Central Michigan University Athletics
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Salmon Announces Signing Class of Eight for 2027 Season
1/2/2026 5:08:00 PM | Softball
Central Michigan Softball will welcome eight new freshmen in the fall of 2026 ahead of the 2027 season.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan's softball coach McCall Salmon has announced her 2026 signing class of eight incoming freshmen who will arrive in Mount Pleasant in the fall of 2026.
The class will welcome three outfielders, two infielders, a catcher and one right-handed pitcher. Six of the student-athletes are Michigan natives with one coming from Illinois and one from Indiana.
Elise Baker – OF – Indianapolis, Ind. – Roncalli High School
High School/Personal: A 2026 graduate of Roncalli High School, the Royals…earned four letters in softball as well as one in volleyball…was a 2023, 2024 and 2025 Circle City Conference champion with the Royals (class 3a)…a 2023 Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) State Championship runner-up…a 2024 class 3a IHSA Volleyball State Champion…earned All-Conference accolades in the Circle City Conference for softball in 2024 as an outfielder…played travel ball with Tennessee Mojo out of New Palestine, Indiana for the 2022-25 seasons…an NHS member for the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026 at Roncalli High School…earned academic honor roll honors all semesters…a member of the French club and French National Honor Society in 2025 and 2026…daughter of Joann and James Baker…has one older brother, Evan who played volleyball at Wabash College for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons…intends to study biochemistry on a route to a medical career of some sort…enjoys hiking, cross-fit and painting.
Kayla Blumenschein – RHP/UTL – Grand Blanc, Mich. – Grand Blanc High School
High School/Personal: Four-year letter winner at Grand Blanc High School…a 2025 all-district, all-region and all-state pitcher…Saginaw Valley League Champions in 2023, 2024 and 2025…won the district championship in 2023, 2024 and 2025…regional champions in 2023, MHSAA State semi-finalist in 2023…played travel ball with Turnin2…Alliance Nationals third place team in summer 2024…threw five no-hitters at Grand Blanc High School, tying the school record…has thrown a program best five perfect games…a 2025 Senior League Softball World Series champion with the Central Region team of Grand Blanc…threw a no-hitter in the championship game…daughter of Joshua and Jeniann Blumenschein…has two brothers, Kadin and Kaleb…place to enter the medical field after studying biomedical sciences…her favorite athlete is Aleshia Ocasio.
Chloe Compau – RHP – Frankenmuth, Mich. – Frankenmuth High School
High School/Personal: Graduated from Frankenmuth High School in 20026…part of the DECA and peer to peer programs at Frankenmuth…earned three letters in volleyball and four in softball with the Eagles…earned First Team All-State by the MHSAA as a pitcher in 2024 for division 2 and honorable mention in 2023…was an all-region pitcher in 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons, as well as an all-district selection…was named First Team All-Conference for the Tri-Valley Conference in the 2023-25 seasons…was a part of the 2023-25 Tri-Valley Conference championship teams as well as 2023 and 2025 District 64 champions…earned Regional Champion honors in 2023 in region 16…played travel ball with the Mid-Michigan Bolts from 10u-18u for nine seasons…daughter of Nichole and David Compau…has two sisters, Brooklyn, a 2023-26 CMU Softball pitcher, and a younger sister, Kinsley…intends to enter either the education field or the medical field…loves hunting, fishing and water sports.
Tessa Heffelbower – INF – Hudsonville, Mich. – Hudsonville High School
High School/Personal: Spent four years at Hudsonville High School, graduating in 2026 winning the 2024 MHSAA Division 1 State Championship…earned regional champion titles in 2024 and 2025 in Region 6 as well as district titles for district 120…won the OK Red with the Eagles in 2023, 2024 and 2025…as an individual, was named a…voted the top junior softball played in Michigan by MLive after the 2025 season…earned the No. 18 spot by Extra Innings Softball while ranking the class of 2026…earned First Team All-State honors as a shortstop at the Division 1 level in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, as well as a region 6 all-region shortstop and a district 120 all-district shortstop…earned First Team All-Conference shortstop accolades in the 2024 and 2025 seasons…played for Indiana Magic Gold (IMG) out of Indianapolis, Ind. for her 13-16u seasons…was a 2025 IMG Alliance Fall Qualifier Runner-up…an IMG National Champion…named a Co-Champion in the HFL Alliance Fall Championship in 2024…daughter of Becky and Bob Heffelbower…has one older sister, Jenna…intends to study business in hopes to become a medical sales representative after graduation…favorite college softball player was Sierra Romero…loves Cedar Point and goes annually with her family.
