As of Monday at 8:15 a.m., Abby Morrison’s future was set in stone.
Well, at least set on paper.
Great Bend High School held a formal signing of Morrison’s letter of intent to play softball for head coach Julie LaMaire at NCAA Division-II Fort Hays State University.
Abby is the second Morrison softball player to attend Fort Hays State. Her older sister, Carla Morrison, played second base for the Tigers.
“Honestly, it was just the fact that my older sister went there,” Morrison said of her decision process. “I just wanted to be like her.”
Morrison is a senior pitcher for the Panthers softball team this coming spring, which finished last season with a 9-7 record. Morrison has been working the circle for softball teams for nearly a decade.
“I’ve been pitching for eight or nine years,” Morrison said of her experience.
Morrison was joined by her parents, Steve and Denise, former head coach Jason Duvall, who coached Great Bend for Morrison’s first three years and Carrie Minton, who steps into Duvall’s role this season.
Morrison visited three schools, Kansas Wesleyan, Hutchinson and Fort Hays, but settled on Fort Hays.
Abby said Fort Hays was always her first choice because of her sister.
“It did,” Morrison said when asked if her decision was swayed by her sister’s choice to attend Fort Hays. “I actually wanted to be like my big sister.
“So I was trying to follow in her footsteps. It (is) a big accomplishment to go where she went.”
Morrison said that she was excited for the opportunity to play for the Tigers.
“I’m really excited,” Morrison said. “I like it and I really like the school. The girls are very nice up there and I’m very excited to be there.”