Andrea Fernandez, Baylee DeSmit, Jessie Hunt, Jamie Gerstenberg join club ahead of first training camp
With the club’s first training camp just weeks away, Sporting JAX continues to build its inaugural roster with the signing of four dynamic players, including former Flagler College star Andrea Fernandez, Loyola Maryland standout Baylee DeSmit, Northeastern playmaker Jessie Hunt and Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year Jamie Gerstenberg. These latest signings bring the club’s growing roster to a total to 13, adding a wealth of experience, versatility and proven talent across the field.
“We are proud to announce these young ladies as new members of Sporting JAX,” said Stacey Balaam, Head Coach of Sporting JAX. “Each of these players are looking to kick-start a new chapter within this professional league for the first time. They have all broken records and made their names in the history books at their US colleges. We are confident they can reach new heights for the club.”
Andrea Fernandez, a power forward from Pozoblanco, Spain, is one of the most decorated scorers in NCAA Division II history. A graduate of Colegio Salesianos San José, Fernandez made an immediate impact at Flagler College, where she tallied 75 goals and 45 assists over 78 games, earning 34 career awards, including 2024 D2CCA National Player of the Year and First Team All-American honors. In her senior season, Fernandez led the nation in goals per match, shots on goal per match, total goals and total points, which showcase the finishing ability and attacking instincts that make her a major addition to the Sporting JAX frontline.
Baylee DeSmit, another proven forward and goal-scorer from Towson, Maryland, joins Sporting JAX after a decorated career at Loyola University Maryland. A two-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, she tallied 36 goals and 21 assists in 72 appearances and ranked as the 19th-best player and fifth-best forward in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. A standout from her youth days with McDonogh High School and a 2019 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship finalist, DeSmit brings versatility, work rate, and scoring power to the Sporting JAX frontline.
Jessie Hunt, an attacking Midfielder from Edina, Minnesota, shattered the single-season and career assists records at Northeastern University, earning All-CAA First Team honors twice. Before her breakout in Boston, she spent two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, bringing Big Ten experience to her resume. Hunt’s creativity and vision will make her a key figure in Sporting JAX’s midfield engine.
Jamie Gerstenberg, an accomplished goalkeeper from Birkenwerder, Germany, brings elite shot-stopping ability to Sporting JAX. A former standout for the German U17 and U19 National Teams, she made her mark at Indiana University, where she started 67 games, logged over 5,900 minutes and recorded 185 saves with a 0.81 goals-against average and 30 shutouts. Her outstanding performances earned her Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2023, along with a school-record 10 shutouts in a single season and 13 total award nominations during her college career. With Gerstenberg between the posts, Sporting JAX adds experience, composure and game-changing ability to their back line.
The countdown to kickoff continues as Sporting JAX hosts two historic preseason friendlies at UNF’s Hodges Stadium. The club will host its first home match on Saturday, August 2, welcoming the reigning Scottish Women’s Premier League champions, Hibernian FC Women, to the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium. One week later, on Sunday, August 10, the club will host Wrexham AFC Women, the rising Welsh club whose story captivated global audiences thanks to celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in the hit FX/Hulu documentary, Welcome to Wrexham. Both matches will kick off at 7 p.m. EST.
