MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama head coach Becky Clark announced the addition of seven additions to this fall's recruiting class – Chloe Bailey (Niceville, Fla.), Anna Claire "AC" Free (Dothan, Ala.), Addyson Gibbons (Cypress, Texas), Leilani Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.), Layla Landry (Lake Charles, La.), Haley Sexton (Panama City Beach, Fla.), Mylee Stagner (Chunchula, Ala.) – on Wednesday. The group will join the program next fall.  

"This signing class was a group effort and I'm proud of the work our staff has put into securing one of our stronger classes to date," Clark said of the class. "All seven of the student-athletes signing today have tremendous character, are great students, and love to work and compete. They're all really talented athletes who are going to continue to grow and develop in our program. I think our fans are going to love watching and supporting these young ladies."

Chloe Bailey
Right-handed Pitcher | 5-10 | R/R
Niceville, Fla. | Niceville High School | Unity Johnson 18U 

Clark on Bailey: "We are extremely excited to be adding Chloe to our pitching staff. She is a swing-and-miss pitcher who has already had a tremendous amount of success and is going to continue to grow once she gets in our bullpen on a daily basis. She has a great presence on the mound and attacks hitters with spin and velo. She has played a very competitive club schedule which has afforded her the opportunity to face some of the best hitters in the nation. She is also a worker, leader and a great teammate who we anticipate arriving on campus ready to make an immediate impact."



-    Lettered four seasons at Niceville High School in Niceville, Fla., where she was a three-year starter
-    Helped Niceville capture three district championships, and both regional championships and runner up finishes at the state tournament as a junior and as a sophomore
-    Over the course of her prep career, she has posted a 1.29 earned run average in 424 innings, while striking out 650
-    In addition to her time in the circle, also saw time at first and third base where she had a .332 batting average and 11 home runs
-    As a junior, finished with a 24-8 record and a 1.38 earned run average, while striking out 245 in her 172.1 innings of work
-    Has held opponents to sub-200 batting averages each of her last three seasons: .163 (junior), .143 (sophomore), .193 (freshman)
-    Also posted a .369 batting average with 41 hits, 11 runs scored and 33 RBI
-    Had eight doubles and six home runs
-    As a sophomore, went 22-7 and 18-9 as a freshman in the circle
-    Struck out 266 batters in 158.2 innings of work, allowing just 16 earned runs on the year and only 85 hits to the 640 batters faced as a sophomore
-    Also lettered two seasons in volleyball for the Eagles
-    Played two years of travel ball for Unity 18U Johnson/VB
-    Led her 16U team to the Colorado Sparkler Power Pool championship and a fifth-place finish in the PGF finals in California

Anna Claire "AC" Free
Right-Handed Pitcher / Utility | 5-8 | R/R
Dothan, Ala. | Ariton High School | Southern Steal Powell

Clark on Free: "AC is a great fit for South Alabama Softball and has a big future ahead of her. She has grown up a dual sport athlete and brings a lot of athleticism to the mound. She uses her spin and velocity to get swing-and-misses. She is a true competitor who never gets phased on the mound and wants the ball in big moments. In addition to her physical ability, she has a tremendous work ethic, character, and is a great teammate. She will step in and help our staff immediately."



-    Lettered six years in softball at Ariton High School in Ariton, Ala.
-    Helped the Purple Cats win four area championships, a South Regional championship (2022) and a state title in 2023
-    Named to the Dothan Eagle Super 12 Softball team as a sophomore
-    As a junior, missed most of the season recovering from an injury where she pitched 13 innings and struck out 32 batters, while still posting a 14-for-18 showing at the plate
-    Batted .579 with 62 stolen bases and 16 home runs, while striking out 291 during her time in the circle as a sophomore
-    During her ninth-grade season, finished with 258 strikeouts, a .511 batting average, 48 stolen bases and 14 home runs, while earning first-team all-state honors
-    Was a first-team, all-state selection as an eighth grader where she had a .489 average, 41 stolen bases and 11 home runs, while striking out 136 batters 
-    Joined the varsity squad as a seventh grader where she batted .452 with a .676 on-base percentage and 36 stolen bases and five home runs
-    Also pitched 88 innings in the circle recording one perfect game and earning second-team all-state honors
-    Also lettered in volleyball and basketball for the Purple Cats
-    Led her volleyball team to area championships in five of her six seasons 
-    Volleyball won the South Regional championship and reached the Final Four of the state tournament as a senior
-    Also helped volleyball reach the Final Four in 2024 and an Elite 8 appearances (2022)
-    Finished volleyball career with 1,478 kills, 986 digs, 206 blocks, 111 aces, and was named the 2023 2A Player of the Year
-    Played three years of travel ball for Southern Steal based out of Enterprise, Ala.
-    Travel ball stats: .415 batting average, 12 home runs, 28 stolen bases and 151 strikeouts and a .180 opponent batting average in her 137 innings of work in the circle
-    Helped Southern Steal win the Atlanta Legacy tournament in back-to-back years

