Pirates Announce Addition Of Four Transfers To 2027 Roster
June 24, 2026 | Softball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina softball team has added four transfers to its roster for the upcoming 2027 season according to an announcement from sixth-year head coach Shane Winkler on Wednesday.
Jade Bubke, Ansley Bennett, Reece Outlaw and Andee Dircks will join 16 returners from last year's team that went 34-25 overall, won a program-record 16 American Conference games and made its first-ever appearance in the championship game of the American Softball Championship.
"We're excited about what these four bring to our program," Winkler said. "We needed to add to our offense and we did just that. Four bats with P4 experience that can all come in and play multiple positions. This group was brought in to help us take that next step towards winning the American and making a run in the NCAA Tournament."
Jade Bubke | Infield | Montgomery, Texas (Washington)
2026 (at Washington): Spring 2026 Academic All-Big Ten Team … 21 hits and 10 RBI on the season with six doubles and two home runs … Went 2-for-3 at Oregon (April 18) … Recorded two hits in game three at Iowa (March 29) … Recorded two hits in game one at Iowa (March 27) … Posted two hits and three RBI in win over BYU (Feb. 21).
2025 (at Washington): NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete … Played in 46 games while making 37 starts … Held a .289 average with 28 hits, nine doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI … 5-for-7 in stolen bases … Posted a .981 fielding percentage at second base with 51 putouts and 53 assists … First career hit at No. 11 Arizona (Feb. 7) … RBI single vs. BYU (Feb. 20) … Two-run home run vs. Jackson State (Feb. 26) … Multi-hit game at Hawaii with a double and an RBI (March 1) … 2-for-3 with a home run vs. No. 8 Oregon (March 16) … 2-for-3 vs. Rutgers (March 22) … 2-for-2 with a double and two walks at Illinois (March 28) … Multi-hit game vs. Wisconsin (April 6) … Home run vs. No. 18 Nebraska (April 25) … Pair of doubles vs. Brown in Lubbock Regional (May 17).
High School: Ranked 21st by Extra Innings Softball while playing club for Texas Blaze … Three-time All-District selection at Magnolia HS in Magnolia Texas … Named to the All-Montgomery County Team … Four-time Academic All-District.
Ansley Bennett | Utility/Pitcher | Summerville, S.C. (South Carolina)
2026 (at South Carolina): Named to the D1Softball Preseason Top-100 Freshman to Watch list … Played in 36 games, making two starts as the DP, and made six appearances in the circle with one start … Reached base in fourth straight games … Recorded her first collegiate hit against Boston University (Feb. 13) …Earned her first collegiate RBI against Boston University (Feb. 14) … Scored a season-high two runs against Boston College (Mar. 14) … Doubled and drove in a run at Coastal Carolina (Mar. 11) … Threw a season-high two innings against Boston University (Feb. 14) and Winthrop (Feb. 25) … Earned her first career strikeout against Binghamton (Feb. 8) … Recorded her first career save against Boston University (Feb. 13) … Earned her first career win against Boston University (Feb. 14), tossing two hitless innings with two strikeouts … Struck out a season-high two batters twice against Boston University (Feb. 13 and Feb. 14).
High School: Named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 … Led the Green Wave to a pair of state championships, including a perfect 30-0 record in 2024 … In 2024 she finished with a 0.16 ERA and led the team with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs … From 2022-24 she was named to the All-State team and named the Region Player of the Year … In 2023 and 2024 she was named the 5A Player of the Year … In 2023 and 2022 she was named the Low Country Player of the Year … MaxPreps named her the 2024 South Carolina Player of the Year and named her a First Team All-American … During the travel ball season, she played for the Lady Lightning Gold … Also a standout on the volleyball court where she was named to the All-Region team in 2023 … In the classroom she earned the A/B Honor Roll three times.
Reece Outlaw | Utility | Mount Olive, N.C. (North Carolina)
2026 (at North Carolina): Appeared in 35 games for the Tar Heels, making 24 starts … Registered 10 hits, including two doubles and two home runs for a .204 batting average … Scored 18 runs and drove in six runners … Recorded a .935 fielding percentage as an infielder with 31 putouts and 41 assists … Tallied three RBI in the season opener against Elon (Feb. 6) … Recorded two hits against both Elon (Feb. 6) and Bryant (Feb. 13).
