EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the start of her first season just over a week away, University of Evansville head softball coach Bailey Dillender has announced seven signees to the program. The class includes three transfers and four who will join the Purple Aces as freshmen in 2027.
 
Skylar Rachal – Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Catcher
 
A native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Skylar Rachal comes to the UE program following two seasons at John A. Logan College where she saw action in a total of 102 games. Last season, she batted .315 while picking up 41 RBI, 33 runs, and three home runs. In 2024, she batted a solid .346 while picking up 25 RBI and 25 runs. She earned Second Team All-Region honors in 2025.
 
Rachal earned four letters in softball at Riverdale HS where she completed her career in 2023 and was named the Most Valuable Player in her district. She was also an All-District honoree in 2022 while garnering Second Team All-Conference honors. Her efforts helped Riverdale earn Region and District Championships.
 
Coach Dillender on Rachal: "Sky is a solid catcher, with great hands behind the plate, above average arm, and can hit for great average. We are fortunate to have her on campus with us this spring and look forward to her suiting up as an Ace next fall."
 
Katie Futrell – Evansville, Ind. – Infielder
 
Evansville native Katie Futrell will be back in her hometown following two seasons at John A. Logan. As a freshman in 2025, she batted .412 with four home runs, 40 RBI, and 48 runs scored and is set to open her sophomore campaign with the program. Her inaugural collegiate season saw her earn First Team All-Region 24 and First Team All-GRAC accolades.
 
Futrell graduated from Reitz HS in 2024 where she batted .388 as a senior and a career-high .481 in her junior campaign in 2023. As a senior, she garnered All-SIAC 2^nd Team accolades to go along with the Silver Slugger Award and Mental Toughness Award. She also broke the school stolen base record. Futrell was the Team MVP in 2023 while earning the Golden Slugger Award, All-Metro Team recognition, and All-SIAC First Team. She was the 2021 Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
 
Coach Dillender on Futrell: "Katie was on track last year to be Player of the Year at JALC before a very untimely injury. We love her speed, her versatility defensively, and we ability to hit for average. Can't wait to get Katie back to Evansville!"
 
Hayley Pasquino – Carbondale, Ill. – Pitcher
 
Haley Pasquino joins the UE program following a stint at John A. Logan where she will complete her second season in 2026. In her inaugural collegiate season, Pasquino finished with a 2.143 ERA while striking out 42 batters in 49 innings of work. This followed a strong high school career at Zeigler-Royalton HS that saw her earn multiple accolades. The 4-time All-Conference honoree earned two All-South awards, two All-State honors, and a pair of berths on the S.I. Select Team.
 
In her four years of high school, she recorded an ERA of 2.194 or lower each season including a low of 1.468 in 2022. One of her top performances came against Mt. Vernon in 2023 where she picked up a no-hitter while striking out 16 batters. The victory cemented the first conference championship for her school in 20+ years.
 
Coach Dillender on Pasquino: "Hayley had a super fall, Evansville and its small campus was a perfect fit for her, and i look forward to watching her develop and succeed in the circle. I truly believe her best most successful days in the circle are in front of her, can't wait for everyone to see her as an Ace!" 
 
Anna Clay Denton – Lexington, Ky. - Utility
 
Anna Clay Denton is set to compete as a senior at Lafayette HS. She has been named the Defensive Player of the Year for her team in her first three seasons and looks to duplicate the feat as a senior in 2026. She is coming off a stellar junior campaign in 2025 that saw her bat .398 while finishing with an OPS of 1.224 and a slugging percentage of .724. Denton reached base 50% of the time.
 
Her top season before that came in 2023 where she completed the season batting .348 while slugging .536. Her top performance came in the Region Tournament in 2025 where she had a grand slam, triple, and double on the way to nine RBIs.
 
Coach Dillender on Denton: "AC is a stellar athlete, all the intangibles. She's been a 4-sport athlete for many years, and she could probably play 5 or 6 sports and be really good at each of them. She's a coaches' kid and will have the opportunity as an Ace to focus on her craft and i look for her to really have the opportunity to grow and excel with us!"
 
Savanna Voss – Milwaukee, Wisc. - Outfielder
 
Making her way to Evansville from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to join her sister Brooke is Savanna Voss. In her career at Hartford Union High School, Voss has four letters in softball while playing two seasons of basketball.
 
Highlighting her accolades on the field was a berth on the 2025 All-Conference 2^nd Team along with being named the Spring Sports Player of the Week. Her sister Brooke will be a junior on the Purple Aces 2026 squad.
 
Coach Dillender on Voss: "She has speed for days, a solid compact swing, and above average arm in the OF, plus she's a Voss and they don't make better kids than that. Really excited to have Savannah and Brooke on the field together for a year and can't wait to see how Sav develops in our program."
 
Ayden Bennett – Henderson, Ky. – Middle Infielder/OF
 
Joining the Purple Aces from nearby Henderson, Ky. is Ayden Bennett. In her time at Henderson County HS, she set the stolen base record for her school with 46 while posting one of the top ten batting averages in school history in 2025 batting .486. In 2025, she accumulated 67 hits, 10 doubles, 35 RBI, and 46 steals. That came on the heels of a sophomore campaign where she batted .457 with 57 hits, 36 RBI, and 37 steals.
 
In the 2024 State Tournament, it was her defense that made the difference. In the Elite 8 game, her team was up by two runs in the final innings, however, the opponent loaded the bases with two outs. Her snag of a line drive ended the game and sent the team to the Final 4 before the squad went on to win the first State Championship in program history. Her squad was the Kentucky State Runner-up in both 2023 and 2025.
 
Bennett has earned multiple accolades including 2025 Impact Player of the Year, All-Region 2^nd Team, All-District 6 Team, KSCA 2025 Class 3A Second Team All-State and more.
 
Coach Dillender on Bennett: "I could not believe a talent like Ayden was still available for us to swipe up when we got started on this class. She's just across the river in Henderson and has played for a state championship the last 3 years, she versatile, with a huge arm, and runs like a track star. I know Evansville and Henderson Co will be proud to see Ayden represent the Aces!"
 
Kaitlyn Whitlock – Sellersburg, Ind. - Outfielder
 
Outfielder Kaitlyn Whitlock heads to Evansville from Sellersburg, Ind. where she competes for Silver Creek High School. In 2025, she put together a phenomenal season that saw her bat .622 with 56 hits, 27 RBI, 45 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases. In 2024, she batted .469 and scored 59 runs.
 
Her team was a Final 4 and Elite 8 participant in the Kentucky State Tournament. Her squad has won two Regional, Sectional, and Mid-South Conference Championships during her time in school. Whitlock has been recognized as a 1^st and 2^nd Team All-State player, News and Tribune Player of the Year nominee, and a 2-time Mid-South Conference 1^st Team player.
 
Coach Dillender on Whitlock: "Kaitlyn is a crafty little lefty, she is a triple threat kid at the plate, can bunt, slap, and hit for power. She tracks the ball really well in the OF, gives us additional speed that I'm confident we will utilize throughout her career. KK is a super teammate and was committed to being an Ace even before we arrived this summer. We feel fortunate to have been able to keep her locked in with us thru the transition."