Star-Studded Group Signs with Gamecock Softball

Nov. 9, 2016

Five standout players from across the country signed National Letters of Intent to play for South Carolina Softball starting in 2018, head coach Beverly Smith announced today. The players, Alex Fulmer (Little Mountain, S.C.), Victoria Galvan (Brielle, N.J.), Jana Johns (Calhoun, Ga.), Alyssa Kumiyama (Lakewood, Calif.) and Kelsey Oh (Verona, N.J.), have received numerous national and state awards and won major national tournaments as travel-ball players.

“With recruiting cycling earlier and earlier; the class of 2017 has been waiting to be Gamecocks for a while,” remarked Smith. “I am particularly excited that signing day has arrived, and they are now officially part of the family! This is a special class; I assure you this class will be impactful both on and off the field. I can’t wait for Gamecock Nation to watch the class of 2017 compete.”

Fulmer, a utility player, played at Mid-Carolina High for coach Jared Jones. A two-time South Carolina’s Coaches Association of Women’s Sports All-State AA team member, Fulmer hit .553 with 12 home runs and 59 RBI during her junior season with the Lady Rebels. She’s also played on the USA Baseball Women’s National Team the past two years, winning a gold medal in the 2015 Pan-American Tournament in Canada while also competing in the World Baseball Softball Confederation World Cup this past summer. Fulmer also played basketball for a year at Mid-Carolina, and she played travel ball with the Georgia Impact.

Johns, an infielder, earned second-team American Family Insurance All-USA honors in 2015-16 after hitting .529 with seven homers and 28 doubles, a new school single-season record, in 39 games at Calhoun High for head coach Dianne Smith. Powered by Johns, the Yellow Jackets won three-straight Georgia High School Association AAA titles before ranking second in 2016, going 141-20 in her four years. In her senior year, she set a new single-season record of 19 home runs and 78 RBI. The 2015 Georgia Dugout Club Player of the Year has also played four years of basketball at Calhoun, earning Region 6-AAA Player of the Year honors while gaining first-team all-state accolades. A member of the Beta Club and National Honors Society, Johns plays travel ball with the Georgia Impact with coach Patrick Lewis after previously playing with the Atlanta Vipers.

Kumiyama, a catcher/first baseman, has starred for the Quarles family of coaches at Gahr High School in Cerritos, Calif., hitting .506 as a junior with 10 doubles, six homers and 28 RBI. Twice on the All-California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 3 All-State team, Kumiyama is a three-time area player of the year and two-time San Gabriel Valley League MVP. Her best season actually came her freshman year, when she ripped 11 home runs and tallied 36 RBI. The academic honor roll member plays travel ball with the SoCal A’s, winning five national titles during her years with the venerable group.

Two pitchers are joining the Gamecocks, and they both hail from the Garden State. Galvan, a 6-0 hurler/first baseman, has played for coach Amy Certo at Manasquan High School, earning first-team All-Shore Conference accolades on three occasions. Twice, she’s earned Coast Star Offensive Player and Coast Star Defensive Player of the Year awards while earning NJ.com First-Team All-Group 2 honors in 2016. She hit 12 home runs and drove in 30 as a junior while posting a 1.66 ERA in 93 innings of work, striking out 160 while walking 39. She holds MHS’s record for strikeouts and home runs heading into her junior year, and she’s made the honor roll each year. She also plays basketball, helping the Warriors claim the Shore Conference crown one season. Galvan plays travel ball with the Pennsylvania Chaos.

Oh, another 6-0 right-handed pitcher, is a two-time New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year winner at Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell, N.J. The two-time NFCA First-Team High School All-American posted a 0.89 ERA as a junior, striking out 285 batters in 149.1 innings of work. For her three years under head coach Rob Stern, she’s posted a 0.71 ERA in over 400 innings of work. She helped the Lady Lions win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State Non-Public A crown during her freshman year. Oh joined Johns on the American Family Insurance All-USA Second Team, and she plays with the Jersey Intensity and coach Kevin O’Donnell on the travel-ball circuit.

The Gamecocks open 2017 hosting the Carolina Classic over Feb. 10-12 at Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field. Season tickets are on sale now at GamecocksOnline.com/tickets, with packages starting at $25 for adults and $10 for youth 17 and under.

South Carolina Softball Signees from 2016 Fall Signing Period
Will suit up for Gamecocks first in 2018