GRADUATE ASSISTANT SAM GRESS

AWARDS:

Drafted by the Florida Vibe of the Fastpitch United Pro Series
2025 NFCA Third Team All-Region
2025 All-SEC Second Team
2025 All-SEC Defensive Team (Pitcher)
CSC Academic All-District First Team (2025)
2024 NFCA Second Team All-Region
2024 Second Team All-American Athletic Conference
2024 American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team
2024 Preseason D1Softball D100 List (#57)
2024 Preseason Softball America Top 100 List (#78)
2023 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year
2023 First Team All-Conference USA Selection
2023 NFCA First Team All-Region Selection
2023 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal Honoree
2023 C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll Selection

2025:

Drafted by the Florida Vibe of the Fastpitch United Pro Series … Named to the NFCA All-Region Third Team … Named to the All-SEC Second Team … Selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® team … Became the first South Carolina pitcher named to the SEC All-Defensive Team … Made a career-high 44 appearances while making 18 starts in the circle … Led the team and the SEC with five saves … Second on the team with a 2.83 ERA and a 14-11 record … Her 104 strikeouts were also second on the team …Threw five complete games and one shutout … Threw a complete game shutout against Kentucky (4/21) … Tossed a season-high eight innings in a win at No. 3 LSU (3/30) … Struck out a season-high eight batters at Auburn (4/27) … Had a hit in her only at-bat of the season against Virginia (2/6) … Had a perfect fielding percentage in 44 chances, turning two double plays.

Prior to SC:
2024 (Charlotte)

Made 33 appearances in the circle with 13 starts … Posted a 2.57 ERA with a 14-10 record and three saves and one complete game … Tallied 92 strikeouts with a .210 opponents’ batting average … Also recorded two hits and scored three runs … Went six innings against #4 Florida State with two runs and three strikeouts to earn the win, helping Charlotte secure their highest ranked win ever (Feb. 8) … Named the AAC Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 12 … Recorded a seven-out save with no runs vs. Texas Tech (Feb. 10) … Went 4.2 scoreless frames in a win over Canisius (Feb. 16) … Struck out six with one run over seven innings in a loss to Boston University (Feb. 17) … Had back-to-back shutout starts in wins over James Madison (Feb. 23) and South Alabama (Feb. 24) … Picked up a three-inning save in a victory at NC State (March 26) … Fanned seven hitters across four innings to earn the win at UTSA (April 14) … Had four straight scoreless appearances from April 17-24 … Went six shutout innings with two hits against Tulsa (April 19) … Also tossed five scoreless against the Golden Hurricane on April 20 … Tallied five punchouts in a one-run start at UAB (April 27) … Struck out six over four innings in the Niners’ win over North Texas (May 3) … Pitched three scoreless in the AAC Semifinals vs. North Texas (May 10) … Followed up with four innings of one-run ball in the championship game at Wichita State, fanning six (May 11) … Earned AAC All-Tournament Team honors … Named Second Team All-AAC and Second Team NFCA All-Region.

2023 (Charlotte)

Appeared in 39 games and made 31 starts … Pitched to a record of 23-14 with a 1.91 ERA, 150 strikeouts, and had 21 complete games … Was the first Charlotte pitcher since 2017 to have at least 20 complete games in a single season … Had three games with double-digit strikeouts … Was sixth in the NCAA with 227.1 innings pitched and 16th in the nation with 23 wins … Starting pitcher in all three of Charlotte’s wins over ranked teams during the season … Led Conference USA in wins, complete games, and innings pitched … Pitched 6.0 innings with four strikeouts against Campbell (Feb. 10) … Threw 7.0 innings and struck out six batters against No. 23 Arizona State (Mar. 3) … Pitched 7.0 innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters against Florida Atlantic (Mar. 17) … Threw a nine-inning complete game with six strikeouts against Florida Atlantic (Mar. 18) … Threw a complete game and struck out five batters against No. 11 Virginia Tech (Mar. 22) … Threw 7.0 innings with four strikeouts and allowed three hits against UTEP (Mar. 26) … Matched career high with 10 strike outs in a seven-inning performance against Western Kentucky (Apr. 2) … Threw 8.0 innings and struck out six against Liberty (Apr. 12) … Had her third 10-strikeout game in a seven-inning outing against North Texas (Apr. 14). .. Threw her second nine-inning complete game of the season against Louisiana Tech (4/30) … Threw a complete game one-hitter where she set down 21 straight batters to end the game against UAB (May 6) … Pitched 6.0 innings against Campbell in the NCAA Regionals (May 19) … Named C-USA Newcomer of the Year… Named C-USA First Team All-Conference … Named NFCA First Team All-Region … 2023 C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal honoree and named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

At NC State (2020-22)

Appeared in 25 games and made 10 starts as a redshirt freshman in 2022 … Pitched to a record of 7-3 with a 3.29 ERA and threw three complete games … Led the team with three shutouts … Started the season 6-0 … In 2021, played in 20 games and made 15 starts before redshirting… Finished the season with a .212 batting average (7-for-33) with one home run, five RBIs, and eight runs scored … Also made three pitching appearances and had two starts … Pitched to a 1-0 record with a 1.91 ERA … In 2020, appeared in nine games and made 4 starts … Pitched to a record of 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA and had three complete games … Threw a no-hitter against North Carolina A&T, becoming the first freshman at NC State to throw a no-hitter since 2004.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Named 2019 Pennsylvania Softball Player of the Year and PennLive Softball Player of the Year … Named First Team All-State in 2019 … Member of state championship team at Central Dauphin, which was the first state championship in school history … Set school record for single-season wins (20), and single season strikeouts (208). .. Named Mid Penn Commonwealth All-Conference First team in 2018 & 2019 … Was nominated as a McDonald’s All-American in basketball in 2019 and scored 1,134 points for her high school team … First student in school history to win three district medals for three different sports in one year in 2018 while member of golf, basketball, and softball teams.

PERSONAL:

Born October 5, 2000 … Parents are Mike and Jean Gress … Has two siblings, Michael and Aaron… Father Mike played college basketball at Susquehanna University.