STATESBORO - Georgia Southern Head Softball Coach Kim Dean has announced the three signees that make up the early signing class for the Eagles for the upcoming 2021-22 season.

The three early signees for the Eagles are: 5-3 utility player Sydney Stewart (Fortson, Ga. / Harris County HS); 5-4 infielder/pitcher Emma Strickland (Colbert, Ga. / Madison County HS) and 5-7 catcher/infielder Reign Williams (Buckhead, Ga. / George Walton Academy).

"We're really excited about the three that we're bringing in," Coach Dean said. "Although it's one of the smaller classes we've ever brought in, it's one that I believe each skillset and personality will add with the depth on the field and  in the way our culture is being built. We understand it's smaller, but we're excited about the impact they'll bring. We've been recruiting this class for a while, and all of them bring so much energy in different ways to the program."

Sydney Stewart
5-3 Utility
Fortson, Ga.
Harris County HS

2019 First-Team All-State honoree at Harris County HS ... Hit .520 with a 1.351 OPS as a senior for the Tigers ... Also earned All-Region honors ... Selected to the North/South GA HS All-Star Game as well as the Georgia Dugout Club's All-Star Game ... Harris County HS was the state runner-up in 2019 ... Played travel ball for Atlanta Premier Gold Locke with fellow signee Reign Williams.

Coach Dean: "Sydney is a kid who's going to make you smile. She's very competitive. Both of her parents went to Georgia Southern, and got married after meeting each other here. For her entire life, it's been her goal to come back here. Georgia Southern has been really important to their family. Sydney is an outstanding athlete that can play multiple positions. She'll add depth in the outfield and infield. She's little, but man, she's got some power where she's won a few games with a home run. She's really excited to be an Eagle"

Emma Strickland
5-4 Infielder/Pitcher
Colbert, Ga.
Madison County HS

Three-time First-Team All-Region performer for Madison County HS ... Second-team All-State honoree as a junior for the Red Raiders ... Hit .344 with 19 RBI as a senior and also struck out 201 batters in 150 1/3 innings pitched, compiling a 1.39 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .180 BA ... 2019 Region Pitcher of the Year and 2018 Region Co-Pitcher of the Year ... Helped lead Madison County HS to four straight Elite Eight finishes and two Final Four finishes in 2017 and 2018 ... Played travel ball for Atlanta Vipers.

Coach Dean: "She's a genius. Emma's one of the kids that has a real good build, that we think we can build on. She'll play a corner position but can also pitch. Dani [Price] is going to get her in the bullpen and see if she can add to our staff. She has a really good bat, and when I stared recruiting her, I noticed early on the way the ball flew off the bat. When she connects, the ball really goes. Not 100% sure where she's going to play, but we do believe she's going to make an impact early on in her Eagle career."

Reign Williams
5-7 Catcher/Infielder
Buckhead, Ga.
George Walton Academy

Three-time First-Team All-Region performer at George Walton Academy ... Earned second-team All-State honors as a junior for the Bulldogs ... Hit .320 with a team-high 12 stolen bases as a senior, also compiling a .992 fielding percentage ... Hit .360 as a junior and did not strike out once during the season ... Also competed in basketball and golf ... Played travel ball for Atlanta Premier Gold Locke with fellow signee Sydney Stewart.

Coach Dean: "You can't have a name like Reign and not have a bundle of energy. She has real good skill sets, and she's still learning herself a little bit. Every time I looked at her, she was screaming for her teammates, she was cheering on a teammate. She's the type of kid who will catch 15 games in 110 degree weather and not complain once. All her teammates love her. Reign is going to add depth to an already strong catching staff. She can play infield and outfield. Her skill set is going to help us keep improving in different areas in our program."