2025 (at North Carolina): Appeared in 30 games primarily as a pinch runner … Scored 16 runs, drove in one RBI, and stole four bags … 2025 All-ACC Academic Team.
High School: Four-year letter winner as an infielder on the North Duplin softball team … North Duplin's career and single-season record holder in runs scored, hits, RBIs and home runs … Four-time all-Carolina 1A Conference selection … NC Coaches Association All-State Team selection in softball (three-times), women's basketball (four years) and track … 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A runner-up … Her father, Bill, played baseball at ECU from 1996-99.
Andee Dircks | First Base | Chapin, S.C. (Michigan)
2026 (at Michigan): Played in three games for the Wolverines … Recorded a hit and an RBI and scored a run against Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 6).
2025 (at Michigan): Appeared in 16 games, starting one at designated player … Posted a .333 batting average with two runs, five hits and three RBI … Drew a walk and pushed across a run in U-M's home opener vs. Western Michigan (March 25) … Smashed a two-run double to right field in the fourth inning vs. Queens (March 1) … Tallied hits and scored a run in consecutive appearances against Longwood (Feb. 14) and Georgia State (Feb. 16); posted a leadoff double in the fourth inning in the latter … Made collegiate debut vs. Illinois State at the USF-Rawling Invitational (Feb. 8).
High School: Graduated from Chapin High School (2024) … Twice named to South Carolina All-State first team (2021, '24) … Two-time all-area first team (2021, '24); three-time all-conference, all-county and all-region first team (2021, '22, '24) … Named Max Preps 2023 Preseason South Carolina Player of the Year … Runner-up for the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina … Posted a .533 career batting average with a 1.189 slugging percentage, .596 on-base percentage, 124 hits, 94 runs, 122 RBI and 35 home runs … As a senior, batted .520 with a 1.061 slugging percentage, .590 on-base percentage, 51 hits, 13 homers and 55 RBI … Contributed to Chapin's 2024 region champions championship and three district championships … Played travel ball with the Virginia Unity organization under Michigan alum Megan Betsa … National Honors Society; National Spanish Honors Society; Honor Roll … Rated as the No. 18 prospect by Extra Innings.
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Jade Bubke, Ansley Bennett, Reece Outlaw and Andee Dircks will join 16 returners from last year's team that went 34-25 overall, won a program-record 16 American Conference games and made its first-ever appearance in the championship game of the American Softball Championship.
"We're excited about what these four bring to our program," Winkler said. "We needed to add to our offense and we did just that. Four bats with P4 experience that can all come in and play multiple positions. This group was brought in to help us take that next step towards winning the American and making a run in the NCAA Tournament."
Jade Bubke | Infield | Montgomery, Texas (Washington)
2026 (at Washington): Spring 2026 Academic All-Big Ten Team … 21 hits and 10 RBI on the season with six doubles and two home runs … Went 2-for-3 at Oregon (April 18) … Recorded two hits in game three at Iowa (March 29) … Recorded two hits in game one at Iowa (March 27) … Posted two hits and three RBI in win over BYU (Feb. 21).
2025 (at Washington): NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete … Played in 46 games while making 37 starts … Held a .289 average with 28 hits, nine doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI … 5-for-7 in stolen bases … Posted a .981 fielding percentage at second base with 51 putouts and 53 assists … First career hit at No. 11 Arizona (Feb. 7) … RBI single vs. BYU (Feb. 20) … Two-run home run vs. Jackson State (Feb. 26) … Multi-hit game at Hawaii with a double and an RBI (March 1) … 2-for-3 with a home run vs. No. 8 Oregon (March 16) … 2-for-3 vs. Rutgers (March 22) … 2-for-2 with a double and two walks at Illinois (March 28) … Multi-hit game vs. Wisconsin (April 6) … Home run vs. No. 18 Nebraska (April 25) … Pair of doubles vs. Brown in Lubbock Regional (May 17).
High School: Ranked 21st by Extra Innings Softball while playing club for Texas Blaze … Three-time All-District selection at Magnolia HS in Magnolia Texas … Named to the All-Montgomery County Team … Four-time Academic All-District.
