Liberty softball lands top-30 recruiting class, No. 1 among non-Power Four programs

Liberty softball continues to build momentum on the recruiting trail, with head coach Dot Richardson announcing an eight-player signing class for the 2027-28 academic year on Wednesday. The Lady Flames’ incoming class has already received significant national recognition, earning a spot among the top 30 recruiting classes in the country according to D1Softball.

D1Softball ranked Liberty’s 2027 signing class No. 29 nationally among all NCAA Division I programs, making the Lady Flames the highest-ranked program outside the Power Four conferences. Liberty finished ahead of several established programs, including Utah (No. 30), UCF (No. 31), Georgia Tech (No. 32), Virginia (No. 33) and Virginia Tech (No. 34). The ranking is particularly notable given the recruiting landscape in college softball, where the nation’s traditional powers regularly attract some of the top prospects in the country. Liberty’s position among the top 30 nationally, and ahead of every other non-Power Four program, is another indication of the program’s growing reputation under Richardson.

The eight-player class features prospects from Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Virginia, with a mix of pitching, catching, infield and outfield talent. The group includes Laila Bigham, Ella Pierce Hensley, Emma Hollingsworth, Lyla Hollingsworth, Nealy McCluskey, Haley McGuire, Ellie Mitchell and Brekkyn Stucke.

The highest-rated members of the class include McCluskey and Hensley, both carrying 90.00 ratings from On3. McCluskey, a catcher from Christ Presbyterian Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee, is also listed as the No. 139 player nationally. Hensley, an outfielder from Buford, Georgia, checks in at No. 137 nationally.

Bigham gives Liberty an exciting addition in the circle. The Rustburg High School product from nearby Concord, Virginia, recorded 332 strikeouts in 160 innings as a junior, holding opposing hitters to a .094 batting average. She also threw five no-hitters and one perfect game while recording six one-hitters. Bigham is a second-generation Lady Flame, following in the footsteps of her mother, Katie Bigham, who played at Liberty from 1996-99 and was inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

The Hollingsworth twins will make their way to Lynchburg from Malden Catholic in Massachusetts. Emma, an outfielder, hit .538 with a 1.522 OPS, four home runs, 27 RBI and 52 runs scored last season. Lyla, an infielder and outfielder, has been equally productive, hitting .527 with 13 home runs, 48 RBI and 49 runs scored as a junior. The two become the second set of twins in program history to join the Lady Flames.

McCluskey brings an impressive offensive résumé to Lynchburg. The Tennessee native hit .549 with five home runs and 48 RBI as a junior, earning Region honors after previously being named a two-time Region MVP and two-time Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State selection. She was also rated a four-star prospect by Softball America and the No. 1 catcher in Tennessee during her sophomore season.

Mitchell, another catcher from Georgia, brings versatility and defensive ability. She hit .451 with nine home runs and 35 RBI as a senior at North Cobb Christian while throwing out 56.5% of would-be base stealers and recording six pickoffs.

McGuire, a first baseman from Lexington, Kentucky, has been a consistent power threat at Frederick Douglass High School. She hit .515 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI last season after batting .533 with 20 doubles and 10 home runs as a sophomore. She is a three-time All-City, All-Region and All-District selection.

Rounding out the class is Stucke, an infielder from Cambridge High School in Milton, Georgia. She put together a tremendous fall season, hitting .539 with a 1.454 OPS, 18 doubles, five home runs, 35 RBI and 42 runs scored.

The group gives Richardson a strong blend of pitching, defensive versatility and offensive production, with several players arriving with significant experience competing at high levels of travel and high school softball.

The recruiting success comes as Liberty continues to establish itself as one of the nation’s premier mid-major softball programs under Richardson. The Lady Flames have made six NCAA Regional appearances under her leadership, reached five Regional finals and made the program’s first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance.

That historic breakthrough came in 2025, when Liberty finished a program-best 50-15 and captured its second consecutive Conference USA regular-season and tournament championships. The Lady Flames traveled to College Station for the NCAA Regional, where they defeated No. 1 national seed Texas A&M twice to advance to the Super Regionals. Liberty became the first program in the Super Regional era to eliminate the No. 1 national seed during Regional play. Richardson was subsequently named D1Softball’s Mid-Major Coach of the Year.

With another nationally recognized recruiting class on its way to Lynchburg, Richardson and her staff are continuing to raise the program’s recruiting profile while building on the success already achieved on the field. The No. 29 national ranking is another significant milestone for Liberty softball and a sign that the Lady Flames intend to remain a force in the college softball landscape.