COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball program has signed five new members to a National Letter of Intent beginning in fall 2020.  Head coach Ricki Rothbauer-Stubbs announced that Neeley Bell, Cambria Jeffers, Jacqueline Ley, Mia Perez and Maddie Unrein will be joining the Mountain Lions in 2020-21.
 
"We are excited that we've had the opportunity to work with most of signees in camp settings," commented Rothbauer-Stubbs.  "We feel each member will be a great fit for our team and help us evolve as a program and reach our goals!"
 
A 5-foot-4 catcher from Scottsdale, Ariz., Neeley Bell graduated from Horizon High School in 2018 and will be receiving an Associates in Arts degree from Paradise Valley Community College this spring.  In her first season with the Pumas, Bell tallied 11 home runs, two triples, seven singles, 35 runs batted in and hit .385 at the plate to go with a .444 on-base percentage and a .662 slugging percentage.  At Horizon High School, Bell was named team MVP, all-conference second team, and all-district while helping the Husky's qualify for the state tournament every year.
 
"Neeley will come to us having played two years of junior college competition in Arizona," said Rothbauer-Stubbs.  "We expect that her bat will be a big addition to our line up and like that she has the ability to work behind the plate and at third base.  She's a heads-up player and we are excited for her to finish out her career as a Mountain Lion."
 
A product of Ramona High School in Ramona, Calif., Cambria Jeffers is a four-year varsity letterwinner for the Bulldogs.  In 72 career games, Jeffers is batting .324 with 60 hits, including a .360 batting average her junior year.  A multi-sport athlete who also competes in tennis and water polo, Jeffers has earned Academic All-State honors and was named the team's Most Improved Player.  She and the Bulldogs won the league championship title three times and were the 2017 CIF Open Division Runners Up.
 
"Cambria first came on our radar because her brother plays for the UCCS baseball team, but from our first evaluations, it was clear she had the kind of energy for the game and impact bat to be a great addition to our program," commented Rothbauer-Stubbs.  "She is a versatile corner infielder and a diligent student of the game and we are so happy for her to join us!"
 
From Aurora, Colo., Jacque Ley is a four-time varsity letterwinner at Grandview High School.  She owns a .472 batting average with 39 RBIs, 10 doubles and seven home runs.  Ley has been named to the all-conference team three times, including all-conference first team the last two years, and is an academic all-state performer.  Ley and the GHS Wolves have been regional qualifiers the past three years.
 
"We are so excited for Jacque to join us!" said Rothbauer-Stubbs.  "She is a great all-around athlete who can play both middle infield positions as well as the outfield.  She has an impressive mix of power and speed and we expect her to be a strong contributor on both sides of the ball."
 
An outfielder for the Shadow Ridge High School Stallions in Surprise, Ariz., Mia Perez owns an impressive .551 batting average and a .607 on-base percentage.  She has scored 33 times on 36 hits and is a perfect 21-for-21 in stolen bases.  Perez has collected 6A All-Region First Team and 6A All-District First Team accolades, while helping SRHS to the 2019 6A Southwest Region championship title.
 
"Mia will bring a lot of speed to our staff of left-handed hitters," said Rothbauer-Stubbs.  "As an outfielder, she has the ability to cover a lot of ground and a mix of power and accuracy in her arm.  She has a great energy for the game, and we believe she is going to bring a lot of excitement to our dugout."
 
Maddie Unrein hails from Eaglecrest High School in Centennial, Colo.  A four-year letterwinner for the softball and basketball programs, Unrein has accounted for 16 RBIs, 13 runs, a .308 batting average and a 1.000 fielding percentage.  Unrein and the Raptors qualified for the final four of the state tournament in 2016 and 2017 after winning the Centennial League and Regional championship titles.  A two-time Academic All-State first team performer and a four-year academic letter winner, Unrein is a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society.
 
"Maddie will join our outfield unit next fall and we are so excited to get her on the field," said Rothbauer-Stubbs.  "She too has a good mix of speed and power within her game.  She has established herself as a model student-athlete and we expect her to make big impacts both on and off the field."
 
The Mountain Lions will open their season this weekend in Lubbock, Texas at the LCU Softball Classic.  UCCS will play six games against Fort Hays State University, Lubbock Christian University, University of Nebraska-Kearney, St. Edward's University, Newman University and Eastern New Mexico University.