Sara Mosley continues to be one of the top softball players in the country.
The Gilmer High alum just wrapped up her fourth season at the University of Georgia, and she added more individual accolades to her expansive list of achievements.
UGA posted a 42-15 overall record in 2023, and its season ended in the NCAA Super Regionals against Florida State. Mosley’s bat played a heavy role in the Bulldogs’ success, and she was recognized nationally, regionally and within the Southeastern Conference for the second consecutive season.
The publication Softball America, named Mosley to its All-American third team. She was selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s second team for the southeast region and was also voted first team All-SEC.
As a top player in one of the sport’s premier conferences, a focused mind and body are needed to perform at Mosley’s level. Her stellar senior year came after some much-needed preparations off the field. Mosley said her All-American selection in 2022 weighed heavily on her conscience throughout the preseason and early spring.
“Last season I accomplished a lot of the goals I’ve had ever since I was little,” she said. “And then this past fall, I had to overcome a lot of pressure I put on myself trying to live up to the false expectation to accomplish the same goals. I was creating a fake audience, thinking everybody’s eyes were on me, and I put a lot of external pressure on myself that wasn’t even there.
“I was struggling and going through it during fall ball. Coach Tony (Baldwin) pulled me into his office to ask what was going on. Every time I got out, I felt like I was letting the team and the fans down.”
Mosley and the coaching staff decided it was best for a mental reset. Mosley and teammates celebrated their 2022 accomplishments for the last time and focused all of their attention to 2023.
“Coach Tony said, ‘I want you to have an All-American party December 31. Throw yourself a big ol’ party, and once it’s over and the new year rolls around, nobody cares about last year except your momma.’ And I said, ‘You’re right.’”
Mosley added, “I really honed in on myself and just playing the game I love playing. It became fun and what I wanted it to be, and I found joy in playing again. Once I find that in myself, it becomes a lot easier to compete.”
The plan worked swimmingly as Mosley settled into the season. She hit .467 in the opening weekend and tallied seven hits, scored eight runs and drove in six more. She belted two home runs Feb. 18 against St. John’s and blasted two more homers and five RBIs Feb. 25 versus California Baptist.
In early March, Mosley had a four-game streak with at least one home run. She also recorded a nine-game hitting streak, and reached base safely in 12 straight games.
UGA finished SEC play with a 16-7 regular-season record. The Bulldogs entered the conference tournament seeded No. 2. and lost to South Carolina in the first round. The Bulldogs hosted a NCAA Regional and posted a 3-0 record with a win over North Carolina Central (12-0) and victories of 8-3 and 12-3 versus Virginia Tech.
“Losing in the SEC tournament lit a fire under our butts,” Mosley said. “Things just didn’t go our way, and we lost (2-1) in extra innings. It was time to go back to work, and we wanted to put on a show at regionals and prove we deserved to be here.”
Mosley was 5-for-8 and drove in five runs in the Bulldogs’ regional wins. She also scored five runs and hit two doubles and a home run.
Baldwin revamped his lineup toward the end of the season, and opponents were tasked with facing UGA’s three All-Americans in a new order. Mosley was moved from the No. 2 spot to third as she was sandwiched between fellow All-Americans Sydney Kuma and Jayda Kearney.
“I loved that lineup and hitting in the middle of those two,” Mosley said. “It forced teams to pitch to at least two of us. Having protection on both sides was awesome. They’re both insane hitters.”
Mosley started all 57 games at third base, and her season concluded with a .348 batting average, 17 home runs and a .718 slugging percentage. She had a team-best 63 hits, 14 doubles, 52 RBIs, 47 runs scored and 130 total bases. She was also the only Bulldog to record 20 multihit and 12 multi-RBI games.
In UGA’s 23 conference games, Mosley had a .324 average and racked up 24 hits, 16 RBIs, five doubles and a team-best nine homers. Those statistics all ranked in the top 10 in the SEC, as did her slugging percentage and total base tally. Mosley also proved to be the toughest player to strike out in the conference.
Because of the 2020 COVID interrupted season, Mosley has a fifth year of eligibility and plans to play in 2024. She is scheduled to graduate in December with a degree in human development and family science.
Mosley said she is looking forward to spending time with family over the summer and watching brothers Rob and Mel play baseball with mom Denise. She plans to continue lifting weights and will run multiple youth camps with her UGA teammates.
“The fact that I’m still playing at my dream school, I have to sometimes stop and take it all in,” Mosley said.
“As a little girl you dream of going to the World Series, and it’s a big deal that we get to play (Division I) softball in the SEC. Being able to experience this is something I’ll forever be thankful for. I’m forever blessed that the Lord gave me the talent to play a game I love for so long.”