BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M softball program and head coach Trisha Ford announced the signing of four Extra Inning Elite Top 100 players to National Letters of Intent. Hailey Golden (Pearland, Texas), Reagan Jones (Alvin, Texas), Scout Lovell (Lovelady, Texas) and Mya Perez (Norco, Calif.) make up A&M’s 2023 Signing Class.
“We are very excited to announce our first class here in Aggieland,” Ford said. “We have a variety of players that will contribute to a multitude of ways. We are overjoyed to see what this class contributes to our program in the upcoming years.”
Outfield • Pearland, Texas • Pearland High School
A four-year letterman at Pearland, Golden ranked No. 55 in the Extra Inning Elite top 100 player ranking. She was named the team MVP as a junior while leading her team to a district title and a regional finalist appearance. She earned First Team All-District, First Team VYPE and First Team All-State honors in the outfield. Most notably she was named the Scorebook Live All-East Texas Softball Defensive Player of the Year and was a TGCA All-Star, while being named an NFCA Second Team All-American. Golden averaged .625 in 120 at-bats and totaling 75 hits, including 24 RBI and 61 runs. In her sophomore season she was named the team Newcomer of the Year and earned NFCA Third Team All-America, NFCA Central Region First Team and All-District Second Team outfield honors. The speedster has stolen 59 bases and garners a perfect fielding percentage with 62 putouts over her high school career.
Ford on Golden: “Her sister is an Aggie (Ashlynn Walls ‘22) and someone we feel will come in and add some depth to our outfield. We are excited to see Hailey use her speed and track down some balls in Davis Diamond.”
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Infield • Alvin, Texas • Alvin High School
Jones ranked No. 14 in the Extra Inning top 100 player rankings and was named to the All-District 23-6A First Team as a junior in 2022. She boasted a .500 batting average in 73 plate appearances and totaled 23 hits while knocking in 25 runs. As a sophomore she helped lead the Yellow Jackets to a 27-6 record and a district title at 11-1. Jones averaged .456 at the plate with 41 hits, including 11 doubles and eight home runs to earn All-District First Team honors and team MVP recognition.
Ford on Jones: “Reagan lives and breathes softball. If you are ever looking for her, you'll find her at the field. She is someone that we think will come in to compete and contribute right away. She loves to play hard and I can't wait to get her in uniform.”
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Avery “Scout” Lovell
Shortstop • Lovelady, Texas • Lovelady High School
Lovell, a No. 71 ranked Extra Inning player, led the Lovelady Lions to a 35-5-3 record that included a UIL 2A state runner-up finish and a perfect 11-0 mark in district action. She earned District 21-2A defensive MVP honors and was named to the UIL Class 2A State All-Tournament Team as a shortstop. Lovell earned District 21-2A MVP honors as a freshman in 2020 and again as a sophomore in 2021, while boasting a .431 career batting average. A two-sport athlete, Lovell was also a regional qualifier in pole vault, the 300m hurdles and the 4 x 200.
Ford on Lovell: “Scout is someone that we have been actively recruiting for quite some time. With our transition, it made sense for her to also stay home. Scout is very versatile and someone that can play basically anywhere on the field. We are thrilled that Scout is joining us here in Aggieland.”
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First Base/Right Hand Pitcher • Norco, Calif. • Norco High School
Perez, ranked No. 7 in the Extra Elite top 100, was named to the Cali-Hi All-State First Team and garnered Extra Innings High School All-America status as a junior after belting 17 home runs with 51 hits and a .676 batting average. As a sophomore she batted .543 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI in 112 plate appearances. For her efforts she was named an Extra Inning First Team All-American and earned Cali-Hi State Sophomore Player of the Year and Inland Softball Player of the Year accolades.
Ford on Perez: “Mya is one of the most prolific hitters in her class. We can't wait to watch her do damage in the box and become a pitcher's nightmare. Mya is someone that also transitioned with us, and we are so happy that all the pieces fell into place, and we could make her an Aggie.”
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