MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama head coach Becky Clark announced the addition of six more newcomers – four transfers and two incoming freshman – for the 2018 roster. Scheduled to join the Jaguar softball program next season in this group are Alexis Reid (Blue Springs, Mo.), Brittani Reid (Blue Springs, Mo.), Amanda Flynn (Coral Springs, Fla.), Carmen Byrd (Citronelle, Ala.), Jordyn Calderon (Jackson, N.J.) and Bobbi Smith (Choudrant, La.).
The summer newcomer group joins Kamdyn Kvistad (Wellborn, Fla.), Hannah Smith (Lafayette, La.), Baylie Thornhill (Baton Rouge, La.) and Jayden Dukes (Lake Charles, La.) who were announced during the fall.
Alexis Reid | Blue Springs, Mo. | Blue Springs [Mo.] High School | Kansas University
5-11 | Pitcher
A. Reid will join South Alabama after transferring from Kansas where she lettered two seasons for the Jayhawks. As a sophomore, A. Reid made 38 appearances and 36 starts in the circle where she posted a 3.19 earned run average after giving up 97 earned runs in 213 innings of work. A. Reid tossed 22 complete games, which led the Big 12, while she also ranked first in the league in starts and innings pitched. Her four shutouts were tied for fourth in the conference, while she ranked fifth in the league in appearances and strikeouts. She finished the season with 14 wins in the circle and struck out a team-high 121 batters.
She was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after the opening weekend of the season where she pitched two complete games and picked up two wins at the Stetson Lead-Off Classic and had a streak of 20-consecutive scoreless innings. The incoming junior is familiar with the Jaguars as she tossed seven-plus innings of five-hit ball against South at the Diamond 9 Citrus II Classic in Kissimmee, Fla., where she allowed just one earned run.
A. Reid struck out six batters in a complete-game effort in her first start of the season against Akron and twice registered a career-high eight strikeouts against at Oklahoma State and against Iowa. She started the season with a 6-1 record and had an 0.11 ERA in those seven starts.
As a freshman, A. Reid was named to the inaugural all-Big 12 Freshman Team after making 17 appearances with 11 starts in the circle, while also stepping into the batter's box in seven games. She finished the season with a 5-6 mark and a 3.88 ERA and batted .118 with two hits, two runs scored and two RBI.
Reid had her first-career home run in KU's season opener against North Carolina State. She struck out 33 batters in 65 innings of work, while also tossing six complete games and four shutouts. A. Reid recorded first-career victory at eventual national champion Oklahoma where she scattered nine hits and allowed just two earned runs. It was the Jayhawk's first win in Norman in 20 years. Along with the win against the Sooners, A. Reid closed out the season with a 5-1 record and allowed just 19 runs over her final nine outings.
Prior to arriving in Lawrence, A. Reid lettered at Blue Springs High School, earning team MVP honors in 2014. During the 2014 season, she ranked No. 44 in the Student Sports Hot 100 among the 2015 class. A. Reid was a two-time all-state selection and earned three all-region honors and all-district accolades during her prep career. She helped the Wildcats to three-straight conference championships as well as a district championship in 2014 and led Blue Springs to a 27-2 record as a junior and hit .500 on the season with 12 home runs.
Brittani Reid | Blue Springs, Mo. | Blue Springs [Mo.] High School | Kansas University
5-3 | Infielder
B. Reid joins her sister as a transfer from Kansas and will have three seasons of eligibility for the Jaguars.
In her lone season in Lawrence, the younger Reid appeared in 34 games and made nine starts. She had eight hits in 47 at-bats, registering two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. B. Reid also drew three walks and totaled seven runs scored, while posting two multi-RBI games. She recorded a career-best three RBI twice and notched her first-career hit and home run against Savannah State. B. Reid registered her second collegiate home run the next day against Akron and tallied two runs scored the following weekend against North Florida. During the season, she made eight appearances in the outfield, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage with 10 putouts.
