CHARLESTON, S.C. – College of Charleston softball head coach Linda Kalafatis has announced the signing of a five-player recruiting class, including four from South Carolina and a pair of local products.

Staying home to play for the Cougars are Malaka Belser and Kayla Oh from Mt. Pleasant and Oceanside Collegiate Academy. Also hailing from the Palmetto State are Kelli Anne Carter (Greenville/Southside Christian) and Natalie Windham (Seneca/Seneca).

Heading to Charleston from Colorado is Chloe Valdez from Franktown and Regis Jesuit High School.

"This class gives us a tremendous amount of versatility since most of them play multiple positions," said Kalafatis. "It is an athletic group that also does very well in the classroom. The other thing I really like about this group is their character which is essential to personal growth and maintaining a good team culture. This group has the ingredients to help our program achieve great things in the future."

Malaka Belser | Catcher | Mt. Pleasant, S.C. | Oceanside Collegiate Academy
Belser had batting averages of .431, .556 and .485 her first three seasons and enters her senior year with 11 career home runs. As a sophomore she had 35 hits, five homers, 28 runs scored and 27 RBI and was named all-conference, all-district and first team all-state while playing for a conference champ. She also played travel ball for the Lady Lightning Demarini Platinum squad which captured the 2020 Junior Olympic Cup and is now on the Gold team.

Kalafatis on Belser: "Malaka has good genes as her dad (Jason, Colts and Chiefs) played 11 seasons in the NFL and her brother is a sophomore on our baseball team. She also plays on a good travel team in the Lady Lightning Gold. She's a good framer behind the plate, and her disposition should work well with our pitchers. She has a good feel at the plate and understands her swing. She likes to hit for power and doesn't get cheated."

Kayla Oh | OF | Mt. Pleasant, S.C | Oceanside Collegiate Academy
Oh was named second team all-conference as a freshman with a batting average of .600 and on-base percentage of .780. That season she helped lead her team to a sectional title and berth in the state championship game. Oh followed that up with a .550 average her sophomore season. She also has travel ball experience with Jersey Intensity and EC Bullets.

Kalafatis on Oh: "Kayla is a versatile player who is solid at second base but will see most of her time in the outfield. We identified her through our camps, and she turned from a small slapper to a tall athlete who could be a triple threat from the left side. She has good role models because her father is a coach, and her sister plays at South Carolina."

Kelli Anne Carter | OF | Greenville, S.C. | Southside Christian
Carter has starred in four sports during her career at Southside Christian, earning all-region honors in softball her freshman year and all-state accolades in lacrosse as a sophomore. On the track she qualified for the state meet in the 400 and 4x400 relay. Carter played for the 18u Carolina Elite Genovese softball travel team, and her soccer travel squad was a state cup winner and national qualifier.

Kalafatis on Carter: "Kelli Anne is a scrappy, hard-playing kid with a high energy level who won us over with her heart and hustle as much as her talent. She's been in the Carolina Elite program and has benefited from playing against really good competition for several years. Her speed will be a big factor in getting on the field."

Natalie Windham | IF | Seneca, S.C. | Seneca
Windham has excelled at the plate in her first three seasons at Seneca. She batted .365 with four homers as a freshman, .387 with 21 stolen bases as a sophomore and .411 with five thefts in an abbreviated junior campaign. She is a two-time all-conference, all-region, Gold Glove and Big Bat selection and was team MVP and on the All-Mountain Lakes team as a sophomore. Windham is a teammate of Carter on the 18u Carolina Elite Genovese travel team.

Kalafatis on Windham: "Natalie is a hard-working player who can adjust to several positions. I've seen her get stronger and more confident in the last year, and that comes from playing at a more competitive level as her teams go up against the best in the region and nation. We got to see her over a span of several years at our camps, and it helped us see her maturation as a player."

Chloe Valdez | IF | Franktown, Colo. | Regis Jesuit
Valdez was named all-conference each season and earned all-state honors as a senior. As a sophomore she batted .408 and had an average of .475 as a junior while totaling 57 RBI in her career. She helped lead Regis Jesuit to the first two state tournaments in program history, placing fifth in 2018. Valdez also starred for several travel teams, including the Colorado Bombers (.400, 12 HR, 56 RBI), Colorado Angels (.333, 5 HR, 33 RBI), Tennessee Mojo West (.391) and Colorado Styxx 18 Gold (.471).

Kalafatis on Valdez: "We met Chloe from her participation in our summer camps. We liked her the first year and were impressed by her growth when she returned. She has a nice athletic build and moves fluidly at second, short and third and also plays well in the outfield. She has a quick release on her throws and at 5-9 is able to cover a lot of ground."