The Oregon softball team signed five recruits to its program for the 2006 season.
Sari Jenkins of Salem, Elise Orange of Galveston, Texas, Melissa Rice of Spokane, Wash., Jennifer Salling of Port Coquitlam, B.C., and Courtney Shlee of Phoenix, Ariz., have all signed letters of intent to play for Oregon.
“This is a very athletic class that fills the needs we have,” Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen said. “We are very proud of how physical and athletic they are, but also about the type of young women we have joining the program.”
Jenkins was a second team all-state honoree at South Salem High School in 2004 and was also a first-team
all-league basketball player.
Orange is a 6-foot-4 pitcher who earned second-team all-district honors in 2004 at Ball High School.
“Elise has great size and strength, but she also has a very competitive nature,” Arendsen said.
Rice is a pitcher and a first baseman who was a first-team all-state pitcher while guiding Colville High School in Spokane to a league championship.
Salling, a shortstop, turned down an invitation to play with the Canadian junior national squad at 15. She currently plays for the PoCo Ravens in British Columbia.
Shlee is an infielder who, according to Arendsen, can play anywhere on the field. She was a 2004 all-state honorable mention at Sunrise Mountain High School where her team won the 5A state championship.

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