Francis Marion University Athletics

FMU:  First-year player at FMU....Graduate transfer from Flagler College, where she played four seasons....Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team 2022....Taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the covid-19 pandemic shortening the 2020 season....Will add immediate collegiate experience to the roster....Left-handed hitting outfielder....Even after four-years of collegiate play, she has some untapped tools that we can help bring out and make her even more of an impact player for us in 2022.....She totally understands the importance of academics and how it meshes with athletics....FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll 2021 (fall), 2022 (spring)....Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll 2022.

FC: As a senior, batted .327 with 22 runs scored and a .406 on-base percentage en route to garnering second-team All-Peach Belt Conference honors....In abbreviated 2020 campaign, led the Saints with a .385 average and scored 19 runs in 26 contests with a .435 on-base percentage....Appeared in 128 games over the past four years with the Flagler program....Was named to the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll.

PERSONAL:

• Born NaJah J. Gerrald in Orlando, FL
• Graduate of University High School, where she played for coach Kenny Walters
• Earned honorable mention All-Area recognition as a senior
• Named to the Daytona Beach News-Journal All-Area squad as a junior after leading the team in runs scored (25), triples (2), home runs (2) and finishing second in batting average (.417)
• Also picked up honorable mention Miracle Sports All-State honors as a junior
• Honorable mention All-Conference performer on the basketball court
• Also lettered in bowling
• Nickname is NaJ

PERSONAL FAVORITES:

• As a child what you wanted to be when you grew up:  Lawyer
• How you got your nickname: Its short for my full name
• Favorite Superhero: Spiderman
• Favorite Athlete:  Natasha Watley
• Favorite Movie or TV Show: Forest Gump
• Favorite Food:  Macaroni and Cheese
• Favorite Vacation Spot:  Blue Ridge, GA
• Twitter Handle: ngerrald6
• Instagram Account: ngerrald6
• Favorite Musical Artist: Beyonce
• Favorite Thing About FMU:  The campus
• Favorite Off-Field/court Activity:  Shopping, traveling
• Goals for Upcoming Season:  Be the best version of myself
• Why you first chose your sport: I saw the Little League sign and wanted to try something new
• Biggest mental challenge in your sport: Confidence
• Interesting Notes:  Left-handed, but I throw right handed; my family is from the Virgin Islands
• Brush With Greatness: Second-team All-Conference; led team in hits senior year; highest batting average my junior year; In high school made first-team All-Conference as well as honorable mention in softball; Also honorable mention All-Conference in basketball in high school