BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana State University Billings softball head coach Lisa McKinney kicked off the 2022 signing period by signing three high school recruits on Monday.
 
Malia Cavan of Woodinville, Wash., Madelyne Elbert of Arvada, Colo. and Kayli Mueller of Sparks, Nev. all signed their letters of intent and will be true freshmen in the fall of 2022.
 
2022 MSUB Softball Recruiting Class

Player	Position	Hometown	High School
Malia Cavan	Outfielder	Woodinville, WA	Woodinville HS
Madelyne Elbert	Middle Infielder	Arvada, CO	Pomona HS
Kayli Mueller	Utility	Sparks, NV	Spanish Springs HS

 

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Malia Cavan
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Woodinville, Washington
Previous School: Woodinville High School
 
A highly decorated player on the Washington Ladyhawks club softball team, Malia Cavan comes to MSUB after posting a .457/.529/.682 slash line with a 1.291 OPS and 17 RBIs. This past summer, Cavan was an OnDeck Jamboree Showcase selection; prior to that, she helped the Ladyhawks win the Northwest Regional Championship and was a Fastpitch Northwest selection in 2020. Throughout her extensive club softball career, Cavan has also participated in several USA Preps Showcases and tournaments as well.
 
Coach McKinney on Cavan: "Malia will add speed to the outfield as well as a slapper to our lineup. She is a true lefty that will add some variety to our team. She is quickly growing into a vocal leader on her teams and we look forward to having her continue her leadership skills as a Yellowjacket."
 
Cavan on choosing MSUB: "I have no doubt that I will receive a top education by attending MSUB and I also get to play the sport I love, softball. The other key factors included meeting the coaches and teammates when I had my official visit. I could see myself as a student on campus and everything about MSUB – the coaches and the team – made me feel that this is the place I needed to be. I have always been told when you visit schools you will know right away if that's where you want to be, and that was MSUB."
 

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Madelyne Elbert
Position: Middle infielder
Hometown: Arvada, Colorado
Previous School: Pomona High School
 
Playing both varsity softball and baseball for Pomona High School, Madelyn Elbert was a first-team 5A All-Jefferson County league selection during her senior season this fall. Earlier in her career, she was a two-time second-team all-conference selection in softball. In the classroom, Elbert was a first-team Academic All-Conference awardwinner as a junior, a four-time academic letter high honor roll selection, plus she was named the most outstanding junior by her school's science department this past year.
 
Coach McKinney on Elbert: "Madelyne has a baseball background and has a high softball IQ. She moves smoothly on defense and has a quick release. As a hitter, she is disciplined and puts the ball in play often. Her upbeat personality will easily contribute to this team."
 
Elbert on choosing MSUB: "MSUB felt like the perfect fit. When I attended my first official visit, everyone was very welcoming and family-like; in a sense, I felt like I was part of the school already. I loved the team chemistry and how the coaches not only valued my athletic abilities, but also acknowledged my dedication to my future career in science. I appreciate that I will be given the opportunity to thrive not only athletically, but also academically. Additionally, on my first visit, the school was in the process of finishing a state-of-the-art science building, which spoke to my passion for science. I picked MSUB because I felt valued, welcomed and most of all, felt like I was home."
 

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Kayli Mueller
Position: Utility
Hometown: Sparks, Nevada
Previous School: Spanish Springs High School
 
A three-year varsity letterwinner from Sparks, Nevada, Kayli Mueller was a first-team 5A All-Region selection as a junior in 2021 and has won two academic letter awards. As a junior, Mueller batted .365, had 19 RBIs, plus hit eight doubles and one home run. This past spring, Mueller helped Spanish Springs post a 20-1 record en route to winning the program's third-straight 5A Northern Region Championship. She was also named her JV team's offensive player of the year as a freshman in 2019.
 
Coach McKinney on Mueller: "Kayli is a utility player that could work in the outfield or in the middle infield for us. She has a very strong arm and finds outs when other teams make baserunning mistakes. She always finds a way to get on base by a hit or with her plate discipline."
 
Mueller on choosing MSUB: "I chose MSUB for several reasons. I fell in love with the area after attending a softball camp over the summer. I thought Billings was really pretty and it reminded me of Reno. What I wanted to major in also helped me in my decision, because MSUB has radiology, giving me an opportunity to continue playing softball while majoring in something medical-related to push me in the right direction. While at the softball camp, I realized I wanted to continue my future at MSUB because I loved the program, the team and how the coaching staff worked to hold the team to a high standard. Everyone was so inviting, and I instantly knew MSUB is where I wanted to be."