CARROLLTON, Ga. - Just seven days stand between the UWG softball team and opening day of the inaugural Division I softball season. The Wolves are set to open a historic campaign one week from today in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
But before first pitch, let's take a look at the 2025 Wolves under the direction of Kristy Burton, who begins her third season at the helm of the UWG program, and her eighth season as a collegiate head coach.
Starting in the center of the diamond, UWG boasts seven players who could see time in the circle. Of those, four were on last year's roster while Burton has three newcomers poised to see immediate action at pitcher.
Junior Calli Hardison brings the most UWG experience to the pitching staff, throwing a total of 107.7 innings in her career including nearly 95 as a sophomore in 2024. Hardison pitched seven complete games a season ago and posted seven wins including one shutout.
Also returning from last year's staff is Kaprice Leonard.
Burton brings in three newcomers in the circle, including transfers Dixiana Sims and Jenna Samuel. Sims, a Macon native, was on Georgia Southern's roster in 2024, and made just five appearances as a freshman. Samuel, a transfer from Appalachian State and a native of Slidell, Louisiana, made seven appearance last season for the Mountaineers.
Giovanna Lynch is UWG's lone true freshman pitcher. Lynch prepped at Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana where she set the school's all-time strikeout record.
Shifting gears to the other half of the Wolves' battery, Burton boasts many options behind the plate.
Bizette, who had a historic 2024 season with the third most home runs, 14, in a single-season at UWG, split time primarily between catching and designated player in 2024. The New Roads, Louisiana native also posted a .414 average which was second-best in a single-season, and her 54 RBIs in 2024 was third-best in UWG history.
Also behind the plate is Tamia Young, who played in 25 games and started 18 as a true freshman, and Emma Nixon returns after missing last season with an injury. Nixon, a native of Land O' Lakes, Florida, made 19 starts as a freshman in 2023, hitting .317 with three homers, 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored.
Expect Daytona State transfer Sky Ramos to be in the mix as well as utility senior Jacelyn Lahr. A Columbus, Georgia native, Lahr has played in 90 career games and is a .247 career hitter with five home runs.
Across the infield, UWG has plenty of experience, most notably in veteran shortstop Madison Vandergriff. The senior enters 2025 with 119 career starts while batting .287 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs.
Back after a stellar freshman season is Makayla Register. After batting .385 in 2024, Register looks to build on a season that saw her slug seven home runs, the most by a UWG freshman since 2016. Emerson Miller and Rylee Green also bring experience to the Wolves' infield. Miller, a junior has started 68 games in two seasons while the powerful corner infielder Green enters her senior campaign coming off the best season of her career, hitting .337 with seven doubles, a triple, and six home runs. The Fortson, Georgia native has 12 career long balls and a career slugging percentage of .582.
Sabrina Celeste is another returner who saw limited action as a freshman in 2024, but expects to see her role increase as a sophomore.
A trio of transfers are listed as infielders on the 2025 roster. Cassidy Ross comes to UWG after two seasons at Seminole State Community College. Kristen Fowler, a native of Trenton, Georgia, played 101 games in her junior college career, hitting .449 with 25 doubles, six triples, 17 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases over two years at Cleveland State. Shelby Garrett played two seasons at Division I South Alabama, amassing 34 career games played before transferring to UWG ahead of the 2025 season.
Two true freshmen are in the Wolves infield in Ally Long and Olivia Slocumb. Long begins her collegiate career after a final prep season that saw her earn First Team All-Region honors at Pickens High School. Slocumb was a First Team All-State selection out of Salem, Alabama's Glenwood High School.
Four outfielders are in the mix for the three spots, with Zekylah Boyd, Megan Waites, and Addison Sturdivant providing the most experience for Burton and the Wolves. Boyd, who readies for her junior season is an elite defender and was error free with 81 chances and six outfield assists in 2024. At the plate, Boyd is a career .253 batter with 22 stolen bases in two seasons.
Waites put together a great freshman campaign last year, hitting .333 while scoring the second most runs on the team, 43. She had an OBP of .466 and drew a team-high 26 walks while also leading the team with 17 stolen bases. Sturdivant, the senior, has played in 80 career games and is coming off a career-best .340 average as a junior in 2024. The fourth outfielder in the rotation is true freshman Olivia Wooten. The local product from Temple hit .483 with 28 extra-base hits as a senior in high school.
Burton knows she has a ton of versatility in her roster as well with six of the aforementioned players above earning the utility moniker as their position. The third-year head coach expects to use numerous lineups as the Wolves get their footing in Division I softball while trying to get back to full strength after injuries in the fall season.
The season kicks off on Friday, February 7 in Boiling Springs, North Carolina as the Wolves compete in the Runnin' Bulldog Classic on Friday and Saturday. A full preview of next weekend's action will be released next week.
