Class of 2024: Abby Grace Richardson
December 08, 2023 | Softball
STARKVILLE – Fresh off an NJCAA National Championship, Abby Grace Richardson signed with Mississippi State softball out of Copiah-Lincoln CC in November.
The catcher and infielder was a Third Team All-American this past spring and set Co-Lin records with 80 RBIs and 24 home runs in her freshman season. Along the way, she crushed a grand slam in the national championship game and was named the NJCAA World Series MVP.
"Abby Grace Richardson has played for championships at every level of her career," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She is an elite athlete that can play anywhere in the field and brings a powerful bat as well. Her love for her home state and fiercely competitive spirit are going to be fun to watch in the future."
The Brookhaven, Mississippi, native helped Brookhaven Academy win its first state title in program history in 2021. She was a four-time all-state selection and five-time First Team All-District honoree. She began playing with the varsity squad in seventh grade in 2017 and was the team's Offensive Player of the Year. She followed that with a 2018 MAIS Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Richardson was the conference player of the year in 2019 after hitting .491 with a 1.086 slugging percentage as a freshman. She drove in 68 runs and hit 16 homers that spring. She again posted a .491 batting average in 2020 and was the district player of the year.
As a junior she was named the Daily Leader's All-Area Offensive Player of the Year with a .597 batting average and 1.254 slugging percentage. Defensively, she recorded a .973 fielding percentage. In her final high school campaign, Richardson was again All-Area Offensive MVP and was named an MAIS All-Star. She hit .449 as a senior with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs. She also posted a career-best .982 fielding percentage that season.
"I chose State because of the town, the people and the way it fulfills my dreams," Richardson said. "Starting from a very young age, I've always wanted to play in the SEC, but I never wanted to go too far from home. Mississippi State gave me the opportunity to play at a very high level in an atmosphere like no other. I cannot wait to call Starkville home."
Richardson started all 59 games in her first season at Co-Lin. She led the team with a .927 slugging percentage and her 24 homers were double that of the next closest player on her team. She split time between catcher and shortstop, making just four errors on her way to a .981 fielding percentage. Additionally, Richardson successfully swiped 17 bags on the year.
She played travel ball for Mississippi Elite and also earned all-district honors in basketball in high school. Academically, she was a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society at Brookhaven Academy.
Mississippi State softball signed nine student-athletes on National Signing Day on Nov. 8. State's class was ranked No. 15 by Extra Inning Softball. Six of the newcomers have been ranked by Extra Inning Softball as top 100 prospects, marking Rickett's largest number of top-100 prospects since taking over as head coach in 2020. The Bulldogs will continue to release an in-depth look at each signee throughout the month of December.
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
The catcher and infielder was a Third Team All-American this past spring and set Co-Lin records with 80 RBIs and 24 home runs in her freshman season. Along the way, she crushed a grand slam in the national championship game and was named the NJCAA World Series MVP.
"Abby Grace Richardson has played for championships at every level of her career," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She is an elite athlete that can play anywhere in the field and brings a powerful bat as well. Her love for her home state and fiercely competitive spirit are going to be fun to watch in the future."
The Brookhaven, Mississippi, native helped Brookhaven Academy win its first state title in program history in 2021. She was a four-time all-state selection and five-time First Team All-District honoree. She began playing with the varsity squad in seventh grade in 2017 and was the team's Offensive Player of the Year. She followed that with a 2018 MAIS Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Richardson was the conference player of the year in 2019 after hitting .491 with a 1.086 slugging percentage as a freshman. She drove in 68 runs and hit 16 homers that spring. She again posted a .491 batting average in 2020 and was the district player of the year.
As a junior she was named the Daily Leader's All-Area Offensive Player of the Year with a .597 batting average and 1.254 slugging percentage. Defensively, she recorded a .973 fielding percentage. In her final high school campaign, Richardson was again All-Area Offensive MVP and was named an MAIS All-Star. She hit .449 as a senior with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs. She also posted a career-best .982 fielding percentage that season.
"I chose State because of the town, the people and the way it fulfills my dreams," Richardson said. "Starting from a very young age, I've always wanted to play in the SEC, but I never wanted to go too far from home. Mississippi State gave me the opportunity to play at a very high level in an atmosphere like no other. I cannot wait to call Starkville home."
Richardson started all 59 games in her first season at Co-Lin. She led the team with a .927 slugging percentage and her 24 homers were double that of the next closest player on her team. She split time between catcher and shortstop, making just four errors on her way to a .981 fielding percentage. Additionally, Richardson successfully swiped 17 bags on the year.
She played travel ball for Mississippi Elite and also earned all-district honors in basketball in high school. Academically, she was a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society at Brookhaven Academy.
Mississippi State softball signed nine student-athletes on National Signing Day on Nov. 8. State's class was ranked No. 15 by Extra Inning Softball. Six of the newcomers have been ranked by Extra Inning Softball as top 100 prospects, marking Rickett's largest number of top-100 prospects since taking over as head coach in 2020. The Bulldogs will continue to release an in-depth look at each signee throughout the month of December.
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
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