Davis joins list of East Webster talent at Itawamba CC program
MABEN – Just call Itawamba Community College “East Webster U.”
That’s what the Lady Indians softball program has begun to rely on over the course of the last couple of years as coach Andy Kirk has hit Cumberland hard for talent.
It started with All-Area third baseman Mamie Hollenhead, who left East Webster for what would be an AllAmerican career with ICC the last two seasons and now she has signed the dotted line to play for North Alabama.
Two-time SDN Player of the Year Bailie Springfield left Delta State to join the Lady Indians earlier this year and will be starring for them in the spring and last year’s slow pitch Player of the Year Jennah Pate signed with ICC last season.
Now mark another two-time Player of the Year in the area down as the next big thing in Fulton.
Middle infielder Jessica Davis signed her Letter of Intent on Wednesday to play for the Lady Indians next season.
“They were huge in my decision making process,” Davis said of her former teammates. “I really look up to them and wanted to be a lot like them growing up and they’ve had a lot of success. I just hope that I can go to ICC and make the same kind of impact.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to get to play two more years. Not many people get that. Playing for a championship program over the years, hopefully the big-game moments will help me make an impact for ICC in the future.”
East Webster softball coach Lee Berryhill has built quite the relationship with Kirk and his coaches over the last few seasons and has seen the pipeline grow.
“We’re very thankful for coach Kirk’s interest in our program,” Berryhill said. “They have a great program up at ICC and I’m just very grateful that he’s seen the great players that we have here and is taking a chance on them.”
Davis is certainly one that it won’t hurt to take a chance on.
A career .460 hitter since her seventh grade season, Davis has helped her team to 200 wins above .500 with seven trips to a slow pitch or fast pitch state title winning five of those. She just capped a slow pitch season where she had to move from second base to shortstop to help the team defense.
She put up a batting average over .600 with 29 home runs on her way to slow pitch Player of the Year by the Starkville Daily News. It was her second such honor after winning the fast pitch award last season.
“ICC is getting a very versatile player in Jessica Davis,” Berryhill said. “In high school, she’s played second base, shortstop, outfield and pitcher so she’s going to do whatever she can to work her way on to the field. I think she’ll have great success there.”
While Berryhill was ecstatic for another one of his players moving on to the next level, he knows that means that her time with the Lady Wolverines is short. Davis was a part of the seventh grade team when Berryhill first arrived which means the talented senior has been coached by him her entire career.
All Berryhill can do now is just appreciate the next few months with Davis and watch her continue to develop her game.
“We’re just so proud of Jessica and what she’s accomplished,” Berryhill said. “I’ve really watched her grow as a person and a player over the years and we’re just happy for her and where she’s going in her career. I’m just glad that we get her for one more year.”