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Seated center, Marion Local senior Camryn Swain signed Wednesday to play softball at Edison State Community College. Seated with her are her parents, Jamie and Andy Swain, and standing from left are Edison State coach Miranda Huddle and Marion Local coaches Russ Puthoff and Mindy and Taylor Feasel.
MARIA STEIN - Do-it-all Marion Local softball player Camryn Swain signed with Edison State Community College on Wednesday.
Swain, who plans to major in social services, picked Edison State over Wittenberg and Wilmington.
"I just walked onto campus, and it was very nice and welcoming," she said. "It's really bright. Looks like somewhere I can see myself for the next two years."
Swain, who earned second-team All-Midwest Athletic Conference honors the last two seasons, played around the infield and outfield for the Flyers - coach Mindy Feasel said in May that she'd probably played five positions for them, including center field, shortstop, second base and catcher - and hit .418 and scored 20 runs. She also brings speed on the base paths, stealing 11 bases and often beating out bunt singles.
Edison State coach Miranda Huddle said Swain's versatility was a major asset.
"I'm looking for athletes, and she's really athletic," Huddle said. "Plus her versatility - I don't know where I'll have her, but being able to do whatever the team needs is definitely a plus. And her speed at the plate and on the bases is also definitely a plus."
Her role with the Chargers is still to be determined, but Swain said she would probably end up either in the outfield or one of the middle infield spots.
Heading into her freshman year, Swain said she was focused on power-slap hitting, taking advantage of her ability to reach safely on bunts to hit line drives to the opposite field over the infielders.
"We talked about it with her when she visited, getting more power at the plate will make her more versatile at the plate," Huddle said. "Lay a drag bunt down one at-bat, and then they're ready for it. So being able to power-slap something else once the defense makes the adjustment, we can make the adjustment as well."
Huddle, who was an assistant coach at Miami East and joined the Chargers' staff last year, is taking over the Edison State program this spring. Last year, Edison State went 29-15 and 15-7 in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference, ending the season with an 8-7 loss to Mott in the first round of the NJCAA Great Lakes A district.
"We have big goals," she said. "We've made it to regionals the past two seasons, so looking to continue on with that. Winning this season back at regionals, and hopefully we'll get a few more wins than we did last year."
With one more season at Marion, Swain is hoping to leave her mark on the program. Asked about her goals for her senior year, she gestured to the school records posted on the wall in the hallway.
"To take coach Feasel's name off those boards over there," she said with a laugh.
