Watson joins ASU softball

Watson joins ASU softball

‘ Legendary’ Marion senior will continue softball career

Sports Editor For most of her senior year, Marion High School student Mabry Watson had decided that this year of softball would be her last.

However, as the fall turned into winter, and winter into spring, Watson began to reconsider that stance.

Eventually, Watson caved and agreed yesterday to continue playing softball at the college level as a member of Arkansas State University’s club team.

“I didn’t think I was going to play, to be honest with you,” said Watson, who intends to study nursing in Jonesboro. “But, I figured why not, because I know that I’d miss it if I didn’t play.”

Watson has been a fouryear fixture at Marion for the Lady Patriots. In 2016, she has already hit five home runs in her team’s first 17 games, and she has also excelled in the field at shortstop, as well as a starting pitcher and reliever inside the circle.

Nobody knows more about how productive Watson has been than her high school coach, David Horton.

“She’s an outstanding athlete. She’s definitely one of the best players we’ve had in our softball program,” Horton said of his standout senior. “Great kid off of the field, you just can’t say enough about her. I was telling her dad earlier, that she’s kind of legendary, you know? She hit that walk-off (against North Little Rock) a few weeks back. She hit a lead-off homer against Cabot last year and we beat them.

People all over the state know her and that just speaks a lot to the success that she’s had and the competitor that she is. I’m so happy she’s going to ASU, and I know that they’re happy to get her.”

Despite that reputation, Watson was still intending to enter college as a student only until Marion participated in a competitive tournament in Jonesboro in March, when fate interfered.

“The ASU coach came and saw me and I guess he liked what he saw and last week he told me that I could sign,” Watson said of her recruiting process.

That coach was a major selling point to Watson.

“I met him once, he was a really nice guy, he knew what he was talking about and I’m glad that he came up and talked to me about playing for him,” said Watson of her college coach, Chris Powers.

While the Marion native hit it off with Powers, there was another selling point involving the school’s location that was attractive to Watson.

“One of my biggest factors was being kind of close to home,” Watson said with a laugh. “So, that made the decision to go to ASU easier.”

Watson and her team are currently 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the 7A/6A-East and they will begin their 6AEast games this afternoon at 4:30 against Mountain Home at home.

By Chuck Livingston