Biography
– Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete (2018)
– Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List (2018)
– Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll (2020, 2019 and 2017)
AT SOUTH ALABAMA
SENIOR SEASON (2020) – COVID 19 SEASON
Started all 25 games at third base … Had 19 hits and batted .268 in her 71 at-bats … Led the team in home runs with four and extra-base hits with nine, while she was second in runs scored (13) and RBI (11) … Her four doubles were also tied with two other players for most on the club … Was walked a team-best 13 times and reached base after being hit by pitch four times … Finished with a .521 slugging percentage and a .400 on-base percentage … Had three multi-hit and multi-RBI games … Of her 19 hits, 13 came when leading off an inning where she batted .619 in those situations … Her 82 defensive assists led the Sun Belt and were 30 more than the next closest defender … Also tied for sixth in the league in walks and tied for eighth in home runs … Was named to a pair of all-tournament teams – Jaguar Challenge and Mardi Gras Classic … Recorded first career triple versus Illinois (2/8) at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. … Had a double and drove in a pair of runs versus Austin Peay (2/14) … Recorded a season-best three hits in four at-bats, while scoring twice and driving in a run versus Evansville (2/15) … Homered in three of four games from 2/22 - 2/25 … Drove in four runs and scored run while recording a home run against Stephen F. Austin (2/22) … Scored a pair of runs in games one and two of the Sun Belt series versus Appalachian State (3/6-7) … Also walked three times in game two of the series versus the Mountaineers … Named co-recipient of the program’s “Extra Mile” Award … Named to the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll.
JUNIOR SEASON (2019)
Started 47 of the 48 games in which she competed … Split time at first base (12) and the designated player (9) position before starting the final 26 games of the season at third … Named to the Jaguar Challenge all-tournament team … Batted .265 as she was 36-for-136 at the plate … Scored 25 runs and drove in 25 runs, while 14 of her 36 hits went for extra bases – five doubles and nine home runs … Also reached base safely without a hit 28 times as she walked 17 times and was hit by pitch 11 times, which was tied for third-most in the Sun Belt … Posted a .500 slugging percentage and had a .390 on-base percentage … Of her 14 extra-base hits, nine came in conference play, including six of her nine homers … The nine home runs tied with three other former Jags for sixth-most in a single season, while also tying for second-highest total in a season by a junior at USA … The 11 hit-by-pitches also tied for fifth-most in a season … Recorded eight multi-hit and six multi-RBI outings, half of both tallies coming against league foes … Set new career highs in hit (6) and reached base safely (11) streaks … Went 2-for-2 in South’s win over North Dakota (2/15) with a home run and three RBI during week two of the season … Also drove in three runs and scored twice against Hofstra (2/23) … Went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in game one of the SBC series at Georgia State (4/12) … Best offensive game came in the series finale against the Panthers a day later as she went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored, a double and a home run … The three hits in the series finale tied a career high and the home run began a stretch of four-straight games in which she homered, making her just the second payer at South Alabama to accomplish the feat, joining Haley Hopkins (2011) … Combined to go 10-for-22 at the plate with seven runs scored, 10 RBI and four walks in the Georgia State and ULM series …
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2018)
Started 31 of the 39 games in which she competed … Of her starts, 11 came at third base, 11 were at first base and eight were at the designated player position … Started the first nine games of the season at third … Ended the season 19-of-86 at the plate for a .221 batting average … Of her 19 hits, four were doubles and two were home runs … Also added 11 RBI and seven runs scored, while walking 14 times and getting hit by pitch a team-best seven times … Her seven HBP were tied for ninth-most in the Sun Belt Conference and tied for second-most in program history in a season by a sophomore at South Alabama … Had three multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games … Reached base safely with either a hit, a walk or a hit-by-pitch in each of her first five contest and eight of her first nine games to start the 2018 season … Walked twice and scored twice in her third game of the season versus Illinois (2/10) at the Friends of Jaclyn Invitational … Reached base in all three of her plate appearances (two hits and a walk) in her next outing against Butler (2/11) while scoring a run and driving in a run… Walked twice and went 1-for-2 at Mississippi State (2/17) at the February Freezer … Lone hit at Southern Mississippi (3/7) was a two-out, two-run single that capped off a four-run fourth for the Jaguars in a 10-4 win over the Golden Eagles … Reached base all three of her plate appearances in game two of the Sun Belt series versus UTA (3/10) as she doubled in her lone at-bat and