Wolverines Sign Four on National Signing Day
11/12/2025 1:48:00 PM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan softball head coach Bonnie Tholl announced the signing of four players on Wednesday's (Nov. 12) National Signing Day: infielders Avery Brewer and Jayden Kleiner and pitchers Addi Thompson and Mia Valbuena. The four players will join the Maize and Blue next fall and make their collegiate debuts during the 2027 softball season.
"I think all of them wanted an absolute, true college experience," said Tholl. "They wanted to compete at the highest level for championships and understand what this campus and what this university offers them as young people growing. It's a small class, but their impact is going to be felt early in their careers. I like that they're tight-knit already. They all offer something just a little different in personality and in athleticism on the field. I think that they're going to make us make an impact and help us win championships."
Brewer, a native of Selah, Wash., is a corner infielder, earning first team All-State Honors, two-time first team all league and two-time Yakima Valley Softball Athlete of the Year. In 2025, she posted a .618 average and .979 fielding percentage with 17 home runs and led the state in RBI with 76. In her career at Selah High School, she has a .629 average (30 home runs, 136 RBI) and a .959 fielding percentage. She plays for the Elite Chicago National 18u squad and has helped her team to two top-20 finishes at Alliance Nationals.
"Avery was the last to commit to join the class," said Tholl, "and she is a powerful kid who has really committed to being a great softball player and elevating her game. I love her dedication to the sport. She has great bat-and-ball DNA in her family, and she's going to be a powerful kid who plays the corner. She's somebody that we identified from camp and had an opportunity to watch her grow throughout the last year, so she will be a fun electric bat in our order."
Kleiner, a native of Carmel, Ind., is Extra Innings' No. 20-ranked infielder and the No. 3 infielder in the Midwest, while also earning first team all-Midwest honors. In 2024, she was ranked the top utility player in the Midwest and named the Alliance Futures Defensive Player of the Tournament. She was twice named to the IndyStar Central Indiana Super Team (2024, '25) and was a member of the Israel Junior National Team in 2024 for the Canada Cup. While attending Carmel High School, she was her team's 2024 Defensive Player of the Year and 2025 Offensive Player of the Year, while also earning All-Hamilton County first team honors in 2024 and '25.
"Jayden has just a great softball sense," said Tholl. "She is a middle infielder but can also catch, and even though she is small in stature, she is of tremendous softball ability," Tholl said. "She's going to fit into this program and campus community well. She's smart, and she has really fine softball skills -- the fine motor skills. Jayden is a galvanizer, somebody who is going to bring her group together. She gets it done at the plate, too."
Thompson, a native of Edmond, Okla., has earned two-time all-state honors as a pitcher and utility player. Thompson is a four-time district and region player of the year and has also earned all-city honors. As a pitcher at Heritage Hall, she leads the school with 730 career strikeouts and 1.48 earned-run average. Throughout high school, she also leads in batting average (.518), hits (133), doubles (40), home runs (seven), and RBI (91) and sits third in runs scored (82). Thompson plays for the 18U Hotshots National Team and Heritage Hall Chargers.
"Addi is another high-level club team player, and we were so fortunate that she was patient in her recruiting process, because I think we got an absolute gem," said Tholl. "She is somebody who understands how to pitch and how to set up hitters. I think she is really going to flourish in the college environment, because she has the ability to throw so many different pitches."
Valbuena, a native of Huntington Beach, Calif., is ranked the No. 34 overall prospect in the class of 2026 by Softball America and No. 9 by Line Drive Media. She was named Sunset League Pitcher of the Year and to the All-League first team and OC Register first team. She attends Marina High School, where she led her team to win the CIF Division 3 Championship and was named Division 3 Player of the Year. She also plays for the Athletics Mercado Smith 18U organization. In 2024, Valbuena started in the PGF All-American Futures game as a sophomore.
"Mia was the first pitcher to commit in our class and somebody we identified from the west coast who plays on an extremely competitive team and comes out of an extremely competitive program," Tholl said. "She's got great up spin and the ability to get people to swing and miss. She's won a state championship and other championships with her travel organization. She is going to grow a great deal under Jen Brundage and get stronger and stronger. She has the ability to throw in the mid to upper 60s, and it's our job to get her there."
