The GC softball team added five new transfers to the 2022 roster. The transfers include two sophomore pitchers, two junior catchers and a sophomore infielder.

The first roster addition is the sophomore pitcher Montana Ledbetter, who grew up in Illinois. She is a transfer from the junior college Georgia Highlands College (GHC) where she held an 11-5 record in her 19 games as a starter, including three shutouts. Ledbetter toed the rubber in a total of 106.1 innings with 137 strikeouts.

During her final season at GHC, she had the lowest ERA on the squad at 3.16. Ledbetter is a psychology major with a minor in criminal justice. Once she graduates from GC, she plans to attend graduate school to get a masters degree in forensics to become
a forensic psychologist.

“I played a tournament in Colorado, and that’s where I met the head coach at GHC,” Ledbetter said. “I knew I wanted to play somewhere warmer than Illinois. I decided to stay in Georgia to further my
softball career because I love the culture in Georgia. It’s so different from Illinois. When I came on my visit here, I felt
that college life vibe that I was missing at GHC.”

The next addition to the roster is also a GHC transfer in Madison Bennett. She played infield for two years at the junior college in Cartersville. Bennett played in 44 games during her final year, batting .358 with three homers. She had 151 at-bats, knocking in 14 runs and scoring a squad-high of 47 runs. Bennett was a menace on the basepaths, leading the squad with 20 stolen bases on the season. She is a pre-nursing major with hopes of becoming a nurse after graduation.

“I feel my success in softball comes from how much I love the sport and not being too hard on myself,” Bennett said. “I chose GC because the nursing program here is amazing. I also wanted to be closer to home as I continued my softball career.”

Georgia State transfer Macy Banks is the next addition to the Bobcat bullpen. The pitcher appeared in 15 games, getting the start in six. She pitched in a total of 39 innings, posting the third-lowest ERA on the pitching staff at 4.85. Banks also had 17 strikeouts and had a .978 fielding percentage as she patrolled the circle.

During her stint at Georgia State, Banks pitched against The University of Georgia, recording a 1.09 ERA with a strikeout through four innings. Banks is pursuing her degree in nursing to work in the medical field after graduation.

“I want to have a big impact on a program,” Banks said. “I wanted to play new teams and get more reps and more opportunities, and I thought GC would be the best place for me to do that. I am really looking forward to playing conference games and making it to postseason play.”

The next transfer is catcher Shea Zweifel, who originally hails from Florida. She played at USC Salkehatchie, where new softball assistant coach Kenneth Bellamy coached for eight years. Zweifel spent the 2021 fall semester at Mercer University before coming to GC. During her tenure at Salkehatchie, she was named Female Student Athlete of the Year and selected to the All- Conference first team. Zweifel is a marketing major.

“I chose GC because when I entered into the transfer portal, Coach Bellamy reached out,” Zweifel said. “When I came on my visit, I loved the smaller school and family atmosphere.“I am super excited for the season! I’m ready to win and kick butt.”

The final transfer added to the roster was Jessica Owens, a catcher from Social Circle, Georgia. Owens played two seasons at Georgia Military College, securing Conference Player of the Year honors during her time there. In her final season, she played in 53 games and drove in 61 runs. Owens had a phenomenal .424 batting average with 15 homers, and she also scored 50 runs. Owens is a political science major. “I was drawn to GC straight out of high school,” Owens said. “I knew that once I finished up at GMC, I wanted to come to Georgia College. I am super excited for this season. I’m ready to play ball and take names.”

The Bobcats kicked off their season with a tough 0-4 start at the Georgia College Invitational.