University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
2025 Softball Position Player Preview
January 29, 2025 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 2025 Carolina softball season is right around the corner, with a trip to Auburn for the Tiger Invitational Feb. 7-9. Second year head coach Megan Smith Lyon impressed in year one, going 30-20 overall. The Tar Heels are set to return two lynchpins of the outfield and has an almost entirely new infield at her disposal.
Out of the position players, 12 of the 20 are new to Chapel Hill in 2025. Alex Coleman and Sanna Thompson are back and look to lead the Tar Heels after each burst onto the scene last season.
CATCHERS
Racheal Fuerst comes in with the most experience behind the plate. In three years at Pitt, she made 37 starts and appeared in 77 games. While with the Panthers, she hit five home runs and had 18 RBI.
Raeghan Carlson returns for her second season at Carolina. Last season she started three games, she hit a homer against NC Central and had an RBI at Pitt.
Rayna Blackwell comes to UNC after spending her freshman season at Charlotte. She was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament team after she had a pair of hits in the tournament. On the year she had nine hits and nine RBI. She threw two runners out attempting to steal as well.
INFIELDERS/UTILITY
Carlie Myrtle, Caroline Fox, Camryn Martin, and Erin Parker are the returners of the group.
Myrtle hit .271 last season across 33 games and 24 starts. She had three homers and 11 RBI. In her career she has been solid defensively with a .969 fielding percentage while primarily playing first base.
Fox appeared in 17 games last season, making one start. She had one RBI on the year.
Martin didn't appear in a game last season but was a three-time all-state selection in high school.
Kat Rodriguez comes to Chapel Hill after playing one year at Quinnipiac and three years for Pitt. She is also staple on Team Colombia. Playing for her country since the age of 15. Rodriguez has made 144 appearances and 141 starts across four college seasons. She's racked up 141 hits, 61 RBI, 83 runs, 28 doubles, 11 homer runs, and four triples in her collegiate career. She's hit to the tune of a .323 average and stolen 10 bags.
Shelby Barbee arrives at Carolina after three seasons at Virginia where she was named to the 2024 All-ACC Third Team. In 82 games and 62 starts she tallied 36 hits, 25 RBI, 17 HBP, and seven homers. In 2024, she hit .319 in ACC player and won ACC Player of the Week once.
Grace Jackson was a standout at Princeton, appearing in 144 games, making 143 starts in the middle infield. She had 100 hits, 14 doubles, three triples and 27 stolen bases. She was named to the All-Ivy League Second Team twice and was named to the 2024 Ivy League All-Tournament Team.
Lindsay Lumsden joins the Tar Heels after an impressive season at Campbell that saw her bring home CAA Rookie of the Year honors. She was also named to both the 2024 All-CAA First Team and Rookie Team. She won CAA Rookie of the Week twice. She led Campbell in doubles (13), home runs (4), total bases (76) and ranking third in batting average (.320) and hits (47).
Reece Outlaw and Skylar Young are the incoming freshman of the infield group with Ella Fox coming in in a utility role.
Outlaw was North Duplins career and single-season record holder for runs, hits, RBI, and home runs. She was a four-time All-Carolina 1A Conference selection. She was also a NC Coaches Association All-State Team selection in softball (three-times), women's basketball (four years) and track.
Young became the first female to play baseball at Terry Sanford high school where she helped win the All-American Baseball Conference title four times. She was also a four year letterwinner in basketball.
Fox joins her sister Caroline on the team. Ella was a four-year letter winner at Wayne Christian where she was a four-time NCISAA All-State selection in softball. She was a two-time state champion in both softball and basketball. On the basketball court she finished as the all-time leading scorer, finishing with over 1,800 points. She was the 2023-24 CPIC Co-Player of the Year in basketball.
OUTFIELDERS
The Carolina outfield returns three players with Alex Coleman, Sanaa Thompson and Kiannah Pierce all bringing back significant experience.
Coleman was named to the 2025 Preseason All-ACC team after bursting onto the ACC scene last season. She started all 50 games and led the Tar Heels in batting average (.436), hits (72), runs (44), multi-hit games (18), stolen bases (20-for-22) and runs (44). She posted the third-highest single-season batting average in program history and best since 1996. Coleman finished the regular season, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in batting average and No. 20 in total hits.
Thompson played in 45 games, making 43 starts as a freshman last season. She had the third-highest batting average on the team and seventh-highest in the ACC (.402). She also had 34 RBI, 34 runs, five home runs, seven doubles, and two triples. She opened her career with an 18-game hit streak and 22-game on-base streak.
Pierce is back after missing each of the last two seasons. She is a career .314 hitting in her 72 appearances and 61 starts. She has 29 RBI, 21 runs, 14 doubles, and three triples in her career.
Lexie Roberts transfers in from Radford where she was named the 2024 Big South Player of the Year. She led the Big South in batting average (.413), on-base percentage (.436), hits (62) and triples (5) and was second in runs scored (38) and stolen bases (29) in 2024. She held Radford's highest batting average as both a freshman (.333) and sophomore (.413).
Bryten Burns are Jadyn Howell are the incoming freshmen.
Burns was the 2024 11-6A Offensive MVP, and the Ellis County Softball Player of the Year. She was the three-time Waxahachie Offensive Player of the Year.