Quinn Krzeminski – C – Freeport, Ill. – Freeport High School
High School/Personal: Was a Freeport Pretzel for four years at Freeport High School…played basketball for three seasons and softball for four…was a Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in Second Team All-State catcher (class 3a) in 2022 and 2023 and 2024…named All-Conference as a catcher in the NIC-10 for her 2023-25 season performances…was an All-Area Team honoree by the Rockford Register Star for the 2023-25 seasons…played travel ball with the Chicago Cheetahs out of Frankfort, Ill. in her 18u seasons…earned honor roll every semester in high school, while being the NHS president, class president, serving as the Illinois Board of Education Student Representative, served as a servant-leader and was a part of varsity choir…daughter of Stacy and Rob Krzeminski…has two brothers, Max and Chace…hopes to graduate and work in speech pathology or occupational therapy.
Keeley Peace – OF – West Branch, Mich. – Standish-Sterling Central High School
High School/Personal: Hails from West Branch, Mich….a 2026 graduate of Standish-Sterling Central High School…earned letters in basketball, softball for the 2022-26 seasons and golf in the 2025 season…named Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) First Team All-State as a shortstop in 2025 and honorable mention in 2024…earned First Team All-Conference honors in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons…named to the Bay City Times Dream Team in the 2023-25 seasons…won the MHSAA State Championship in 2023…earned Regional Champion honors in the 2023 season… was a MHSAA District Champion in the 2023-25 seasons…won the 2023 district championship with the basketball team and the conference championship with the golf team in the fall of 2025…played travel ball for Turnin2 starting in 2023…earned third place at Alliance National in 2024 with Turnin2…was an NHS member…daughter of Jeremiah Peace and Joslyn Morrell…has two half-brothers, Finn and Zep, as well as a half-sister, Rowan along with two step-brothers, Connor and Carter…father, Jeremiah played baseball at Alma College (1995-98)…plans to study exercise science with plans to enter the medical field.
Kiley Phelan – INF – Macomb, Mich. – Dakota High School
High School/Personal: Graduated from Dakota High School in 2026…hails from Macomb, Mich.…earned honor roll in all eight semesters while serving as a part of the National Honor Society…was part of UNICEF and the Student Athletic Advisory Board…earned four letters in softball…was a 2023 and 2024 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 1 District Champion…named MHSAA First Team All-State (division 1) as a third baseman in 2025 and honorable mention in 2024…named MHSAA First Team All-Region in 2024 and 2025…named MHSAA First Team All-District in the 2024 and 2025 seasons…earned First Team All-County honors in 2023, 2024 and 2025…was named an all-conference third baseman in the 2023-25 seasons…holds the single season OBP record at Dakota High School (.583), the single season OPS record (1.709) and the single season RBI record (65) – all set in the 2025 season…named the No. 1 player in the Macomb County Pre-season poll in 2025…played travel ball with the National Firecrackers from 12u-18u…was a appeared in the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) National Tournament in 2023…won the PGF Michigan State Championship in 2021…named TCS East Coast National Champion in 2024…won the power pool at the Colorado Sparkler for the 2021-23 summer seasons…daughter of Cindy and Bradley Phelan…has an older sister, Casey, and a younger brother, Mick…father played football at Kalamazoo College (1997-99)…mother played softball at Wayne State (1998-2001)…has six other relatives that competed in college athletics…grandfather John Phelan graduated from CMU in 1994 and father did in 2006…plans to major in physical education with a minor in primary education with plans to become a teacher…loves 60's era musicals…plans to be in the "best buddies" program at CMU that works with Mount Pleasant citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities…knows the entire Hamilton soundtrack and is really good at ping-pong.
Jade Queen – OF – Lansing, Mich. – Grand Ledge High School
High School/Personal: A 2026 graduate of Grand Ledge High School…hails from Lansing, Mich….earned four letters in softball, two in volleyball, and one in unified sports…was a member of NHS…earned the Grand Ledge Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen award in 2025…named Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) Academic All-State in 203 and 2025…earned Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) All-State in 2024 and 2025 as an outfielder…named MHSAA All-Region in 2024 and 2025, MHSAA All-District in 2024 and 2025 and Capital Area Athletic Conference Class A All-Conference accolades in 2024 and 2025, with an honorable mention nod in 2023…earned the conference championship in the blue division in 2024 and 2025…won the 2024 Diamond Classic…an MHSAA District Champion and Division 1 Regional Champion with the Comets in 2025…played with Finesse for two seasons…daughter of Natalie and Lance Queen…has one younger sister, Jude…cousin Tracy Erickson played basketball at CMU from 1979-82…mother graduated from CMU in 2000, aunts in 1999 and 2002, uncle in 2003, cousins in 2011, 2028 and 1982…intends to major in elementary education and minor in health and fitness with intentions to become a teacher and coach…enjoys cooking and baking and playing with her aunt's dog; Stanley…graduated high school from Head Coach McCall Salmon's alma mater.
