Highland softball seniors look forward to signing day and playing at the next level
The 2020 spring softball season was lost for Highland softball players Sam Miener and Sydney Parkerson due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That left the pair feeling empty through the spring and into the summer.
In only a week, the two HHS seniors will celebrate an accomplishment that has been just over a year in the making.
Miner and Parkerson will sign national letters of intent to continue their academic and softball careers Wednesday, Nov. 18, along with other fall signees in an early signing ceremony at Highland High School.
“It’s exciting times for both of those student-athletes, that’s for sure,” Highland softball coach Glen Nicholls said. “Both of these kids are four-year starters at Highland High School and that really is a testament to the summer programs that they play with and both of them play summer ball at a high level, the club ball level.”
Miener, a senior pitcher and the Lady Bulldogs ace, is extremely excited to be signing as she will take her talents to Division I Austin Peay State University in Tennessee next year.
“It’s really relieving (to be able to sign) because I verbally committed before it (the pandemic) happened and with all the other girls rushing (to sign) it’s kind of like a big weight off my shoulders, but like it’s pretty exciting at the same time,” Miener said. “It’s just so crazy and it like ‘Wow we’re signing next week and it’s happening and it’s the real deal.’”
An unofficial visit to Austin Peay last September prompted Miener to verbally commit to the school in October 2019.
“I went down there for an unofficial visit and I just fell in love with the environment there,” Miener said. “Everyone there — the students, all the coaches — and everyone there was just so welcoming and they really emphasize the whole family structure and the whole well-being for everyone which I thought was really nice.”
Miener, who pitched this past summer for the Midland Magic, will also pitch at Austin Peay. As a sophomore at HHS, she was dominant in the circle, racking up 116 strikeouts with just 39 walks and a 2.07 ERA.
“I will be primarily a pitcher next year,” Miener said. “That’s my whole goal next year to be a pitcher and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
A senior third baseman, Parkerson is headed to Division II Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, to play softball and attend school next fall.
“The last time I talked to Sydney, she said she was going to be studying Greek Mythology (there) and she was really excited about playing softball at a higher level and adapting to a new environment there at Truman State, an NCAA Division II school in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.,” Nicholls said.
“Academically the success rate at Truman State is right up there with producing academic All-Americans and everything else there, so it’s definitely a good fit for Sydney.”
Parkerson, who hit a sizzling .349 as a sophomore at Highland in 2019, is slated to play middle infield at Truman State next year.
She is excited to be getting a chance to play softball at the Division II college level.
“Signing day is this month and since I’m headed to a D-2 college, my coach won’t be able to make it, but I have a lot of support from my family and my coaches and I can’t wait to start this new journey.,” Parkerson said.
Campus visit in July 2019 sealed decision for Parkerson
In Parkerson’s case, it was a camp visit in July 2019 and a fall visit in October 2019 that swung her verbal commitment to Truman State.
“They were very approachable and they welcomed me very nicely and I felt very open to them as soon as I met them,” Parkerson said. “I knew I was very comfortable with them and I knew it was going to be a great fit and I had fun with them while I was there on my visit.”
Parkerson said Truman State coach Amanda Bradbury is looking to get her on the field for some playing time as a middle infielder in her freshman season.
“They said that I’ll be competing with some of their older girls for shortstop and (Bradbury) talked to me a lot about (playing) shortstop because that’s my main position,” Parkerson said. “I might get to play a ton, but we’ll see how next year goes.”
Highland coach discusses added benefit of signings
Nicholls said having players like Miener and Parkerson sign to play softball at the college level gives the Lady Bulldogs program a strong attraction that success beyond high school on the game is very attainable.
“Both of these kids, they love playing for Highland High School and there’s nothing like being a Bulldog (to them). These two girls have been leaders at Highland the last couple of seasons and their signing gives the middle school kids and other players someone to look up to and say ‘Hey, I can maybe do that when I get there,’” Nicholls said.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 10:05 AM.