PARKERSBURG - Morgan Trippett already has a new home for college and she's still got one year left on the softball diamond for Parkersburg South.
The Patriot senior, who hit .270 last year with 14 walks, seven doubles, and 18 runs-batted-in, will attend Concord University and play for Mountain Lions head coach Alisa Tasler.
"Morgan has a determined personality," noted PSHS head softball coach Jennifer Null, who watched Trippett play both first and third base last year as the Patriots finished as the Class AAA state runner-up.
"Morgan always puts the team first, listens to her coaches and takes pride in our program. She has a positive attitude, works hard and players pick up on that, which makes them want to work harder as well."
Trippett, who inked with Concord during the early signing period, said she might major in business management and look into something like finance and marketing as minors.
"I've always had an interest in them," Trippett said of Concord, which was actually the only school she took an official visit to. "I went down there and the campus is just amazing.
"The coaches seem very nice. I got along with all the girls very well and I like they are trying to rebuild the program and thought I'd like to be a part of that."
Trippett, whose older sister Genna is the Patriots' all-time single season and career home run leader and now plays at WVU Tech, was one of seven student-athletes signed by coach Tasler.
"People come up to me and say I got to be like my sister, but I'm more about the RBIs and I hit a lot of those," Morgan added. "My sister had more of a home run swing and I got more of a base hit swing. I don't always look for those (homers). I just tell people I am who I am and I can hit people."
The final season as a Patriot this spring could be different for Trippett as she is likely to end up pitching a good deal along with playing either corner infield position. Although she's played volleyball, basketball and soccer for the Patriots in the past, Trippett is just concentrating on softball this year.
During her junior year, Trippett was the starting keeper on the soccer team before suffering a torn ACL in her left knee. However, she managed to make it through the five-month setback and had a solid junior campaign.
"I pitched every game except for maybe a total of five or six," said Trippett, who had a 4.0 GPA last nine weeks, of her summer softball time with the 16-and-under Flamin' Fury travel team.
"I'm looking forward to Concord. I always wanted to play college softball and everything is falling into place. I'm pretty excited about it."
