Nov. 10, 2016
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball signed eight high school athletes to join the Yellow Jackets in 2017-18 in a class that ranks No. 43 in the nation by FloSoftball, head coach Shelly Hoerner announced Thursday. The recruiting class stretches from coast to coast with four recruits from Georgia, three from California and one from North Carolina.
The recruiting class includes Samantha Bates (Charlotte, N.C.), Naomi Dickerson (Whittier, Calif.), Bianca Mora (Cumming, Ga.), Saige Pye (Stockton, Calif.), Breanna Roper (Woodstock, Ga.), Cameron Stanford (Alpharetta, Ga.), Jaydra von Behren (Dunwoody, Ga.) and Skye Webb (Temecula, Calif.).
“I am extremely excited to welcome the 2017 class,” Hoerner said. “Every signee is athletic, passionate and humble. They are proven winners on and off the field and will make an impact on Georgia Tech softball when they step foot on campus. Their willingness to be true team players shows what kind of character they have. This class continues to play the top competition and trains diligently on its own to be better than they were the day before. I look forward to watching them grow over the next four years here at Tech.”
Samantha Bates | INF | R/R | Charlotte, N.C./Olympic High School | Club: Williamsburg Starz
Samantha Bates is a four-year letterwinner and one-year captain at Olympic High School under head coach Jeremy Gooden. A three-time all-conference player and conference MVP, Bates led her team to two consecutive South Meck 8 championship in 2014 and 2015. She was named all-Observer second team by the Charlotte Observer in 2016. Bates, whose mother also attended Georgia Tech, intends to major in civil engineering when she arrives at The Flats.
“Samantha will come in to Georgia Tech as a true Tech student athlete,” Hoerner said. “Her grittiness on the field will show everyone how badly she wants to make Georgia Tech softball a success. A very good fundamental middle infielder, she could see time at either second or shortstop. At the plate, Sam will provide us with consistency and bring us excellent situational awareness offensively.”
Naomi Dickerson | Pitcher | R/L | Whittier, Calif./La Serna High School | Club: So Cal Athletics
Naomi Dickerson is a four-year letterwinner at La Serna High School. Dickerson led her team to the San Gabriel Valley League Championship in both 2014 and 2015, the 2012 PGF Championship, and the 2014 ASA National Championship. Further, Dickerson was elected the MVP of the La Serna team in 2016. Dickerson intends to study pre-law once she arrives at Georgia Tech.
“Naomi is a left-handed pitcher that will come in and be able to keep hitters off-balance,” Hoerner said. “She wants the ball and is a true team player. Her window for growth is very high here at Tech. She will be a feisty spark plug on the mound with a demeanor players will want to play behind.”
Bianca Mora | Catcher | R/R | Cumming, Ga./South Forsyth High School | Club: Atlanta Vipers
Bianca Mora is a four-year letterwinner at South Forsyth High School under head coach Ronnie Davis. In her high school career thus far, Mora has batted 395 with 120 hits, 85 RBI and eight home runs. Mora earned both all-region and all-county honors in three consecutive seasons from 2013-2015 as well as first-team all-state honors in 2015. Her teams won a regional championship and placed fifth in the state in 2015. Mora broke multiple school records at South Forsyth, setting new records for career RBI, single season and career home runs, and career doubles. Mora intends to major in business.
“Bianca is an athletic and very fundamental catcher that can control the run game,” Hoerner said. “She receives the ball very well which will be a great help to our pitchers. Her rapport and leadership with pitchers will be a tremendous asset to our program. Offensively, Bianca’s bat will provide a lot of power at the plate which will help throughout our lineup.”
Saige Pye | INF | R/R | Stockton, Calif./Bear Creek High School | Club: Nor Cal Batbusters
Saige Pye is a four-year letterwinner, spending one year at Saint Mary’s High School before attending Bear Creek High School where she was a three-year captain under head coach Kirk Klucznik. Pye earned many distinctions in her high school softball career, including ranking fifth in the nation for RBI and first in California for freshman RBI in 2014, breaking the St. Mary’s High School RBI record in 2014 as a freshman, and winning league MVP in 2014 and 2015. Pye is a three-time San Joaquin all-area first team selection, a two-time All-SJAA honoree and was named the 2015 most outstanding offensive player. Pye intends to major in business and minor in pre-law.
