Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

City High already had a pair of Division I softball recruits in Ayana Lindsey and Carey Koenig.

Senior infielder and pitcher Ella Cook gave the Little Hawks a third DI prospect when she announced her verbal commitment to the University of St. Thomas on Wednesday with a post on social media.

“I am extremely excited to announce that I have committed to the University of St. Thomas to continue my education and softball career,” Cook wrote on Twitter. “Huge thank you to my coaches, teammates and parents who have helped make my dream of playing college softball possible.”

Koenig (Drake) and Lindsey (Northwestern) both locked up their college choices before their junior seasons.

Their classmate Cook took a little longer but ultimately settled on St. Thomas, a former Division III powerhouse in the process of making the move to Division I athletics.

Already a four-year varsity starter Cook has been a key figure in the City High resurgence that has included back-to-back state tournament appearances in 2018 and 2019.

A career .339 hitter, Cook has earned Mississippi Valley Conference all-division honors each of the past four seasons and is a two-time first-team all-divisional selection.

Cook has been among the state’s best run producers the past four seasons, scoring 160 runs and driving in 118 more.

A first baseman and pitcher, Cook has 20 home runs among 58 career extra-base hits and has 19 more walks (50) than strikeouts (31) in her career.

Cook earned second-team all-state honors in Class 5A this summer after hitting .333 with seven home runs and 23 RBI.

In the circle Cook went 8-0 with a save and a 4.10 ERA in 56 1/3 innings this season while striking out 53.

A three-sport standout, Cook is also a multi-year starter on the City High basketball team that has reached the state tournament in each of her three varsity seasons and earned a state medal in the long jump at the state track and field meet as a sophomore.

St. Thomas will become a member of the Summit League in the 2021-2022 school year in its first full season as a Division I member.

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