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
The class will welcome three outfielders, two infielders, a catcher and one right-handed pitcher. Six of the student-athletes are Michigan natives with one coming from Illinois and one from Indiana.
Elise Baker – OF – Indianapolis, Ind. – Roncalli High School
High School/Personal: A 2026 graduate of Roncalli High School, the Royals…earned four letters in softball as well as one in volleyball…was a 2023, 2024 and 2025 Circle City Conference champion with the Royals (class 3a)…a 2023 Illinois High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) State Championship runner-up…a 2024 class 3a IHSA Volleyball State Champion…earned All-Conference accolades in the Circle City Conference for softball in 2024 as an outfielder…played travel ball with Tennessee Mojo out of New Palestine, Indiana for the 2022-25 seasons…an NHS member for the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026 at Roncalli High School…earned academic honor roll honors all semesters…a member of the French club and French National Honor Society in 2025 and 2026…daughter of Joann and James Baker…has one older brother, Evan who played volleyball at Wabash College for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons…intends to study biochemistry on a route to a medical career of some sort…enjoys hiking, cross-fit and painting.
Kayla Blumenschein – RHP/UTL – Grand Blanc, Mich. – Grand Blanc High School
High School/Personal: Four-year letter winner at Grand Blanc High School…a 2025 all-district, all-region and all-state pitcher…Saginaw Valley League Champions in 2023, 2024 and 2025…won the district championship in 2023, 2024 and 2025…regional champions in 2023, MHSAA State semi-finalist in 2023…played travel ball with Turnin2…Alliance Nationals third place team in summer 2024…threw five no-hitters at Grand Blanc High School, tying the school record…has thrown a program best five perfect games…a 2025 Senior League Softball World Series champion with the Central Region team of Grand Blanc…threw a no-hitter in the championship game…daughter of Joshua and Jeniann Blumenschein…has two brothers, Kadin and Kaleb…place to enter the medical field after studying biomedical sciences…her favorite athlete is Aleshia Ocasio.
Chloe Compau – RHP – Frankenmuth, Mich. – Frankenmuth High School
High School/Personal: Graduated from Frankenmuth High School in 20026…part of the DECA and peer to peer programs at Frankenmuth…earned three letters in volleyball and four in softball with the Eagles…earned First Team All-State by the MHSAA as a pitcher in 2024 for division 2 and honorable mention in 2023…was an all-region pitcher in 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons, as well as an all-district selection…was named First Team All-Conference for the Tri-Valley Conference in the 2023-25 seasons…was a part of the 2023-25 Tri-Valley Conference championship teams as well as 2023 and 2025 District 64 champions…earned Regional Champion honors in 2023 in region 16…played travel ball with the Mid-Michigan Bolts from 10u-18u for nine seasons…daughter of Nichole and David Compau…has two sisters, Brooklyn, a 2023-26 CMU Softball pitcher, and a younger sister, Kinsley…intends to enter either the education field or the medical field…loves hunting, fishing and water sports.
Tessa Heffelbower – INF – Hudsonville, Mich. – Hudsonville High School
High School/Personal: Spent four years at Hudsonville High School, graduating in 2026 winning the 2024 MHSAA Division 1 State Championship…earned regional champion titles in 2024 and 2025 in Region 6 as well as district titles for district 120…won the OK Red with the Eagles in 2023, 2024 and 2025…as an individual, was named a…voted the top junior softball played in Michigan by MLive after the 2025 season…earned the No. 18 spot by Extra Innings Softball while ranking the class of 2026…earned First Team All-State honors as a shortstop at the Division 1 level in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, as well as a region 6 all-region shortstop and a district 120 all-district shortstop…earned First Team All-Conference shortstop accolades in the 2024 and 2025 seasons…played for Indiana Magic Gold (IMG) out of Indianapolis, Ind. for her 13-16u seasons…was a 2025 IMG Alliance Fall Qualifier Runner-up…an IMG National Champion…named a Co-Champion in the HFL Alliance Fall Championship in 2024…daughter of Becky and Bob Heffelbower…has one older sister, Jenna…intends to study business in hopes to become a medical sales representative after graduation…favorite college softball player was Sierra Romero…loves Cedar Point and goes annually with her family.
Quinn Krzeminski – C – Freeport, Ill. – Freeport High School
High School/Personal: Was a Freeport Pretzel for four years at Freeport High School…played basketball for three seasons and softball for four…was a Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in Second Team All-State catcher (class 3a) in 2022 and 2023 and 2024…named All-Conference as a catcher in the NIC-10 for her 2023-25 season performances…was an All-Area Team honoree by the Rockford Register Star for the 2023-25 seasons…played travel ball with the Chicago Cheetahs out of Frankfort, Ill. in her 18u seasons…earned honor roll every semester in high school, while being the NHS president, class president, serving as the Illinois Board of Education Student Representative, served as a servant-leader and was a part of varsity choir…daughter of Stacy and Rob Krzeminski…has two brothers, Max and Chace…hopes to graduate and work in speech pathology or occupational therapy.
