Greenville, S.C. – Furman softball will welcome six new faces for the 2023-24 school year, it was announced on Wednesday by Paladin head coach
Stacey Johnson-Whitfield.
Charlotte Brooks (Cumming, Ga.), Ansley Chiang (Cumming, Ga.), Christina McCoy (Dunwoody, Ga.), Taylor Miller (Centennial, Colo.), Angelina Ricciardi (Gibsonton, Fla.), and Grayson Snead (Ringgold, Va.) will join the Paladin program for the 2024 season.
"We have found some wonderful additions to our Furman softball family in the 2023 class," said Johnson-Whitfield. "To improve the team and keep Furman softball moving in the right direction, we needed some more depth in the middle and in the pitching staff. I am looking forward to seeing Ansley Chiang, Christina McCoy, and Charlotte Brooks make an impact right away. The two pitchers, Taylor Miller and Angelina Ricciardi, will both have a strong presence in the circle for us. Finally, with two catchers graduating following this season, it was important to add someone that could help take on the position immediately. Grayson Snead shows leadership while commanding the field behind the plate. We expect this class to come in and contribute, defensively and offensively, right away."
Brooks is a projected graduate of South Forsyth High School and played travel ball for GA Impact. A potential contributor at several positions as a Paladin, she helped the Lady War Eagles to a 26-8 overall record, Region 6-AAAAAAA title, and the final four of the Georgia 7A state playoffs this past fall. Primarily a second basemen for South Forsyth, Brooks batted .396 with a .455 on base percentage en route to earning second team All-Region 6 and All-Forsyth County honors. A three-time Academic All-Region 6 choice, the Cumming, Ga., native helped the GA Impact to the 2022 PGF U16 National Championship.
Chiang, who played alongside Brooks at South Forsyth High and is also projected to graduate in the spring, played shortstop on the 2022 Lady War Eagles squad that went 26-8, claimed the Region 6 championship with a 12-0 record and reached the semifinals of the Georgia 7A state playoffs. A three-time first team all-region choice and three-time academic all-region selection, Chiang earned Co-Region 6 Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. She also scored 27 runs, batted in 16 runs and drew a team-high 15 walks. The Cumming, Ga., native batted .411 to help the GA Power to the 2022 Alliance Fastpitch Open national title.
A four-year starter for Wesleyan High School, McCoy is set to graduate in the spring. She batted .404 with 15 doubles, six home runs and 33 RBIs this past season to pace the Wolves to a AAA state championship. The right-handed hitter garnered AAA all-state honors, All-Region 7 accolades and was named All- Gwinnett County after helping Wesleyan to a 32-2 overall mark and a region title with a perfect 12-0 record. As a junior, McCoy captured all-region accolades, All-Gwinnett County honors, and was a second team all-state selection following the Wolves' A state championship run. The Dunwoody, Ga., product plays her travel ball for the Lady Dukes and has also earned varsity letters in basketball and soccer.
Miller, a native of Centennial, Colo., is on track to graduate in the spring from Arapahoe High School. The right-hander earned honorable mention all-state honors and first team All-5A/4A Centennial League honors after leading the Warriors to a 15-11 overall record and 8-4 league mark in 2022. Miller won all 15 games in the circle, posted a 3.34 ERA and established a new school record with 182 strikeouts in 140.1 innings of work. She also batted .439 with 11 doubles, two homers and 29 RBIs as a senior. In addition to her single-season strikeout mark, Miller holds the school record for single-game strikeouts (16) and established new school single-season marks for home runs (9) and RBIs (38) as a junior. The three-time academic all-state selection plays her travel ball with the Firecrackers and earned all-tournament honors at the Colorado Sparkler and Southwest Summer Nationals.
Ricciardi is projected to graduate this spring from Tampa Catholic High School. Despite dealing with injury, the right-handed pitcher from Gibsonton, Fla., posted a 1.97 ERA and fanned 85 batters in 71 innings of work as a junior during the spring of 2022. She also batted .344 with five double, a pair of homers and 21 RBIs to lead the Class AAA Crusaders to an 11-10 record. Ricciardi, who has also seen playing time at first base and third base, plays her travel ball for the Intensity.
Snead is slated to graduate from Dan River High School in the spring. The catcher garnered River City Sports Area Player of the Year honors, first team Virginia High School League Class AA All-State accolades, and first team all-region laurels after powering the Wildcats to a 19-4 record, region title, and state semifinals appearance as a junior in 2022. Snead batted .515, hammered a school-record 14 homers, and drove in 39 runs during her junior season. Ranked No. 1 in her graduating class at Dan River, the Ringgold, Va., native plays her travel ball for Rock Gold.
The 2023 Paladins return six of eight position starters and their top pitcher from a 2022 squad that posted a 22-33 overall record and finished fourth in the SoCon with an 8-10 league mark. Coach Johnson-Whitfield's first team notched victories over Mississippi State, who they will face twice this season, and SoCon regular season champion UNCG. Furman's list of returning starters is highlighted by first team All-SoCon catcher
Riley Ludlam and second team all-league selections in pitcher
Sierra Tufts and centerfielder
Ashlee Lykins.
Furman Softball Signees
Name Pos. Ht. B/T Hometown High School
Charlotte Brooks UT 5-3 R/R Cumming, Ga. South Forsyth H.S.
Ansley Chiang 2B/OF 5-3 R/R Cumming, Ga. South Forsyth H.S.
Christina McCoy SS/3B 5-8 R/R Dunwoody, Ga. Wesleyan H.S.
Taylor Miller P 5-11 R/R Centennial, Colo. Arapahoe H.S.
Angelina Ricciardi P 5-7 R/R Gibsonton, Fla. Tampa Catholic H.S.
Grayson Snead C 5-7 R/R Ringgold, Va. Dan River H.S.