Ansley Bennett | Utility/Pitcher | Summerville, S.C. (South Carolina)
2026 (at South Carolina): Named to the D1Softball Preseason Top-100 Freshman to Watch list … Played in 36 games, making two starts as the DP, and made six appearances in the circle with one start … Reached base in fourth straight games … Recorded her first collegiate hit against Boston University (Feb. 13) …Earned her first collegiate RBI against Boston University (Feb. 14) … Scored a season-high two runs against Boston College (Mar. 14) … Doubled and drove in a run at Coastal Carolina (Mar. 11) … Threw a season-high two innings against Boston University (Feb. 14) and Winthrop (Feb. 25) … Earned her first career strikeout against Binghamton (Feb. 8) … Recorded her first career save against Boston University (Feb. 13) … Earned her first career win against Boston University (Feb. 14), tossing two hitless innings with two strikeouts … Struck out a season-high two batters twice against Boston University (Feb. 13 and Feb. 14).
High School: Named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 … Led the Green Wave to a pair of state championships, including a perfect 30-0 record in 2024 … In 2024 she finished with a 0.16 ERA and led the team with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs … From 2022-24 she was named to the All-State team and named the Region Player of the Year … In 2023 and 2024 she was named the 5A Player of the Year … In 2023 and 2022 she was named the Low Country Player of the Year … MaxPreps named her the 2024 South Carolina Player of the Year and named her a First Team All-American … During the travel ball season, she played for the Lady Lightning Gold … Also a standout on the volleyball court where she was named to the All-Region team in 2023 … In the classroom she earned the A/B Honor Roll three times.
Reece Outlaw | Utility | Mount Olive, N.C. (North Carolina)
2026 (at North Carolina): Appeared in 35 games for the Tar Heels, making 24 starts … Registered 10 hits, including two doubles and two home runs for a .204 batting average … Scored 18 runs and drove in six runners … Recorded a .935 fielding percentage as an infielder with 31 putouts and 41 assists … Tallied three RBI in the season opener against Elon (Feb. 6) … Recorded two hits against both Elon (Feb. 6) and Bryant (Feb. 13).
2025 (at North Carolina): Appeared in 30 games primarily as a pinch runner … Scored 16 runs, drove in one RBI, and stole four bags … 2025 All-ACC Academic Team.
High School: Four-year letter winner as an infielder on the North Duplin softball team … North Duplin's career and single-season record holder in runs scored, hits, RBIs and home runs … Four-time all-Carolina 1A Conference selection … NC Coaches Association All-State Team selection in softball (three-times), women's basketball (four years) and track … 2023 N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1A runner-up … Her father, Bill, played baseball at ECU from 1996-99.
Andee Dircks | First Base | Chapin, S.C. (Michigan)
2026 (at Michigan): Played in three games for the Wolverines … Recorded a hit and an RBI and scored a run against Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 6).
2025 (at Michigan): Appeared in 16 games, starting one at designated player … Posted a .333 batting average with two runs, five hits and three RBI … Drew a walk and pushed across a run in U-M's home opener vs. Western Michigan (March 25) … Smashed a two-run double to right field in the fourth inning vs. Queens (March 1) … Tallied hits and scored a run in consecutive appearances against Longwood (Feb. 14) and Georgia State (Feb. 16); posted a leadoff double in the fourth inning in the latter … Made collegiate debut vs. Illinois State at the USF-Rawling Invitational (Feb. 8).
High School: Graduated from Chapin High School (2024) … Twice named to South Carolina All-State first team (2021, '24) … Two-time all-area first team (2021, '24); three-time all-conference, all-county and all-region first team (2021, '22, '24) … Named Max Preps 2023 Preseason South Carolina Player of the Year … Runner-up for the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina … Posted a .533 career batting average with a 1.189 slugging percentage, .596 on-base percentage, 124 hits, 94 runs, 122 RBI and 35 home runs … As a senior, batted .520 with a 1.061 slugging percentage, .590 on-base percentage, 51 hits, 13 homers and 55 RBI … Contributed to Chapin's 2024 region champions championship and three district championships … Played travel ball with the Virginia Unity organization under Michigan alum Megan Betsa … National Honors Society; National Spanish Honors Society; Honor Roll … Rated as the No. 18 prospect by Extra Innings.
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