Wolverines Sign Six in Class of 2025
11/13/2024 6:35:00 PM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan softball head coach Bonnie Tholl announced the signing of six players on National Signing Day on Wednesday (Nov. 13). Signing today were infielders Kiley Carr, Lily Palko and Siena Snyder, catchers Rachel Del Busto and Sydney Hastings and pitcher Grayson LaMarche. All six will join the Wolverines next fall and make their collegiate debut during the 2026 softball season.
"We're very excited about this Class of 2025," said Tholl. "I think every member of the group adds value in their own way, and it's our job to refine their softball skill and indoctrinate them into the Michigan softball culture. We have a group of outstanding athletes that can play multiple positions. They're all coming here to win championships, and we look forward to getting them to Ann Arbor and coaching them up."
Carr, a native of Allen Park, Mich., is an Extra Innings Softball All-American and the No. 18-ranked player in the Class of 2025. She is a two-time all-state selection, a three-time all-league, all-district, and all-region honoree was a finalist for the 2024 Detroit High School Player of the Year. In 2022, she helped Allen Park High School capture the MHSAA Division 1 state championship. As a junior, Carr batted .570 with 43 RBI and 65 runs scored and entering her final prep season, she already owns APHS records in season hits (76), triples (nine), runs (72), walks (26) and on-base percentage (.641) and carries a career .548 average and .612 career on-base percentage. She plays travel softball with the Beverly Bandits and contributed to team titles at the IDT Softball 16U Championships and 18U Queen of Hill Championships in 2024.
"Kiley was the very first to commit in this class," said Tholl. "She's a top-20 player, she's just one of the best talents in the state of Michigan, and we want the best talent to stay in state to help us win championships. Kiley is small in stature but carries a big bat, and she's just the type of athlete that you love to have on your team because she's gritty and finds ways to make plays, get game-winning hits and always be in the middle of the offense. She will be our third player on the current team from downriver. It's the hometown of Madi Ramey and assistant coach Amanda Chidester. We like the brand of ball that they play. Kiley is somebody who grew up with maize and blue blood and is going to carry on the great Michigan softball tradition."
Del Busto, a native of Chula Vista, Calif., is the nation's No. 32 overall recruit and No. 16-ranked catcher by Extra Innings Softball. She also has the 14th highest Allister Index (97.75) in the Class of 2025 and owns a pop time of 1.50 seconds. She plays travel ball with the Breakers Labs organization. In 2022, she batted .383 and led the 16U Carter team with a .809 slugging percentage and 1.240 OPS en route to the PGF Nationals 16U Platinum championship. She also contributed to a runner-up finish Alliance Super Cup, where she batted .348 with 17 homers and threw out 20 baserunners. Her Eastlake High School team also took runner-up honors at the 2024 CIF Championship.
"Rachel has an electric arm behind the plate," said Tholl, "and she has high-level receiving skills and behind any outstanding pitcher is an outstanding catcher who can flip a 2-1 count into a 1-2 count and change the course of an at-bat in our favor. I look forward to watching her grow behind the plate and at the plate offensively because I really believe that she's got a high ceiling and some untapped skill that we'll be able to bring out of her."
Hastings, a native of nearby Saline, Mich., is ranked the No. 42 catcher in the country by Extra Innings Softball. She is a first-team All-State honoree at catcher (2024) and honorable mention (2023) and is a two-time all-region and all-district and three-time all-conference selection. She batted .531 as a sophomore with a .854 slugging percentage and .587 on-base percentage and posted a .438/.715/.519 slash line last season. Hastings plays her travel ball with the Firecrackers organization.
"Sydney is born and bred right here in Washtenaw County," said Tholl, "and she's somebody that we've been watching for a while. She has come to our camps over the years, and she has just steadily and consistently improved her game. She's going to help us behind the plate. I think that her potential is outstanding and having her work with Faith [Canfield] and Chiddy offensively, I think she's going to continue to grow into a very productive hitter for us."
LaMarche, a native of Escanaba, Mich., is a two-time all-state selection (2023, '24) and earned all-conference, all-district and all-region in all three of her prep seasons to date. She was named the 2024 Great Northern Conference Player of the Year. Last season, LaMarche finished her junior campaign with a record of 13-1 with a 1.03 ERA and 135 strikeouts across 67.2 innings as well as a .551 batting average with a .592 on-base percentage and OPS of 1.433. She boasts more than 500 strikeouts in her career. LaMarche has also lettered in basketball and volleyball at Escanaba High School, earning all-conference first-team honors in the latter. She plays travel ball with the Beverly Bandits organization.
"Grayson is just the second person, to my knowledge, that we have recruited from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan," said Tholl. "Grayson is a big, tall pitcher -- above six feet -- and she has long levers. She comes from an athletic family, and she plays in a really competitive club organization. I believe that her potential on the mound is limitless. I am so excited to watch her build her game under Jen Brundage. We look for her to be able to come in and immediately add to the stability of our pitching class."
Palko, a native of Transfer, Pa., is a two-time all-state shortstop for Sharpsville High School, twice earned All-District 10 first-team honors and in 2022, was named the District 10 Freshman Softball Player of the Year. Over her three prep seasons, Palko has totaled 85 hits, including 28 home runs, and 108 RBI. A multi-sport athlete, Palko is also a D10 All-Region first-team honoree in basketball and the leading scorer in Mercer County with 16.9 points per game. She plays travel ball with the Ohio Outlaws organization and is a two-time USA Softball High Performance Program selection and national selection top performer.
"Lily is a USA All-American and somebody that USA Softball wants as part of its system," said Tholl. "She's a middle infielder, who can do some other things as well, and she has exceptional glove work and ability to change the course of the game with her bat. I think that she has a very high ceiling. She identified Michigan early as the place she wanted to be, so I think she was just meant to be in this state wearing maize and blue."
Snyder, a native of St. Louis, Mo., is ranked No. 19 in the 2025 class by Softball America. She is an all-state first team honoree and already a four-time all-conference and all-district first-team selection. She boasts a career batting average of .453 and ranks third in Missouri softball history with 65 career doubles. She was named the Parkway West High School's Athlete of the Month three times and was selected the St. Louis Sports Athlete of the Week. A two-sport athlete, Snyder was a district player of the year during her junior basketball season. She plays her travel ball with the Firecrackers organization.
"Siena is a college-ready body right now," said Tholl, "and we're going to just continue to refine her softball skill. She has that innate power and strength built up before entering college, so she has a great foundation and can really come in and hit the ground running. She understands the game well and has great offensive and defensive savvy."
