Gamecocks Announce 2020 Signing Class

COLUMBIA, S.C. —- South Carolina softball and head coach Beverly Smith proudly announced nine future Gamecocks signed their national letters of intent today. Riley Blampied, Carlie Henderson, Aaliyah White, Kylee Gleason, Skylar Trahan, Maddie Gallagher, Leah Powell, Zoe Laneaux and Leslie Carroll all signed their NLI and are set to join the Gamecocks next year.
 
“I am excited to finally be able to talk about the Class of 2020,” head coach Beverly Smith said. “There’s a few things Gamecock softball fans should know about this class. This is the largest class (nine) I’ve signed in my tenure. They add depth at every position. This class is chalked full of talent with athletes that I expect to contribute immediately. This a group of high character people from great families who will make you proud on and off the field. I’d get my season tickets now!” 
 
South Carolina enters the winter coming off a 38-19 season in which it advanced to its fourth-straight regional final under Smith and the program’s seventh-consecutive postseason berth to set a new record for consecutive years in regional action. 
 
For more information on the Gamecocks, continue to check back with gamecocksonline.com and gamecocksoftball.com. 
 
RILEY BLAMPIED
Riley Blampied joins the Gamecocks from Cordele, Ga., where she attended Crisp County High School. Blampied picked Carolina over Alabama and Florida State. She shined on the field and court for the Cougars as she lettered all four years of high school in softball and one season of basketball. 
 
“I always knew that Carolina was one of my favorite schools,” she said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “They were the first school to offer me and believe in me. I always knew in my heart from that day forward that South Carolina was the place for me.”
 
Blampied was notably selected to the United States 17-U National Team that played in, and won, the Pan American Games in Columbia. During her high school career, she was named the Region 1-AAA Offensive Player of the Year, Second-Team All-State, Region 1-AAA Player of the Year and First-Team All-State.
 
During her final two years of high school softball, she never hit below .589 with a combined 25 home runs and 77 RBI. She also flashed the wheels with 21 stolen bases her final two seasons.
 
Blampied showed plenty of success off the field, as well, as she was a Scholar Athlete all four years and a member of the Beta Club. 
 
AALIYAH WHITE
Aaliyaha White joins Carolina from Loganville, Ga., where she attended Grayson High School. White picked the Gamecocks over Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan State and LSU. White shined for the Rams on the field as she lettered all four years in softball.
 
“I enjoyed the conversations with (Beverly Smith) and (Lisa Navas) on visits to the campus and at softball games,” White said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “I realized that South Carolina was, and is, the best fit for me.”
 
White racked up the honors in high school as she was named a Gwinnett Daily Post Super 6 Player, named to the North-South All-Start Team, All-County Team Diamond Club Defensive Player of the Year, Second-Team All-State, All-County First Team multiple times and All-Region First Team. She notably holds the school record for most stolen bases in a career and season.
 
During her career, she never hit lower than .443 and never stole less than 40 bases in a season. She flashed the wheels in 2017 with 55 stolen bases in 34 games. Whited closed her high school career with more than 170 swiped bases.
 
Also holds the school record for most runs in a season, having never scored less than 33 in a season.
 
CARLIE HENDERSON
Carlie Henderson joins South Carolina from Calhoun, Ga., where she attended Calhoun High School. She picked Carolina over Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern. She shined on the field and on the court for the Yellow Jackets as she lettered all four years of high school in softball and one season of basketball.
 
“I love the coaches, campus and girls on the team,” Henderson said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “South Carolina felt like home to me. I knew its where I needed to be. I also knew I wanted to play against the best of the best and that was the SEC.”
 
During her high school career, she was named All-County on three occasions, All-Region three times, a three-time All-State selection, Chattanooga Times Free Press Team selection twice, Best of Preps honoree twice and played in the North-South Junior All-Star Game.
 
Henderson never hit lower than .475 her four years with 20 or more runs scored each season. She flashed the wheels all throughout high school with 36 stolen bases during her career.
 
Shined off the field, as well, as she was named to the All-Academic Team during her high school career.
 
Kylee Gleason
Kylee Gleason joins the Garnet and Black from Bluffton, S.C., where she attended May River High School. She picked Carolina over Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Syracuse and College of Charleston. She shined on the field and on the course as she lettered in softball all through high school and one season of cross country.
 
“The moment I knew I was going to pick Carolina was my freshman year of high school,” Gleason said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “It was my first game I ever saw them play. I never saw a team with so much compassion and fight. They were focused but looked as if they were having so much fun together. That is when I knew I wanted to be a Gamecock.”
 
During her high school career, she was an All-State selection last season, the 2018-19 May River Most Valuable Player, the 2017 May River Offensive Player of the Year and led the state in batting average in 2018 and 2019.
 
