FLORENCE, S.C. – Francis Marion University softball coach Stacey Johnson has announced the signing of Laura Hauff of Columbia to a national letter of intent to attend FMU and play for the Patriots in 2006.

    Hauff, a 5-11 infielder, is a graduate of Spring Valley High School, where she played for coach Bobby Henderson.

    A left-handed batter, she hit .412 as a senior, was named team captain, and earned first-team All-Region honors.  She was second on her squad in runs batted in, and led the Lady Vikings in triples for the second consecutive year. She also compiled a .960 fielding percentage as Spring Valley posted a 28-6 record, advanced to the semifinals of the AAAA lower state playoffs, and captured its region crown with a perfect 10-0 mark.

    A five-year letterwinner, she helped Spring Valley to a top-four AAAA state ranking each of her five seasons.  She earned her squad’s Senior Players Award in 2005 and was a three-time recipient of the Coach’s Award.

    In the classroom, she graduated with a 3.96 grade point average through the school’s math/science magnet program.  She was a member of the National Honor Society and was named to Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

    Francis Marion loses only two seniors off its 2005 squad that was 36-14, and for the second year in a row narrowly missed earning a bid to the NCAA Division II national tournament.

    Hauff’s signing brings to eight the number of newcomers to join the Patriot program for 2006.