Like her sister, she lettered four seasons Blue Springs High School in Blue Springs, Mo., where she helped the Wildcats to four conference championships (2012-15), three district championships (2012, 2014-15) and a regional championship (2015). B. Reid was named defensive player of the year in 2012 and offensive player of the year in 2015, while earning first-team all-conference honors at the conclusion of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. She collected first-team all-district and first-team all-region honors as a sophomore and junior, and was named first-team all-state as a senior. As a junior, B. Reid batted .505 with a .864 slugging percentage, while leading the team with 38 RBI. She also recorded 12 doubles, five home runs and two grand slams during her junior campaign.
Amanda Flynn | Coral Springs, Fla. | Coral Springs [Fla.] Charter School
5-3 | Outfielder
Flynn joins the South Alabama program after starting the past four seasons for head coach Mark Montimurro at Coral Springs Charter School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. During her time with the Panthers, Flynn was part of three-straight Florida state championships (2017 - 5A, 2016 - 5A, 2015 - 4A). The championship during her sophomore season was the first state title of any kind in school history. Flynn also earned Miami Herald - Sun Sentinel first-team all-county as a senior and junior.
Flynn has been rated by recruiting outlets as a great outfielder with great range, who is a versatile soft/hard slapper with speed at the plate.
Entering her final prep season, Coral Springs ranked No. 40 nationally in the preseason by MaxPreps and cracked the Top 25 of the MaxPreps poll moving to No. 12 in March after beginning the season 14-1. The Panthers ended the season with a 30-1 overall mark.
In 117 plate appearances, Flynn posted a .505 batting average with 52 hits as a senior. Of those 52 hits, 22 went for extra bases – 11 doubles, 10 triples and one home run. She also drove in 26 and scored 31 times to go along with a .834 slugging percentage. Flynn was 26-for-28 in her steal attempts and also had multiple hits in 19 of her 31 games including a season-high four against Pompano Beach.
Flynn scored the game-tying run in the sixth inning of a 2-1 victory over Eustis in the 5A state title game last season after coming up huge in the Panthers' semifinal win over Walton as her two-run triple in the bottom of the fifth inning erased a 1-0 deficit and helped propel the club to a 3-1 and advance CSC to the championship game.
Coral Springs ended the season ranked 22nd nationally in the USA Today Sports Super 25 Expert Rankings after the Panthers finished with a 25-3 record during her junior season. Flynn batted .383 that year and posted a .479 on-base percentage, while recording a team-high 31 base hits, 26 runs scored and 19 RBI.
As a sophomore, the Panthers went 29-0-1 and Flynn batted .406 (29-for-72) and scored 23 times, while driving in 14. Flynn also batted .400 in 22 games as a freshman.
According to MaxPreps, Flynn has posted a .430 batting average, .501 on-base percentage, 138 hits, 101 runs scored and 80 RBI during her prep career. She also played club ball for Jersey Intensity Premier
Carmen Byrd | Mt. Vernon, Ala. | Citronelle High School | Spring Hill College
5-4 | Infielder
Byrd is the third transfer in this summer's class as she moves down the road after lettering the past three seasons at Spring Hill College where the Badgers won three Southern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (SIAC) West Division titles and a won 59 of their 61 regular-season league games.
As a junior, Byrd was a second-team preseason all-SIAC selection where she helped SHC finish with 33 wins and go 17-2 in conference play. Byrd all 49 games for the Badgers and batted .312, tallying 49 hits, with 27 runs scored and 17 RBI. She had 10 multi-hit outings, including a 4-for-4 performance against Miles College.
Byrd started all 51 games for the Badgers at shortstop as a sophomore and ranked third on the team with a .351 batting average as she was 61-for-174 after earning first-team preseason all-league honors. Her 61 hits paced the club and she was successful in 14 of her 16 steal attempts. Byrd scored 50 runs and drove in 23, while tallying 75 total bases – second most on the roster. She also had 18 multi-hit performances throughout the season and the Badgers were a perfect 24-0 in SIAC play in route to the division title.
Byrd made an immediate impact in the Spring Hill line up as a freshman where she was selected a Top 10 finalist for the inaugural NFCA Division II National Freshman of the Year Trophy. Byrd led the Badgers in hitting with a .430 batting average (64-for-149) from the leadoff position and registered two doubles and seven triples with 25 RBI. She also scored 40 runs and struck out just six times in 149 plate appearances. She started all 43 games and swiped 22 of 25 stolen base attempts. Byrd was also outstanding in conference play as she batted .567 in her 18 games going 34-for-67 at the plate.
