McCall Set To Pitch In At Pitt State

Lady Mustangs Ace Signs With Gorillas

Graham Thomas/McDonald County Press
McDonald County softball standout Madeline McCall (middle) signed a letter of intent Friday to play softball at Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kan. Pictured (from left) are sister Kayla McCall, father Leland McCall, Madeline McCall, mother Dinah McCall and brother Matthew McCall.
Graham Thomas/McDonald County Press McDonald County softball standout Madeline McCall (middle) signed a letter of intent Friday to play softball at Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kan. Pictured (from left) are sister Kayla McCall, father Leland McCall, Madeline McCall, mother Dinah McCall and brother Matthew McCall.

McDonald County softball ace Madeline McCall made it official Friday, signing with Pittsburg State University.

The right-hander, who committed In August, sees a bright future ahead with first-year coach Jenny Fuller and the Gorillas.

"I really feel like the class of 2022 is a game-changer for the program," McCall said after the ceremony at the high school's Performing Arts Center. "Hopefully, we can help a lot. I know I can be a good help pitching-wise. I'm probably going to be playing my freshman year, hopefully."

McCall went 16-3 as a senior and had 249 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.84. She batted .397 with four homers and 27 RBI for the 24-7 Lady Mustangs. McCall thinks her McDonald County career provided good preparation for the next level.

"My coaches were great," McCall said. "They worked with me, all the countless hours we spent in the barn, working on pitching and hitting. I'm really thankful for all I got here."

Lady Mustangs coach Heath Alumbaugh points to McCall's combination of talent and dedication.

"There's no ceiling on her potential, especially with the way she works," Alumbaugh said. "She had a lot of potential when she first got here. She maximized her potential with her work ethic and what she's done. She's a gym rat kid. These kids, it's just really awesome to see it pay off when they get to this point."

Her family -- mother Dinah, father Leland, sister Kayla and brother Matthew -- joined McCall on the stage for the signing. She thanked them and called her mom her biggest supporter. Pitt State being close to home was a key factor in the decision, McCall said.

"I think they're only headed up," Alumbaugh said of the Gorillas. "I'm excited because it's close enough that we can go and see her play up there, which is awesome for us."

McCall saluted her coaches and teammates.

"They mean a lot to me," she said of her fellow Lady Mustangs. "I will always have their back, and I know that they will have mine."

Of her many honors, McCall said two of her favorites are being named Big 8 pitcher of the year and making first-team All-State.

Now college awaits on the horizon. McCall said she feels "good pressure" when contemplating the challenges ahead.

"I'm looking forward to getting into that ground-floor program and just making it better," McCall said.