USF softball adds a tremendous amount of talent as the 2021 signing period begins
TAMPA Nov. 13, 2020 – The University of South Florida softball program announced six signees to its 2021 class on Wednesday. The class includes a pitcher, two catcher/outfielders, and three infielders. USF’s six signees are Lauren Bevis, Lydia Castro, Payton Dixon, Emma Humplik, Julia Mrochko and Tieley Vaughn.
“Sometimes you have signing classes that seem impactful right away,” head coach Ken Eriksen said. “We knew back in 2010 that was the case and it showed immediately and over the next four years. With the combination of the class before that and some key pieces along the way we were able to make it to our sport’s national championship in Oklahoma City. This 2021 class has a lot of the same qualities as that 2010 class. With some of our current players there is a great chance to follow that former blueprint of success. The pitching part is another left hander in Payton Dixon. She brings tremendous stability to our current staff and her stuff is fun to watch. The other five athletes are players that will fit anywhere in the lineup. They all can hit, hit for power, run, and have tremendous defensive skills. You may see either Emma Humplik or Lydia Castro play outfield when they aren’t behind the plate. They both give us the flexibility to move some of our current catchers around defensively also. Tieley Vaughn, Julia Mrochko, and Lauren Bevis can all throw the leather in the infield. They are all so athletic and the bonus is that that they can all play anywhere on the field. If you were to say one thing about this class it would that we have athletes that play softball. They are all multi-dimensional which bodes well for our type of game.”
The six arrive at USF from all over the eastern half of the United States, with signees from Texas (Humplik), Pennsylvania (Mrochko), Delaware (Dixon) and Florida (Bevis, Castro and Vaughn. Among the Florida signees, two hail from the Tampa Bay Area and another arrives from north Florida.
Lauren Bevis | St. Johns, Fla. | Creekside High School
Bevis, a signee from St. Johns, Fla., arrives at South Florida following a four-year varsity career at Creekside High School. Bevis follows a family lineage of ballplayers, with her dad having played infield at Florida State from 1989-1992. A left-handed-hitting infielder, Bevis brings a keen eye, a command of the place and a slick-fielding glove to the Bulls infield, according to Eriksen.
“Lauren is an energy player that will bring leadership onto the field,” Eriksen said. “Listening to her describe how she loves to play the game within the game has me enthused to see her in action wearing the green and gold. She has a tremendous ‘open-focus’ on what is going on between the lines.”
In her last two years at Creekside High School, she hit .385 in the leadoff spot and she led the team in home runs in her junior season. In 2019, she helped Creekside reach the Florida State 7A Championship game. She also played for the Gold Coast Hurricanes travel team.
“Today I am so blessed to announce my commitment to the University of South Florida to continue my academic and softball career,” Bevis said. “I can’t express how grateful I am for all that my family has done to help me achieve this dream. Thank you to all of my coaches for helping me get better and my teammates for sharing our passion for this game and thousands of game day memories! I am so pumped to be playing for Coach Eriksen, Santiago, and Moore! Thank you so much Coach Santiago … for finding me. I can’t wait to play on that field!! Go Bulls!”
Lydia Castro | Lithia, Fla. | Newsome High School
A Tampa Bay Area native, Castro joins USF following an exciting high school career. The catcher/outfielder brings a dynamic and versatile element to the program, having been a star on the diamond and on the hardwood as a four-year multi-sport athlete at Newsome High School. In addition to her four seasons as a varsity softball and basketball player, she took the additional steps of developing her skills on the field as a member of the Tampa Mustangs, where she learned under former Olympian with the Puerto Rican National Team, Eve Soto-Suarez.
“Having seen Lydia’s athleticism and maturity as a sophomore on the softball field told us that not only was she adept at the position of catcher but she is able to play other positions to help facilitate the best offensive line-up we can put on the field depending on our opponent,” Eriksen said. “Lydia showed that she can command the relationship between the pitching staff and what the approach is against the hitters. I feel once she gets into working on a daily basis with a very diverse pitching staff at USF she will continue to grow.”
As the 125th ranked prospect in the 2021 class by Extra Innings Softball, Castro finished her preps career with a .438 batting average and brings athleticism behind the plate. She joins one of the best catching corps and pitching batteries in USF’s history. In high school, Castro helped lead Newsome to the 2019 FHSAA 9A Softball State Championship Game. She was also tabbed as a first team member of the 2019 Miracle Sports Florida team. Outside of softball, Castro was a high honors student at Newsome High School and was an honorable mention to the Tampa Bay Times 2019 All-Hillsborough County Basketball team.
“I am so excited to start my journey at USF as part of the softball team,” Castro said. “I am honored to have been chosen and will continue to work hard to uphold the high standards both academically and athletically. I can’t wait for these next four years! Go Bulls!”
Payton Dixon | Smyrna, Del. | Smyrna High School
Dixon arrives in Tampa from Smyrna High School in Delaware. The two-time Delaware State Champion pitcher tossed a 16-2 campaign with a 0.68 ERA in 2019 while also hitting .412 at the plate, resulting in one of the most dominant seasons in Delaware history. Dixon also played a highly-competitive travel softball schedule for the ROCK Gold Team under coach Rick Waye.
