Knoxville Miracle Add Knight, Cruz and Houk to Inaugural Roster

The Knoxville Miracle have added Abigail Knight, Bianca Cruz and Meaghan Houk to their inaugural professional roster ahead of the franchise’s first season in summer 2027.

The three signings bring postseason experience, pitching depth, power, production and versatility to the foundation being built in Knoxville.

Abigail Knight

The Knoxville Miracle have added another proven veteran to their inaugural roster, signing former South Carolina outfielder Abigail Knight to a professional contract.

Knight arrives in Knoxville after completing a collegiate career that took her through Boston College, Charlotte and the University of South Carolina, giving her experience competing at multiple levels and against some of the best programs in college softball.

Her final collegiate season came in the Southeastern Conference with South Carolina, where Knight helped the Gamecocks reach the NCAA Super Regional round in 2025.

And when the postseason lights got brighter, Knight delivered.

In South Carolina’s regional-clinching victory over North Florida, Knight collected two hits and drove in three runs as the Gamecocks won 8-0 to advance to the program’s third Super Regional appearance.

“Abigail has played a lot of really good softball, and you can see that in the way she competes. She understands big moments. She understands what it takes to compete at a high level, and there is a toughness and maturity to her game that we really wanted on this roster.”

Before arriving in Columbia, Knight made an impact at Charlotte. During the 2024 season, she hit .309 with 26 RBI while playing error-free defense in the outfield.

At South Carolina, Knight showed her ability to deliver in critical situations throughout the season. She drove in two runs during a road victory over nationally ranked Duke and later delivered the game-winning plate appearance in an extra-inning SEC victory over Ole Miss.

“We aren’t just putting names on a roster. We’re looking for players who have been tested and who want the ball hit to them or want to be standing in the box when the game is on the line. Abigail has been in those situations. She’s competed in the ACC, she’s competed in the SEC, she’s played postseason softball, and now she’s earned the opportunity to call herself a professional.”

Knight also brings another element the Miracle have emphasized throughout the construction of their inaugural roster: versatility and experience.

Her journey through multiple programs required her to continually adapt, compete for opportunities and prove herself in new environments.

“Professional softball should be filled with players who simply refuse to be finished playing. Abigail has continued to bet on herself throughout her career. Every step, she’s found a way to compete and contribute. We believe that mentality fits exactly what we’re building here.”

The Miracle aren’t just adding another outfielder. They’re adding an SEC-tested veteran who knows how to perform when the moment gets big.

Bianca Cruz

Bianca Cruz’s softball journey has taken her from Tallahassee to Montgomery and beyond. Now, it leads to Knoxville.

The Knoxville Miracle have signed former Florida State and Alabama State pitcher Bianca Cruz to their professional roster, adding another experienced and versatile athlete to the organization.

A native of Melbourne, Florida, Cruz began her collegiate career at one of the premier programs in college softball: Florida State University.

After redshirting during the 2019 season, Cruz made her collegiate debut for the Seminoles in 2020. She appeared in five games during the COVID-shortened season, including one start, and recorded four strikeouts in 2.2 innings while contributing to a pair of combined shutouts.

Following her time in Tallahassee, she transferred to Alabama State, continuing a journey that would require her to adapt, grow and continually find new ways to compete.

“Bianca’s story is one of persistence. I’ve known Bianca and watched her journey for a long time. There have been different stops, different challenges and different opportunities along the way, but the one thing that has remained consistent is that she keeps showing up. She keeps working and she keeps finding a way to stay in the game.”

Cruz originally arrived at Florida State after a decorated career at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School.

She was named her team’s MVP in each of her final three high school seasons, earned All-Cape Coast Conference honors three times and helped lead Space Coast to district championships during both her junior and senior seasons.

At Florida State, Cruz was surrounded by some of the best players and coaches in the country and experienced firsthand the expectations that come with competing inside a championship-caliber program. She took those experiences with her to Alabama State and into the next chapters of her softball career.

“Everybody’s road looks different. That’s one of the things I love about Bianca’s story. The road wasn’t perfectly straight. It required some toughness. It required her to continue believing in herself. And when you finally get the opportunity to call yourself a professional athlete after everything you’ve been through, I think that makes the moment even more meaningful.”

For the Miracle, Cruz also represents the type of athlete the organization wants its inaugural roster to embody: experienced, competitive, versatile and still hungry.

“Bianca isn’t coming here just because she wants to say she played professional softball. She wants to compete. She wants to get better. She wants to prove herself. That’s exactly the mentality we want as we build this organization.”

For Cruz, Knoxville isn’t where the journey started. It’s simply where the next chapter begins. Florida State. Alabama State. And now, professional softball in Knoxville.

The journey continues.

Meaghan Houk

Power. Production. Versatility.

The Knoxville Miracle have added all three to their inaugural roster with the signing of former Bryant University standout Meaghan Houk.

Houk joins the Miracle after a breakout senior season at Bryant in which she established herself as one of the top offensive players in the America East Conference.

In 2025, Houk started all 47 games for the Bulldogs and hit .349 with 45 hits, nine home runs, 39 RBI, seven doubles and two triples. Her nine home runs led Bryant, while her performance earned her First-Team All-America East honors.

During the America East Tournament, Houk blasted three home runs, tying the tournament record and earning a spot on the America East All-Tournament Team.

“Meaghan is a hitter. There are a lot of things we love about her game, but when she steps into the box, she has the ability to change a game. She can hit for average, she can drive the ball out of the park and she wants to hit when the game matters. Those are qualities that translate to the professional level.”

The Ravena, New York native began her collegiate career at Colgate before continuing at Tennessee Tech and eventually finding her way to Bryant.

Houk put together the best season of her collegiate career in 2025, recording 14 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games. In conference play, she hit .341 and produced a 1.196 OPS.

In the America East Tournament, Houk launched a go-ahead three-run home run to help Bryant defeat Maine 5-1. Earlier against Maine, she delivered a grand slam as part of a dominant Bryant victory.

“Her journey is something I really respect. She kept working. She kept finding ways to get better. Then when her opportunity came, she absolutely took advantage of it. That’s the mentality we want inside this organization.”

Following her career at Bryant, Houk made her professional softball debut with the New York Rise during the summer of 2025 and was named Player of the Game in her professional debut.

“That’s another thing that makes Meaghan exciting for us. She knows what professional softball feels like. She’s already stepped onto that field and shown she belongs. Now we’re excited to see what she can become as she continues her professional career with the Miracle.”

At 5-foot-9, the right-handed hitter has experience throughout the infield and gives the Miracle another athletic, versatile option capable of impacting the lineup in multiple ways.

From Colgate. To Tennessee Tech. To Bryant. To professional softball. The journey continues in Knoxville.

The Miracle are getting a player who has already shown that when the moment gets bigger, so does her game.

Building the Inaugural Roster

Knight, Cruz and Houk join a growing group of athletes selected to establish the foundation and identity of the Knoxville Miracle.

The Knoxville Miracle will begin their inaugural season in summer 2027.

About the Knoxville Miracle

The Knoxville Miracle are a professional softball organization based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Miracle are building a player-first professional model centered around elite competition, athlete development, community engagement and creating new opportunities for women to continue playing the game at the professional level.