The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Softball inks six players to its 2020 signing class
11.14.2019 | Softball
Ratcliff, Smith, Washington, Whitaker, White & Williams sign NLI’s to join Texas Softball
AUSTIN, Texas – Head softball coach Mike White and the University of Texas softball program announced on Thursday the signing of six student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) for the 2020-21 academic school year.
Signees include (Position(s)/Hometown/High School/Travel Ball): Carlee Ratcliff (1B/3B/New Boston, Texas/New Boston High School/Texas Bombers-NTX), Jayden "JJ" Smith (C/1B/Rosenberg, Texas/George Ranch High School/Texas Bombers 18U Gold), Alyssa Washington (SS/IF/Abilene, Texas/Abilene High School/Impact Gold DFW), Jordyn Whitaker (DP/1B/Jacksonville, Texas/Jacksonville High School/Texas Bombers-NTX), Ryleigh White (RHP/Washington Township, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy/Athletics Mercado) and Bailey Williams (UTL/Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley High School/Corona Angels).
"With the graduation of six players coming up in the spring of 2020, this incoming class will be pivotal in building our program for the next several years" White said. "Our incoming class has strong Texas roots with the athleticism and positional requirements required to make Texas Softball one of the top programs in the country."
Texas Softball 2020 Signing Class
Carlee Ratcliff
Position: 1B/3B
Hometown: New Boston, Texas
High School: New Boston H.S.
Travel Ball: Texas Bombers-NTX
Ratcliff preps to head to the Forty Acres after starring for the last three years in softball, basketball and volleyball at New Boston H.S. Ranked No. 141 in the Extra Elite Softball Class of 2020 player rankings as well as the 2019 Bowie County Citizens Tribune Female Athlete of the Year and District 14-3A Softball Defensive Player of the Year, she put up impressive junior totals on the diamond consisting of a .525 batting average, 15 doubles, five triples, 12 HR's and 53 RBIs while swiping 18 bases. Ratcliff has also earned a pair of all-district nods (2018 & 2019) in both volleyball and basketball. Off the diamond, she's proven equally adept in the classroom by earning three consecutive academic all-district selections in all three sports while also being chosen to the National Honor Society.
Mike White on Carlee Ratcliff: "Carlee Ratcliff has earned the nickname 'Carlee Hustle' for good reason. She is full of passion and plays the game at 'full throttle.' She embodies what we believe it is to be a Longhorn, and her talent and determination have put herself in a position to wear the burnt orange. Carlee is a third baseman with the arm and athleticism to play second base and corner outfield."
Jayden "JJ" Smith
Position: C/1B
Hometown: Rosenberg, Texas
High School: George Ranch H.S.
Travel Ball: Texas Bombers 18U Gold
Rated No. 93 in the Extra Elite 100 Class of 2020 player rankings and No. 98 on FloSoftball's Hot 100 list, Smith has played both softball and basketball at George Ranch H.S. A two-time all-district choice on the diamond, including a first-team selection in 2018, she has also played high-level travel softball for both the Texas Bombers 16U and 18U elite teams led by head coach Scott Smith. Smith is also a standout in the classroom having earned four combined academic all-district nods (one in basketball, three in softball) while boasting a membership in the National Honor Society.
Mike White on JJ Smith: "JJ Smith is a tough, hit for power, left-handed bat who gives us depth at catcher and first base. Originally recruited by Coach Connie Clark, JJ has never wavered in her commitment to Texas and continues to impress our coaching staff with her ability to improve each time we see her play."
Alyssa Washington
Position: SS/IF
Hometown: Abilene, Texas
High School: Abilene H.S.
Travel Ball: Impact Gold DFW
Listed at No. 81 in the Extra Elite 100 Class of 2020 player rankings as well as at No. 88 in FloSoftball's Hot 100 ratings, Washington ventures to Texas as an interscholastic standout in softball, basketball and powerlifting. During her 2019 junior campaign at Abilene H.S., she batted .567 with 55 hits, 38 runs scored, 12 doubles, three triples, 15 HR's, 48 RBIs and 16 stolen bases on the way to earning Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) First-Team and Collin Street Bakery/Texas Sports Writers Association (TXSWA) Third-Team All-State honors. For her junior efforts, Washington was also honored as a TGCA All-Star, as the District 3-6A Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career and as a Big Country Preps Super Dozen, Offensive Player of the Year and Co-Most Valuable Player selection. On the hardwood, she reaped an All-District 3-6A nod in 2018, while she twice participated in powerlifting regionals (2017 & 2018). With her travel ball team, the Impact Gold DFW, Washington has participated in numerous events including the 2019 Premier Girls Fastpitch Premier 18U, the Hotshots Invite 18U, the USAES WFC 18U and the Boulder IDT 18U (fifth place). This past season for Impact Gold, she hit .419 with 20 extra-base hits (13 doubles), 23 runs scored and 23 RBIs.
