Aliyah Andrews

Personal: Andrews graduated from LSU with a degree in mass communications. Her sister, A.J., also played softball at LSU from 2011 to 2015 and competed in the inaugural championship season of Athletes Unlimited. Andrews lists her high school coach as a person who has made a significant impact on her life. Known for her incredible diving catches, Andrews earned the nickname “Air Aliyah,” with several of her plays featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10. As a child, she participated in basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and track and field. She has a dog named Mojo and currently works as a communications specialist for a marketing agency. Andrews models her game after her sister, A.J., and softball legend Natasha Watley. In her free time, she enjoys eating at new restaurants, traveling, and shopping. She chose to wear No. 11 because it was her jersey number in high school. Her proudest accomplishment is earning All-America honors during her career at LSU.

2024 Championship Season: Andrews was the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Defensive Player of the Year. She compiled a total of 1,080 leaderboard points, including 770 win points. She was a member of the AU Pro Softball All-Defensive Team and received two Defensive MVP commendations. As a starter in all 15 games, Aliyah batted .311 with 14 hits, including a double. She scored six runs and drove in two. Aliyah registered at least one hit in 11 of her 15 appearances. She earned a season-high 200 leaderboard points against Team Alexander on July 27 after being named MVP 1, posting a 3-for-4 performance with three runs scored and a stolen base. Aliyah also garnered MVP 3 accolades against Team McQuillin on August 10 after going 1-for-2 with a run scored. In the Week Four opener against Team Kilfoyl, she tallied 150 leaderboard points and earned Defensive MVP honors.

2023 Championship Season: Andrews earned an eighth-place finish in the league standings after amassing 1,582 leaderboard points. She ranked fifth in the league with 1,220 win points and second in the league with a .400 batting average. Andrews finished fourth in the circuit with a .449 on-base percentage and tallied 18 hits in 15 games to stand second in the league. She also ranked second with four stolen bases while sharing the league lead with five attempts. Andrews closed the season with a 10-game hitting streak, including three multi-hit games. She earned MVP 1 distinction and a season-high 200 leaderboard points after going 3-for-5 with a double and a run batted in against Team Faraimo on August 9 at the AU Pro Games at the Little League Softball World Series. Andrews received the MVP 2 honor with a 3-for-3 performance against Team Flippen on August 26, matching the season high with 200 leaderboard points. She opened Week Five with a two-hit effort against Team Denham and scored a run in seven of her final nine games.

2023 AUX Season: Andrews achieved her best leaderboard finish, coming in eighth place. She earned a total of 978 leaderboard points, which included 720 win points and 198 stat points. Andrews led the league with seven games where she scored 100 or more leaderboard points. She was also awarded two Game MVP honors, including MVP 2 on June 21 in Team Leach's 3-2 victory over Team Taylor. With a batting average of .419, Andrews ranked third in the league, recording 13 hits in 31 at-bats. Additionally, she drove in eight runs and hit two doubles. Andrews had six multi-hit games, including a standout 3-for-4 performance against Team Filler on June 19.

2022 Championship Season: Andrews was selected for the All-Defensive Team and earned 820 leaderboard points. She started 12 games and had a .222 batting average with eight hits, one double, and two runs batted in. Andrews also scored five runs and tied for third in the league with three stolen bases in four attempts. Her season-high came when she got three hits against Team Chidester in Week Three's opener, and she drove in two runs against Team Jaquish on August 13.

2022 AUX Season: Andrews tallied 816 leaderboard points, placing her 26th in the league standings. She started all 12 games and had a .333 batting average with 13 hits in 39 at-bats, including one double. Andrews led the league with three stolen bases in three attempts and also contributed a double with two walks. She had two multi-hit games, including a three-hit performance against Team Chidester on June 14. Andrews had two hits with two runs scored against Team Zerkle on June 24. On June 15, she earned the No. 7 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays with a diving catch against Team Eberle.

2021 Championship Season: Andrews finished eighth in the league with 1,510 leaderboard points, including a league-high 1,200 win points. She was a member of the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball All-Defensive Team and started in all 15 games, garnering a .319 batting average. Andrews tied for eighth in the league with 15 hits and was one of eight players to hit a triple during the season. She scored 10 runs, which were tied for seventh in the circuit, and went 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. Andrews struck out a league-high 13 times and was one of 12 players selected in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball College Draft.

International Experience: Andrews was named to the Team USA roster for the 2023 WBSC World Cup Qualifier in Dublin, Ireland. She tallied two hits in eight at-bats and helped Team USA secure a first-place finish. Andrews also drew two walks and scored three runs during the tournament. She played a key role in helping the United States win the Gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games going 2-for-3 with five runs scored. As a result of her outstanding performance, Andrews was named to the Team USA roster for the 2024 Japan All-Star Series.

At LSU: Andrews was a five-year letter winner and played in 268 games, the fifth-highest total in program history. She had a .353 career batting average with two home runs and 51 runs batted in. Andrews closed her college career with 286 hits, including 12 doubles and eight triples, while scoring 196 runs. She was a two-time NFCA All-Region First Team honoree and a Second-Team NFCA All-America selection as a fifth-year senior after batting .365 with two home runs and 19 RBI in 57 games. Andrews also secured a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference First Team and earned Second-Team All-SEC commendations in 2018 and 2019. She was a three-time member of the SEC All-Defensive Team and received four All-Louisiana nods, including First-Team status in 2019 and 2021. Andrews finished her career ranked second all-time at LSU with 145 stolen bases. Her 286 career hits are fourth in the Tigers' annals, while she ranks third with 196 career runs scored. Andrews set the LSU single-game record with eight at-bats against Ole Miss on April 6th, 2018, and equaled the school single-game mark with four stolen bases against Oregon State on February 17th, 2018. She was one of six players in program history to score 60 or more runs in a single season and owned the LSU single-season record with 47 stolen bases in 2019. Andrews also swiped 42 bases as a sophomore and had 79 career multi-hit games, the third-highest total in LSU history.