Addyson Gibbons
Outfielder | 5-5 | L/L
Cypress, Texas | Bridgeland High School | Hotshots 18U 

Clark on Gibbons: "We love the way Addy plays the game and her overall softball IQ. Offensively, she is a one- or two-hole hitter who will set the table for the big bats behind her. She takes pride in having quality at-bats and creating RBI opportunities for her teammates. Defensively, she will most likely play a corner outfield position for us. Addy's work ethic, character, and compete mentality make her a great fit for our program and I am excited to see her growth throughout her career at South."



-    Lettered four seasons at Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas
-    Led the Bears to a pair of district, bi-district and area championships (2023-24 and 2025-26)
-    Chosen to represent Bridgeland at VYPE
-    Selected to the Academic All-District 16-6A Softball team as a junior for the third-straight season
-    Earned first-team all-district honors as a freshman and second-team honors as a junior
-    Missed half of her junior season, but batted .365 as a junior with two home runs, while recording a .596 slugging percentage and a 1.147 OPS
-    Missed sophomore season due to injury
-    Batted .368 as a freshman with a .539 slugging percentage and a 1.012 OPS to go along with three home runs
-    Played travel ball for Hotshots National 18U team based in Conroe, Texas

Leilani Gonzalez
Infielder | 5-8 | R/R
Miami, Fla. | Somerset Academy Charter High School | Miami Stingrays

Clark on Gonzalez: "Lani is a middle infielder with great instincts and tremendous athletic ability. She is currently playing second base, but I see her competing for playing time at both middle infield positions. Offensively, she hits for both average and power. She loves the game and has a very professional approach to her work. Her compete mentality, work ethic, and overall toughness are intangibles that will have an immediate impact on our program."



-    Lettered four seasons in softball at Somerset Academy Charter High School in Princeton, Fla.
-    Helped Somerset record five district championships, three regional titles, a runner up finish (2023) at the state tournament, as well as a state title in 2025
-    Set program record for career RBI (101)
-    Batted .365 as a junior, where she had four home runs and 37 RBI, while posting a .989 fielding percentage
-    As a sophomore, batted .405 with three home runs and 26 RBI, and as a freshman she batted .373 with four home runs and 33 RBI
-    Also lettered in volleyball (four years), basketball (two years) and soccer (one year) at Somerset
-    Played six years of travel ball for the Miami Stingrays in Palmetto Bay, Fla.
-    Hit .330 with seven home runs and 42 RBI in summer 2026
-    Also hit over .333 each of the previous three summers, posting a .379 batting average in 2025
-    Posted 15 home runs and drove in 130 runs her final four travel ball summers
-    Led the Stingrays to a runner up finish at the 2024 Alliance National tournament, as well as a pair of runner up finishes at the event (2025 and 2026)
-    Led club team to a national championship at the 2022 PGF Panama City tournament

Layla Landry 
Catcher | 5-8 | R-R
Lake Charles, La. | Sam Houston High School | United 18U Albert

Clark on Landry: "Layla will make an immediate impact on our program. She is a competitor with tremendous tools and a high softball IQ. Defensively, she has great instincts and the athleticism to make all of the plays behind the plate. Offensively, she is a middle of the order hitter who will hit for both average and power as well as drive in runs. 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."



