Anna Taylor's softball career built to Friday when she celebrated signing with Morningside University accompanied by her parents, coaches and friends.
“Each year throughout high school, we've just improved and just gotten a lot better,” said the Fort Calhoun High School senior. “My love for the game has definitely grown a lot more especially through the support we've had through this last season.”
The Pioneers put together the best campaign in school history this past fall, reaching the Class C state tournament and winning two games in Hastings.
“I just really want to continue to play the game that I love,” Taylor said.
The Sioux City, Iowa, bound pitcher will have the opportunity to do so with the Mustangs, who were represented at Friday's FCHS get-together by head coach Brooke Pruner.
“I've been working on getting recruited for a couple years now and it's just finally happened,” Taylor said, cracking a smile. “I'm just going to relax the rest of senior year.”
The senior didn't do much relaxing during the fall season, though, going 13-3 in the pitching circle with a team-best 3.38 ERA across 66 1/3 innings. The Pioneer struck out 70 batters, and hit .337 with two home runs and 13 RBIs from the batter's box.
Taylor said Pruner's staff had a lot to do with her college decision. The head coach joined the Morningside program in 2017 and worked her way up to head coach in 2023. The Mustangs were 21-26 this past spring with a 13-9 Great Plains Athletic Conference record.
“I visited campus twice and both times I just felt so welcome,” Taylor added. “I could truly just see myself going there.”
She sought an NAIA school like Morningside, too, favoring the more-equal balance between sport and school. The pitcher plans to study biology, focusing on a pre-dentistry educational path.
As a softball player, though, Taylor said she wants to continue the improvement track she's built on. She wants to become more knowledgable about her game and, notably, have fun.
