PREP SOFTBALL: West Point’s Beasley signs with Jefferson Davis

Published 5:35 pm Thursday, June 9, 2016

WEST POINT — Jeri Beasley has more than left her mark on West Point athletics, but she’s ready to start over somewhere new.

The recent graduate and three-sport standout will have the opportunity to do just that at Jefferson Davis, where she signed to attend and play softball Thursday afternoon in the high school library. Beasley was accompanied by family, friends, teammates, coaches and an administrator as she dotted her i’s and crossed her t’s on a national letter of intent.

The moment was a joyous one but also a bit of a surprise. For the longest time, Beasley had figured her softball career was over and that she’d be attending nearby Wallace State in the fall.

“I know it’s way past signing and I’m already graduated, but it’s still really special,” she said. “I thought I wasn’t going anywhere until Eric (Pendley) texted me one day and he told me, ‘Hey, are you interested?’ He said there was a coach that was really interested in me, and it just kind of all fell in place. I went down there for a visit, and she offered me a full scholarship.”

Beasley, who’s been a varsity starter since her sophomore year and pitched West Point to three straight county tournament championships, is the program’s fourth college signee in two seasons. Karra Elam (Wallace State), Mallory Walker (Snead State) and Darana Campbell (Judson) all penned with their respective schools a year ago.

Come next spring, Elam and Walker will turn from friends to foes. Jefferson Davis resides in the NJCAA’s Alabama Community College Conference South Division, while Wallace State and Snead State compete in the North.

“It’ll be a challenge,” said Beasley, who had 175 strikeouts in 188 innings this past season. “I can’t wait to see them on the field again.”

Eric Pendley had the fortune of coaching Beasley for just one year, but he’d had the Lady Warriors’ ace on his radar for far, far longer.

“Ever since I can remember Jeri, watching her in the summer, she’s always been in the circle,” he said. “It’s just the hard work she’s put in. Today just sums all that up. I know she’s excited about going down there and playing for coach (Misti) Nims.

“It’s a big day for our program. It just speaks to what we’re trying to do over here.”

Misti Nims, who’s led Jefferson Davis since 2001, made the nearly four-hour trip north for Beasley’s big day. She said the Warhawks had been seeking another pitcher to battle for the starting position and were intrigued when Pendley only had nice things to say about his outgoing hurler.

“So we brought her down, and she definitely took over on the mound,” Nims said. “I feel that she could definitely come down and help us get to the next level.”

Speaking of next level, the JUCO coach gave West Point kudos for their recent run of churning out college talent.

“It shows that they can start here and go anywhere,” she said.