If Troy softball head coach Eric Newell were to describe the incoming class in one word, he would say “hungry.” He brought in a large class to bolster the roster in his third season at the helm.
“There’s 26 total players, which is one of the bigger teams I’ve ever had,” said Newell. “It’s about fit for me, and we found 13 girls that I think are going to fit really, really well.
“We’ll grow and mature together and kinda see where the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.”
Of the 13 newcomers, nine are incoming freshman while the other four are transfers.
The first of the incoming transfers is Esmee Ames from Florida Southwestern State, where she led her team to two back-to-back national titles at the NJCAA level. Ames is an international talent as she is originally from Haarlem, Netherlands.
Joining Ames from the NJCAA level are Megan Loftis, from the College of Central Florida, and McKinnon Howard, from Wallace State. Also joining the Trojans from the transfer portal is Annie Orman who comes to Troy from Ole Miss, where she spent her last three seasons.
Of the 13 incoming players, Coach Newell mentioned four by name when asked about players he’s looking to step up with the loss of Gold Glove winner Libby Baker. The four mentioned were Ames Mya Holt from Wetumpka, Alabama Caiden Oliva from Ponte Verda, Florida and Reaghan Oney coming all the way from Mount Sterling, Kentucky.
That’s not to say Coach Newell forgot his players from last year, as he looks for everyone on the team to be able to step up and make big plays to help push the Trojans to the next level.
Seven of the newcomers are listed as utility on the Troy roster for now, which shows how Coach Newell will look to move players around to make the best fit possible.
Of the nine freshmen, the only two not listed as utility players are Emily Ferro, an outfielder from Villa Rica, Georgia, and Ally Fleck, a pitcher from Roswell, Georgia.
Those seven utility players are Oliva, Holt and Oney, as well as Hallie Ueberroth from Pensacola, Florida, Laney Williams and Dailynn Motes from Alabaster, Alabama and Reese Green from Hilliard, Florida.
“As for a lot of these girls, they were incredible players at their high school level or in their local communities and now it’s about being a part of a team,” said Coach Newell. “The question is: can you do it with team chemistry, selflessness, and sometimes putting other people’s needs ahead of yours?”
The general energy around the team is excitement, and that energy is felt around the whole softball complex with Coach Newell and his coaching staff itching to get the 2024 fall ball season and 2025 season underway.
“It’s a very, very talented group,” explained Coach Newell. “We have been kind of doing some preliminary stuff, preliminary practices.
“The attitude has been fantastic and the energy level has been fantastic.”
Comments