LAS CRUCES, N.M. - NM State head softball coach Kathy Rodolph announce the addition of four players to the Aggies' ranks as the early signing period for the 2022 season began this week. 

A pair of New Mexico products, one individual from Texas and another from California are the four players who each signed National Letters of Intent to suit up for the Aggies once their respective prep careers are in the books. 

We think this is a class of potential," commented Rodolph. "By that, I mean student-athletes with loads of special potential as people and athletes. I am excited to see them join our Aggie family and get to work maximizing their time as Aggies."

Kiara Armendarez | 5-10 | UTIL | Las Cruces, N.M. | Oñate High School
• One of the best players in the Borderland, Kiara Armendarez made a choice to stay close to home by signing on with the Aggies. 
• With one more year to go in an Oñate High School uniform, Armendarez has already put up some impressive numbers through her prep tenure. For her career this far, Armendarez has slashed .481/.549/.942 while amassing 50 hits (25 of which have been home runs) and driving in 23 runs. 
• Thus far, Armendarez has helped the Knights go 39-16 and has claimed a pair of First Team All-District awards as well as a Second Team All-State laurel as a freshman. Armendarez helped guide the Knights to a district title during her sophomore season. 
What they're saying about Armendarez | NM State head coach Kathy Rodolph: "Kiara is a local student athlete who has worked hard to get here and has tremendous power potential at the plate. It will be fun to watch her build her skill set and hone some of the gifts she already has."

Yazzy Avila | 5-5 | INF | El Paso, Texas | Pebble Hills High School
• The first female student-athlete to sign an NLI to attend an NCAA Division I school in the history of Pebble Hills High School, Yazzy Avila is in the midst of putting together one of the best prep careers in the state of Texas. 
• Through her first three seasons, Avila is batting .657 with an on-base percentage of .720. Additionally, she has piled up 63 stolen bases, 44 walks and scored 118 total runs. 
• Bursting onto the scene as a freshman, Avila was named the Newcomer of the Year for District 1-6A, earned a TGCA All-State Honorable Mention as well as a Second Team All-State laurel by TSWA. More awards in Avila's debut season included Second Team All-City, the PHHS Female Athlete of the Year and All-Academic awards from both the district and state. 
• As a sophomore in 2018-19, Avila captured Second Team All-State honors from the TSWA while serving as the Spartans' shortstop. That award was in addition to her District 1-6A Offensive Player of the Year honor, a First Team All-City citation and All-Academic awards by the district and state. 
• At the time of the Spartans' unexpected season finale due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Avila was leading the state of Texas and ranked fourth among all prep players in the nation in batting average. 
What they're saying about Avila | NM State head coach Kathy Rodolph: "We love when we can sign top talent from the region. Yazzy has special speed and athleticism. She also has contagious energy which makes everyone around her elevate. I look forward to watching her use her natural abilities to elevate her skill set as she transitions to this level."

Jordin King | 5-9 | RHP | Pomona, Calif. | Saint Paul High School
• As a two-way star for Saint Paul High School, Jordin King has pitched and hit her way to an Aggie commitment as a prep.
• King possesses an ERA of 2.28 as well as a batting average of .407 through her three seasons of play thus far. 
• She has been on the receiving end of First Team All-League, Second Team All-League, Newcomer of the Year and team MVP awards in her high school career. 
• With King on their side, the Swordsmen have put up a 28-7 record and captured a Del Rey League championship in 2018. 
What theyre saying about King | NM State head coach Kathy Rodolph: "Jordan is a late commit who chose join our Aggie family after being committed to a Pac-12 school for a couple of years. Her character, work ethic and athleticism give her a high ceiling. She can pitch and hit at a high level. I'm glad she has chosen our program to build her skill set in."

Presley Skinner | 5-7 | OF | Artesia, N.M. | Artesia HS
• A star on arguably the best 4A team in the state of New Mexico, Presley Skinner has helped lead Artesia High School to a pair of league titles as well as two state championships in her two full seasons of deployment. 
• So far, Skinner has helped the Bulldogs compile a record of 55-8. As a result of her efforts, she has secured two All-District awards as an outfielder and a First Team All-State honor, too. 
• Despite being unable to play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Skinner has generated 87 hits, 61 RBI and scored 78 runs while batting .452 in her two full seasons. 
What they're saying about Skinner | NM State head coach Kathy Rodolph: Presley is a top-tier academic student with a great work ethic in addition to being very athletic. I am confident she will keep pushing herself to be her best by working hard and getting into our system."

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