STARKVILLE – Mississippi State softball has signed Allison Florian and Phoebe Florian, two transfers who have enrolled in classes and will join the Bulldogs’ 2021 roster.

Phoebe played her freshman season at Auburn in 2020, while Allison attended Duke for her undergraduate studies from 2017-20 and began graduate school at Auburn in the fall 2020 semester.

“We are excited to add Allison and Phoebe to the program and for the opportunity to bring them in before the spring semester,” head coach Samantha Ricketts said. “They both bring high-level experience to our team and will add depth in the infield and outfield, as well as speed and athleticism on the bases.”

Allison signed with the Blue Devils out of high school, practicing with the team in 2017 as Duke prepared for its inaugural season in 2018. In the program’s first year she received a medical hardship waiver and has not played collegiately. The older of the two sisters, Allison was a highly decorated high school player, garnering four all-conference selections in her career.

Phoebe played 19 games for the Tigers last spring before the season was cut short. Used primarily as a pinch runner, she scored five runs and successfully stole on four of her five attempts. In her senior season of high school, she batted .453 with eight homers while going a perfect 18-of-18 on stolen base attempts.

As an intra-conference transfer, Phoebe will sit out the 2021 season, but will have four years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2022 due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 eligibility relief.

The addition of the sisters brings State’s roster to 24 student-athletes. MSU returns all but three players from the 2020 squad that went 25-3 and finished the season ranked No. 20 in the NFCA poll. The Florians join freshmen Kylie Taylor and Addison Purvis to give the Bulldogs four newcomers this spring.

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