SPARTANBURG, S.C. - As USC Upstate Softball comes off another historic season with Head Coach, Chris Hawkins at the helm, the Spartans look to reload with adding additional signees to the signing class ahead of the 2026 season. With the Spartans coming off back-to-back Big South Conference Championships along with following up with an appearance at the NCAA Clemson Regional, Upstate Softball looks to continue their recipe for impactful student-athletes on and off the field.
 
Ella Christopher| INF| Longwood, Fla.| Gardner-Webb University
Transferring to USC Upstate after spending three seasons with Gardner-Webb, Christopher appeared in 51 games for the Runnin' Bulldogs and started in 49. The Longwood, Florida native added a .331 batting average with a team leading 53 hits along with adding 10 doubles. Christopher showed that she could fill up the stat sheet with 28 RBIs, one triple, and five home runs along with adding four stolen bases.  Through her career at Gardner-Webb, Christopher finished with a .282 batting average, 31 runs scored, 109 hits, 18 doubles, eight homers, and .421 slugging percentage. Christopher added 241 putouts through three seasons along with 231 assists, and a .929 fielding percentage. Before her time at Gardner-Webb, Christopher was a standout at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Florida. She batted .249 with 53 hits in her career while scoring 36 runs along with an on base percentage of .297 for her career. With Ella Christopher coming off her best collegiate season, the transfer will look to add experience along the way to a program looking to make a big splash during the 2026 season.
 
Laney Jennings| UTL| Townville, S.C.| Marshall University| Pendleton High School
Transferring to USC Upstate after spending a season with Marshall, Laney Jennings will be eager to bring her work ethic to Spartan Softball as a redshirt freshman. A native of Townville, South Carolina, Jennings will make her way closer to home by being in her home state while playing the sport she loves. Before the initial transition to Marshall, Laney Jennings was a standout at Pendleton High School, posting a .563 batting average with 71 hits, 52 RBIs, and 14 home runs combined in her last two seasons. Jennings' play on the field saw her earn multiple accolades including All-Region, All-State, and being named Region 13A State Player of the Year in 2024. In a program that has constantly proved to be the perfect place to grow early in their respective careers in softball, Laney Jennings will look be eager to join the Spartans for the 2026 season with a team mixed with experience and leadership from the loaded coaching staff.
Chloe Poteete| RHP| Highland Village, Texas| Edward S. Marcus HS
Entering the USC Upstate softball program, Chloe Poteete makes her way from Highland Village, Texas as a pitcher at Edward S. Marcus High School where she was named the 2025 District 5-6A Co-Pitcher of the Year. Throughout her high school career, Poteete pitched over 284.1 innings, recording 500+ strikeouts and a multitude of no-hitters in the circle. Entering her first collegiate softball, Chloe Poteete will have the leadership of learning from Coach Tonya Medders in the circle who has proven to develop her pitching staff to be ready to play no matter the classification. As Poteete embarks on a new chapter from the Lone Star to the Palmetto State, Poteete adds depth to pitching staff looking to ice opposing batters in the upcoming 2026 season. Chloe Poteete looks to major in Political Science and prepare for an exciting year of a softball program looking to add more championships to the historic name.