Hollenhead signs with North Alabama
It has been an impressive last couple of months for former East Webster softball player Mamie Hollenhead.
After a sophomore season at Itawamba Community College that saw Hollenhead earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association Junior College All-American honors for the second-straight year, she was also chosen a National Junior College Athletic Association Division II second team All-American.
Hollenhead may not be finished bringing hardware back to Mathiston if she continues to succeed at the next level.
On Monday in Fulton, Hollenhead made her signing with the University of North Alabama official along with teammate Alex Brown.
Hollenhead had committed to the Lions during the season and was certain North Alabama provided the atmosphere she wanted.
"As soon as I went on my visit, it really just felt like home to me," Hollenhead said on Monday. "It was like when I got to ICC. As soon as I got here, it seemed like such a family here. When I got there, I knew that's where I needed to be because it's just like a huge family over there."
After leaving Lee Berryhill's East Webster program, Hollenhead followed up a solid freshman season for the Indians with another outstanding year.
Hollenhead led ICC with a .469 batting average and had a team-high in hits (90) and RBI (71) in 192 at-bats. She added 25 doubles, six triples, two home runs, four walks and 16 stolen bases. Along with a .480 on-base percentage and a .693 slugging percentage, Hollenhead fielded at a .971 clip at third base with 65 putouts, 104 assists, nine double play and only five errors in 174 total chances.
It will be a new journey for Hollenhead, Brown and the Lions as they will make the jump to the Division I level and become a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference in the 2018-19 school year.
North Alabama has a softball tradition and advanced to the NCAA South 2 Region championship. In 2016, the Lions defeated Homboldt State to win the NJCAA Division II National Championship.