Southern Miss Softball Announces Fall Signees
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Southern Miss Softball Announces Fall Signees HATTIESBURG, Miss. --
The Lady Eagles picked up a versatile group of players that includes Ashley Autman (Monticello, Miss.), Allison Bullard (Columbus, Ga.), Whitney Cochran (Lake Stevens, Wash.), Krystal Crooks (Tampa, Fla.), Erin Curtis-Boggs (Tampa, Fla.), Jennifer Fox (Jackson, Miss.), Leah Kilpatrick (Columbia, Miss.) and Jessica Myers (Boynton Beach, Fla.).
Autman, a 5-5 senior outfielder from Lawrence County High School, is coming off a successful junior season. Autman had a .402 batting average and added 12 stolen bases last season, while also earning all-district, all-area and most valuable player honors. Autman also garnered all-district honors as a sophomore in 2002 and was the team's most improved player as a freshman. Autman also lettered in basketball.
"Ashley attended our camp last summer and demonstrated her quickness," McNutt said. "She will add a lot to our program with her speed in both the outfield and in baserunning."
Bullard is a 5-8 catcher/outfielder for Hardaway High School in Columbus. A member of the high school team since the eighth grade, Bullard sports a career batting average of .346 and has been a member of the all-city team three times. She helped lead Hardaway to the 2003 Georgia AAAA State Championship last season, as well as the Region 2-AAAA title. In 2003, Bullard batted .380 with 38 hits, 39 RBIs, 11 doubles, one triple and three home runs. She also was 10-for-10 in steals. Hardaway finished as the state runner ups in 2002 and has won four-straight region championships.
"Allison should see some time as a catcher," McNutt said. "She possesses good skills behind the plate, and she also can hit the ball well."
Cochran is a 5-10 outfielder for Lake Stevens High School in Lake Stevens, Wash. She was named to both the 2003 Everett Herald's All-Area and All-Wesco first teams as a sophomore and a junior, while also being named to the 2001 All-Wesco Honorable Mention team as a freshman. Cochran has helped lead Lake Stevens to the state tournament three-years running, including a fifth-place finish last year. She also lettered twice in soccer and was an All-Wesco Honorable Mention recipient in 2001.
"Whitney should be a benefit to our overall program," McNutt said. "She is a good hitter and has some power, to go along with strong defensive skills."
Crooks is a 5-7, three-position player for Sickles High School in Tampa, Fla., seeing time as a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder. She garnered all-conference and all-county honors as a junior pitcher and was the team's offensive most valuable player in 2002. Last season, she pitched in 68 innings for a 9-1 overall record. She also had 108 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.31.
"Erin is a very versatile player who will join us in the pitching rotation," McNutt said. "She may also see time in the outfield. She is a good hitter who has the potential for power."
Curtis-Boggs is a 5-7 shortstop/second baseman at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa. She helped lead H.B. Plant to the state of Florida's top ranking last season, as well as a stint on the USA Today national top 25, at No. 14. Curtis-Boggs, who holds a 3.96 GPA and scored a 1310 on the SAT, was an Academic All-American for both the USA and NFCA softball organizations. She also earned the all-academic award for the Hillsborough County Western Conference. In 2002, Curtis-Boggs had the team's highest batting average and was the rookie of the year for the team in 2001. She also was a teammate of Crooks on the Tampa Mustangs, where Curtis-Boggs led the team in several batting categories.
"Erin is very athletic, and she has good speed and defensive skills," McNutt said. "She is a very intelligent student-athlete who will see time in the middle infield and possibly in the outfield."
Fox is a 5-3 third baseman/second baseman at Hillcrest Academy in Jackson. She helped lead Hillcrest to the Mississippi Private School Association's AAA State championship this season. The team also finished as the AAA South State runner up and the overall state runner up. Fox was a member of the state all-tournament teams in both her junior and senior seasons and was an Academy All-Star this year. She batted .546 with 71 hits and 55 total runs scored. Fox also had 13 doubles, nine triples and six home runs.
"Jennifer loves the game of softball," McNutt said. "She will add depth to our infield and in our lineup, where she has the potential to hit for power."
Kilpatrick is a 5-5 outfielder/shortstop from Columbia, Miss. She batted .500 in 2003 for Columbia High School, while striking out just once. She also finished with 24 stolen bases and was a member of the 2003 all-star team.
"Leah will add a lot of speed to our outfield," McNutt said. "She is a steady defensive player, a good contact hitter and a very intelligent student/athlete."
Myers is a 5-8 outfielder from Boynton Beach (Fla.) High School. As a junior, Myers led a three-county area with the most stolen bases (27) and also had a .522 batting average, second among all players. She was a first team all-conference selection and was a first-team all-area selection in Districts 4A, 5A and 6A by both the Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post. Myers also was named to the Class 5A All-State First Team as voted on by the Florida Sports Writers Association.
"Jessica has set some high goals for herself, so we expect big things from her," McNutt said. "She should add some punch to our offense and she is quick on the basepaths."
The Lady Eagle softball team, which finished with a 28-30 record last season, opens regular season play Feb. 4 at home against Louisiana-Monroe.