Signee Gallery

MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama softball head coach Becky Clark announced on Friday the addition of four to the Jaguars' early signing class.

The program is expected to announce additional signees next week.



Lyric Cabral | Oklahoma City, Okla. | Carl Albert High School
5-7 | Catcher

Cabral – the first addition to the 2018 signee class – is expected to graduate early and enroll in school for the spring semester so that she can join the 2018 roster.

"Lyric is a catcher with an incredibly high softball IQ," Clark said.  "She has all of the tools to be a top catcher with an above average arm and receiving ability.  She knows how to manage a pitching staff as well as the flow of the game.  Offensively, she can hit to all fields and will be an RBI producer for us.  She will graduate early and enroll at South Alabama this spring with a chance to come in and compete for playing time right away."

Cabral lettered at Carl Albert High School in Oklahoma City, Okla., for head coach Colin White where she batted .408, drove in 160 runs and posted a .986 fielding percentage during her prep career.  She also earned defensive player of the year honors as a junior and as a senior.

As a junior, Cabral batted .460 and had 51 RBI, while being named to the Oklahoma High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Large West all-state team.  Cabral also helped the Titans (38-2) win the 2017 Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) Class 5A Fast-Pitch State Championship last month.  Over the final three rounds, Carl Albert out-scored their opponents 28-0 and defeated Piedmont 12-0 in the championship game at the USA Hall of Fame Stadium.  She was also named to the Oklahoman's 2016 Big All-City softball roster.

Cabral has also played two years of travel ball for the Oklahoma Athletics.  She also lettered in soccer and basketball during her prep career.



Kennedy Cronan | Daphne, Ala. | Daphne High School
5-9 | Infield

Cronan lettered the 2017 season at Daphne High School in Daphne, Ala., for head coach L.T. Yelding.  She batted .490 and hit nine home runs, 20 doubles and three triples as a junior, and earned Alabama Sports Writer's Association (ASWA) 6A first-team all-state honors.  She also posted team-best 63 RBI and .533 on-base percentage to go with 82 hits and 55 runs.  Cronan was also selected to compete on the South team in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) North/South All-Star Game the summer following her junior year.

"I anticipate Kennedy coming in and making an immediate impact. She is a dual sport athlete excelling on the basketball court as well as the softball field," Clark said.  "Defensively, I expect her to compete for playing time at third base and shortstop.  Offensively she is a middle of the order hitter who will go gap-to-gap but can also hit for power.  Considering her athleticism and mentality I think she has the potential to be a very special player at our level."

The 5-foot-9 infielder played four seasons at Gulf Shores High School in Gulf Shores, Ala., prior to transferring to DHS.  Cronan was a two-time all-state selection for the Dolphins and was an all-county and all-area selection from 2014-17.  According to MaxPreps, Cronan batted .397 and recorded 174 hits – 45 doubles, three triples and 13 home runs, while scoring 94 runs and driving in 119 during her GSHS career.  Cronan batted .485, had a .571 on-base percentage and a .757 slugging percentage during her sophomore season.  She also batted .396 and had 21 doubles and 46 RBI as a freshman at Gulf Shores.  

Cronan has also lettered in basketball during her prep career and played two years of travel ball for the Birmingham Bolts.



Lauren Stringer | Taylorsville, Miss. | Taylorsville High School
5-11 | Pitcher

Stringer has been a standout letterwinner at Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Miss., for head coach Mason Grissom where she helped the Tartars to a pair of 2A state titles.  She has also recorded at least 250 strikeouts each of the last two seasons in the circle and entering her senior season holds a career record of 49-13.  Stringer has also been a two-time Mississippi High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) all-state selection as well as a four-time all-district honoree.  She was also selected to compete in the 16th Annual MAC All-Star Girls Fast Pitch Softball Games in June 2017.

"Lauren is a right-handed pitcher with a huge ceiling. Her work ethic, mentality, and physical build all add up to great things once she gets in our weight room and bullpen," Clark said.  "She has tremendous spin on the ball and is a true competitor on the mound.  I think she will only continue to take steps forward once she gets in our system on a daily basis.  I am excited for her because she has already experienced a tremendous amount of success but there is still so much more possible for her."

As a junior, Stringer started in the circle in 26 of Taylorsville's 28 games, helping lead her team repeat as 2A state champions.  She has a record of 19-7 with a 0.84 ERA and batted .453 at the plate.  

As a sophomore, the 5-foot-11 pitcher helped Taylorsville (24-3) string together eight straight wins and capture the school's first state championship in the 2A state playoffs.  She also had two no-hitters and a perfect game against Puckett in the playoffs as well as earning wins during the season over playoff teams in 6A Oak Grove, 5A Wayne County and 4A Newton County.

During Taylorsville's title runs, Stringer has pitched all 124 inning of the playoff and championship games, recording 169 strikeouts.  In the 2017 championship series, Stringer pitched both games, logging one shutout and 22 strikeouts, and held the other team to just two runs.  During the 2016 championship series, Stringer went the distance in the circle in both games, recording a pair of shutouts, 17 strikeouts and didn't all a run.  In addition to the two state titles, she also led Taylorsville to four district championships and three south state titles.

Stringer has also played travel ball for both MS Elite Gold and three years for the New Jersey Intensity.



Samantha Yarbrough | Fairhope, Ala. | Fairhope High School
5-7 | Pitcher/Utility

Yarbrough lettered the 2017 season at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Ala., for head coach Chuck Nelson.  In her one season at FHS, Yarbrough was named AL.com's Coastal Player of the Year after bat-ting .411 with 14 doubles, 14 home runs, 57 runs scored and 56 RBI, while also going 28-6 with four saves in 188 innings pitched in the circle with 294 strikeouts, a 1.72 earned run average and four no-hitters.  She also helped Fairhope finish with a 49-8 record and earn a berth in the Class 7A state tournament.   Yarbrough earned ASWA 7A All-State honors at the utility position as a junior and was also selected as one of the Top 50 Alabama Athletes in 2017.

"Sam brings a lot of different tools to the table; she pitches, hits, and can play multiple defensive positions as well," Clark said.  "I think she's another player who has an incredibly high ceiling and will really take off once she is in our system on a consistent basis.  Offensively, she has great bat speed and can hit for both average and power.  In the circle she is mostly a north and south pitcher with the ability to change speeds as well.  She has a tremendous amount of upside and should come in and make an immediate impact."

Yarbrough transferred to the Pirates after attending Macon-East High School, Pike Liberal Arts School and Charles Henderson High School.  She was selected to the AISA Class AAA all-tournament team as a sophomore.  During her freshman season at PLAS, Yarbrough played in 43 games while hitting .517 on the season, with six home runs and 50 RBI.  She also finished with a total of 29 extra-base hits.  As a pitcher, Yarbrough finished with a 7-3 record after pitching a total of 81 1/3 innings and struck out a total of 123 batters.

She has played travel ball for three years for Southern Spirit.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
    
Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.

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