As the wave of high school student-athletes put pen to paper and sealed college commitments on Wednesday’s National Signing Day, a host of Baldwin County standouts were among those who locked in spots at the next level of their sport.

Some highlights included three fresh off state titles this fall, four more who won a Blue Map trophy this past spring and nine total Division I signees. Below is a sampling of signing ceremonies from 10 local schools, follow @GCMSportsAL on social media for immediate updates and visit gulfcoastmedia.com/sports for full coverage.

Baldwin County Tigers – Madilyn Byrd (Florida Atlantic softball)

After she helped the Baldwin County Tigers to their third South Regional Championship in the last four years, Madilyn Byrd will look to factor right into the Owls’ pitching staff.

“This top 20 recruit will make an immediate impact in the circle,” said Florida Atlantic head softball coach Jordan Clark.

Bayshore Christian Eagles – Jack Malone (LBW baseball), Nate Crooms (LBW baseball), Caden Phillippi (Troy cross country), Megan Garrick (Emmanuel University bowling)

Fresh off his second-consecutive individual state championship just four days prior, Caden Phillippi sealed his college decision to stay in state and run for the Troy Trojans on Wednesday. An all-regional bowler from last winter, Megan Garrick will take her talents to Franklin Springs, Georgia, where she will join the Emmanuel bowling squad that upset the top-ranked and defending champion Vanderbilt Commodores last season.

Jack Malone and Nate Crooms will remain teammates on the baseball diamond and will help maintain the Baldwin County pipeline to the Lurleen B. Wallace baseball program. Five former local standouts, including Crooms' older brother Streed, hold a roster spot for the 2024-25 season.

Bayside Academy Admirals – Nathan Sadlock (Millsaps baseball), Cole Dean (South Alabama baseball) and Weston Hannaman (Mississippi Gulf Coast baseball)

A trio from an area-champion team last year cemented their collegiate decisions and will add to Bayside Academy’s baseball alumni at the next level. Nathan Sadlock, Cole Dean and Weston Hannaman were also part of the first game between Alabamian teams at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Daphne Trojans – Maddox Eady (Central Alabama baseball)

After he bounced back from a hand injury, Maddox Eady recorded a .312 batting average and .380 on-base percentage with 20 hits over 64 at-bats in 21 games last season.

Fairhope Pirates – Harrison Cook (Coastal Alabama-South baseball), Ty Watkins (Samford track)

Harrison Cook helped the Fairhope Pirates earn a third-straight Class 7A Area 2 crown after he registered a .955 ERA over 36.2 innings with a 6-1 record, 3 saves and 61 strikeouts. He also delivered two no-hit innings that led off a 4-1 win for the South squad in the North-South All-Star game this summer.

From ACL surgery to a silver medal in the 100-meter dash state finals only seven months later, Ty Watkins will keep his talents in Alabama and compete for the Samford Bulldogs. Watkins registered three records in his first three meets back, including two school records and a meet record.

Orange Beach Makos – Daigle Wilson (Auburn softball), KG Favors (South Carolina softball), Kaitlynn Robertson (Louisiana Christian softball), Justine Henderson (Mobile softball), Matthew Steele (Montevallo baseball), Joel Douglas Chandler (Montevallo baseball)

A quartet of four-time state champion softball players from Orange Beach celebrated together once more and helped break in the new facilities at the Sportsplex.

Daigle Wilson, the Makos’ career leader in categories including triples (27), stolen bases (196) and runs (267), will join KG Favors, the program leader in pitching wins (62), strikeouts (625) and ERA (1.39), in the Southeastern Conference at Auburn and South Carolina, respectively. Wilson has been recognized on the last four Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State teams and Favors has taken home State Championship MVP honors from the last three title runs.

