It was an exciting day for one Lady Maroons softball player yesterday.

Bailey Walker, a senior this year, signed her national letter of intent to attend Olney Central College, a Division I Junior College. Walker says there were a lot of things she liked about Olney Central. She says she liked Head Coach Nick Short and the program he has there. She also came recommended by Tuscola High School Alum and friend, Samantha Ledbetter.

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Lady Maroons Head Softball Coach Emily Starkey says Walker has worked very hard to get to where she is at. She says Walker is a hard worker and a natural leader. She feels Walker signing a national letter of intent speaks volumes for the program.

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Walker is a natural lefty, and Coach Short says that is very beneficial to her no matter what level she is competing at. He explains her potential at Olney Central can be very high because she is a talented pitcher and can also hit very well.

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Walker took the process very seriously and Coach Starkey says it took Bailey a long time to make a decision. Coach Starkey says she was impressed by Walker's process of weighing all her choices, because she had very good choices, and she thought through not just the athletic aspect of her choices, but the economics as well.

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Walker will join the Olney Central program in the fall semester of 2013. Coach Short says building a junior college program can be a challenge because of the continuous turnaround in players. He says there is also a challenge in finding players that come in and have a team oriented mindset from the start. He adds he tries to find athletes that are sound academically and stay out of trouble off the field. He feels Walker meets those criteria.