Nov. 17, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
Samford softball head coach Beanie Ketcham officially announced the early signing of two standout high school athletes to National letters-of-intent Friday. Margaret Carter and Amanda Jordan will join the Bulldogs in the fall of 2007.
"Both of these athletes have the potential to be impact players for our program," said Ketcham. "Both are gifted athletically and have excellent foundations to improve physically. We are excited to have signed two athletes of their caliber to our program."
Carter, from Welaka, Fla, is a 5-foot-9 hard-throwing right-handed pitcher. She attends Palatka High School and is coached by Wilson Edwards. Her team has won the district titles in back-to-back years, winning the region this past year and making it to the final four in Florida.
In 2006, Carter finished with a miniscule 0.18 earned run average and totaled 164 strikeouts. She only allowed 19 hits in 117 innings of work and was selected first team all-state.
Carter was also the player of the year in her district and is the premier pitcher on her summer team, the Jacksonville Storm, coached by Jerry Shepard.
While with the Storm, Margaret led her team to the ISA winter state championship in 2004, a fourth-place finish at the AAA World Series and a fourth-place finish at the USSSA World Series.
"Margaret has great mound presence, good control of her pitches and tight spins," Ketcham said. "She knows a lot about how to pitch. The fact that Margaret will have been throwing from 43 feet for two years by the time she enters Samford will be an added bonus. We anticipate that she will compete for a place in the starting rotation next season."
Academically, Margaret is on the Student Council serving as Vice President of her class and has also been the Beta Club President for the last two years.
"Margaret is also an intelligent young lady with good academic discipline and a sense of what she wants to do with her life," added Ketcham. "We look forward to all that she will bring to our team off the field."
Margaret is a member of Who's Who for high school students and Who's Who for high school athletes.
Jordan, from Apison, Tenn., just outside of Chattanooga, plays both shortstop and catcher. She is a 6-foot right-hander and attends Tennessee Temple Academy. She also plays travel ball for the Tennessee Edge.
In 2006, Jordan led the Chattanooga area with a batting average of .800 while hitting seven home runs. She was voted the school's most valuable player and was named to both the 5A All-District Team and All-Tournament Team. She also made all-district and all-region in basketball.
While playing for the Tennessee Edge, Jordan has batted over .385, hit 12 home runs and has led the team in stolen bases for three straight years. She was a member of the NSA national champions in 2004, ASA state champions in 2005 and finished in the top 25 this past summer at the National ASA 16-under Tournament.
Over the summer, she was coached by current Samford assistant coach Paul DuBose.
"Amanda is athletic and powerful with a great arm," said Ketcham. "Her steady character and leadership abilities will help bring stability and confidence to the infield. We will be very excited to watch her develop over the course of her career."
Jordan is a member of a community service project that restores Civil War Soldiers' gravesites and is a member of the drama ministry, church missions and praise band for her local church. She is also very involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
"When I arrived at Samford, I was ecstatic to find out that we were recruiting AJ," DuBose said. "I am so excited to be able to coach her here at Samford. Amanda is a wonderful person with high integrity. The fact that she is a great softball player is a bonus. She will be able to contribute greatly to Samford not only on the playing field but also academically and socially."
