Boiling Springs, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb Athletics Department, along with softball head coach Tom Cole, is pleased to announce that Alyssa Gutierrez, Elizabeth Williams and Emily Bowman have all decided to continue both their academic and athletic careers at Gardner-Webb University beginning in the fall of 2010.

"I am very excited about all of our recruits coming in this fall," stated Coach Cole. "Since we graduated six seniors, it means that we had to go out and get some very talented players; players that we believe will be able to come in and begin contributing right away. We believe that we have done this with this class."

Alyssa Gutierrez comes to Gardner-Webb by way of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Wake Forest, N.C. where she played under head coach Marianne White. A 5-4 right-handed pitcher, Gutierrez ended her four-year high school career as the Carolina #A Conference Pitcher of the Year this year as a senior. Gutierrez totaled 711 strikeouts in the circle over her four years at Cardinal Gibbons, posting a career-high 194 strikeouts as a junior. The righty picked up 170 strikeouts or more in each season and also posted an ERA of 1.57 or lower each year. Gutierrez also did it with the bat, as she hit over .347 all four years, including posting a batting average of .490 over her junior season. Gutierrez is a four-time All-Conference selection and a four-time Varsity Team MVP. Along with being named the conference Pitcher of the Year this season, Gutierrez was also named the 2009 2A Mid-State Pitcher of the Year during her junior campaign.

Gutierrez, who is also a member of the Triangle Lightning club team coached by Tim Moose, was named the 2010 Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Cardinal Gibbons High School. Gutierrez intends to major in Journalism while at Gardner-Webb.

Elizabeth Williams, who hails from Whiteville, N.C. is a 5-11 catcher and first-baseman that played at Whiteville High School under head coach Jimmy Williams. Williams, was named the District 4 2A Player of the Year this past season and helped to guide her team to its first conference championships in 25 years this past season. Williams hit .383 and posted a slugging percentage of .767, all while leading her team in homeruns, walks, sacrifices and hit by pitch. She was second on the team in triples, doubles and RBIs. In her final three years as the starting catcher for the varsity squad, Williams hit .371, posted a .671 slugging percentage, and totaled 27 walks, 54 RBIs, 62 hits and 10 homeruns. This past year as a senior, she was named to the All-Columbus County and All-Conference Team's and was nominated for the All-Area, All-Cape Fear Region, All-District and All-State Team's. As a junior, Williams was named to the All-Columbus County and All-Conference Team's and played in the N.C. State Games. The two-time Team MVP and the Softball Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, was named the Second-Team All-Area and the Second-Team All-Cape Fear Region Team as a sophomore.

Williams, who plays for the Cape Fear Storm (Black) club team under coaches Don Ladd and Tony Williford, was a multi-sport athlete at Whiteville High School, earning the All-Conference recognition and the Most Valuable Defensive Player Award in volleyball and the Coach's Award in basketball this past year.

Off of the softball field and in the classroom, Williams has excelled as well, as she is a Wendy's H.S. Heisman Finalist and a four-year multi-sport National Scholar-Athlete. Williams is not only a Wendy's Heisman Female Nominee, but she is also a Clary Medal (NCHSAA) nominee, a Davidson College Athletic Scholarship nominee and a member of the National Honor Society. Williams, who served as a Junior Marshall, received the Jerry Cartrette Athletic Scholarship, the Paul L. Powell Scholarship and the Whiteville High School Math Club Scholarship.

Williams, who has an older sister Olivia who is a softball player at Coastal Carolina, intends to major in biology during her time at Gardner-Webb.

Emily Bowman, comes to GWU by way of Newton, N.C. where she played under head coach Mike Carpenter at Bandys High School. The 5-4 shortstop and outfielder posted a career .366 average with 35 runs, 20 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .394 and a .900 fielding percentage. The three-year softball All-Conference, All-District and All-State selection was a two-sport athlete at Bandys High, also playing basketball where she was a two-time MVP and a Coach's Award recipient on a team that was tabbed the regional champions this past season. Bowman, who like Williams is a Wendy's Heisman Finalist, was also tabbed the Athletic Boosters Athlete of the Year this past year.

Bowman, who is also a member of the Catawba Valley Rage club team, intends to major in Athletic Training at Gardner-Webb.

Gutierrez, Williams and Bowman join an already highly touted 2010 class with early signees Rebekah Reaves, Christen Moon, Jessica Childers and Samantha Meenaghan.

This season, the Lady Bulldogs posted a 22-32 overall record and had four players receive All-Conference recognition at the season's end. With the departure of six graduating seniors, which all rewrote the GWU Division I career and single season record books, Coach Cole and his staff will look for these newcomers to make an impact immediately.

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