-    Lettered four seasons in softball at Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, La.
-    A two-time LHSAA all-state selection as a catcher (2025 & 2026)
-    Invited to participate at the 2026 Pelican State Rising Stars Softball All Star Games
-    Led the Broncos to the 5A state title as a sophomore as the program posted a 32-2 record, while helping the program reach the quarterfinals two other times
-    Also helped Sam Houston capture three district titles as it compiled a 32-3 district record each of the last three seasons, including undefeated records during her junior (12-0) and sophomore (11-1) seasons
-    Batted .580 with 17 home runs as a junior
-    Posted a .500 batting average with 14 home runs as a sophomore
-    Also lettered one season in basketball
-    Played two seasons of travel ball for United 18U based out of Lafayette, La., where she competed in the Texas Fastpitch League's Super division
-    Awarded the PCFL Player of the Month in November of 2025

Hayley Sexton
Infielder | 5-10 | R/R
Panama City Beach, Fla. | JR Arnold High School | Southern Steal Powell

Clark on Sexton: "Hayley is a solid middle infielder who shows up to play every day. Her steady approach to the game and consistency are traits that really drew us to her. When you watch her play the game, she does all of the little things that add up to big things. At the plate, she will hit gap-to-gap with the ability to drive the ball out of the park as well. I think she will continue to grow as she gets in our program and weight room on a daily basis. Like the other signees, she is a great worker, competitor, and teammate."



-    Lettered three seasons for JR Arnold High School in Panama City Beach, Fla.
-    Helped JR Arnold reach the Elite 8 as a sophomore and the Sweet 16 as a junior
-    Heading into her senior season, holds a .398 career batting average, 10 home runs and 76 RBI
-    Batted .494 with a .554 OBP, an .815 SLG and a 1.369 OPS as a junior
-    Recorded 40 hits, scored 32 runs and drove in 31
-    Of her 40 hits, 15 went for extra bases – nine doubles, one triple and five home runs – and drove in 31 runs
-    Posted a .376 batting average as a sophomore with 35 hits with over half going for extra bases – 10 doubles, five triples and three home runs
-    Scored 34 runs and drove in 27 that same season
-    Had eight doubles, one triple and two home runs as a freshman and finished the year with a .329 batting average
-    Played nine years of travel ball with So Cal Athletics Kennedy Premier 26
-    Helped her 18U team win the Atlanta Legacy – 4Way championship and a third-place finish at the Show Me the Money
-    Also helped her 16U team to a runner up finish at Show Me The Money and a 14U championship at AFON

Mylee Stagner
Infielder | 5-11 | L/R
Chuncula, Ala. | Faith Academy | Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier Chaney

Clark on Stagner: "Mylee is one of the best overall hitters coming out of Alabama in the 2027 class. The Stagner name is synonymous with big time power and Mylee is no exception.  She will provide left-handed power and will be a big RBI producer for us. Defensively, she can play any of the infield positions. She has grown up around our program which will make this a smooth transition for her. I look forward to her making an immediate impact and being an imposing presence in the middle of our order."



-    Lettered six seasons in softball at Faith Academy in Mobile, Ala.
-    Helped Rams finish in the Top 4 at the state tournament as a sophomore and as a junior and three regional appearances 
-    Career stats from seventh-11th grade: .489 batting average, 229 RBI, 238 hits – 100 singles, 58 doubles, 20 triples, 60 home runs – 124 walks and a 1.0506 slugging percentage
-    Batted a region-best and top 10 in state .610 batting average as a junior
-    Scored 28 runs and posted 64 hits, 67 RBI, 16 doubles, five triples and 15 home runs
-    Was 13-of-13 on her steal attempts
-    Led the region and ranked second in the state in walks (59) and on-base percentage (.756), while her 2.042 OPS also led the region and ranked in the Top 10 in the state
-    Earned Class 5A First-Team all-state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association, her fourth straight all-state selection
-    Sister of current Jaguar Lillie Stagner and former Jag Gabby Stagner, who left holding multiple program records, including home runs and RBI
-    Selected to compete at the 2026 North-South All-Star Game 
-    Named the Crichton Optimist Club Offensive Player of the Year following her sophomore season
-    Also lettered four seasons in volleyball at Faith where she led the Rams to the Final Four twice (2022 and 2026), a state runner up finish in 2024 and an Elite 8 appearance in 2025
-    Played 10 years of travel ball for both SoCal Athletics and Birmingham Bolts
-    Career travel ball stats: .436 batting average, .932 slugging percentage, 29 doubles, seven triples, 27 home runs, 106 RBI and 30 walks
-    Named first-team all-region in 2026 by Extra Innings
-    Also selected to the Afon Nationals all-tournament team 
-    Ranked as the No. 5 middle infielder in the class of 2027
-    Was the 2025 Southeastern Fastpitch Player of the Month

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