Her .430 batting average during her freshman campaign still ranks as second-best for a single-season in Badger history. Byrd also ranks among the program leaders in runs (50, third, 2016) and (40, tied-eighth, 2015), hits (64, fourth, 2015), triples (7, tied-first, 2015).
Byrd prepped at Citronelle High School under head coach Dana Mason prior to her time at Spring Hill.
Jordyn Calderon | Jackson, N.J. | Jackson Memorial [N.J.] High School
5-4 | Utility
Calderon will join the Jaguars after lettering at Jackson Memorial High School in Jackson, N.J., where she has lettered the last five seasons. During her prep career, Calderon has been a three-time first-team Ashbury Park Press all-Shore selection and was named her team's Most Valuable Player (2015, '16, '17). She was also named to the 2017 Class A South All Division Team as well as being selected 2017 to the Shore Senior All-Star Game for the South team.
Calderon batted .568 as a senior with 46 hits. Of her 46 hits, half were for extra bases as she had 13 doubles, four triples and six home runs. Calderon also drove in 26 runs during the season and led the Jaguars in batting, hits, RBI, runs scored and home runs.
During her final prep season, Calderon had an eighth inning, opposite field walk-off solo home run to secure a 4-3 victory for the Jaguars over Southern. Also went 4-for-8 with three home runs, three RBI and four runs scored in two Class A South wins over Central and Southern during week two of the season.
As a junior, Calderon batted .601 with 36 hits. Of her 36 hits, 20 were for extra bases – eight home runs, five triples and seven doubles. Calderon also batted .597 during her sophomore season, recording 30 hits, which included eight doubles, three triples and seven home runs.
She has also played five seasons with Jersey Intensity Jersey Intensity based out of Farmingdale, N.J.
Bobbi Smith | Choudrant, La. | West Oachita [La.] High School | LSU-Eunice
5-6 | Outfielder
Smith joins the Jaguars after starting the past two seasons at LSU-Eunice and helping the Lady Bengals to back-to-back NJCAA Division II national titles.
As a sophomore, LSUE finished with a 53-11 record en route to the program's third national title in the last four seasons. Smith
This past season, started 54 games and batted .381 as she was 59-for-155 at the plate. Of her 59 hits, 18 were for extra bases including 12 doubles and 88 total bases. Smith all had five home runs and drove in 27 runs, while scoring 56 runs of her own.
Smith also had a .568 slugging percentage and a .458 on-base percentage, while successfully wiping 24 of her 25 steal attempts.
One of her best outings of the season came in a 15-6 win over Kilgore where she was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and four RBI. Smith was also 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a homer and three runs scored in an 18-2 win versus Southern Union State. Her best month of the season came during March where she was 19-for-37 for a .514 average with 11 RBI and 16 runs scored.
Smith helped the Lady Bengals capture their second NJCAA national championship in 2015 as they finished with a 58-8 record. For her play in the national tournament, Smith was named to the all-tournament team after registering five hits and scoring five runs.
As a freshman at LSUE, Smith posted 49 hits in 139 at-bats, while also walking 16 times. She batted .353, had a .423 on-base percentage and a .489 slugging percentage and was a perfect 24 for 24 in stolen bases, while also recording nine doubles, three triples. Smith scored 38 runs, drove in 23 and had two home runs during the 2016 season with both of her home runs coming during the NJCAA tournament.
Prior to arriving at LSU-Eunice, Smith was a standout at West Ouachita High School in Monroe, La. During her prep career, she was a four-time all-district 2-4A selection and a four-time all-Northeast Louisiana selection. Smith also earned 4A all-state honors as a senior, as a junior and as a freshman, while also being selected as the Northeast Louisiana Player of the Year in 2015. She was also chosen on Louisiana's All-Star team in 2015 after batting .451.
NOTE: Fall signee Iman Muhammad from Cobb High School in Acworth, Ga., will not join the program due to an injury suffered during her prep career.
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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