Courtney Fudge of Des Moines East High School signed a National Letter of Intent Tuesday afternoon to join the Marshalltown Community College softball program for the 2015-16 season.
Fudge was named to the 2015 Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-State Third-Team as a senior after finishing among the state leaders in hits, doubles, and RBI. A primary infielder, Fudge led the team with a .433 batting average and 61 hits. Fudge also scored 32 runs, drove in 37 more, and recorded five home runs along with 15 doubles.
"Courtney has played through a solid program," MCC head coach Garland Shirley exclaimed, referencing Des Moines East's 25-13 record in 2015. "She comes in already knowing what it takes to be successful."
Shirley and Fudge have past history before even stepping foot on the MCC campus. Shirley, who took over the MCC program in June, is also the head coach at Ankeny Centennial High School. Centennial and Des Moines East had previously met in a regular season matchup in 2015.
"We were very aware of her when we played her," Shirley continued. "Any time you have someone that changes the way you approach the game, you'd love to have her on your team. We won the game, but she showed us what she was capable of that day."
"Courtney will provide us with power at the plate right away. With a player like that, that plays against tough competition night in and night out, she's a tested hitter that can help us immediately."
Fudge indicated that Shirley was a main factor in deciding to attend MCC. "I got to know him during my high school season and he reached out to me about my future. I'm definitely excited to play softball at MCC."
Fudge will study Athletic Training while at MCC.