Keeley Peace – OF – West Branch, Mich. – Standish-Sterling Central High School
High School/Personal: Hails from West Branch, Mich….a 2026 graduate of Standish-Sterling Central High School…earned letters in basketball, softball for the 2022-26 seasons and golf in the 2025 season…named Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) First Team All-State as a shortstop in 2025 and honorable mention in 2024…earned First Team All-Conference honors in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons…named to the Bay City Times Dream Team in the 2023-25 seasons…won the MHSAA State Championship in 2023…earned Regional Champion honors in the 2023 season… was a MHSAA District Champion in the 2023-25 seasons…won the 2023 district championship with the basketball team and the conference championship with the golf team in the fall of 2025…played travel ball for Turnin2 starting in 2023…earned third place at Alliance National in 2024 with Turnin2…was an NHS member…daughter of Jeremiah Peace and Joslyn Morrell…has two half-brothers, Finn and Zep, as well as a half-sister, Rowan along with two step-brothers, Connor and Carter…father, Jeremiah played baseball at Alma College (1995-98)…plans to study exercise science with plans to enter the medical field.
Kiley Phelan – INF – Macomb, Mich. – Dakota High School
High School/Personal: Graduated from Dakota High School in 2026…hails from Macomb, Mich.…earned honor roll in all eight semesters while serving as a part of the National Honor Society…was part of UNICEF and the Student Athletic Advisory Board…earned four letters in softball…was a 2023 and 2024 Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division 1 District Champion…named MHSAA First Team All-State (division 1) as a third baseman in 2025 and honorable mention in 2024…named MHSAA First Team All-Region in 2024 and 2025…named MHSAA First Team All-District in the 2024 and 2025 seasons…earned First Team All-County honors in 2023, 2024 and 2025…was named an all-conference third baseman in the 2023-25 seasons…holds the single season OBP record at Dakota High School (.583), the single season OPS record (1.709) and the single season RBI record (65) – all set in the 2025 season…named the No. 1 player in the Macomb County Pre-season poll in 2025…played travel ball with the National Firecrackers from 12u-18u…was a appeared in the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) National Tournament in 2023…won the PGF Michigan State Championship in 2021…named TCS East Coast National Champion in 2024…won the power pool at the Colorado Sparkler for the 2021-23 summer seasons…daughter of Cindy and Bradley Phelan…has an older sister, Casey, and a younger brother, Mick…father played football at Kalamazoo College (1997-99)…mother played softball at Wayne State (1998-2001)…has six other relatives that competed in college athletics…grandfather John Phelan graduated from CMU in 1994 and father did in 2006…plans to major in physical education with a minor in primary education with plans to become a teacher…loves 60's era musicals…plans to be in the "best buddies" program at CMU that works with Mount Pleasant citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities…knows the entire Hamilton soundtrack and is really good at ping-pong.
Jade Queen – OF – Lansing, Mich. – Grand Ledge High School
High School/Personal: A 2026 graduate of Grand Ledge High School…hails from Lansing, Mich….earned four letters in softball, two in volleyball, and one in unified sports…was a member of NHS…earned the Grand Ledge Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen award in 2025…named Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) Academic All-State in 203 and 2025…earned Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) All-State in 2024 and 2025 as an outfielder…named MHSAA All-Region in 2024 and 2025, MHSAA All-District in 2024 and 2025 and Capital Area Athletic Conference Class A All-Conference accolades in 2024 and 2025, with an honorable mention nod in 2023…earned the conference championship in the blue division in 2024 and 2025…won the 2024 Diamond Classic…an MHSAA District Champion and Division 1 Regional Champion with the Comets in 2025…played with Finesse for two seasons…daughter of Natalie and Lance Queen…has one younger sister, Jude…cousin Tracy Erickson played basketball at CMU from 1979-82…mother graduated from CMU in 2000, aunts in 1999 and 2002, uncle in 2003, cousins in 2011, 2028 and 1982…intends to major in elementary education and minor in health and fitness with intentions to become a teacher and coach…enjoys cooking and baking and playing with her aunt's dog; Stanley…graduated high school from Head Coach McCall Salmon's alma mater.
For the latest news and updates on CMU Softball, follow the team on X (@cmusoftball) and Instagram (@cmichsoftball).
Win Recap vs Detroit Mercy
Thursday, May 01
Softball vs Detroit Mercy
Wednesday, April 30
Softball vs Ohio
Sunday, April 27
Softball vs Ohio DH
Saturday, April 26