AUBURN, Ala. – Sophomore pitcher/outfielder Samantha Yarbrough and junior outfielder Tyler King have joined the Auburn softball program for the 2020 season, Tigers head coach Mickey Dean announced Tuesday afternoon.
“Samantha had a great high school career and we are looking forward to adding her to our pitching staff and having her bat in the lineup; she has shown in the past that she can hit for power,” Dean said. “Tyler has proven to be a really good Division I hitter and has been a mainstay in centerfield her first two years of college softball. She’ll be a great addition having really good playing experience in the outfield.
“We really look forward to having both of them in our lineup to help boost our offensive productivity.”
Yarbrough, who concluded her prep softball career at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Ala., appeared in 29 games at the University of South Alabama as a freshman during the 2019 season. She made her collegiate debut against Tennessee State on Feb. 9, when she went 6.0 innings, scattered five hits, struck out five batters and allowed only one run. She struck out a career-high nine batters on three occasions, including accomplishing the feat on April 27 against Georgia Southern in just 3.1 innings of relief.
For the season, Yarbrough finished with a 4.71 ERA and a 6-9 record in 93.2 innings pitched. Her .212 opponent batting average was the lowest on the Jaguars’ pitching staff. Her two saves and 103 strikeouts were the most on the team.
King, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native, comes to Auburn after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at East Carolina, where she started 103 games in the outfield. Her .314 batting average was tied for the top spot among Pirate hitters in 2019, while her 55 hits and 15 stolen bases led the team outright.
Through two seasons, King has already collected 106 hits with a .321 on-base percentage, 52 runs scored and 21 stolen bases.
Yarbrough and King will join a seven-player signing class the Tigers announced in November to help contribute during the 2020 season.
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For more information, contact Chris Brown
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