The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball and softball programs announced their signing classes for the 2018-19 school year Friday.
Coach Lamont Paris picked up a pair of guards in his first early signing period, and softball coach Frank Reed - the longest-tenured coach at the university - added eight future players to his roster for the 2019 season.
The new softball Mocs (with high school and hometown listed): utility players Emily Coltharp (Union Grove; McDonough, Ga.), Makenzie Grider (Scottsboro; Hollywood, Ala.), Olivia Jacobs (Pickens; Jasper, Ga.) and Gracey Kruse (Gordon Lee; Rossville); corner infielder/utility player Abigail Parises (St. Mary's; Lodi, Calif.); catcher Natalie Luna (Kaiser; Fontana, Calif.); outfielder Ashlynn Lee (Blackman; Murfreesboro, Tenn.); pitcher Mariah Ramirez (Sunny Hills; La Habra, Calif.).
"When we look at this recruiting class, we're looking at eight strong student-athletes that we are very excited about bringing to Chattanooga," Reed said in a news release. "We have three kids from the West Coast, an area we recruit heavily, and we're excited for what they bring - a lot of versatility to our 2019 roster.
"We're excited to see how these freshmen will impact our program in the future."
Kruse was a four-year letter winner and three-time state champion at Gordon Lee. She is a two-time all-state selection and was also named the Georgia Class A player of the year this season after hitting .521 with seven home runs, 16 doubles, nine triples, 21 stolen bases, 61 RBIs and 48 runs.
Paris added guards Maurice Commander and Donovann Toatley to his 2018-19 roster, which is expected to include every player from the new head coach's first season because the Mocs currently have no seniors.
Both players' commitments were previously reported by the Times Free Press.
Commander, a 6-foot guard from the Chicago area, played with UTC freshman forward Justin Brown at Marist High School but transferred to Curie for his senior season. As a junior, he averaged 13 points and three assists per game, earning Illinois Basketball Coaches' Association Class 4A all-state honors along with honorable mention for the All-Chicago team. He was the East Suburban Catholic Conference player of the year.
Toatley, a 5-foot-9 guard from the Baltimore area, led Riverdale Baptist to the Maryland private school championship as a junior, earning tournament MVP honors after scoring 24 points in the title game. He averaged 11 points, six assists and a pair of steals per game last season, earning a spot on the All-Capital Beltway Athletic Association second team as well as a spot on the All-CBAA defensive team. He was ranked the No. 8 point guard in the Washington, D.C., area.
"They've played against very high-level competition, and they've had to fight for everything they've earned (in the game)," Paris said of the signees. "They play with a chip on their shoulder both of them are alike in that way. They have both been prepared well by the coaching they've received as well as the competition they play against.
"We are extremely excited they both decided to continue their careers at Chattanooga."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.