Appling County Softball Player Presley Harrison Voted ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month
Appling County freshman Presley Harrison has been voted the ITG Next Georgia Athlete of the Month for November. Harrison is a pitcher for the Appling County softball team and was a major reason behind their incredible run through the regular season and into the state playoffs this year. Their season culminated with an appearance in the Elite Eight in Columbus, Georgia, where the Lady Pirates battled through eight tournament games, finishing 7-1 and winning the Class 3A softball state championship.
This was Appling’s first fast pitch state championship in school history, and, according to head coach Lindsey Tillman, Harrison was a major factor in her team’s history-making title.
“Her will to win is contagious,” said Tillman, who is completing her 13th season as the head softball coach at Appling County.
Tillman remembers the first time she saw Presley play, which was in the seventh grade, and noticed right away the little things that set her apart from other players her age.
“Presley just had a little something more than any other pitcher that I had ever seen come through here (at Appling), and I’ve seen and coached some good ones,” Tillman said. “But Presley was different. Presley is different.”
That difference is indeed still there, and every championship team needs a player like that to raise the level of everyone.
“It’s great for our dugout and her teammates to see such a competitor like Presley,” Tillman said. “She is truly what most coaches refer to as a true team player. Presley wants the best for her teammates as much as she wants it for herself. She is a great teammate, and I don’t think any of her teammates will disagree with that.”
Harrison finished the season with an amazing 300 strikeouts, including a K on the final out that clinched the state championship for Appling County. She pitched a total of 190 innings for the season and was credited with the win in every single Lady Pirates victory. That’s right, she finishes with a 28-1 record, and her team winds up 28-2.
Harrison got it done at the plate, too, with a .600 on base percentage with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs.
As far as her performance in the Elite 8, just as the best players rise to the top when it matters the most, so did Harrison: She finished with a 6-1 record in the circle, with 70 strikeouts in 54 innings. At the plate, she hit three HRs while driving in eight runs. Just as she had done throughout the regular season, she fielded her position perfectly, with a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Harrison received 63.81% of the total votes cast among the four nominees vying for ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month. The other student-athletes in the running for the award were Lanier County sophomore Jaden Benefield, a P/CF for the Bulldogs softball team; Houston County senior MaKayla “Mac” McGrath, who lays for the Lady Bears flag football team; and Buford senior Taylor Malvin, who plays second base for the Lady Wolves softball program.
ITG Next congratulates all of the nominees for their outstanding performances. We also thank everyone who took the time to vote. Be sure to vote for your favorite student-athlete next month in our December Athlete of the Month contest.
Written by: Phil Jones
