Perry Adds Pair of Transfers for Upcoming Campaign
June 27, 2023 | Softball
News
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Head coach Tyra Perry announced the addition of transfers Bri Bower and Serena Starks to the Fighting Illini softball program on Tuesday. Bower will join the program as a junior while Starks comes to Illinois as a graduate transfer.
The duo marks the first additions to the program this offseason for Perry. Additionally, the Illini will welcome five incoming freshmen for the upcoming season.
Bri Bower // Lake in the Hills, Ill. // Mississippi State // RHP // 5-9
Notes: Began her collegiate career at Mississippi State… Appeared in 10 games for the Bulldogs… Owns a 6.83 career ERA and a 1-2 record in the circle… During her 13.1 innings of work, logged 15 strikeouts… Held opponents to a .250 batting average.
Prior to Mississippi State: No. 33 prospect in the nation according to Extra Innings Softball and the No. 18 pitcher in the class… Named a First Team High School All-American in 2019 by both Extra Innings and MaxPreps… NFCA Second Team All-Region selection the same year… Captained the Daily Herald Fox Valley All-Area team in 2019 and was named the Northwest Herald and Courier News Player of the Year… Selected to the All-State, All-Conference and All-Area first teams… Struck out 104 batters over 74 innings as a freshman for Huntley High School with a 2.17 ERA… Accumulated a school-record 353 strikeouts in 212.1 innings as a sophomore, which ranked ninth in the nation that year, while leading her team to a 27-5 record… Team won the 4A Illinois State Championship that year and was ranked No. 17 in the nation… Threw 12 shutouts, four no-hitters and two perfect games along with 20 games of 10+ strikeouts… Threw a two-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in the title game… Did not play a junior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic… Played travel ball with Indiana Magic Gold and won the Triple Crown Sports 16U Elite Championship in 2019… Struck out 15 batters at PGF Nationals… Totaled 538 strikeouts in her club career… Played with USA Elite Select and was an Under Armour All-American… Also earned two letters in basketball.
Coach Perry on Bower: "Bri Bower is a powerhouse pitcher whose elite speed gives her the ability to dominate in the circle. Bri is hungry for success, and she is ready to put in the necessary work to reach her max potential. She is a team player that wants to be the best. We are happy to welcome Bri home."
Why Illinois?
"Illinois is a great academic school, so not only will I get a great athletic experience, I'll walk out with a nice degree from a really good university. I absolutely loved Coach Perry, Coach Verdun and Coach Trout, and how this is a family culture. A bonus is that I get to play with two former Huntley High School teammates, Reese Hunkins and Paige Berkmeyer, who caught me my freshman year before she moved to Ohio. So it really is a full circle moment. Mainly and most importantly, I missed seeing family, friends and people from the community in the stands so playing at Illinois now can make all of those things happen and I couldn't be more excited! It feels good to come home and play for the state that my softball career started in and now I get to finish it here as well, which is a bitter sweet moment."
Serena Starks // Huntington Beach, Calif. // Princeton // OF // 5-8
Notes: Transfer from Princeton… 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year… First-Team NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region in 2023… First-Team All-Ivy League in 2022 and 2023… Ivy League All-Tournament Team in 2023… Honorable mention All-ECAC in 2022… Slashed .384/.412/.457 for her four-year career… Owns 135 hits and 69 runs with 18 doubles, a triple and two home runs… Tallied 23 stolen bases during her career… In 2023, led the Ivy League with a .397 average and 69 hits, the most for a Princeton player since 1996 ... Won Ivy League Player of the Week honors on April 17 and May 8... Recorded hits in 38 games and had 23 multi-hit games... As a junior, logged hits in 34 games, including all three games of the Ivy League Playoff Series and both NCAA tournament games, against Arkansas and Wichita State... Recorded 16 multi-hit games on the season and four three-hit games.
Prior to Princeton: Named Sunset League coaches' pick for Athlete of the Year... 2019 Orange County Athletic Directors Association Athlete of Character... Member of the Edison Hall of Fame... 2019 Edison Athlete of the Year honoree... First-team All-Sunset League in 2017 and 2018 and second-team all-league in 2019 as selected by league coaches... 2018 second-team All-Orange County member... Played in the 2019 Orange County All-Star Game... Seven-time Sunset League and Edison Scholar-Athlete... Won the Edison Character Award for softball in 2017 and the 2019 Edison ASB Character Award... 2018 MaxPreps National Honor Roll athlete... Earned Second-Team All-Sunset League honors in soccer in 2018 and was a 2019 team captain and co-MVP... Earned soccer team's Most Inspirational Award in 2019 and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2018... Named school's Charger of the Year academic honor and was the school's 2019 commencement speaker.
Coach Perry on Starks: "We were instantly drawn to Serena's intelligent style of play. Her ability to read defenses is high level and fun to watch. Serena is a true triple threat and we are excited she chose Illinois."
Why Illinois?
"I chose Illinois to be a part of a strong culture that values diversity and strong character alongside a desire to compete at the highest level."
