Winston-Salem, NC -- Carolina University Softball is proud to announce the signing of 11 Student-Athletes to the 2021 Recruiting Class. Head Coach Amber Bass and Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Miles Warfford have extremely high praise for this group of young women. Coach Bass said, "This class is going to be one of the most exciting group of athletes in the history of the program." Additionally, Coach Warfford thinks this class "represents everything we need to take the next steps toward Championship Contention." This class includes three pitchers; Ali Hartin, Jessica Houston, and Mary Mac Miller, catcher; Leigha James, outfielders; Nicole Otto, Emma Dantzler, Makinnia Hall, and infielders; Brionna King, Calyn Mincey, Riley Hope, and Makinzie Brown. Carolina University is extremely excited to welcome this group to the Bruin Family!


Alison "Ali" Lee Hartin
                Hometown: Travelers Rest, South Carolina
                High School: Travelers Rest High School
                Travel Team: Carolina Crush
                Position: Pitcher/Inf
Highlights: 4 Year Varsity Starter. 2017 Offensive Player of the Year. 2017 All Region AAAA Region 1. 2018 Offensive Player of the Year, 2018 AAAA Region 1 All Region. 2019 AAAA Region 1 All-Tournament Team
Multi-sport player, 3-year varsity letterman and 2 year started in Basketball. 4-year varsity starter Volleyball
Bass and Warfford' s Assessment: Ali is an exceptional all-around player. As a pitcher, Ali has speed and movement. She consistently throws in the high 50's to low 60's. She has a lot of good pitches in her rotation.  Ali is  exceptional as a middle infielder where she utilizes her speed to cover a lot of ground.  She is very consistent at the plate with a strong on base percentage.


Jessica Nicole Houston Evans
                Hometown: Newman, Georgia
                High School: Central Christian School
                Travel ball: Georgia Premier
                Position: Pitcher
Highlights: 3-Year Varsity starter.  All-State Georgia 1A, GAPPS -II-A West All-Region 2019
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Jessica is an outstanding pitcher with power and movement. She earned All State honors with her pitching ability.  She has a strong arsenal of pitches that can keep batters off balance.  We are so excited to have her on our staff.



Mary Mac Miller
                Hometown: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
                High School: Oceanside Collegiate Academy
                Travel Team: Carolina Mojo – Outlaw
                Position – Pitcher
Highlights: 2-year varsity starter for Oceanside Collegiate.  Starting Pitcher for Carolina Mojo 18U. Multi-sport athlete. Starter for Oceanside Volleyball and won the Duke Tip award.
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Mary Mac is a solid pitcher that throws on the high 50's to low 60's. She keeps hitters off balance with her range of pitches. She has a command of her pitch locations and is able to throw with movement and spin.  We look for Mary Mac to be an immediate member of the starting pitching rotation.



Leigha James
                Hometown: Griffin, Georgia
                High School: Spalding High School
                Travel Team: Team Georgia – Johnson
                Position: Catcher
Highlights: 3-year varsity starter. Region 2-AAAA Honorable Mention All-Region.  Team MVP.  Defensive Player of the Year. Leigha is a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, AB Honor Roll. 2-year HOSA Member and Secretary of HOSA. 
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Leigha is an athletic catcher with tons of speed.  She is very energetic and nimble on defense, with a powerful bat to back it up.  She has a very strong arm and will be a defensive force against opposing base runners. 


Nicole Otto
                Hometown: Concord, NC
                High School: Hickory Ridge
                Travel Team: Elite 9 – Thomas
                Position: Outfield
Highlights: A varsity starter at Hickory Ridge and Captain of Elite-9 Travel Team.  Is a starting centerfielder and lead-off batter.  She is a slapper.  Lead Elite-9 with on-base percentage, stolen bases and runs scored. Nicole is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, National Beta Club. 
Bass and Warfford's Assessment:  Nicole possesses elite speed and athletic ability that will allow her to make an immediate impact for Bruin Nation. She is an excellent outfielder with a strong arm and extremely high knowledge of the game. Nicole is a talent that doesn't come around very often and will be an important part of the team moving forward.


Emma Grace Dantzler
                Hometown: Harleyville, South Carolina
                High School: Woodland High School
                Travel Team: SC Badkatz
                Position: Outfield
Highlights: 3-year Varsity starter.  AA Region 6 All Region 2019. Defensive MVP, Coaches Award, Scholastic Award.  A multisport athlete. Member of Track and Field team and a Varsity Cheerleader.
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Don't let her size fool you, Emma packs a lot of talent in a small package.  She is a slapper with excellent speed and also has a lot of experience in the middle infield. Emma is expected to see playing time at many different positions. We were very excited to have Emma be the cornerstone of this class when she committed in October of 2019.



Makinnia Laraie Hall
                Hometown: Forest City, NC
                High School: East Rutherford High School
                Travel Team: Carolina Curve – Deaton
                Position: Outfield
Highlights: 3 Year Varsity starter. All State NC Preps 2A 2019, All Conference Southwestern 2A 2019, 2018, 2017
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Easily one of the top players in this year's class.  Makinnia is a natural athlete with speed and power both at the plate and in the field.  She is going to play an important role as a freshman.




Brionna Caryn King
                Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina
                High School: Westwood High School
                Travel Team: Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Highlights: 3-year varsity starter. Member of National Honor Society.  A/B Honor Roll
Bass and Warfford Assessment: Brionna has a lot of potential at middle infield.  She has great range and quickness combined with a strong arm.  She has exceptional speed on the bases and a real threat.  It is expected that she will be a permanent fixture in Bruin lineup.




Calyn Faith Mincey
                Hometown: Indian Trail, North Carolina
                High School: Porters Ridge
                Travel Team: Carolina Curve
                Position: Utility
Highlights: 3-year varsity starter at Porter's Ridge High School.  Starter for Carolina Curve. Teammate of Makinnia Miller who is also a CU commit
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Calyn is mature well beyond her age.  She brings stability to the team. We look for her to be one of the core leaders of our program as we move forward.  She has a lot of athletic ability and will grow into a great player for CU.



Riley Elizabeth Hope
                Hometown: Chuckey, Tennessee
                High School: David Crockett High School
                Travel Team: Tennessee Hype
                Position: Third Base
Highlights: 4-year varsity starter.  AAA District 1 All Conference Honorable Mention. Member of Tennessee Hype travel team.
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Riley is an excellent third baseman.  She has a strong arm and lots of range.  She can hit for power and has very good speed on the bases.  She will be an immediate impact for Carolina University.



Makinzie Brown
                Hometown: Bluff City, Tennessee
                High School: Sullivan East High School
                Travel Team: Tennessee Hype
                Position: Inf, Utility
Highlights: 4-year varsity starter and member of the Tennessee Hype Elite travel ball team. Is a solid infielder that can play both middle and corners. 
Bass and Warfford's Assessment: Makinzie is the player that immediately stands out in a game.  She has athletic ability and quickness that gives her range in the infield.  Her knowledge of the game is very high and will be the reason we win games.