The 2015 parade of softball players from Chattanooga State to four-year programs began Wednesday.
Center fielder Courtney Crawford from Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and pitcher Hanna Manley from Rhea County signed with NCAA Division II members Lee University and Columbus (Ga.) State, respectively, and right fielder Lizabeth "Izzy" McCurry signed to play for Division I school Campbell in her home state, North Carolina.
After an All-American season in which the Lady Tigers finished third in the NJCAA Division I national tournament, Crawford is batting .436 this season with 14 stolen bases and 40 runs scored.
McCurry and Manley both springboarded from impressive national-tourney performances to solid sophomore years, McCurry with a .435 on-base percentage and .655 slugging percentage, eight homers, 10 other extra-base hits and 36 RBIs and Manley with an 11-3 record and one save, a 2.26 earned run average and 87 strikeouts in 86 2/3 innings. The team is 33-11.
"Courtney was our surprise local get," Lady Tigers coach Blythe Golden said. "She had a fantastic freshman year and was All-American, and she's had another great season. She's had a great career for us."
Crawford, an education major who wants to coach, also talked to Alabama-Huntsville but ultimately picked Lee over being a student only at Alabama.
"I love the game of softball. I've done it since I was 5," she said, "and I really like the Lee campus and the coaching staff. I love Coach (Emily) Russell. She's what really sold me on going there."
Manley, who committed to Chatt State and former coach Beth Keylon-Randolph as a 10th-grader, similarly expressed a strong connection with Columbus State coach Brad Huskisson, "and I instantly clicked with the girls. That's what happened when I came here," she said.
McCurry learned after she began her Lady Tigers career that Campbell coach Todd Bradley knew of her in high school. A friend of Golden, he kept up with the 6-foot athlete the past two years.
"I really like the coaching staff a lot. They were very welcoming, and so were the players I met," McCurry said of the Camels. "And I like the facilities."
"He needs a powerful bat and she came in as a pure hitter," Golden said, "but she really improved defensively and that made her more marketable. And Hanna transformed herself from her freshman year to her sophomore year as a really competitive pitcher. She was the national pitcher of the week a few weeks ago."
"I think juco is the best level for any athlete," said Crawford, an education major who wants to coach. "It gets you prepared for college life and for your career."
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.