NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team added a pair of players to its 2020 recruiting class, signing twin sisters and battery mates Kennedy and Kerris Cameron out of Longview, Texas.
 
Two all-state players at the Texas 6A level, the duo will arrive at NSU next fall following already-decorated careers at Longview High School. Kennedy struck out more than 200 in her junior year in 2019 while being named the district pitcher of the year. Kerris, meanwhile, has thrown out more than 50 percent of runners from her catcher position and hit better than .400 during her high school career.
 
"Adding these two players will be huge for us," said Norfolk State head coach James Inzana. "As sisters and a pitcher-catcher combination, they work extremely well together and are always on the same page. Playing for their father in a good travel ball organization, they have very competitive attitudes. On top of that, they are academically sound too."
 
Kennedy earned the District 11 Pitcher of the Year Award and was a first-team All-East Texas and second-team 6A All-State honoree her junior season in 2019. She struck out 233 after finishing with 186 strikeouts during her sophomore year in 2018. She was district pitcher of the year that season and garnered first-team 6A All-State and All-East Texas accolades.
 
She earned honorable mention all-district, all-East Texas and all-state her freshman campaign, too. She struck out 121 batters but also hit .356. Kennedy batted .493 her sophomore season as well.
 
"Kennedy will have a big impact for us," Inzana stated. "She is a very accurate pitcher, is good at keeping hitters off-balance, has deceptive speed, and owns a high-level curve ball."
 
Kerris has been named honorable mention 6A All-State at catcher her first three high school seasons. Most recently, she hit .458 as a junior in 2019 with 10 doubles, six triples, six home runs and 37 RBI. She earned first-team All-District 11 and first-team All-East Texas while throwing out seven of 13 potential base stealers.
 
She hit .451 as a freshman in 2017 with seven doubles and five triples. She followed that up with a .421 average during her sophomore campaign with six doubles, two triples and three home runs. Both seasons she was named first-team all-district, and she garnered first-team All-East Texas her freshman year and honorable mention as a sophomore.
 
"Kerris brings a solid bat to the lineup," added Inzana. "She also handles a pitching staff well, and she is also very good at communicating from behind the plate."
 
Both players are members of the National Honor Society in addition to their exploits on the field.
 
NSU will lose two seniors off this year's 24-player roster, including first-team All-MEAC outfielder Shelby DesChamps. The Spartans begin the 2020 season on Feb. 7 at the Blue Hose Invitational at Presbyterian.