Nov. 22, 1999

LEXINGTON, Kty. — The University of Kentucky softball team signed two players last week inthe early signing period head coach Beth Kirchner announced Monday. RachelFriberg and Monque Lovell have signed to play for the Wildcats in the 2001season.

Friberg, a shortstop from Bloomington, Minn., is a “very athletic andconsistent” player according to Kirchner. Friberg was an all-conferenceselection in her freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons at BloomingtonJefferson High School. In her freshman season, she hit .324, whileimproving to .397 her sophomore year and then to .409 her junior year.Friberg played in five American Softball Association (ASA) Junior OlympicNational Tournaments.

Friberg is familiar with Kirchner because her sister played for Kirchnerat South Dakota State University.

“I remember Rachel rollerblading and shooting baskets simultaneously whenshe was little, so I knew she was going to be pretty athletic,” Kirchnersaid. “We think she can probably play any of the four infield positions.She is extremely competitive, has a great work ethic and will be a verypositive addition for us.”

Lovell is a right-handed pitcher out of Simi Valley, Calif., who Kirchnercalls “a power pitcher that throws upwards of 64 mph.”

In 1999, Lovell led Montclair Prep to the California State Championship.She once pitched a no-hitter and hit for the cycle in the same game. In herfirst two years as a starting pitcher for Montclair Prep, she was 31-10. In1999, she was named the MVP of a national tournament team after allowingjust one run in five games.

“Monique has good pitching experience against some of the best players inSouthern California,” Kirchner said. “We are very excited to have someoneof her stature come to Kentucky.”