Softball 2024 Signing Class Ranked No. 11 in the Country
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina softball head coach Beverly Smith has announced the signing four high school senior student-athletes to compete for the Gamecocks beginning with the 2025 season: Shae Anderson (Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark), Mya Flindt (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney), Olivia Kotowski (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview), and Nia McKnight (Loganville, Ga./Grayson).
The 2024 signing class is ranked as the No. 11 class by Extra Inning Softball.
“I am excited to celebrate the signing of these four outstanding student-athletes who will bring their talent and passion to Gamecock softball. Mya, Nia, Olivia, and Shae possess the work ethic, determination, and strength of character to excel at South Carolina. I am looking forward to unforgettable moments with them on the field.”
Shae Anderson
Anderson, a 5-7 middle infielder, hits and throws from the right side. She is the 43rd ranked player by Extra Inning Softball. She was named a USA Softball All-American and a Triple Crown Future Star. While playing for her high school team, Anderson was a career .393 hitter, while slugging .810 with 14 home runs and 22 stolen bases. She led the Musketeers to a league title in 2023 and 24-8 record over the last two seasons. She is a two-time All-League and All-County selection, while being named the 2022 and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. While playing her travel ball with Georgia Impact Premier Caymol, Anderson hit .395 with 18 extra base hits and 20 stolen bases, en route to a top-7 finish at the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PFG) Nationals. She is also a standout in the classroom where she maintains a 4.1 GPA and was named an All-League Scholar Athlete.
Mya Flindt
A 5-10 right-handed catcher, Flindt is ranked by Legacy & Legends Softball as the 14th best catcher and 20th overall prospect in California. With her high school team, she was twice named the Offensive Player of the Year (2023, 2021). She led the Wildcats to a third-place finish at the State Tournament and a 2023 D2 Sectional Championship. Over three seasons, she has hit .376 with 14 home runs, 76 RBIs, and threw out 22 runners. She has twice been named First Team All-Sierra Foothill League and was a second team selection as a freshman in 2021. She was named to the Max Preps Sac-Joaquin All-Section Team in 2023 and 2021. This past season she was also named to the All-State NorCal CIF Sac-Joaquin Section team and the SacBee All-Metro First Team. With her club team, Sorcerer Bigley/Everett, she helped them to a third-place finish at the PFG Nationals in 2021.
Olivia Kotowski
Kotowski pulls double duty, as the 5-9 righty pitches and plays first base. She is ranked as the 23rd overall player by Extra Inning Softball. She is ranked 17th in the state of Georgia by Legacy & Legends Softball and 49th as a pitcher. She was named to the PFG All-American Games Watch List and was the 18U Champions Player of the Tournament in 2021. She was named to the All-State Second Team as a sophomore and was an All-State Honorable Mention as a junior. She is a three-time Class 7-A, Region 4 Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Region selection. She was named to the All-County First Team all four years. She graduates as the Panthers all-time leader in career wins, and both single-season and career leader in home runs. Outside of the softball, she volunteers with the Special Olympics and was a peer leader, in addition to earning the Academic Letter Award each of her first three years.
Nia McKnight
McKnight, a 5-3 outfielder, hits and throws right-handed. She is ranked No. 17 in the class by Extra Innings Softball and 47th by Legacy & Legends Softball, who also ranks her as the third-best player in Georgia and the eight-best outfielder. She is a three-time All-Region First Team and All-County selection. As a sophomore and junior she was named to the All-State Second Team. After her sophomore season, she was named the Gwinnett County Player of the Year. She has improved every season, capping of her high school career this fall by hitting .514 with 59 RBIs, a program record, and 25 stolen bases. As a junior, she hit .434 with 47 RBIs and 42 stolen bases, while hitting .415 with five home runs, 47 RBIs and 25 stolen bases as a sophomore. For her career, she batted .434 and holds several offensive records for the Rams with 187 RBIs, 15 home runs, and a .694 slugging percentage. During the summer with Atlanta Vipers Tamborra, she helped her team twice win the Triple Crown Southeast Nationals. Her squad earned a top-12 finish at the 2022 PGF National Championship and in 2020 were invited to Taiwan to compete against the Chinese Taipei National Team.
The Gamecocks open SEC play when they travel to Texas A&M March 8-10. The complete non-conference schedule will be announced at a later date. Season tickets are on sale now, $50 for adults and $25 for youth (17 and under), and can be purchased here.
For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.
