International Experience Adds to Great Resume for Bella Foran

After earning a Gold Glove Award, South Carolina softball newcomer Bella Foran is looking to take her game to the next level, and some recent international playing experience should help with that. The junior outfielder who transferred from Florida Atlantic University recently played for Puerto Rico’s National Team at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the Dominican Republic.

“It was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Foran, who grew up in Hoover, Alabama, but her mom was born in Puerto Rico as well as her grandparents. “It was amazing. These were my first international games. It was really exciting. I was the second youngest on the team. I played with girls I grew up watching, such as Aleshia Ocasio, Giselle Juarez, and Taran Alvelo. They were some of my idols growing up. The fan bases for a lot of the teams were great too. It warmed my heart to see our sport grow like that.”

Foran was previously invited to play in a summer league with the team and an injury on the national team opened the door for her to play in international competition. Overall, she played eight games in Peru and five in the Dominican Republic. She barely knew her teammates, but it all worked out.

“Thankfully, most of the girls knew English,” said Foran, who is studying public health and wants to eventually go to medical school with the goal of becoming a sports medicine physician. “I can kind of hold my own (speaking Spanish). I can understand when people around me are speaking Spanish. I just can’t rapid-fire answer back. My goal is to learn more so I can be fluent by next summer.”

Foran was a two-time NFCA Third Team All-Region selection, a freshman All-American in 2025, and earned a prestigious Rawlings Gold Glove Award last year for her play in left field at Florida Atlantic. The Gold Glove Award is given to only one player at each position nationwide, and she is the third Gamecock in the last three years to have earned the award during their careers, at South Carolina or at a prior school.

“I was the first in program history at FAU to get the Gold Glove,” Foran said. “I was in shock and had a lot of happy tears. It was a crazy accomplishment. There were so many thank yous from me, especially to the Lord for giving me the ability to be quick and light on my feet, as well as the whole coaching staff and my family.”

Hitting in the leadoff spot at FAU last year, she batted .342 and scored 40 runs. While she has goals for what she wants to do with the bat as a slap hitter who can also swing away, she also takes a lot of pride in her defense.

“I played shortstop growing up and played a little outfield in high school,” Foran said. “I didn’t get to focus on outfield until I got to college. With our ace pitcher at FAU, her main pitches were screwball and rise ball, so being in leftfield, I had to be ready every single pitch. At one point, I think I was making around six outs per game on average. I ended the year with 146 putouts. For a left fielder, that’s unheard of. I took a lot of pride in wanting to help my pitchers.

“Offensively, my freshman year I was in the nine-hole, so I was like that second leadoff. My job was to get on base anyway that I could. Last year, I moved to the leadoff spot. Moving to the SEC, my goal this year is to hit for a little more power and add some doubles and triples to the arsenal. I do want to hit my first collegiate home run. I’ll also use the slap game and bunt.”

Foran knows that playing in the SEC will be a challenge, but she thinks her international experience has helped.

“A huge thing for me was the confidence piece,” the 20-year-old said. “I was the second youngest on the team. We were going against women that were in the upper 20s and some near their mid-30s. It has given me confidence knowing that I did it there against some of the best, so why not do it here, too?

“In the SEC, everyone is good. It feels like a postseason matchup every weekend. When we went to Peru, we played Japan twice in some scrimmage games and twice in the tournament. That’s one of the best teams in the world. Going against that pitching and having some good at bats gives me that confidence that I can do this.”

While she enjoyed her time at FAU, the opportunity to play in the SEC was a dream come true, and South Carolina was the perfect fit.

“The atmosphere is great,” Foran said. “Seeing the facilities and talking with the coaching staff, this felt like a place I could come in and make an impact and have a really great community behind me.”

Foran already has some nice accomplishments on the diamond, and she has more goals for herself and her new team.

“The main thing is I want to play in the Super Regional and win because the end goal is to make the Women’s College World Series.”