SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury softball head coach, Brooke Gajewski, has announced the program's 2025 signing class, which includes three junior college transfers and eight first-year freshmen.
 
Haley Bryant (OF, Shawnee, Kan., Mill Valley HS, Johnson County Community College)
Haley Bryant transfers to Drury from Johnson County Community College. The outfielder was an All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference selection and earned NJCAA Region VI Second Team All-Region. In Bryant's final season as a Cavalier, she played in 35 games, hitting .455 with a .504 on-base percentage. In her two seasons at JCCC, she recorded 16 extra-base hits and 17 walks.
 
Jordan Meng (UTL, Kirksville, Mo., Kirksville HS, John A. Logan College)
Jordan Meng joins Drury from John A. Logan College. Before joining John A. Logan, Meng played her freshman season at the NCAA Division I level at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In Meng's one season for JALC, she hit .253 in 29 games. The Kirksville native had five extra base hits last season, including her first career home run in a 21-1 win against Kaskaskia College in late March. The Vols won the Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC) title in 2025.
 
Arissa Zajac (INF, Katy, Texas, Fulshear HS, Fort Smith Community College)
Fort Smith Community College transfer, Arissa Zajac, will join the Panthers in the fall. In Zajac's final season for the Greyhounds, she had a .286 batting average in 77 at-bats. The infielder stole 15 bases over her two seasons at FSCC. In Zajac's freshman season, the Greyhounds won the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) and finished the season with a 40-19 record.
 
"We are thrilled to announce this transfer class! They will be able to round out the little pieces that we have been missing. Our goal was to find some all-around athletes, and I think we did just that," mentioned coach Gajewski about her three transfers.
 
Emma Niemczyk (OF, Oshkosh, Wis., Oshkosh North HS)
Oshkosh, Wis., native Emma Niemczyk will move south to Springfield. In Niemczyk's final season at Oshkosh North, she hit .523 with a .739 slugging percentage. She recorded 12 extra-base hits from the leadoff position for the Spartans. Over her four years as the starting center fielder, she was a four-time all-conference, two-time all-district, and two-time all-state.
 
Jacey Byler (INF, Springfield, Mo., New Covenant Academy)
Springfield local, Jacey Byler, comes to Drury from New Covenant Academy. Byler has been honored as a two-time all-conference, all-district, and all-region infielder for the Warriors. Byler holds the New Covenant Academy career home run record. During her senior season, Byler and the Warriors reached the Class 2 District 4 Final.
 
Claire Nelson (C/INF, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Assumption HS)
Claire Nelson moves to Springfield from Wisconsin Rapids and Assumption High School. At Assumption, Nelson was a four-time all-conference, two-time all-district, and one-time all-state selection. In her four seasons, Nelson hit .427 with an on-base percentage of .546. She had 109 RBIs and 41 extra-base hits. Nelson was also a multiple-time all-conference selection in basketball and volleyball for the Royals.
 
Faith Roberts (P/OF, Fenton, Mo., Rockwood Summit HS)
Rockwood Summit graduate, Faith Roberts, joins the Panthers. Roberts, a left-handed pitcher, also plays all three positions in the outfield. In the 2024 Fall season, Roberts was a first-team all-district selection. Roberts was also honored with the Rockwood Summit Defensive Player of the Year award. The Falcons reached the Class 4 District 3 championship in Roberts' senior year.
 
Alivia Bartlow (OF, O'Fallon, Mo., Liberty HS)
Alivia Bartlow comes to Drury from O'Fallon, Mo. Bartlow, a 2024 graduate of Liberty High School, attended St. Louis University last academic year as a student. In Bartlow's most recent softball season, Liberty went 22-14 with a Class 5 District 8 championship. Bartlow was an all-conference and all-region selection in her senior year. She also earned academic all-state honors.
 
Brienne Chilton (P/1B, Nixa, Mo., Nixa HS)
Brienne Chilton will stay in southwest Missouri. The Nixa product is a right-handed pitcher who also plays first base. Chilton has been a two-time all-district and all-region honoree. She also earned all-conference honors in 2024. In Chilton's final two seasons at Nixa, the Eagles went a combined 40-28, including a bid to the district championship in her junior season.
 
Paris Weulander (C/INF, Shakopee, Minn., Shakopee)
Paris Weulander comes to Drury from Shakopee, Minn. Weulander was an all-South Suburban honoree in her senior season. The catcher for the Sabers won 19 games over her final two years in high school. Weulander played travel softball for Mission National out of Eden Prairie, Minn. She was a member of the National Honor Society at Shakopee.
 
Josi Olas (UTL, Lee's Summit, Mo., Lee's Summit HS)
Josi Olas will start her first season at Drury from Lee's Summit High School. Olas and the Tigers posted 22 wins in her final two seasons of high school. In those two seasons, she earned all-conference honors for the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference. In her senior year, Olas hit .259. While pitching, she recorded 43 strikeouts with a 3.46 ERA.
 
"We are so excited for this freshman class," Gajewski commented, "We were not only able to tap into some local talent, but we are bringing some northern talent to the south. They are going to bring a little bit of everything to this team from speed to power!"
 
The 11 newcomers are joining a Panthers team that won the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) regular season championship during the 2025 season and reached the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Semifinals.
 
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