After a stellar career for the Jaguars, Meredith Keel joined the South Alabama coaching staff on September 1, 2023 when she was named the Director of Leadership and Wellness for the program. Following the 2024 campaign, Keel was promoted to Director of Player Development where she assist with on-campus recruiting and compiling a recruiting database. Among her other duties is assisting with game and practice film, camp coordination, spring scouting, Name / Image / Likeness (NIL), and overseeing all youth and high school teams attending home games.
As the Director of Leadership and Wellness during the 2023 season, she assisted with leadership and mentality instruction, on-campus recruiting, softball development and fundraising, and facility upgrades. Keel also coordinated and executed both community service projects and team activities and functions, while also offering mentorship and support to current and incoming student-athletes for the program.Â
During her first season as a member of the staff, South Alabama made its sixth NCAA Regional appearance, competing in the Gainesville Regional, while Olivia Lackie set the career marks in shutouts, and ended her Jaguar career holding the program marks in appearances (153) and shutouts, while ranking second in opponent batting average (.183), wins (80), saves (11), tied with Hannah Campbell in no-hitters (5), while ranking second complete games (77), innings pitched (774.2) and strikeouts. She also became the second player in program history to be named NFCA All-American (second team) and the the first four-time first-team all-SBC and four-time NFCA all=South region selection.
Mackenzie Brasher led the Sun Belt Conference and finished tied for 22nd nationally in stolen bases with 28. The Orange Beach, Ala., set program career marks in games played (231), starts (224) and stolen bases (87), while finishing her time in Mobile ranked second in hits (225), third in runs scored (144) and in the Top 10 in batting average. Gabby Stagner also set the new single-season home runs mark at South with 15
Keel, a three-time all-SBC selection and two-time NFCA all-South Region honoree, wrapped up her career following the 2023 season. Keel – who earned second-team all-SBC accolades in 2023– was outstanding at the top of the lineup for the Jaguars that spring. She had at least one hit in 36 of South’s 53 games, including 14 multi-hit efforts, which were second-most on the club. Keel led the team in hits (55), while she has scored 43 runs – tied for seventh most in the SBC – recorded 11 doubles, three home runs and 30 RBI. Her 23 walks also led the club and she set career highs in hits, runs scored, home runs and RBI.
Keel had at least one hit in 20 of her 24 conference games, including six multi-hit efforts, and there was only one league game in which she didn’t reach base safely. She recorded 11 extra-base hits, drove in 15 runs and scored 25 times at the top of the Jaguar lineup in conference play. Keel scored multiple runs in eight of her SBC games this spring, and committed just one error in 64 defensive chances at third base in league games.
The Ashville, Ohio, native ended her Jaguar career with a .336 batting average, 143 hits, 22 doubles, seven triples, four home runs and 51 RBI. She ended her career ranked among the career leaders at South in batting average (fifth) and triples (T-fifth), while holding the single-season record in triples with two other players.
Along with her athletic honors, Keel was also a two-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete and Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s list honoree.
Keel holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from South Alabama.
