By ROBERT L. LEE

RESERVE – Riverside Academy High School pitcher Summer Delaneuville, closed out her high school career the way most student-athletes can only dream of, in fact up until a few days ago, it was a life-long dream of hers also.

Based largely on her reputation, which includes 317 strike outs, a 0.10 ERA, eight no-hitters, a 27-8 overall record and a state championship just in her senior season, Mississippi State University signed Delaneuville to a full scholarship and position on the mound. She is the first student-athlete from this state to sign a scholarship with Mississippi State and said she wants every softball player to know this accomplishment is possible.

“I can’t explain how it feels, I just want to jump up and down,” admitted Delaneuville.

“Playing in the SEC is something I’ve dreamed about since I was little and playing tee ball.”

With the winding down of her final year at Riverside, scholarship offers rolled in from local universities such as Southeastern Louisiana University and Southern Mississippi University. Southern Mississippi showed the most interest and quickly offered Delaneuville a scholarship after watching her pitch.

However, her aim was focused on pitching in the SEC. When Mississippi State learned of the offer, the university countered with the offer she had been waiting for.

“I had to opportunity to chose a team in the SEC, I’m not going to pass that up,” she said.

“It was mainly her decision,” said her father A.J. Delaneuville.

“She always wanted to play in the SEC and we always did support her 100 percent. She has really worked hard for this. I know we have spent a lot of hours practicing in the back yard.”

Delaneuville said one of the primary aspects he looked for in a college for his daughter was how much of an opportunity she would have to pitch during her first years.

“But education comes first and second is softball,” he said.

Delaneuville said she plans to major in nursing, while beginning a similar goal she had when she began high school: “Accomplish everything possible. Get every title and everything else I can,” she explained.

Her heroic goals don’t end in college either, after taking care of the college teams, she hopes her pitching will one day earn her a gold medal in the olympics.

“I’ve gotten better each year here and matured into a better pitcher with the coaches’ help,” Delaneuville continued. “It’s been exciting and I wish I could do it all over again, but I know I’m going on to bigger and better things.”