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The Longwood softball team added three transfer student-athletes for the 2025 season, head coach Dr. Megan Brown announced Friday. Joining the Lancers in the fall are Morgan Strickland, Avery Jefferson and Erin Kirkland.

“We are excited to welcome Morgan, Avery, and Erin to the Longwood softball family,” Brown said. “Their experience of high-level softball brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. They are women of high character that embody the standards of our team both on and off the field.” 

Breaking down the Longwood softball signees:

Morgan Strickland
5-6 | RHP/INF
Louisburg, N.C.
Franklinton HS
Patrick & Henry CC

Strickland comes to Farmville after helping Patrick & Henry Community College to a NJCAA Division III national championship in the spring. She was named Pitcher of the Tournament, hurling 38 2/3 of 39 innings in the event.

Strickland earned NJCAA Region 10 player of the year, national player of the year and first-team all-American honors as a sophomore. She pitched to a 24-10 record in 228 2/3 innings with a 2.76 ERA and 214 strikeouts. She batted .484 with an .857 slugging percentage and .531 on-base percentage with 22 doubles, 12 homers and 68 RBIs.

As a freshman, she earned NFCA Joan Joyce Utility/Pitcher First Team All-American honors, going 15-8 with a 2.97 ERA in the circle while hitting .469 with 10 doubles, nine homers and 53 RBIs.

In two seasons at Patrick Henry, Strickland went 39-18 with a 2.83 ERA in 63 appearances in the circle. She struck out 301 in 349 innings, averaging 6.04 strikeouts per seven innings. At the plate, Strickland hit .478 (141-for-295) in her time with the Patriots, with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 21 home runs and 121 RBIs, while slugging .868 and getting on base at a .521 clip.

Strickland batted better than .370 each of her four seasons at Franklinton High School in Louisburg, N.C., including hitting .554 as a senior, coupled with a 0.10 ERA, for the Red Rams.

She was also part of the National Honor Society at Franklinton.

Avery Jefferson
5-3 | INF
Denton, Texas
Guyer HS
Abilene Christian

A four-year standout on the infield at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, Jefferson comes to Longwood after sitting out 2024 with an injury while on the roster at Abilene Christian of the Southland Conference.

At Guyer from 2020-23, Jefferson was a three-year team captain, earning honors including first team all-area, first team all-district, all-Metroplex first team, DFW Senior Player of the Year and 5-6A most valuable player.

Jefferson holds the Guyer school records for home runs and RBIs. She batted .504 as a senior with six homers and 58 RBI, her top offensive numbers in a prep career where she did not hit lower than .440.

Jefferson helped Guyer and two travel-ball teams – American Freedom National and Texas Glory Naudin – to championships prior to her stop at Abilene Christian.

Academically, Jefferson was an all-academic selection from 2021-23, and earned the Variety Scholar-Athlete Award.

Erin Kirkland
5-6 | RHP
Tisdale, Saskatchewan
Tisdale Middle and Secondary School
Iowa Western CC 

Kirkland played four years of both softball and hockey at Tisdale Middle and Secondary School for 2019-22 before attending Iowa Western Community College an NJCAA Division I institution I Council Bluffs, Iowa.

In two seasons in the circle for the Reivers, Kirkland went 14-11 with a 4.91 ERA over 54 outings and 181 innings. She struck out 119 in 2024, averaging 8.77 Ks per seven innings.

Kirkland helped her team to a two-year 64-37 mark, including 41-19 this season with a trip to the NJCAA Division I World Series in Oxford, Ala.

She was an NJCAA Academic All-Region selection.