FREDERICK, Md.--Head softball coach Tricia Fiut has announced the addition of three newcomers for the class of 2011. Jen Lacy, Brittany Ray and Krista Zerby will attend Hood College and play softball this fall.

"With the addition of Krista, Brittany and Jen, this gives us the foundation to be a major competitor in the Capital Athletic Conference," said Fiut. "They bring a love for the game that is hard to match along with a competitive spirit that will be contagious."

Lacy, a first baseman from Germantown, Md., is a 2005 graduate of Seneca Valley High School and transferred to Hood from Florida Atlantic University. In her first three years at Seneca Valley, Lacy hit over .400 and owned a stout .500 batting average her senior season. A two-time first team all-county and all-Gazette selection, her cumulative fielding percentage topped .980. Lacy's other honors included honorable mention all-metropolitan and first team all-Examiner. While at FAU, Lacy also captained the women's rugby team.

"Jen brings the attitude and work ethic that you would expect from an upperclassman," remarked Fiut. "She wants to work hard and it shows."

Ray is a local product from Urbana High School and could see time at third, first or behind the plate. A second team Monocacy Valley Athletic League Chesapeake Division second team selection, Ray was also heralded as an honorable mention pick by the Frederick News-Post and the Frederick Gazette.

"Brittany has yet to reach her potential and when she does, watch out," admits Fiut. "She has the potential of being our next big star. She brings in with her the attitude and composure that we look for from a coaching staff perspective. She's just solid all the way around."

Zerby, who will also play volleyball for Hood this fall, is a native of Muir, Pa., and was a four-year starter at catcher at Williams Valley High School. Zerby was chosen as the winner of her squad's Unsung Hero Award by her teammates in 2004 and 2005. She drove in a team-high 16 runs as a freshman and was nominated for Schuylkill County Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore, Zerby also led the team in RBI (20) and was a second-team all-county pick as well as a first team all-Sentinel choice. She boasted a .525 batting average as a senior and accumulated 53 extra basehits in her career at Williams Valley. She also graduated as the school's career leader in RBI with 103. Her squad captured back-to-back District IX Championships and advanced to the state semifinals this past spring. Zerby played summer ball for three seasons with the Pennsylvania Alley Cats, holding a cumulative .318 batting average. A national honor society member, Zerby received the George Kriz Language Arts Scholarship for maintaining the highest grade-point average in English.

"Krista is a winner on and off the field," tells Fiut. "From day one we knew she was a good fit for our program. She's got a heart of a champion that shows in every aspect of her life."

Hood finished the 2007 campaign with a record of 14-21 and won the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference regular season and tournament championships in the final year of competition in the league. The Blazers also advanced to their second consecutive NCAA tournament.