was hit by a pitch twice … Best offensive stretch during the season came in a three-game period (4-11-4/13) as she went a combined 6-for-8 (.750) with four RBI, four runs scored a hit-by-pitch and a walk … Of the six base hits, the first five were for extra bases (three doubles and two home runs) and she reached base seven straight plate appearances … Began the stretch with a career night as she went 3-for-3 at the plate, was hit by a pitch, scored three runs and tied a career-high with four RBI versus Southern (4/11) … All three of her base hits in the contest were for extra bases – a pair of two-run home runs and a double … The two home run performance marked the first time that she had recorded multiple home runs in the same game and the ninth time in program history that a Jaguar had done so in a game … The second home run of the game was a two-run, walk-off shot in the sixth giving the Jags an 11-2 win … Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in her next outing in the series opener versus ULM (4/13) with both of her hits being doubles … Named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner’s List … Selected as a Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2017)
Started 27 of the 31 games that she played … Of her 27 starts, 25 were at first base and two were as the designated player … Had 11 hits in 73 at-bats (.151) and walked seven times … Of her 11 hits, five were for extra bases – two doubles and three home runs … Scored 10 runs and drove in 12 … Was also hit by pitch a team-high nine times … Her nine HBP tied for sixth most at USA in a single season … Had a .988 fielding percentage … Registered three multi-hit games … Started the season opener vs. Central Arkansas (2/9) and went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a double … Posted 10 of her 12 RBI during a five-game stretch (4/23 - 30) … Had her best weekend as a Jag and played a key role in helping South Alabama pick up its second Sun Belt Conference road sweep of the season at ULM (4/22 - 23) … Batted .429, scored four runs, drove in five and recorded her first two collegiate home runs vs. the Warhawks … Ended the weekend with a 1.286 slugging percentage, walked once and was hit twice for a .600 on-base percentage … Reached all four of her plate appearances in the series opener vs. ULM as she was hit by two pitches, walked and recorded her first home run, while scoring three times … The solo shot in the top of the second came on a 0-2 count and tied the game up at 1-1 … Was instrumental late in helping the Jaguars tie the game up in the seventh and then take the lead for good in the ninth as she was hit by a pitch in both innings … Ignited the Jag offense in the top of the first in the series finale as she belted a grand slam – one of four Jag home runs on the day – deep over the wall in left to give USA an early 4-0 lead … Reached base safely in nine-straight games (3/18 vs. Coastal Carolina – 4/23 at ULM) during the season … Had another solid SBC series vs. Georgia Southern (4/29 - 30) as she drove in six runs in the three-game set and hit a home run in the series opener … Named to the Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll.
AT ST. MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL
Lettered in softball for five seasons at St. Martin High School in Ocean Springs, Miss. … While with the program, led Yellow Jackets to five district championships and was selected first-team all-district team each season … Selected to participate in the Mississippi Coast East-West All-Star Futures Game during her senior, junior and sophomore seasons … Also named to the Sun Herald Gulf Coast first team as a senior and as a junior … Over her five-year prep career, Gruich posted a .442 batting average in 359 at bats while recording 37 doubles, five triples, 21 home runs, 123 RBI and 107 runs scored … During her last two seasons, she struck out just five times in 198 plate appearances … Left Ocean Springs holding school records in both single-season and career in home runs and slugging percentage, to go along with the career mark in on-base percentage … Named The Sun Herald Player of the Year as a senior after batting .583 with seven home runs and 29 RBI to go along with seven doubles, to go along with a .708 on-base percentage and a 1.083 slugging percentage … Hit .582 with nine home runs, three triples, nine doubles and 35 RBI as a junior … Also had a .682 on-base percentage and a 1.113 slugging percentage … Her nine homers, as well as her slugging percentage that season, ranked second in the state and her OBP was third, according to MaxPreps.com … Batted .370 with nine doubles and 28 RBI during her sophomore season … Also lettered five seasons at St. Martin in volleyball … Played four seasons of club ball with NJ Intensity.
PERSONAL
Katelyn Marie Gruich … Born in Biloxi, Miss. … Daughter of James and Stephanie Gruich … Has two younger sisters, Shelby and Sidney … Mother played softball at Delta State … Lists favorite movie as “The Blind Side” … Favorite professional sports team is the New York Yankees … Favorite musical artist is Keith Urban … Lists favorite athletes as Craig Biggio and Babe Ruth … Favorite type of food is seafood … Celebrity that she would most like to meet is Jennifer Aniston … Hopes to play professionally after college … Majoring in sport & recreation management.
