Recruiting News: Athletes Take Their Swings At College

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals have split the first two games I have watched in St. Louis, and I will be attending today's afternoon game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have been using my “hotel time” to read <em>Lonesome Dove</em>, play some <em>Candy Crush</em>, and catch up on recruiting news for Kansas athletes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A total of eight home runs have been hit in the two games at Busch Stadium, and several ranked Kansas athletes have already taken their swings at the fence by announcing their verbal college commitments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at eight athletes whom I have recently discovered have verbally committed to college programs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='222092' first='Willow' last='Weninger']</strong>, 6'2”, RS, Blue Valley Southwest, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weninger is ranked No. 16 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. She has verbally committed to playing with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the ACC. She heads into her senior season coming off a 254-kill season for the Timberwolves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='731076' first='Hayden' last='Meats']</strong>, 5'10”, OH, Gardner Edgerton, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meats is currently ranked No. 32 overall by Prep Dig Kansas. She is among a strong group of Kansas athletes who have verbally committed to Washburn University. She heads into her senior season after posting 445 kills as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357543' first='Hayden' last='Grimes']</strong>, 5'9”, OH, Andale, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andale's Grimes has verbally committed to Colorado State. She is ranked No. 54 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. She enters her senior season with a chance to reach the 1,000-career benchmark in digs and kills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='355653' first='Finley' last='Rieke']</strong>, 6'1”, MB, Tonganoxie, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rieke plans to head to west to Topeka after graduation as she is verbally committed to Washburn University. She finished her junior season with 305 kills and is 295 kills away from reaching 1,000 as she heads into her senior campaign. She is currently ranked No. 57 overall by Prep Dig Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357591' first='Gillian' last='Walton']</strong>, 6'0”, MB, Shawnee Mission West, '26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walton has verbally committed to Northern Colorado. She is currently ranked No. 190 in the Prep Dig Kansas rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='436201' first='Riley' last='Riggs']</strong>, 6'0”, OH, Mill Valley, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riggs is one of three members (to my knowledge) of the Class of 2027 who have already made verbal commitments after the June 15 date on which offers could be extended to members of the '27 class. She announced on social media this week that she has verbally committed to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks. She recorded 403 kills last season for the Jaguars and had 702 total kills in two seasons. She is currently the No. 1-ranked athlete by Prep Dig Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='480396' first='Peyton' last='Kubik']</strong>, 6'2”, OH/RS, Blue Valley West, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley West's Kubik has verbally committed to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers. She is ranked No. 3 overall in the Kansas Class of 2027. She has recorded back-to-back seasons with 400-plus kills in two prep seasons with the Jaguars.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='446324' first='Sasha' last='Cromer']</strong>, 5'11”, S, Blue Valley West, '27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cromer has verbally committed to playing for the Auburn Tigers. She is ranked No. 19 overall by Prep Dig Kansas and is ranked No. 112 nationally by Prep Dig. She was the backup setter last season for BVW and should be the starter moving forward. She recorded 184 assists in 35 varsity sets last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->