JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps softball team are looking ahead to the 2025 season with bright expectations under first-year head coach Jeff Gillispie. 
 
Gillespie spent the 2023 and 2022 seasons as an assistant coach for Samford University, while assisting Birmingham-Southern to great success prior to that.

Delta State softball alum Lindsey Coffey enters her first season as the Millsaps softball assistant to complete the staff. 
 
Last season sophomore Allana Vasquez became the first Millsaps softball freshman to be selected to All-SAA First Team since Megan Murray in 2014. 
 
During her freshman campaign, the Udine, Italy, native started all 37 games, finishing first on the team with a .342 batting average, .570 slugging percentage, .406 on-base percentage, 26 RBIs, four home runs and 14 doubles. 
 
She was also second on the team with 39 hits and tied for second with 16 runs. On April 6 at Sewanee, Vasquez tallied two doubles. and homered to tie the Millsaps single-game RBI mark with seven. 
 
In the circle, the freshman appeared in 19 games while starting in 15. Vasquez totaled a team-best 96 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts and a 4.45 ERA. 
 
Senior Alli Nolen also started in all 37 games for the Majors last season with a .253 batting average, while recording two doubles and one triple. 
 
The Baker, La., native finished the previous season with 151 catches and 76 putouts . 
 
The two-time SAA Academic Honor Roll student-athlete also captured 22 hits, 12 runs scored, six RBIs and eight walks.. 
 
Sophomore Kadence Cannon was another key component of the Majors' growth last season, where she started all 37 games primarily at shortstop. 
 
The 2024 SAA Softball All-Tournament Team member accumulated 26 hits, 10 runs and 12 RBIs. 
 
She added six doubles, amassed a .252 batting average with a .917 fielding percentage.

Continuing her success on the softball field, junior Kinsey Smith will also be returning to where she left off. 
 
Hailing from Lincoln, Ala., Smith appeared in 30 games with 29 starts. She finished second on the team with three home runs and added 18 hits and 18 RBIs. Smith posted a team-best .981 fielding percentage at first base. 
 
The health and exercise science major landed a spot on the 2024 Spring SAA Academic Honor Roll and the 2024 CSC Academic All-District® Softball Team. 
 
Ella Morgan Sears, a sophomore transfer from Coastal Alabama Community College – South could make an immediate impact in the conference as an outfielder. 
 
While playing for the Coyotes, Sears made 43 starts in 45 games with a .290 batting average. She tallied six home runs with 44 RBIs. Sears also batted 42 hits and scored 31 runs. 
 
Senior catcher Cassidy Cannella should make an impact once more behind the plate alongside 2023 All-SAA Honorable Menion junior Julia Strain. 
 
Other key returners for the Majors include redshirt junior Gabrielle Burney, junior Taylor Gonzales and sophomore Madeline Black. 
 
Looking to make a name for themselves for the Majors will be freshmen Brynn Arena, Hannah Briscoe, Kirsten Gilchrist, Kodi Jimmie, Caitlyn Ludwig, Ava Palumbo and Hailey Peterson. 
 
The Millsaps softball team will open the 2025 slate at Blue Mountain Christian University on Saturday, Feb. 1. A doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. with live video, live stats and ticket links available at gomajors.com.