Baker, a catcher/utility player from Greenwood, Ind., is an all-conference and all-county selection at Center Grove High School. As a junior, Baker batted .378 with a .438 on-base percentage and earned a Golden Glove Award after leading her team to its third straight conference title. Her sophomore season brought all-conference and all-county honors as she hit .343 with a .410 on-base percentage. As a freshman, she posted a .385 average and .415 on-base percentage as a starter on the varsity team, which won the county title. Baker was listed among the Top 100 2015 recruits by studentsportssoftball.com. The daughter of David and Angie Baker played travel ball for the Indiana Magic Gold and the Indiana Shockwaves Black.
"We are excited to add Mallory Baker to our roster and lineup," Schuette said. "Mallory is a lefty hitter with a great bat who hits the ball a ton. She can hit for average, extra bases and for power. She's a catcher with a good glove and good arm who can play other positions as well. Mallory has grown up a Big Ten fan and we like that she is all about Purdue and Boilermaker Softball. She is a great addition to our team. The best part about her is we didn't have to go far to find this great home-grown Indiana talent. There's nothing better than playing for your state and for the best school in your state."
Damon, a pitcher from West Concord, Minn., is Minnesota's all-time strikeout leader with 1,260 heading into her senior season. The MaxPreps Underclass All-America and first team all-state selection guided her Kasson-Mantorville team to the 2A state title in 2014, while posting a 26-0 record in the circle with a 0.22 ERA and 323 strikeouts in 160 innings. She also earned first team-all-conference, first team all-section and Minnesota state all-tournament team honors as a junior, while setting the state record for perfect games in a season and issuing 20 shutouts, six no-hitters and 10 one-hitters. A finalist for female athlete of the year, Damon has posted 92 career victories and is a three-time all-state, all-conference (Hiawatha Valley League) and all-section honoree, earning first team honors each of her first three seasons. As a sophomore, she threw 225 strikeouts and posted a 1.24 ERA in 146 innings of work en route to Minnesota state all-tournament team, 2013 Hardware Hank Player of the Week and KTTC Sports Athlete of the Week honors as her team finished second in the state. As a rookie, Damon managed 295 Ks and a 0.55 ERA in 165 innings of action. She also garnered KTTC and KAAL Sports Athlete of the Week honors. The daughter of Jim and Kim Damon played travel ball for the Lady Lightning.
"Maddie is a great competitor who is flat out fun to watch," Schuette said. "We are excited to add her spunk, fire and determination to our team. She exudes great confidence before she even touches the ball. She flies at the batter and has no fear on the mound. She can throw it, spin it, and pull the string on the change up. We look forward to her immediate impact on the mound, getting strikeouts and bringing constant energy day in and day out to Boilermaker Softball. And we will definitely have to stock up on our eye-black."
Huffman, an infielder from Waller, Texas, is a two-time all-state selection, earning Class 4A first team honors from the Texas Sports Writers' Association her sophomore and junior years. A three-time all-district honoree, Huffman also garnered team offensive MVP honors at Waller High School after posting a .486 average with a .872 slugging percentage, .682 on-base percentage, 36 RBI and 10 home runs as a junior. As a sophomore, she batted .575 with a .893 slugging percentage, .667 on-base percentage, 40 RBI, 13 home runs and nine stolen bases. As a rookie, she batted .375 with 20 RBI and two home runs. An academic all-district selection and honor roll member, the daughter of Danny and Cynthia Huffman played travel ball for Sudden Impact Gold, which ranked No. 23 in the nation.
"We look forward to adding Lexi to our offensive lineup and seeing her play first base," Schuette said. "She is a strong player with a strong bat. She brings power and toughness while still being athletic, agile and doing the splits at first base. Lexi loves to work out, work hard, push herself and push others around her. This `don't mess with Texas' girl has a charisma that draws people in and strengthens others to lead. She is a great addition to Purdue Softball."
Kenny, an infielder from Ashburn, Va., is a two-time all-state selection at Stone Bridge High School. The district and region Player of the Year also was a 5A first team all-state selection in the infield in 2014, while earning her second-straight first team all-district and all-region honors. As a sophomore, Kenny earned honorable mention all-state accolades from the Virginia High School Coaches' Association. She also led her team to a runner-up finish at the state championship in 2012, earning district and region all-tournament team honors as a rookie. The honor roll student is the daughter of Kevin and Trish Kenny. Emily played travel ball for the 18U New Jersey Intensity and 16U Vienna Stars.
"Emily Kenny is an elite player in the game of softball and we are thrilled she is now a Boiler," Schuette said. "She is a very talented, athletic player with a cannon for an arm. She is a smart player, intense competitor and bright and hard-working student in the classroom. Emily is the quiet force out there who you don't realize is the person who always beats you. She is all about her team and helping her team win. We think Emily embodies Purdue softball on the field, as a teammate and in the classroom and we can't wait for her to get to West Lafayette. If she can't athletically beat you, she will out work you and then beat you."
Knight, an infielder from Tuscon, Ariz., was an Arizona Daily Star honorable mention All-Star selection and all-southern Arizona second team honoree in 2013. She led her team to the Division II state runner up spot and a 28-8 record as a junior at Canyon del Oro High School and to the 4A state championship and a 33-5 mark as a freshman. The three-time honor roll member and daughter of Keith and Lori Knight played travel ball for the Tucson Force.
"We are so excited to add Heather to our team," Schuette said. "She is an athletic catcher with a good arm who gets the best out of her pitchers. We like her toughness, honesty, and hard-working nature. She's a quiet individual with a big powerful bat who knows the game, is hard-nosed and finds a way to win. We think Heather will do great things for Purdue softball as a leader on the field and in the classroom and community. She's about as `American' as you can get... she loves softball, gets good grades, owns cows and lives on a farm."
The quintet will join the Boilermakers in the fall of 2015. Purdue softball kicks off its spring 2015 campaign on Feb. 6 at the So Cal College Challenge in Fullerton, Calif.