Softball | 7/28/2017 1:00:00 PM

STATESBORO - Head softball coach Kim Dean has announced the nine newcomers who will join the Georgia Southern University softball squad for the upcoming 2018 season. Six freshmen and three transfers make up the group of newcomers for the Eagles.

Freshman 5-5 pitcher Savannah Freeman (Trinity Center HS / Powder Springs, Ga.), freshman 5-7 pitcher Rylee Waldrep (Oxford HS / Oxford, Ala.), freshman 5-5 utility player Sydney Fisher (Lakeside HS / Augusta, Ga.), freshman utility player Hannah Scarbrough (Newnan HS / Newnan, Ga.), freshman 5-3 outfielder Caiya Madison (Collins Hill HS / Suwanee, Ga.) and freshman 5-6 infielder Allyssah Mullis (Mary Persons HS / Juliette, Ga.) are the incoming freshmen who will join a pair of Armstrong State transfers, junior catcher Logan Harrell (Pembroke, Ga.) and junior shortstop Macy Coleman (Hazlehurst, Ga.), and junior Kennesaw State transfer Jenna Kniss (Lodi, Calif.) in playing for the Eagles next season.

"I'm excited for our incoming players to get on campus and help us move in the right direction as we continue to build the Georgia Southern softball program," Coach Dean said. "This group brings a lot of athleticism to the table. I'm especially fortunate to be able to bring over three experienced players from Armstrong State and Kennesaw State who will be able to make an early impact, while also looking forward to seeing our freshmen work hard to try and make their mark on our team. We have a bright future ahead of us here in Statesboro."

A trio of pitchers start off the group with a pair of young freshmen arms in Savannah Freeman and Rylee Waldrep. Freeman pitched for Georgia Impact as well as Trinity Center HS, while Waldrep set the Oxford HS record with 881 career strikeouts for the Yellow Jackets. They'll join junior transfer Jenna Kriss, who pitched in 24 games over two seasons with the Atlantic Sun Conference's Owls, going 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA as a sophomore in 2017.

Versatile utility freshmen Sydney Fisher and Hannah Scarbrough also join the program with high honors. Scarbrough was the Coweta County Offensive Player of the Year as a senior for Newnan HS, hitting .441 and earning spots on the GACA All-Star Team and Georgia Dugout Club All-State Team, while Fisher hit .509 with seven triples, seven doubles and 52 runs scored as a senior at Lakeside HS, earning Region Player of the Year honors.

Caiya Madison and Allyssah Mullis round out the incoming freshmen for the Eagles. Madison led Collins HS in several offensive categories as a senior and helped the Eagles to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in the state of Georgia. Mullis excelled at Mary Persons HS, hitting .456 with 10 doubles, 13 home runs and 46 RBI as a senior for the Bulldogs and set five career offensive records, including most home runs (31).

Dean is familiar with the final additions to the squad as she coached both Macy Coleman and Logan Harrell as a part of NCAA Division II national semifinalist Armstrong State's team in 2017. Both players were part of the Pirates' national semifinalist squads in 2016, as well, as Coleman led the Peach Belt Conference in home runs last season with 15, hitting .333 while earning NCAA Championships All-Tournament honors. Harrell hit .327 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI in 2017 and was an NCAA Championships All-Tournament honoree in 2016 for the Pirates.

These nine newcomers join 13 returnees from the 2016 squad as Coach Dean begins her first season at the helm of the Eagles this upcoming year.