Mobile Courant

 University of South Alabama softball head coach Becky Clark announced on Friday that junior college standouts Sasha Willems (Sydney, New South Whales Australia) and Marley Sims (Gulfport, Miss.) will join the program for the 2023 season.

Willems and Sims join Brooklynn Bockhaus (Haughton, La.), Marlayna Capaldi (Willmington, Del.), Sophia Mendoza (Leigh Acres, Fla.) and Madison Lagle (Glen St. Mary, Fla.) in the class who were announced during the fall.

Sasha Willems

Jr. | R-R

5-7 | C

Sydney, New South Whales Australia | Howard College | Woolooware High School

"Sasha put up impressive numbers at Howard College and we anticipate her doing the same thing at South Alabama," Clark said. "She has great experience and skill behind the plate, but can play other infield positions if called on. She is another player with great instincts and high softball IQ. Her international experience will benefit her as well considering she has spent the summer playing some of the best teams in the world. I anticipate her coming in and helping us right away and look forward to a solid two years from her."

Willems transfers in after competing the last two seasons at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, where she was a three-time All-America selection. She has also seen time on the international stage as she was selected to compete for her home country's national team the Travelodge Aussie Spirit at the Canada Cup and World Games this summer.

As a sophomore, Willems earned All-American honors from both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (second team) and NJCAA DI Softball (third team), as well as Region 5 all-region and all-conference honors. She posted a slash line of .433 / .530 / .900, recording 65 hits and scoring 63 runs for the Hawks. Of her 65 hits, 35 went for extra bases as she had 17 doubles and 17 home runs. Willems also drove in 69 runs and drew 23 walks, while striking out just five times in her 182 plate appearances.

She also posted 19 multi-hit and 19-multi-RBI outings. Her best stretch of the season came during a five-game segment where she 12 hits, including five extra-base hits and drove in 17. The Hawks went 39-11 and 20-4 in conference play, and had both a 15- and 10-game win streak during the season.

As a freshman, Willems earned first team All-America honors from NJCAA DI Softball, and was a First-Team all-Western Junior College Athletic Conference selection at catcher. She was also named the Diamond Sports/NFCA NJCAA DI Catcher of the Year after producing a slash line of .441 / .556 / 1.044. She recorded 60 hits – 39 extra-base hits – and scored 67 runs, while posting 17 doubles, 21 home runs to go along with her 76 runs driven in. Willems drew 26 walks while striking out just 12 times in 174 plate appearances, and helped Howard finish with a  39-11 overall record and a 20-4 mark in conference play.

Marley Sims

Jr. | L-R

5-6 | INF

Gulfport, Miss. | Chipola College | West Harrison High School

"Marley is a top of the order hitter who can hurt you with both power and speed," Clark said. "Defensively, she is a middle infielder with great range, but can also play in the outfield if needed. She is a gritty ballplayer with a huge softball IQ and instincts that cannot be taught. She is a spark-plug kind of player who is always in the middle of making things happen. She had two standout years at Chipola and we look forward to her coming in and making an immediate impact on our program."

Sims arrives in Mobile after a two-year career at Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. During the 2022 season, the junior-to-be and the Lady Indians finished ranked 14th in the final NJCAA DI poll after compiling a 35-11 record.

The left-hander earned all-state honors from the Florida College Systems Activities Association (FCSAA) and both first-team NJCAA all-Region VIII and all-Panhandle Conference honors after leading Chipola in multiple offensive categories. Her team-leading .430 batting average was ninth in the FCSAA and second in the Panhandle. Sims also led the Lady Indians in runs (48), hits (67), doubles (16), stolen bases (34), and on-base percentage (.491), and had 18 multi-hit games.

She ranked in the top 20 of the Florida College System Activities Association Athletics (FCSAAA) batting average, hits, runs scored, and was tied for seventh in stolen bases, ranking 36th in the NJCAA in the latter category. Sims stole at least one base in 11-straight outings and accumulated 17 total over that stretch.

As a freshman in 2021, Sims was named first-team all-Panhandle after helping Chipola finish ranked 14th in the final NJCAA DI poll, and leading the Lady Indians to their sixth state title.

Sims missed her first 11 games of the season but still competed in 34, producing 10 multi-hit outings. She finished the season with a .444 batting average, which led the club, compiling 36 hits and 19 stolen bases, ranking 13th in the FCSAAA in batting average and 19th in the league in stolen bases. 

Original source can be found here