Gleason never hit below .483 and had two seasons where she hit north of .600 as she closed her high school career with 69 RBI and eight home runs. She also flashed the wheels with 100 stolen bases.
 
She notably shined off the field, as well, as she was on the AB Honor Roll all four years of High School and was in the top 30 percent of her class for GPA.
 
SKYLAR TRAHAN
Skylar Trahan joins South Carolina from Hampton, Ga., where she attended Hampton High School. She picked Carolina over LSU. She shined on the field and in the pool as she lettered all four years in softball and swimming.
 
“After a lot of thinking and talking with my family, I made the decision to commit to South Carolina,” Trahan said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “I already knew I wanted to go there after my unofficial visit, it just felt like home away from home. I actually made the decision at a softball tournament. I facetimed Coach Bev and told her I wanted to commit. After I got off the phone with her, I pitched one of the best games that I’ve ever pitched.”
 
During her high school career, she was the 2018-19 4A State Player of the Year, Region 4-AAAA Pitcher of the Year twice, Region 4-AAAA Player of the Year, Henry County Female Athlete of the Year, a four-time First-Team All-Region Pitcher and a Second-Team All-Region outfielder.
 
She finished her career with 30 wins in the circle as she posted 100 or more strikeouts all four years for the Hornets. At the plate, she never hit below .430 with 14 home runs and 75 RBI. She also flashed the wheels with 35 stolen bases.
 
She notably shined off the field, as well, as she was a National Honor Society Executive Committee member.
 
MADDIE GALLAGHER
Maddie Gallagher joins Carolina from Port Washington, N.Y., where she attended Paul D. Schreiber High School. She picked Carolina over UNC and Fordham. She shined on the field as she lettered in softball six times.
 
“I got the feeling walking through the path of the athletic village to the softball stadium,” Gallagher said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “I could totally picture myself at Carolina so when I was offered it was a dream come true.”
 
During her high school career, she was the 2019 Nassau County Player of the Year, two-time All-State selection, All-County and All-Long Island. She was notably selected to the United States 17-U National Team that played in, and won, the Pan American Games in Columbia, was a two-time High School All-American and was ranked No. 27 in the class of 2020 by Extra Innings.
 
She finished her career having never hit below .549 with 51 extra-base hits, including 15 home runs and 52 RBI.
 
Off the field, she was a four-time NYS Scholar Athlete, National Honors Society member, English Honors society member and Foreign Language Honors Society member.
 
LEAH POWELL
Leah Powell joins the Gamecocks from Evans, Ga., where she attended Evans High School. She did not consider another school before picking South Carolina. She lettered in softball all four years of high school.
 
“The moment I knew I was picking Carolina was after finding out my tournament was canceled after warming up for a game,” Powell said on her decision to pick Carolina. “I talked to my coach. I told him I had a good feeling about South Carolina and felt it was my calling to go there. As I told him this after thinking a lot about my future, I wanted to be a Gamecock.”
 
During her high school career, she was the 6-AAAAAA Player of the Year and earned All-Region honors all four years.
 
She finished her career in the circle with 69 wins while striking out 591 strikeouts.
 
ZOE LANEAUX
Zoe Laneaux joins the Garnet and Black from Marietta, Ga., where she attended Pope High School. She picked Carolina over Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State. She lettered in softball all four years.
 
“It’s a family and the perfect place for me,” Laneaux said on her decision to pick Carolina.”
 
During her high school career, she was a two All-County selection, four-time All-Region nominee, Region Player of the Year, three-time All-State selection, 2018 State 6A Player of the Year, NFCA Team South Region Rookie of the Year and a two-time MVP.
 
LESLIE CARROLL
Leslie Carroll joins South Carolina from Alpharetta, Ga., where she attended Cambridge High School. She picked Carolina over Auburn. She lettered in softball three years and basketball one season.
 
“My mom and I were eating dinner before a lesson when we saw this huge bus with South Carolina tatted on the side,” Carroll said on her decision to pick South Carolina. “I saw Coach Bev’s little blonde ponytail pop out of the bus first and the rest of the team following. I immediately jumped up and said hello to everyone. I looked at Lisa Navas and as I turned to walk away, Coach Bev said, ‘Chooch, just so you know, the offer still stands whenever you’re ready to come home.’ I cried and told my mom I was ready to commit to South Carolina.”
 
During her high school career, she was First-Team All-State and First Team All-Region her freshman year, Second-Team All-Region her junior year and First-Team All-Region as well as Offensive Player of the Year her senior year.
 
She slugged 1.099 with a .589 on-base percentage her senior year.