Howell was a two-year letter winner at Weddington High School where she was a 2024 NCSCA All-District 6 selection.
Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram
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Out of the position players, 12 of the 20 are new to Chapel Hill in 2025. Alex Coleman and Sanna Thompson are back and look to lead the Tar Heels after each burst onto the scene last season.
CATCHERS
Racheal Fuerst comes in with the most experience behind the plate. In three years at Pitt, she made 37 starts and appeared in 77 games. While with the Panthers, she hit five home runs and had 18 RBI.
Raeghan Carlson returns for her second season at Carolina. Last season she started three games, she hit a homer against NC Central and had an RBI at Pitt.
Rayna Blackwell comes to UNC after spending her freshman season at Charlotte. She was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Tournament team after she had a pair of hits in the tournament. On the year she had nine hits and nine RBI. She threw two runners out attempting to steal as well.
INFIELDERS/UTILITY
Carlie Myrtle, Caroline Fox, Camryn Martin, and Erin Parker are the returners of the group.
Myrtle hit .271 last season across 33 games and 24 starts. She had three homers and 11 RBI. In her career she has been solid defensively with a .969 fielding percentage while primarily playing first base.
Fox appeared in 17 games last season, making one start. She had one RBI on the year.
Martin didn't appear in a game last season but was a three-time all-state selection in high school.
Kat Rodriguez comes to Chapel Hill after playing one year at Quinnipiac and three years for Pitt. She is also staple on Team Colombia. Playing for her country since the age of 15. Rodriguez has made 144 appearances and 141 starts across four college seasons. She's racked up 141 hits, 61 RBI, 83 runs, 28 doubles, 11 homer runs, and four triples in her collegiate career. She's hit to the tune of a .323 average and stolen 10 bags.
Shelby Barbee arrives at Carolina after three seasons at Virginia where she was named to the 2024 All-ACC Third Team. In 82 games and 62 starts she tallied 36 hits, 25 RBI, 17 HBP, and seven homers. In 2024, she hit .319 in ACC player and won ACC Player of the Week once.
Grace Jackson was a standout at Princeton, appearing in 144 games, making 143 starts in the middle infield. She had 100 hits, 14 doubles, three triples and 27 stolen bases. She was named to the All-Ivy League Second Team twice and was named to the 2024 Ivy League All-Tournament Team.
Lindsay Lumsden joins the Tar Heels after an impressive season at Campbell that saw her bring home CAA Rookie of the Year honors. She was also named to both the 2024 All-CAA First Team and Rookie Team. She won CAA Rookie of the Week twice. She led Campbell in doubles (13), home runs (4), total bases (76) and ranking third in batting average (.320) and hits (47).
Reece Outlaw and Skylar Young are the incoming freshman of the infield group with Ella Fox coming in in a utility role.
Outlaw was North Duplins career and single-season record holder for runs, hits, RBI, and home runs. She was a four-time All-Carolina 1A Conference selection. She was also a NC Coaches Association All-State Team selection in softball (three-times), women's basketball (four years) and track.
Young became the first female to play baseball at Terry Sanford high school where she helped win the All-American Baseball Conference title four times. She was also a four year letterwinner in basketball.
Fox joins her sister Caroline on the team. Ella was a four-year letter winner at Wayne Christian where she was a four-time NCISAA All-State selection in softball. She was a two-time state champion in both softball and basketball. On the basketball court she finished as the all-time leading scorer, finishing with over 1,800 points. She was the 2023-24 CPIC Co-Player of the Year in basketball.
OUTFIELDERS
The Carolina outfield returns three players with Alex Coleman, Sanaa Thompson and Kiannah Pierce all bringing back significant experience.
Coleman was named to the 2025 Preseason All-ACC team after bursting onto the ACC scene last season. She started all 50 games and led the Tar Heels in batting average (.436), hits (72), runs (44), multi-hit games (18), stolen bases (20-for-22) and runs (44). She posted the third-highest single-season batting average in program history and best since 1996. Coleman finished the regular season, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in batting average and No. 20 in total hits.
Thompson played in 45 games, making 43 starts as a freshman last season. She had the third-highest batting average on the team and seventh-highest in the ACC (.402). She also had 34 RBI, 34 runs, five home runs, seven doubles, and two triples. She opened her career with an 18-game hit streak and 22-game on-base streak.
Pierce is back after missing each of the last two seasons. She is a career .314 hitting in her 72 appearances and 61 starts. She has 29 RBI, 21 runs, 14 doubles, and three triples in her career.
Lexie Roberts transfers in from Radford where she was named the 2024 Big South Player of the Year. She led the Big South in batting average (.413), on-base percentage (.436), hits (62) and triples (5) and was second in runs scored (38) and stolen bases (29) in 2024. She held Radford's highest batting average as both a freshman (.333) and sophomore (.413).
Bryten Burns are Jadyn Howell are the incoming freshmen.
Burns was the 2024 11-6A Offensive MVP, and the Ellis County Softball Player of the Year. She was the three-time Waxahachie Offensive Player of the Year.
Howell was a two-year letter winner at Weddington High School where she was a 2024 NCSCA All-District 6 selection.
Stay up to date with Carolina Softball by following the Tar Heels on Twitter and Instagram
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