Softball Was 2026 Auburn-Commit Leah Byrd’s Calling

Leah Byrd Leah Byrd SS North Cobb | 2026 #17 Nation GA and her older sister Lauren cycled through a variety of sports as they were growing up in Cobb County, Georgia.

It started on the soccer field, with Lauren feeding the ball to the speedy Leah for numerous goals. Although they showed potential, they got bored of soccer and didn’t see a path to development. 

Next came tennis, where they hit the ball too hard and couldn’t learn how to volley at the net.

Basketball was even less auspicious.

“They were absolutely terrible,” their mom, Tonya, said. “For as athletic as both of them are, they were very, very bad (at basketball).”

Finally, it was softball, the sport their mom played at Norfolk State, that revealed promising signs. They bought some cheap gloves, cleats and facemasks at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and attended an open workout for their local recreation league.

The sisters were instructed to not say their names in order to avoid any bias because their mom helped coach at a nearby high school. They were just told to try their best.

“You could just tell that they were naturals,” Tonya said. “They ended up being picked No. 1 and 2 in the draft.”

The Byrd sisters found their calling on the diamond and developed into NCAA Division I college softball recruits. Lauren is a freshman at Queens University and Leah, a 2026 recruit, has committed to Auburn.

“We grew up playing together, and have a sister bond that is bigger than a teammate or friend kind of bond,” said Leah, a middle infielder and pitcher for Athletics Gold 08-Tamborra. “We bicker a little bit, but we never brought it back home or anything. It was strictly about softball.”

Leah Byrd Leah Byrd SS North Cobb | 2026 #17 Nation GA started as a second baseman and added pitching to her repertoire by age 9. She expects to do both at Auburn, where she developed a strong connection with new co-head coaches Chris and Kate Malveaux through the recruiting process.

“I wanted to go to a place that really felt like home, and what Coach Chris and Coach Kate made for me was really like my home away from home,” Leah said. “I’m just really excited to play with them more and do more things with them.”

Shy and reserved off the field, Byrd’s personality transforms once she puts on the jersey and steps between the chalk lines.

“She’s just fiercely competitive at everything—softball, school, her faith—everything,” Tonya said. “She’s probably more diligent at her Bible study than the average adult, and she’s fiercely loyal as well.”

Byrd believes her greatest strength as a player has nothing to do with her athletic ability or dynamic play-making skills.

“I bring a calm presence when I come and play with any team,” she said. “I think my calm presence really slows the game down for me and for my teammates. I think that’s really important, because slowing the game down is really, really big in a game involving mental failure.”

Byrd is interested in the health sciences and wants to become a nurse practitioner or physical therapist. She enjoys traveling with her family, including a recent trip to Puerto Rico, during which they toured the restaurants.

The athletic genes in her family run deep. Along with her mom and sister playing softball in college, her dad and uncle played football in college and her cousin is a freshman wide receiver for Clemson. 

It makes for some entertaining family gatherings.

“We all are trying to compete within each other,” Byrd said. “One of our competitions will be who finishes dinner first at the dinner table. Usually it’s me or my dad who wins. Or when we are driving in separate cars, we see who can get home first.”

Byrd’s uniform colors at North Cobb High are the same as Auburn’s colors. Her wardrobe has become a daily blend of orange and navy blue to promote both institutions. 

Her parents are happy Byrd found a sport that has taught her numerous life lessons, while also providing her with so much joy and opportunity.

“We’re just super proud of the young woman that she is becoming,” her mom said. “We can’t wait to see her continue to grow in her softball journey and in her faith and see where life takes her.”