Academy standout ready for challenge

Published 1:24 pm Thursday, April 19, 2018

By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It’s a dream come true.

LaGrange Academy’s Reagan Terry has long had a goal of becoming a college-softball player, and she’s on the verge of making that a reality.

Terry has signed a letterof intent to join the soccer team at Andrew College, and she celebrated that decision during a signing ceremony at LaGrange Academy on Wednesday.

“It’s one of those things where I started when I was four, and I’ve worked for it my whole life,” Terry said. “I told my parents, I’m going to play in college. And it’s here.”

Terry was a versatile player for LaGrange Academy.

“She can play third base, she can play first base,” LaGrange Academy coach Charles Parker said. “She can pitch when she needs to.

“Probably first base will be her natural position. She can hit for power, but most of the time she’s a line-drive hitter.”

Parker added that Terry “did exactly what I asked of her. One day she’d play this position, and the next day she’d play that position.”

Terry went to Andrew College to participate in a tryout, and that worked out well.

“When I first went there, and I was trying out, I said I’m going to do my best, and (the coach) came up to me afterward and said I want to give you a scholarship,” Terry said. “And I cried.”

Terry said she was grateful to have her family members there with her at the signing ceremony.

“It means so much to me that they could all be here, and that I could share this with them,” Terry said.

For Parker, a veteran coach who has seen numerous players go on to play college softball, the experience never gets old.

“It’s nice to see the girls who’ve played for you move on the next level,” Parker said. “It doesn’t matter which level it is, they still have to work hard.”