Mike White on Alyssa Washington: "Alyssa Washington is a dynamic player with a big bat, good speed and the athleticism to make every play at shortstop. She is a dual-sport athlete, who also plays basketball, and has wanted to be a Longhorn her whole life. It is going to be exciting to watch her develop over the next four years on the Forty Acres."
Jordyn Whitaker
Position: DP/1B
Hometown: Jacksonville, Texas
High School: Jacksonville H.S.
Travel Ball: Texas Bombers-NTX
Another "Lone Star State" native and No. 61 in the Extra Elite 100 Class of 2020 player rankings, Whitaker really made an impression this past spring as a junior at Jacksonville H.S. by hitting .444 with 36 hits, 33 runs scored, 10 doubles, 14 HR's and 49 RBIs on her way to reaping 2019 Collin Street Bakery/Texas Sports Writers Association Honorable Mention All-State, Tyler Morning Telegraph All-East Texas First Team, Cherokee County Offensive Player of the Year and District 16-5A Most Valuable Player honors. As a sophomore she also received honorable mention all-state and all-East Texas accolades as well as district offensive player of the year and an all-district nod for posting a .421 average with 12 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs. A 2018 TCS Power Pool All-Star and a 2016 TCS All-Star and All-American with the Texas Bombers-NTX, Whitaker hit .357 with seven HR's and 18 RBIs for her travel ball squad during fall 2019.
Mike White on Jordyn Whitaker: "Jordyn Whitaker is a corner infielder and a power-hitting machine. She hits the ball so hard that it comes off the bat with a force that can only be described as 'explosive.' Jordyn is a solid athlete who can spray the ball around the field and drive it 300-feet thanks to her quick, short stroke."
Ryleigh White
Position: RHP
Hometown: Washington Township, N.J.
High School: Immaculate Heart Academy
Travel Ball: Athletics Mercado
A highly-decorated pitcher out of Washington Township, N.J., White rates No. 7 on the Extra Elite 100 Class of 2020 national player rankings, No. 17 on Softball America's Top 100 recruit list and No. 33 according to FloSoftball's Hot 100. During her junior campaign at Immaculate Heart Academy, the 6-1 right-hander posted (stats via MaxPreps) a 20-2 overall record with a 0.62 ERA (allowed just 12 earned runs) and 277 strikeouts over 136 innings of work while batting .422 with nine HR's and 36 RBIs. That effort earned her Extra Innings Second-Team All-American and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second-Team All-East Region honors. White's also a two-time NJ.com All-State selection (2018, 2019), boasts a North Jersey Player of the Year accolade as well as numerous all-conference and all-league selections. During the summer of 2019, she helped power her travel team, Athletics Mercado, to the prestigious Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) 18U National Championship by going 3-0 from the circle with a 0.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 18.1 innings. With the A's, White has also been a part of a championship at the OKC Top Club National Tournament and a second-place finish at the Boulder IDT.
Mike White on Ryleigh White: "Ryleigh White will come to the Forty Acres as a pitcher that has competed on several National Championship club teams. She has the drive and ambition to succeed, not only on the field, but also in the classroom. At 6-1, Ryleigh will have immediate presence on the rubber for the Longhorns with her mix of movement and velocity."
Bailey Williams
Position: UTL
Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.
High School: Murrieta Valley H.S.
Travel Ball: Corona Angels
As Texas' lone 2020 signee out of the state of California, Williams is coming off a strong junior season in 2019 that saw her bat at a .364 clip with a .435 on-base percentage, 17 runs scored and 11 RBIs for Murrieta Valley H.S. As a sophomore during the 2018 campaign, she hit .342 overall with 25 hits, 17 tallies and posted a sterling .998 fielding percentage to earn her team's Defensive Player of the Year honor. For the past seven years, Williams has also played travel ball as part of the standout Corona Angels program under the guidance of head coach Kim Howard.
Mike White on Bailey Williams: "Bailey Williams is a long, lean athletic outfielder from southern California. She has a smooth left-handed bat and the ability to spray the ball around the field, as well as drive the ball out of the park. Bailey has the type of upside we look for in an incoming freshman and looks to have the potential to be a force in the lineup and in the outfield. She runs well, has a good arm and can play all three outfield positions."
