School/Club)
San Bernadino, Calif. (Cajon/Corona Angels)
Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley Northwest/Nebraska Gold)
alyvia
CASSIDY
SIMMONS
A returning high school All-American, Bri Cassidy will enter her senior season at Cajon
High School in 2015 as one of the nation’s top catchers. As a junior in 2014, Cassidy was
one of two catchers named to the 2014 NFCA High School All-America first team. At
Nebraska, Cassidy will look to become the latest in a long line of successful catchers. The
Huskers have produced an all-conference catcher in five of the past six seasons, including
two-time All-American Taylor Edwards, the 2014 NFCA Division I Catcher of the Year.
Entering her senior season at Cajon in 2015, Cassidy has put up impressive statistics.
She owns a .431 career batting average (85-for-197) with 23 doubles, five triples, 10
homers and 69 RBIs. Cassidy also boasts a .751 slugging percentage and a .536 onbase percentage. Defensively, Cassidy has allowed only five stolen bases in 21 attempts
through her first three seasons.
As a junior in 2014, Cassidy hit .556 (35-for-63) with eight doubles, three triples and
six homers. She slugged six of Cajon’s nine home runs as a team, helping her produce 25
RBIs. In addition to leading the Cowboys in home runs, Cassidy led her team in triples, runs
scored (25), walks (15), on-base percentage (.646) and slugging percentage (1.063). She hit
safely in 18 of Cajon’s 23 games, producing nine multi-hit efforts, including a trio of 4-for4 performances. Cassidy was outstanding in back-to-back games against Redlands East
Valley, going 8-for-8 with a double, two homers and four RBIs. Her next two games came
against Eisenhower, and Cassidy was 4-for-8 with a pair of homers and three RBIs. During
her 12-for-16 stretch, Cassidy recorded back-to-back multi-homer games. In addition to her
nine multi-hit games, Cassidy totaled four games where she drew multiple walks, helping
her reach base safely in every plate appearance six times on the season. Cassidy also
stole 12 bases in 13 attempts as a junior, while committing only one error defensively and
throwing out all eight base runners who attempted to steal against her.
Cassidy also excelled as a sophomore in 2013, batting .407 (24-for-59) with six
doubles, one triple and three home runs. She posted a .532 on-base percentage with
a .750 slugging percentage while adding 18 RBIs, 13 walks and 10 runs scored. Cassidy
produced eight multi-hit efforts on the season to go along with five games with multiple
RBIs. She enjoyed an outstanding performance against Redlands, going 2-for-4 with two
home runs and five RBIs. Defensively, Cassidy committed two errors on the season to post
a .986 fielding percentage. She also threw out six of eight would-be base stealers.
Cassidy also contributed as a freshman in 2012, when Cajon finished with a 22-51 record. She produced a .347 batting average (26-for-75) as a freshman with nine
doubles, one triple and one home run. Cassidy added 26 RBIs, while posting a .419 onbase percentage and a .533 slugging percentage. She produced seven RBIs in her first
two career games and had 10 RBIs after only four games. Cassidy totaled six multi-hit
games and seven contests with multiple RBIs, including a 4-for-4 performance with three
doubles and four RBIs against Golden Valley. Defensively, Cassidy threw out a pair of base
stealers, while allowing only three stolen bases.
A native of San Bernadino, Calif., Cassidy plays her club ball for the Corona Angels,
coached by Marty Tyson, the father of Husker junior Dawna Tyson. Previously, Cassidy
played for the Firecrackers.
A talented athlete, Alyvia Simmons will be a senior at Blue Valley Northwest High
School in Overland Park, Kan., this spring. Despite her senior status, Simmons will be
playing just her second season of high school softball in 2015.
Simmons missed her freshman season because her family moved to Nebraska in
January after the Nebraska high school softball season was complete. Simmons then
starred at Millard West High School as a sophomore before her family moved back to
Kansas. Last spring, Simmons chose to play with her club team, Nebraska Gold, instead
of playing for Blue Valley Northwest. Due to Nebraska playing its high school season in
the fall, the Gold played an extensive spring schedule and Simmons chose to play with
the Gold, which included current Husker freshmen Kaylan Jablonski, Gina Metzler and
Madison Unzicker.
In her lone prep season as a sophomore at Millard West, Simmons earned first-team
Super State accolades from the Lincoln Journal Star after hitting .471 with 13 doubles,
four homers and 25 RBIs. She was not only outstanding at the plate but also in the field,
as she did not commit an error. Simmons was one of only three underclassmen to earn a
spot on the Super State first team, and she was joined on the team by Metzler, Unzicker
and Husker sophomore Kat Woolman. Simmons was also named a first-team Class A
all-state selection.
Before she begins her senior softball season, Simmons will travel to Irvine, Calif., in
January, when she will participate in tryouts for the USA Junior National Team.
Simmons has also been a productive player on the club level with the Nebraska Gold.
With the Gold, she hit 14 home runs in a single summer season, while slugging .720.
Simmons helped Nebraska Gold qualify for the 2013 Premier Girls Fastpitch national
championship, where the team fi