University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Inks Seven in Natalie Poole's First Signing Class
11/9/2022 4:45:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. --Â Southern Miss softball head coach Natalie Poole signed seven players today as part of her inaugural signing class. The class includes five high school student-athletes and two junior college products.Â
The Golden Eagles' class includes Lauren Lindsey (Mobile, Ala./Jones College), Holly Craft (Raleigh, Miss./Jones College), Kayce Oran Bennett (Watson, La./Live Oak High School), Gisselle Solis (Pearland, Texas/Glenda Dawson High School), BrookLynn White (Maumelle, Ark./Central Arkansas Christian School), Ansley High (Cartersville, Ga./Cass High School) and Emily Chandler (Locust Grove, Ga./Strong Rock Christian School).Â
"It feels great to have signed our first class of future Golden Eagles," Poole said. "Since we arrived on campus, outside of getting off to a good start here with our current student athletes, we have been focusing on adding onto that group to build for a bright future. We felt this recruiting class needed to have a combination of good athleticism, grit, success at a high level, passion for the sport, and potential for growth. We have achieved that through our class of five incoming freshmen and two junior college players. We look forward to the future with them!"
Lauren 'LL' Lindsey | Mobile, Ala. | First Base |Â Jones College | Baker High School
Lindsey headlines the Southern Miss signing class as an All-NJCAA National Team member during the 2021 season. The Jones College product has a .435 career batting average with 140 hits. Lindsey has produced 36 doubles, 2 triples and 37 home runs over two seasons at Jones. She is a five-time MACCC Player of the Week and two-time First Team All-American. The Mobile, Ala. native was the 2021 MACCC Player of the Year and has twice been named All-MACCC. She's accounted for 104 runs and 136 RBIs with 140 hits.Â
Holly Craft | Raleigh, Miss, | RHP | Jones College | Raleigh High School
The Raleigh High School product was the 2019 Sports601 Player of the Year and a member of the 2021 Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen. Under Kassidy White, Craft and Raleigh High School won a pair of South State Championships. Craft posted a 0.79 ERA during her senior season with 208 strikeouts. Over her four-year high school career, Craft struck out 722 batters. She went 9-3 as a freshman at Jones last season with 92 strikeouts. The right-handed pitcher had a 3.70 ERA in 89 innings pitched. She also belted five home runs to go along with a .300 batting average.
Kayce Oran Bennett | Watson, La. | Catcher/Third Base | Live Oak High SchoolÂ
Bennett has a .563 batting average during her career at Live Oak High School. The Watson, La. native has 12 home runs and a .637 on base percentage. She owns a .442 batting average in travel ball, while driving in 10 runs. Bennett has also stolen 11 bases at Live Oak.Â
BrookLynn White | Maumelle, Ark. | Pitcher | Central Arkansas Christian School
White has posted enjoyed success in the circle and at the plate during her time at Central Arkansas Christian School. During the 2022 season, White had a 15-4 record with 161 strikeouts. She had a 1.89 ERA in 100 innings pitched. The Maumelle, Ark. native had a .538 batting average last season and flashed power. White belted 14 home runs to go along with eight doubles and 44 RBI's. Just under half of her 35 hits left the ballpark.Â
Gisselle 'Gigi' Solis | Pearland, Texas | Pitcher | Glenda Dawson High School
During her 2022 campaign at Glenda Dawson High School, Solis struck out 126 batters in 94.2 innings pitched with a 1.43 ERA.
Emily Chandler | Locust Grove, Ga. | Infield/Utility | Strong Rock Christian School
Chandler showed her hitting ability at Strong Rock Christian last season, finishing with a .408 batting average and .512 on base percentage. She also swiped 23 bases. Recruited as an infielder and utility player, Chandler had a .894 fielding percentage last season.