Kaitlynn Robertson has held down first base with a .958 fielding percentage and pitched big innings en route to 33 wins, 141 strikeouts and a 2.30 ERA to complement 133 RBIs, 57 doubles and a .379 career batting average.  Justine Henderson shined as an eighth grader when she pitched four complete games to help Orange Beach collect its first-ever state championship in 2021. Also a two-year co-captain of the Mako swim team gearing up for a fourth-straight state meet appearance, Henderson has logged 351 innings pitched with 271 strikes, 47 wins and a 2.67 ERA to go along with 88 hits, 66 RBIs and a .289 batting average.

Matthew Steele and Joel Douglas Chandler will remain teammates at Montevallo after they helped Orange Beach to a 31-10 overall record and a playoff berth as juniors.

Robertsdale Golden Bears – Ryan McGilvray (AUM cross country), Jackson Lyles (LBW baseball), Trenton Pouncey (Southern Miss cheerleading)

Similarly fresh off the state championship circuit, Ryan McGilvray sealed her college decision to stay in state and run for the Auburn-Montgomery Warhawks just four days after competing at the final AHSAA meet of the season where she finished 88th overall in Class 7A. On the track circuit, McGilvray set a Robertsdale school record in the 3200-meter run last outdoor season and helped set a 4x800-meter relay school record at the 2023 indoor state championship.

Jackson Lyles threw an early-season no-hitter for the Golden Bear baseball squad where he needed only 88 pitches to record 9 strikeouts against 3 walks to help seal a 2-0 win over Ariton.

A 6-foot, 160-pound back spot, Trenton Pouncey helped the Robertsdale cheerleading team take second from the state and national championships as a sophomore and junior. This year, Pouncey and the Golden Bears earned two second-place finishes at AHSAA Regionals, as well as a first- and second-place spot at UCA Regionals to punch another state and national ticket.

Snook Christian Eagles – Landon Rubel (Florida Post Graduate baseball) and Ethan Bettner (Southeastern Baptist baseball)

Another pair of Baldwin County baseball standouts sealed their next steps where Landon Rubel signed with Florida Post Grad and Ethan Bettner signed with Southeastern Baptist.

Bettner was an AISA All-Star and Snook Christian’s Player of the Year in 2024. He owns career varsity numbers of a .314 average with 48 hits, 33 RBIs and 44 runs to go along with 83.2 innings pitched, 112 strikeouts, 2.76 ERA and an opponent batting average of .206.

Rubel previously played his high school ball at Central Christian in Robertsdale where he was the Saints’ Offensive Player of the Year and a Panhandle Christian All-Conference selection as a sophomore. He carries a .370 career varsity batting average with 54 hits and 69 RBIs to go along with 40 stolen bases, 59 runs scored and a fielding percentage of .942 on 243 total chances.

Spanish Fort Toros – Trent Sellers (Arkansas football), Kennedy Jane Nelson (Lees-McRae volleyball), Carlyn McAllister (Eastern Kentucky beach volleyball), Grant Howard (LBW baseball), Colin Murphy (Huntingdon baseball), Haley Hart (Louisiana softball)

Two more recent state champions sealed college commitments in Spanish Fort where Kennedy Jane Nelson and Carlyn McAllister signed their National Letters of Intent just two weeks after they helped the Toros earn their fourth Class 6A state volleyball title.

Haley Hart assisted the Spanish Fort softball team to a second-straight area title and was recognized with first-team all-state honors with a .507 average, 72 hits and 62 RBIs. Trent Sellers recently helped the Toro football squad remain undefeated at home in the first round of the playoffs last weekend and was set to hit the road this weekend to face Hueytown in the Sweet 16.

Grant Howard and Colin Murphy helped the Spanish Fort baseball team register a second-straight trip to the Class 6A Final Four last season.

St. Michael Catholic Cardinals – Lily Kerbl (Eastern Kentucky beach volleyball)

The St. Michael volleyball team took home its first area crown and made its first trip to the state tournament since 2021 thanks to a third-place finish at the South Regional Championships. Lily Kerbl will also have a familiar face from the Eastern Shore at Eastern Kentucky when she joins forces with Spanish Fort’s Carlyn McAllister.