MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama head coach Becky Clark announced the addition of Gracie Dees (Saraland, Ala.), Gracie McDonald (Ocean Springs, Miss.), Lillie Stagner (Chunchula, Ala.) and Kara Wine (Cantonment, Fla.) to the fall recruiting class.

"The young women who make up this class are all such great fits for South Alabama softball," Clark said of the class. "They are all incredible players, students, and people. The staff and I look forward to coaching them over the four years of their careers and know that they will leave their mark on the program. All four of them play the game with grit and toughness as well as great character and compete mentality. They are going to be a lot of fun to watch and I know our fans are going to love supporting them."

Gracie Dees – Saraland, Ala. – Saraland HS 
5-8 | UTL | R-R

"I expect Gracie (Dees) to make an immediate impact on our program," Clark said. "She is such a competitor and just an overall ballplayer. Defensively, she has the instincts and athleticism to play almost anywhere on the field.  Offensively, she is a middle of the order hitter who will hit for both average and power as well as drive in runs. On top of that, she is a leader and a winner.  Her work ethic, grit, and toughness make her a great fit for our program and we are excited to get her on campus next Fall."

-    Member of varsity squad at Saraland High School since 8th grade
-    Helped lead the Spartans to four area championships and a fifth-place finish at the 2021 AHSAA state tournament
-    Three-time AL.com Coastal High School Terrific 20 selection (2022-24), and three-time all-state honoree
-    Named to the Lagniappe all-area team and 6A/7A All-State, as well as Best Female High School Athlete Nappie Award Winner by the publication
-    Competed in 2024 AHSAA North/South All-Star Game
-    Earned Class 5A all-state as an outfielder from the Alabama Sports Writers Association after batting .390 with 51 RBI, 14 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 55 runs scored
-    Also drew 37 walks and struck out just eight times
-    Earned Class 6A first-team all-state honors from the ASWA both as a pitcher and as an outfielder P/OF
-    Hit .446 in as a sophomore in 2023 with 48 runs scored, 62 hits, 69 RBI, 15 doubles and a region-best 23 home runs, which was also a new single-season record for Saraland
-    Drove in a region-best 71 runs and tied for a region-best in hits with 71 in 2022
-    Batted .449 with 20 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 36 walks as a freshman
-    As a ninth-grader, she batted .449 with 15 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 43 runs scored and 37 RBI
-    Competed at the 2020 USSSA All-American Fastpitch program
-    Member of the National Honor Society and the 'A' Honor Roll 
-    Also, a two-year letterwinner in volleyball for the Spartans
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Gracie McDonald – Ocean Springs, Miss. | Ocean Springs HS
5-7 |OF | L-R

"Gracie (McDonald) is an outfielder with a tremendous amount of speed," Clark said. "Defensively, she will cover a lot of ground and offensively she will create a lot of opportunities for the power we are signing in this class. I expect her to work into a top of the order hitter and give us a lot of production from that position. She is incredibly driven and works hard to max out her potential. Gracie will come in and push those around her as well as be an incredible teammate. I'm excited to have her joining our program and look forward to great things from her."

-    Lettered four years in softball for Ocean Springs High School in Ocean Springs, Miss.
-    Led the Greyhounds to a pair of Regional Championships (2024, 2022) and a South State Runner-Up finish as a junior
-    Earned first-team all-state honors from the Clarion Ledger as a senior and was selected to the Sun Herald's Top Players and Starting 9
-    Also chosen as the MHSAA All-Region 4-7 MVP and first team, as well as a Scholar Athlete for the organization
-    Nominated by the Clarion Ledger for Player of the Year honors and selected by the publication as one of the MHSAA Softball Top Players of the Playoffs
-    Named MVP at the Mississippi All-Star Game and as a Mississippi Gulf Coast Coaches All-Star
-    Named to the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen in 2024 after posting a .500 batting average with 61 hits, 44 runs, 41 stolen bases, 22 RBI, and a .980 fielding percentage
-    Also had a .534 OBP / .590 SLG / 1.124 OPS
-    As a slapper, recorded three doubles and four triples
-    Set the single-season stolen base record for OSHS in 2024 with 41
-    As a sophomore in 2023, posted a .622/.693/.817 slash line
-    Scored 42 runs on 51 hits, while stealing 30 bases
-    Drove in 13 runs and of her 51 hits, six were doubles and five were triples
-    Her .622 batting average led all of MHSAA and was a new school record, as she had her 51 hits in just 82 at-bats, and led the state in stolen bases
-    Named to the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen as a sophomore, while also earning second-team all-state honors and first-team all-region accolades
-    Also selected to the Gulf Coast All-Star Futures team and the All-South Mississippi team in 2023
-    Earned second-team all-state honors as a sophomore
-    Batted .420 with 20 stolen bases and didn't commit an error as a freshman with the Greyhounds
-    Joined the varsity squad as an eighth-grader
-    Also lettered in volleyball
-    Received recruiting interest from Mississippi State and Southern Miss, among others
-    Played one season of travel ball for SoCal Athletics after previously playing for Fury Platinum
-    Led her club team in stolen bases each of the last two seasons
-    Batted over .400 each of her last three summers, accumulating 79 stolen bases 
-    Has led club teams to a pair of Top 5 finishes and a pair of Top 10 placements

