Meet the freshman joining Delta State softball

CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State softball’s 2027 roster features six freshmen from five states, adding newcomers across the field as the Lady Statesmen prepare for the spring season.

Jada Martin, Belle Easterwood, Cambree Cribbs, Laura Prater, Abbey Devanney and Ada Woodruff join head coach Chad Cribbs’ program. The group includes players listed at pitcher, catcher, infield, outfield and utility positions.

Martin arrives from Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Texas. The 5-foot-4 utility player is listed at No. 1 and is one of two Texas natives in the freshman class.

Easterwood, a 5-foot-4 utility player from Dumas, Arkansas, attended DeWitt High School. She is listed at No. 6, joining Martin as a freshman with a utility designation.

Cribbs comes to Cleveland from Keller High School in Texas. The Hurst native is a 5-foot-2 outfielder listed at No. 13. She joins an outfield group that includes seniors Shelby Allen and Carly Dunigan and junior Mary Teague.

Prater adds a catcher to the freshman class. The 5-foot-5 newcomer from Beech Bluff, Tennessee, attended University School of Jackson and is listed at No. 16.

Devanney joins Delta State from Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. The 5-foot-6 infielder is listed at No. 19, adding another newcomer to the Lady Statesmen’s infield.

Woodruff is the lone Mississippi native among the six freshmen. The 5-foot-10 pitcher from Nesbit attended Northpoint Christian School and is listed at No. 45. She joins a pitching group that also includes juniors Averi Bridgman and Faith Nestler.

With two freshmen from Texas and one each from Arkansas, Tennessee, New Jersey and Mississippi, the class brings several regional backgrounds to Cleveland. Their adjustment to college softball will be a storyline to follow as the Lady Statesmen prepare for 2027.