Ole Miss head softball coach Jamie Trachsel announced the addition of Longwood transfer and 2023 Big South Player of the Year Jaden Pone on Thursday.
Pone comes to Oxford after spending two seasons at Longwood. The infielder boasts a .412 career batting average with 153 hits, 82 runs scored and 62 stolen bases. A rising junior, she has two years of eligibility in a Rebel uniform.
“I choose Ole Miss because it just felt like the right place to be,” said Pone. “The coaching staff along with the girls on the team made me feel welcomed, and when you know, you know. Oxford is a great place to be, and I can’t wait to spend the next two years here!”
This past season, Pone was named Big South Player of the Year and earned a First Team NFCA All-Region nod following an impressive 2023 campaign. The sophomore from Hope Mills, North Carolina, finished the season with a .411 batting average, 36 stolen bases, a Big South-leading 74 hits, and finished tied for fourth in the country with seven triples.
As a freshman, Pone was named Big South Freshman of the Year in addition to earning first team all-conference honors. She appeared in 57 contests, starting 56 games for Longwood between the outfield and second base. In her first season of collegiate softball, she tallied 79 hits, including a 19-game hitting streak to set the Longwood program record for single-season hits.
A three-sport athlete, playing both tennis and running track at Gray’s Creek High School, Pone was named conference player of the year in softball as both a freshman and sophomore. She also collected a pair of First Team All-Conference nods and was District Player of the Year and 3A State Player of the Year in North Carolina.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