Ansley Hight | Cartersville, Ga. | Cass High School
Hight will join the Golden Eagles with a .492 batting average at Cass High School. The Cartersville, Ga. product has produced 12 home runs, 41 RBIs, 22 walks and a .637 on base percentage.Â
The Golden Eagles' class includes Lauren Lindsey (Mobile, Ala./Jones College), Holly Craft (Raleigh, Miss./Jones College), Kayce Oran Bennett (Watson, La./Live Oak High School), Gisselle Solis (Pearland, Texas/Glenda Dawson High School), BrookLynn White (Maumelle, Ark./Central Arkansas Christian School), Ansley High (Cartersville, Ga./Cass High School) and Emily Chandler (Locust Grove, Ga./Strong Rock Christian School).Â
"It feels great to have signed our first class of future Golden Eagles," Poole said. "Since we arrived on campus, outside of getting off to a good start here with our current student athletes, we have been focusing on adding onto that group to build for a bright future. We felt this recruiting class needed to have a combination of good athleticism, grit, success at a high level, passion for the sport, and potential for growth. We have achieved that through our class of five incoming freshmen and two junior college players. We look forward to the future with them!"
Lauren 'LL' Lindsey | Mobile, Ala. | First Base |Â Jones College | Baker High School
Lindsey headlines the Southern Miss signing class as an All-NJCAA National Team member during the 2021 season. The Jones College product has a .435 career batting average with 140 hits. Lindsey has produced 36 doubles, 2 triples and 37 home runs over two seasons at Jones. She is a five-time MACCC Player of the Week and two-time First Team All-American. The Mobile, Ala. native was the 2021 MACCC Player of the Year and has twice been named All-MACCC. She's accounted for 104 runs and 136 RBIs with 140 hits.Â
Holly Craft | Raleigh, Miss, | RHP | Jones College | Raleigh High School
The Raleigh High School product was the 2019 Sports601 Player of the Year and a member of the 2021 Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen. Under Kassidy White, Craft and Raleigh High School won a pair of South State Championships. Craft posted a 0.79 ERA during her senior season with 208 strikeouts. Over her four-year high school career, Craft struck out 722 batters. She went 9-3 as a freshman at Jones last season with 92 strikeouts. The right-handed pitcher had a 3.70 ERA in 89 innings pitched. She also belted five home runs to go along with a .300 batting average.
Kayce Oran Bennett | Watson, La. | Catcher/Third Base | Live Oak High SchoolÂ
Bennett has a .563 batting average during her career at Live Oak High School. The Watson, La. native has 12 home runs and a .637 on base percentage. She owns a .442 batting average in travel ball, while driving in 10 runs. Bennett has also stolen 11 bases at Live Oak.Â
BrookLynn White | Maumelle, Ark. | Pitcher | Central Arkansas Christian School
White has posted enjoyed success in the circle and at the plate during her time at Central Arkansas Christian School. During the 2022 season, White had a 15-4 record with 161 strikeouts. She had a 1.89 ERA in 100 innings pitched. The Maumelle, Ark. native had a .538 batting average last season and flashed power. White belted 14 home runs to go along with eight doubles and 44 RBI's. Just under half of her 35 hits left the ballpark.Â
Gisselle 'Gigi' Solis | Pearland, Texas | Pitcher | Glenda Dawson High School
During her 2022 campaign at Glenda Dawson High School, Solis struck out 126 batters in 94.2 innings pitched with a 1.43 ERA.
Emily Chandler | Locust Grove, Ga. | Infield/Utility | Strong Rock Christian School
Chandler showed her hitting ability at Strong Rock Christian last season, finishing with a .408 batting average and .512 on base percentage. She also swiped 23 bases. Recruited as an infielder and utility player, Chandler had a .894 fielding percentage last season.
Ansley Hight | Cartersville, Ga. | Cass High School
Hight will join the Golden Eagles with a .492 batting average at Cass High School. The Cartersville, Ga. product has produced 12 home runs, 41 RBIs, 22 walks and a .637 on base percentage.Â
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