“If you were to describe ‘smooth as silk’ that would be Payton’s motion to the plate,” Eriksen said. “Combining that with her movement and tenacity on the mound I am reminded of a pitcher that is a melding of Lindsay Richardson, Sara Nevins, Erica Nunn, and Georgina Corrick. I am looking forward to watch Payton develop and gain experience against a very competitive Division-I schedule.”
The lefty was a 2019 First Team All-State selection.
“Signing Day has finally come!” Dixon said. “I cannot wait to hit the field with new teammates and officially be a Bull at USF!”
Emma Humplik | Orange, Texas | Orangefield HS
Humplik joins USF softball as a power-hitting catcher and outfielder that will contribute her athleticism, powerful bat and strong arm to USF’s style of play. Humplik played four years of varsity softball for Orangefield High School and also played for the nationally-ranked Texas Bombers 18U Gold team under coach John Carpenter. She also went viral on social media over the summer while showcasing her power-hitting abilities, being retweeted by Major League Baseball, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, NBC Sports and Baseball America, garnering over 15 million views, 24,000 retweets and 260,000 likes.
“The first time I saw Emma in action was through the recommendation of her travel ball coach, John Carpenter,” Eriksen said. “It was obvious that she was a great athlete and a pretty impactful player. The first time I spoke with her I was sold. She was a class act and she had a concept of not only how to play but also how to communicate. Her values will fit in perfectly with the type of athlete that we would like representing USF and the type of person people want to be around. I am very excited for Emma’s post high school journey to begin at USF in the fall of 2021.”
The 125th ranked prospect in the 2021 class was a two-time Southeast Texas Coaches Association Player of the Year and a three-time all-district first team catcher. Humplik was also named a 2019 All-State player and excelled off the field as well, a three-time member of the Orangefield High School Academic Honor Roll.
“Since I was a little girl my goal was to play softball at a high level,” Humplik said. “It’s hard to believe all that hard work is starting to pay off and the day I’ve been waiting for is here! I am very thankful I am getting the opportunity to play for an amazing university and an amazing coaching staff. This is just the beginning! Go Bulls!”
Julia Mrochko | Drums, Pa. | Hazelton HS
Mrochko joins the Bulls as an infielder from Pennsylvania. A versatile, power-hitting player, Mrochko brings a force to the Bulls lineup. In addition to being a four-year varsity player at Hazelton High School, she has played for the last three years with the ROCK Gold Team under coach Waye.
“Julia not only has the physical tools to play a fast game but her insight and work ethic puts her ‘ceiling’ at a high level,” Eriksen said. “She has a heavy barrel that reminds me of Kourtney Salvarola. The ball comes off her bat differently. She is joining a recruiting class that brings speed, power and athleticism to our team all in one year. We are excited that Julia was an early commit and it has been enjoyable to watch her growth.”
In 48 games, Mrochko compiled a career batting average of .427, while also tallying 70 hits, 40 RBIs and 14 home runs. In addition to her impressive statistics, she also helped her team reach the 2019 Pennsylvania State 6A Championship Game while also a 2019 All-County First Team honoree and a 2019 Citizen’s Voice First Team member.
“Having the opportunity to sign with USF, and play under their coaching staff, is truly an honor,” Mrochko said. “I am excited to represent the University of South Florida academically and athletically in the future. Go Bulls!”
Tieley Vaughn | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | Wharton HS
Vaughn arrives at South Florida as an athletic infielder who can play nearly any position on the field and brings speed and power to the USF lineup. A four-year varsity player at Wharton High School, Vaughn also plays travel softball with Mrochko and Dixon as a member of the ROCK Gold Team under coach Waye.
“Having known Tieley for the last eight years and watching her develop into the athlete that she has become has been exciting,” Eriksen said. “She has earned everything that she has attained. The competitive nature that she challenges everyday has prepared her for each level of softball that she gets to. Having had international experience with Team USA will lend itself to the transition to Division I softball.”
Vaughn helped lead Wharton High School to a 2019 district championship and was a two-time All-Conference selection. Vaughn was also a star in competitive cheerleading, earning a bronze medal at the 2018 Cheerleading World Championships.
“Deciding to play softball at USF was an easy decision,” Vaughn said. “From the moment I stepped on campus and interacted with Coach Eriksen, Coach Jess (Moore), Coach Laura (Ricciardone), and now Coach Tommy (Santiago), I knew USF was the place for me. They have always stuck by my side when they first started to recruit me in the eighth grade. I’ve always loved playing sports and continued as a two-sport athlete throughout high school. Playing softball at the Division 1 level has been a goal for me for a while as well as maintaining high grades in the classroom. Committing to USF is important to me because I wanted to play in the community that has always supported me. I wanted my family to be able to see me live out my dreams after all the sacrifices that were made in order for me to do what I love. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity they have given me and I can’t wait to play here for the next four years. Go Bulls!”
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 15 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
