LSU softball, Beth Torina sign No. 3 class

LSU softball head coach Beth Torina announced the signing of six student-athletes on 2023 Signing Day.  

The Tigers will welcome Zoe Calvez (Orlando, Fla.), Alix Franklin (St. Amant, La.), Destiny Harris (Norfolk, Va.), Jayden Heavener (Pace, Fla.), Sa’Mya Jones (Pearland, Texas) and Jada Phillips (Bradenton, Fla.) to Baton Rouge next fall. The Tigers 2024 signing class ranks No. 3 by Extra Inning Softball and has five signees in the Extra Elite 100. 

“From speed to power and everything in between elite pitching, catching, and defense all over the field – this class has it,” said head coach Beth Torina. “This is one of the strongest classes to sign with LSU and one of the strongest in the country in the 2024 class. We can’t wait for their arrival in Baton Rouge and immediate impact on this program and SEC softball. We are incredibly proud of this group and look forward to them becoming Tigers for life.” 

LSU Class Breakdown

Calvez is an outfielder who plays at West Orange High School, where she was named to the FSHAA 7A All-State Team after batting .420 and stole 25 bases her junior season. Calvez has played for the Atlanta Vipers-Tamborra 18u for the last three summers. Last summer, Calvez had a .417 batting average, .550 OPB and 16 stolen bases. Calvez currently plays club for the Hotshots. Extra Inning Softball has Calvez tied as the No. 9 recruit in the 2024 class and has a positional ranking tied at No. 4.

Franklin is an infielder and two-time Louisiana 5A State Champion with St. Amant High School. During last year’s championship run, Franklin had a .544 batting average with 56 runs, 52 RBIs, 49 hits and 22 home runs. Franklin is a three-time All-State selection and played club ball last summer with the Texas Bombers American 18u team. Extra Inning Softball ranked Franklin at No. 27 last year.

Harris is an outfielder who has helped her club team, Unity, win multiple championship titles. Last summer, Harris aided Unity in a 43-6-1 record and batted .336 with 40 hits, including 11 home runs and stole 12 bases. The team won the ATL Legacy 16u Invitational and the TCS 16u Colorado Sparkler PP Championship. Unity also placed fifth in the PGF 16u Premier Nationals Triple Crown. At Granby High School, in her junior year, Harris logged a .468 batting average with 36 hits, 49 runs scored, nine home runs and 24 stolen bases. In the 2024 class, Harris ranks as the T-No. 10 recruit by Extra Inning Softball and is tied at No. 5 among outfielders.

Heavener is a utility pitcher who plays for Pace High School. The high school All-American was named the FACA 6A Player of the Year after going 18-2 in the circle as a junior with 300 strikeouts and 0.19 ERA in 127.2 innings pitched. Heavener hauled 10 shutouts, six no-hitters and three perfect games on the rubber while logging a .459 batting average with 39 hits, 33 RBIs, a .823 slugging percentage and seven home runs at the plate. Last summer, Heavener played club for Georgia Impact, where she had a 16-2 record with 226 strikeouts and held opposing batters to a .095 batting average. She also had a .356 batting average herself and hit 11 home runs. Heavener ranks T-No. 2 in this year’s recruiting class by Extra Inning Softball and is the top-ranked pitcher duo, which is classified as a pitcher who plays another position or hits at a high level.  

Jones is an infielder who has played club ball for Hotshots National the past two summers. Last summer with the 18u team, Jones had a .485 batting average with a 1.145 slugging percentage, 10 home runs and 12 stolen bases. In the summer of 2021 with the 16u club, Jones helped Hotshots Nationals win the Oklahoma City Top Club Championship and the Colorado Sparkler National Championship. Jones also plays for Glenda Dawson High School. As a junior, Jones batted .522 and had 41 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. Extra Inning Softball has Jones as the T-No. 2 recruit overall and is the No. 1 ranked middle infielder in the 2024 class.

Phillips is a catcher/utility player who plays at Braden River High School. In her sophomore season, Philips registered a .479 batting average behind 34 hits, including 26 extra-base hits. She also had 28 stolen bases. Phillips is also an NSCA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year. Phillips has played club ball for LLG DPS for the last two summers. Like Heavener and Jones, Phillips is ranked as the T-No. 2 recruit by Extra Inning Softball and is the highest-ranked catcher in the 2024 class.  

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(Editor’s note: This is a press release from LSUSports.net)

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