“We are excited to bring the kind of hitting power Saige has to Tech,” Hoerner said. “She has a good eye at the plate and has the chance to develop into the middle of the lineup type of hitter for us. She has the ability to do damage game by game. Defensively, she is agile and has smooth hands at third base. She also has the ability to see time behind the plate.”
Breanna Roper | INF | L/R | Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock High School | Club: Atlanta Vipers
Breanna Roper is a four-year letterwinner and one-year captain at Woodstock High School under head coach Rick Glasper. Roper racked up numerous individual accolades, including three-time all-county, three-time all-region, 2015 second-team all-state, a Georgia Elite 80 selection as a freshman, as well as team accomplishments, including winning the 2015 regional championship. As a junior, Roper batted .418 with 46 hits and 31 runs. In addition to softball, Roper also participated in varsity track and field. Roper intends to major in architecture at Georgia Tech.
“Breanna is an all-around tremendous athlete,” Hoerner said. “Her soft hands and strong arm as an infielder excite me for the years to come. She has the athleticism to make big time plays and then turn around at the plate and set the tone for the team. Her speed will definitely help in our line up along with her energy and love for the game.”
Cameron Stanford | OF | R/R | Alpharetta, Ga./Alpharetta High School | Club: Georgia Impact
Cameron Stanford is a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain at Alpharetta High School under head coach EJ Francis. At her time at Alpharetta High School, Stanford was voted 2015 school MVP and three-time all-region. Additionally, as a sophomore, Stanford was selected as one of the Elite 80 by the Georgia High School Association. She follows the Yellow Jacket footsteps of her father Mike Stanford, who played baseball at Georgia Tech from 1982-1984. Stanford intends to major in mechanical engineering.
“Cameron continues to get better every time I see her in the outfield,” Hoerner said. “Her progress is a testament to her strong work ethic and willingness to be coachable. A gap-to-gap hitter with power, Cameron will not only contribute at the plate but make our outfield better with her strong and accurate arm. Her love for Georgia Tech goes back a long way and I am glad she will spend the next 4 years a Yellow Jacket.”
Jaydra von Behren | INF/OF | R/R | Dunwoody, Ga./Dunwoody High School | Club: Georgia Impact
Jaydra von Behren played club softball for Georgia Impact and team accomplishments include ranking first in the 2015 16U ASA state championships, first in the 2014 Colorado Sparkler, and fifth in the 2013 14U ASA Nationals. von Behren was also selected as part of the 2015 Flo Softballs Top 100. von Behren also lettered three season in each varsity swimming and varsity tennis at Dunwoody. She intends to major in biomedical engineering and minor in both Spanish and finance.
“Jaydra is a versatile player that will see time in the infield and outfield,” Hoerner said. “Her spunky attitude and positive demeanor along with relentless pursuit to be better than she was the play before will fit in extremely well in our program. Offensively, Jaydra is a line drive hitter that is a tough out.”
Skye Webb | OF | L/L | Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley High School | Club: Corona Angels
Skye Webb is a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain at Temecula Valley High School. At Temecula Valley, Webb earned multiple distinctions, including second-team all-league, and 2015 MVP, and she set the record for most career stolen bases. In addition to playing softball, Webb played one year of high school volleyball and has served as an assistant coach with the Temecula All-Stars and Rays Baseball. Webb intends to major in biomedical engineering.
“Skye is a very athletic outfielder that can cover a large area in the outfield,” Hoerner said. “She is a lefty who can hit, slap and bunt and will cause havoc on the base paths. Skye is a proven winner, and her game knowledge and respect for the game is an added bonus for making an impact in our program immediately.”
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