Lillie Anne Stagner – Chunchula, Ala. – Faith Academy
5-8 | INF | R-R

"Lillie Anne carries on the family tradition of hitting for average and lots of power," Clark said. "She will make another great addition to the middle of our order and will be counted on to drive in runs. Like (Kara) Wine and (Gracie) Dees, her athleticism allows her to play multiple positions, but we will mainly use her as a middle infielder and first baseman. Lillie Anne has grown up on the ballfield and knows the game inside and out. She is a competitor and plays the game with a tremendous amount of toughness. She has all of the tools to be an impact player and I'm excited to get her on campus."   

-    Lettered five seasons in softball for Faith Academy in Mobile, Ala.
-    Over the course of her prep career, she has recorded a .410 batting average, 139 hits, 35 doubles, 11 triples and 30 home runs, while driving in 120 runs
-    During the 2023 season, she set the program records for home runs (3) and RBI (9) in a game
-    Named to the 2024 AL.com Terrific 22
-    Earned first-team all-state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a junior and as a sophomore
-    Was an ASWA Class 5A Second-Team all-state selection in 2021
-    Competed in 2024 North/South All-Star Game
-    Named to the Lagniappe all-area team 
-    Batted .467 with a .541 OBP, .913 SLG and 1.454 OPS as a junior during the 2024 season
-    Had seven doubles, five triples, eight home runs
-    Drove in 34 runs and scored 43, while walking 11 times and striking out just seven times
-    Led Faith to an appearance at the 2021 state tournament
-    Competed at the 2020 USSSA All-American Fastpitch program
-    Played travel ball for SoCal located in Pensacola, Fla., where she has posted a .433 average, 87 hits, 15 doubles, four triples and 17 home runs, while driving in 76
-    Named to the AFON All-tournament team
-    During Summer 2024, she batted .398 with a .446 OBP, .735 SLG and 1.181 OPS
-    Of her 33 hits, 12 went for extra bases – four doubles and eight home runs
-    Drove in 25 runs and scored 22
-    Has also lettered three seasons in volleyball for the Lady Rams where she was helped them to a runner up finish at the 2024 state tournament
-    Sister of current Jag Gabby Stagner

Kara Wine – Cantonment, Fla. – Tate HS
5-6 | UTL | R-R

"Kara is one of the better hitters coming out of Florida in the 2025 class," Clark said. "She will make an immediate impact on our lineup and give us another right-handed stick that will hit for average and power. She can play multiple positions, but will be used mainly as a corner infielder and catcher. She has a high softball IQ and does a lot of the little things that help you win games. Kara's work ethic, character and compete mentality make her a great fit for our program and I am excited to see her growth over her four years at South."

-    Four-year letterwinner at Tate High School in Cantonment, Fla.
-    Has played at both the catcher and infield positions
-    Ranked as the 26th best player in the State of Florida entering her senior season and already holds the program's career home run mark (20) heading into her senior season
-    Senior Class President with a 4.55 GPA
-    Also, a representative for the FHSAA Leadership Conference for softball and volleyball
-    Earned first-team all-area honors as a sophomore and as a junior
-    Named Legacy & Legends Softball Elite 100 top prospect
-    Batted .402 with 33 hits, 24 runs scored, 34 RBI, nine doubles, one triple, nine home runs as a junior while also posting a .468 OBP / .865 SLG / .1.334 OPS
-    Set the single-season home run (9) and slugging percentage (.865) records, as well as the career RBI (81) record for the Aggies as a junior
-    Batted .414 with 29 hits, 22 runs scored, 19 RBI, nine doubles, seven home runs, and a .529 OBP/ .842 SLG, 1.372 OPS in 2023
-    Recorded a .365 batting average with 27 hits, nine runs scored, 28 RBI, 10 doubles and four home runs during her freshman season where she was named the Pensacola News Journal Newcomer of the Year 
-    Also lettered two years each in volleyball and golf
-    Received recruiting interest from Mississippi State, Tennessee, Alabama, Troy and Georgia Southern
-    Has played travel ball for eight years with Showstoppers based out of Pensacola, Fla.
-    Over the course of her travel ball career, she has recorded 95 home runs
-    In the summer of 2023, recorded a .508 batting average, a 1.138 slugging percentage and 10 home runs

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