Softball Inks Five to 2023 Roster

ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia head softball coach Tony Baldwin has announced the addition of five student-athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent Wednesday.

The class includes infielder/catcher Lauren Burnett, infielder Tyler Ellison, infielder Jaydyn Goodwin, right-handed pitcher Destin Howard, and catcher Marisa Miller.

"I am extremely excited to welcome this group of student-athletes to Athens," Baldwin said. "Lu [Harris-Champer] used to describe the spirit of a Georgia softball player with a saying that we have carried forward: 'Guts, Fight, Courage, Belief, and Heart.' These five student-athletes embody that spirit and I'm confident they will be players that Bulldog Nation will enjoy supporting as they represent the Red and Black.

"This class provides a little bit of everything: power, speed, elite defense, and a power arm in the circle. It is a group that is going to bolster our current roster right away. We still a have a relatively young group this year (we are set to return every position player on our roster); however, this group has a few players that will challenge for playing time right away and will be mainstays in our line-up for years to come."

Lauren Burnett // Infielder/Catcher // Mansfield, Ga. // Eastside HS
Infielder/catcher Lauren Burnett signs to Georgia from Eastside High School. The Mansfield, Georgia native played four years as the Eagles' shortstop, lettering all four seasons. She earned offensive player of the year accolades as a sophomore and defensive player of the year the following year. Burnett is a two-time all-region selection and a multi-time All-State performer. She helped guide Eastside to 82 wins in her prep career. In the classroom, she is an AB Honor Roll student.

Burnett plays club for Georgia Impact-Lewis.

Lauren is the daughter of Tonya and Shane Burnett. She has a younger brother, Luke. Burnett intends to major in Sport Management at UGA.

Baldwin on Burnett: "Lauren is an in-state power hitter who has been committed to UGA for what seems like forever. LB's another one who can play a lot of places on the softball field, but profiles as a corner infielder. Her offensive prowess is what stands out now and we believe she has the potential to improve defensively when she arrives in Athens. We are excited to welcome Lauren and her family to Bulldog Softball Family."

Tyler Ellison // Infielder // McDonough, Ga. // Hampton HS
Infielder Tyler Ellison signs with Georgia out of Hampton High School where she was a four-year letterwinner for the Hornets. She began her prep career playing the outfield before beginning the transition to the middle infield as a sophomore. Ellison garnered all-region honors all four seasons and guided Hampton to four-straight region championships. Ellison's junior season saw her named all-state, offensive MVP, and she broke Hampton's single season batting average record. Following her senior campaign, she was invited to play in the Georgia Dugout All-Star game. Ellison is a strong student in the classroom, earning A-Honor Roll honors and distinguished honors in math, language arts, and science. She is a Junior Marshall and earned the Georgia Certificate of Merit.

She plays club for Mojo-Fisher, winning the Triple Crown National Championship in 2020.

Tyler is the daughter of Rachael and Gregory Ellison. She intends to major in Management Information Systems at Georgia.

Baldwin on Ellison: "Tyler is a homegrown, in-state utility player who is just scratching the surface of how good she can be! She projects to be right-handed power bat in the long line of UGA right-handed power bats. She is a good runner, an excellent defender with a nice feel for the game. She has excelled at the highest levels of competitive softball. Tyler is also a tremendous student and is in contention to be the valedictorian of her class. We are thankful that Tyler chose to be a Dawg and wear the Red and Black."

Jaydyn Goodwin // Infielder // Paris, Ky. // Bourbon County HS
Infielder Jaydyn "Shorty" Goodwin signs to Georgia from Bourbon County High School in Kentucky. While she's played three seasons on the basketball court for Bourbon County, she played softball exclusively on the club level. She began her club career in the Mojo organization at the 10U level when she helped guide Mojo to a PGF national title. She was selected as the PGF 14U MVP after hitting .488 for another championship Mojo squad in 2019. On the basketball court, she's run point for Bourbon County, earning multiple all-academic team accolades and was named most improved and defensive player of the year a season ago. In the classroom, she's a member of Beta Club, Pep Club, and National Honor Society.

Jaydyn is the daughter of Jana and Jay Goodwin. She has two older siblings, Jaycee and Cam'ron, and a younger sister, Jaylynn. Jaycee is a freshman on the Georgia State softball team. She intends to major in Communications at Georgia.

Baldwin on Goodwin: "Jaydyn is as competitive and tough as they come. She plays the game with energy, she plays fast, and she plays big in the big games. She has grown up playing competitive softball for years and been on championship level, winning teams from the get-go. Shorty is a slapper by nature but her swing away is really coming along. She is a tremendous baserunner and an excellent defender at second base. It feels like we have been waiting forever for Shorty to finally be a Dawg and we are excited that day is finally here."

Destin Howard // Pitcher // Macon, Ga. // Jones County HS
Right-handed pitcher Destin Howard signs to UGA from Jones County High School where she was a four-year letterwinner in the circle. The Macon native picked up region pitcher of the year, MVP, GDAC Player of the Year, first team all-state, and the Greyhound award following the 2020 campaign. She guided Jones County to a state championship that season with 172 strikeouts. She tallied north of 200 strikeouts as a senior. She helped Jones County to just shy of 100 wins in four seasons.

She plays club for Mojo-Fischer.

Destin is the daughter of Tonya and Robert Howard. She has four sisters: Mijah, Ciara, Nakia, and Brenay. Brenay plays softball at Calfin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Her cousin Terrance Gore is a member of the Atlanta Braves organization. Destin intends to major in Business at Georgia.

Baldwin on Howard: "Destin is right handed power pitcher from Macon who we expect to compete for time in the circle the minute she steps foot on campus. She is one of the top 2022 high school pitchers in the country and we are excited we were able to keep her home to represent the Red and Black. Her velocity sits north of the 70-mark and Bulldog fans everywhere are going to love watching her in the circle at the Jack. Destin possesses a big time power bat and we look forward to seeing what she can do on the offensive side as well. We are excited to have Destin and her family join the Bulldog Softball Family."

Marisa Miller // Catcher // Suwanee, Ga. // North Gwinnett HS
Catcher Marisa Miller signs from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee where she was a four-year varsity letterwinner on the softball field and on the basketball court. She's played behind the plate and at third in high school. She's a two-time all-county and all-state selection and was the 2020 Gwinnett County offensive player of the year. Last summer, she hit .412 with 12 home runs and 31 RBI for her Lady Dukes-Lamar club team. She helped guide North Gwinnett to a 7A state championship this past season, hitting three home runs in the championship game. She's also appeared in two Georgia Dugout Club All-Star games. Off the field and court, she's a member of the Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society, Environmental Club, and volunteers with the local Happy Feat Organization.

Marisa is the daughter of Melinda and Mike Miller. She has an older brother Liam. Marisa intends to major in Biology at Georgia.

Baldwin on Miller: "Marisa is one of the top catchers in the country. She is big and strong, but don't overlook her athleticism - she also excels on the basketball court. She receives the ball well and shows plus, plus arm strength behind the plate. She recently led her North Gwinnett High School team to the 7A Georgia State High School State Championship down in Columbus. She has a power bat and is one of the top hitters in the state. She brings an energy to the game that our fans are going to love and we can't wait to see her in the Red and Black."

Related Videos