Leading up to the start of the 2023 South Alabama softball season, we will preview all the position groups on the Jaguar roster.

The four-part series examines each position group ahead of the season-opening tournament, the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 10-12. This installment looks at South Alabama's catchers and utility players.

RETURNING STARTERS (3)
- Abby Allen (Jr., 5-4, UTL) – Started 38 of her 41 games at both first and in the DP role, recording four home runs and 12 RBI
- Stephanie Gonzalez (So., 5-5, UTL) – Six of her 14 hits went for extra bases – three doubles and three home runs, while starting 25 of her 27 games played
- Emma Kropp (Sr., 5-9, C/UTL) – Started 20 games behind the plate and in the designated player role, batting .250 with two home runs and six RBI

OTHER RETURNING PLAYERS (1)
- Hannah Ogea (R-So., 5-7, UTL) – Appeared off the bench in four games in 2022

NEWCOMERS (3)
- Brooklynn Bockhaus (Fr., 5-4, OF/UTL) – Could see time in both the outfield and utility positions
- Sophia Mendoza (Fr., 5-7, C/INF) – Over the course of her four-year prep career, batted .422, with 95 hits, 100 RBI and 40 runs scored in 85 games
- Sasha Williems (Jr., 5-4, C) – Was a three-time All-America selection at Howard College, earning All-American honors from both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (second team) and NJCAA DI Softball (third team) in 2022

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
- Statistically, Kropp was South's best two-out hitter as she was 9-for-20 (.450) with all six of her RBI coming in those situations. She was solid behind the plate defensively as she threw out six base runners, which tied for sixth in the Sun Belt, and the six caught stealing were also tied for tied for fifth-most in a season at South Alabama
- Allen drew a team-best 28 walks, which were the most drawn by a Jaguar since Stephanie Pilkington's 32 during the 2015 season, and her 21-game reached base safely streak last spring was sixth longest in program history 
- Williems competed for her home country's national team the Travelodge Aussie Spirit at the Canada Cup and World Games this past summer
- Of Williems' 65 hits, 35 went for extra bases – 17 doubles and 17 home runs
- Bockhaus left holding Haughton's career home run (36) and RBI (135) in just three seasons, and as a junior, set HHS's single-season records for home runs (19) and RBI (64), while batting .538 and earning Class 5A all-state honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association

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