NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — Jade Smith, a sophomore center fielder at New Braunfels High School, made an oral commitment to the Illinois softball team.
As a freshman, Smith was a Class 5A All-District 26 first-team selection after helping New Braunfels to a 26-6 record and a berth in the Bi-District finals.
Smith hit .396 and broke district and school records for stolen bases (38 in 42 attempts). She also received her team’s Defensive Most Valuable Player award.
Smith also is a member of the Texas Bombers Gold travel team, which advanced to the 2009 ASA Gold Nationals in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Women’s gymnasts No. 2 in poll. The Illinois women’s gymnastics team was picked second in the inaugural Big Ten preseason gymnastics poll, just behind early favorite Penn State, by the league’s coaches.
Coach Bob Starkell’s Illini finished second at last season’s Big Ten Championships. Each Big Ten coach also picked two of his gymnasts to form a 14-member Gymnasts to Watch List. The UI’s selections were 2009 first-team All-American Melissa Fernandez and West Regional beam champion Allison Buckley.

Baseball team ready for challenges. The Illinois baseball team is scheduled to play six NCAA tournament teams next season, coach Dan Hartleb said Tuesday.
NCAA qualifiers East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Missouri (at Busch Stadium in St. Louis), Dartmouth, Indiana and Ohio State are among the teams scheduled.
The Illini also are slated to play in the second annual Big Ten/Big East Challenge on Feb. 26-28.
“We feel like we’ve put together a schedule that will challenge us and give us an opportunity to prove ourselves against some of the top teams in the country at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, the LeClair Invitational Tournament and the Caravelle Resort Classic,” Hartleb said. “Playing tough opponents early in the season will prepare us for the rigorous Big Ten schedule. We’ve also added a number of home-and-home series with in-state schools for the 2010 season, which has helped us improve our midweek schedule.”